Garage Heroes (In Training)

Learning as we go. Come along with us and Enjoy the Ride!

Telemetry

GHIT 0140: Autobahn Country Club HPDE With NASA Great Lakes

Autobahn Country Club

We cover Bill’s first HPDE 3 with NASA Great Lakes at the Autobahn Country Club South Course layout that is near Chicago.  It was our teams first HPDE 3 and it was fantastic.  NASA Great Lakes really shines with their HPDE curriculum.  In addition, we had the opportunity to try the teams new Garmin Catalyst on track for the first time and we were very impressed.  Several notable driving improvements were during the event and perhaps even a few Ahh Hah Moments.  In addition, we discuss the “perfect” race car in the Dominating with Dawson segment for this episode.

We hope you enjoy this episode half as much as Bill enjoyed the NASA Great Lakes event!

Special thanks again to the entire Great Lakes team for funning another top notch event, as always.

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and

Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  A short track review of the South track at Autobahn.  In addition, it was our first time on track with electronic flags.

2)  We compare the relative costs of a track day weekend vs a divorce etc.

3)  Differences between NASA Great Lakes HPDE 1, 2, and 3.

4)  We cover some of the tremendous drills that start of most of the track sessions.  They are very valuable to improve your driving skills and racing experience in a controlled and safe manner.

5)  How NASA GL has altered the different HPDE levels and improved as they learn to account for COVID induced changes and still improve the quality of the instruction for each of their students in a very quick reaction, demonstrating their ability to respond nimbly to their students feedback.

6)  Garmin Catalyst first impressions and review after using it to review our track driving for the first time this weekend.  The in-car coaching was a very good addition to the weekend while we were in the car without an instructor.  We hope to have a full episode with a guest in the next few weeks.  We posted a few videos on our YouTube channel that has some of the Garmin instructions included if you are curious. 

7)  Bill is a big fan of the opportunities options that prioritize areas for potential improvement/low hanging fruit along with the potential quantified time improvement potential.

8)  Jen asks the question Bill never wants to discuss with Vicki in earshot:  How much is it?  Vicki, close he webpage, just close the page.

9)  Just remember, these are only $500 cars………

10)  Why does Bill always confuse Buddy Rich and Buddy Guy.  No idea, but the model/example still applies. 

11)  Mork from Ork shows up for a small guest slot, some of you will see it.

12)  Bad news on two of our GoPro’s.  They may not be useful for our in-car video due to the dynamic range of brightness or contrast from within the car vs the outside. 

13)  The anniversary that never seems to end. 

14)  A very good discussion of focus and being fresh on track, as well as a probably wise decision to use good discretion and skip the last session at the end of Saturday.

15)  Bill’s prep for a new track is getting better and almost where we would like it to be.  The process we use during an HPDE is really getting dialed in and allowing us to get the most out of each stint and maximize the benefit for each HPDE we attend.

16)  We cover some of the most significant improvements and a few Ahh Hah’s from the event.

17)  The goal of HPDE 3 to push beyond your comfort level and look for more speed was very good and appropriate after the training received in HPDE 1 and 2 with NASA GL.

18)  The go kart track looked amazing, although we did not have a chance to try.

19)  Bill makes a play at adding another HPDE/track day for NJMP.  Schedule tbd.  Details to follow.  He would really love to get Jennifer and Vicki out once more with the Catalyst.  It should help them both greatly.  Some planning details still to be resolved. 

20)  What is left to get Brad safely out the door and what is left to start the process of GHIT Colorado.  Look for us to come out to High Plains raceway and other tracks in the area as soon as Brad is set up and ready for us.  Also one last chance for Bill to pick on Brad for signing up for several HPDE’s and not

GHIT 0140: Autobahn Country Club HPDE With NASA Great Lakes

GHIT 0139: Team Progress and Update

Garage Heroes In Training

This episode of our podcast is a listeners request, Jennifer, Vicki, and Bill go over what we have been up to and begin to look at where we are going for next year.  Lots of changes, lots of cars gone, still a few to go, and lots of new cars added, most need some TLC.  We think we are on a good path, but you can be the judge of that.  Also, on this episode’s Dominating with Dawson, we get into a discussion of driving skill vs driving talent.  Lots of opinions, lots of thoughts, probably the first of several discussions related to this.  In the end, there are very few people, I any, who if they are interested in our sport and apply themselves, cannot get to a competitive level and become a very good driver and racer.  At least that’s what we think.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Best regards,

Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, and Bill

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training Podcast and

Garage Heroes In Training racing team drivers

Highlights from this episode include:

1)  Our upcoming skid pad & autocross car control event at Lime Rock with Safety Third Motorsports.  Jennifer and Vicki as so excited it is hard to explain, even for them.

2)  How the 2.75 Porsche 944’s and 1.0 Boxsters have found new homes and Brad’s starting to prep his E46 330 for his move to Colorado.  Maybe we have the beginnings of a Midwest/Mountain time zone team.  4.75 cars in one weekend.

3)  The plan for the SpiderStang Mustang and the black Honda Civic are still tbd at this point, but may be available.

4)  Bill has located a HPDE car that is undergoing some upgrade and preventative maintenance with the help of John Lavin from Safety Third Motorsports.  It is a E46 that is changing from a SMG transmission to a manual transmission because that is just so much more fun and engaging.

5)  An E46 330 shell magically appeared and is the long-term project car for Bill’s goal of running the NASA Thunderhill 25 by 2025.  So far, we have 3.5 drivers who are interested and now need only one more driver and Bill to get some more skill.

6)  What are we doing with 1974 Capri.  We have plans, but not enough skill at this point.

7)  Should we build two Civic race cars, we don’t know for sure at this point.  Still TBD.

8)  Our 2017 Ford F150 black cap is also looking for a new home

9)  Mechanical status for each car and the progress to be accomplished over the off season this winter.

10)  Bill is apparently stuck in bad joke/dad joke mode throughout this episode.  We apologize.

11)  We talk about what the plan is for modifying the cage in the yellow Honda Civic and the two smaller jobs of fixing the engine and adding new/better seat mounts.

12)  Vicki is reminded of the winter project that was set for last winter.  Perhaps we will have better luck this year.  TBD.  Maybe someday the ND Miata may actually have an interior again.

13)  Bill tries to get some planning on the upcoming themes.  Vicki and Jen don’t want to get into it at all.  Bill thinks its all a coverup for no plan.  We shall see.

14)  Vicki learns about the most romantic anniversary gifts ever.  Why does Vicki put up with this?  How did Bill ever get so lucky?

15)  We are all three going to complete some car related courses this winter.  Eventually, we will be competent mechanically and electrically.  (These had better be good courses if they are to get us there, lol.)

16)  New/recent garage tools and capabilities that will aide us this winter, with a quick review of each.

17)  We reverse the “what does someone know about you that no one knows” question on each other.  Bill stuffs a big foot into his mouth during this one.  He will be sleeping in the bathtub for a long, long time.

18)  Vicki learns that Thunderhill is located in California. 

Any ideas for Guests?

Any ideas for upcoming topics?

Please let us know at [email protected] or on our Instagram at @GarageHeroesInTraining

GHIT 0139: Team Progress and Update

GHiT 0096: Eric Rood on the 2020 Lemons Rally schedule is our Special Guest

Eric Rood Official Capacity
Eric Rood: Lemons Official

Eric Rood from the 24 Hours of Lemons racing series reviews his history and the upcoming Lemons series, especially the rally events.

Eric Rood is our guest on this episode where we review his car history, the upcoming 2020 Lemons races and especially the Rally events.  We first met Eric when he was judging one of our races.  Alan quickly knew all about him after he visited him 4 times.  In addition to being an awesome judge, he has written for several automotive sites and currently helps steer the direction of the 24 Hours of Lemons series, especially their social media presence and the Lemons rallies.  If you see Eric, please ask him about touring with Ozzy!  (Details are in the first three minutes of our show)

If you would be so kind, please Rate, Review, and Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite listening platform.  We would greatly appreciate it. 

Eric Rood and Friend
Eric Rood and Friend

Highlights for this episode include: 

1)  Our best introduction to an episode, EVER
2)  Vicki is vying for our lead master mechanic position/opening
3)  We break news of an upcoming Lemons YouTube video on the latest Lemons Rally
4)  Bill shamelessly begs for reviews and ratings of the podcast
5)  What does the title of Everything Bagel exactly mean in the Lemon’s org chart
6)  Eric’s writing and racing history and how he first started with racing in a Lemons event
7)  What does being a catalog copy editor entail and how much you can know about office folders
8)  Overview of the Lemons Rally events and describes the “process” of competing
9)  Eric discusses some of the most forgotten cars we have ever discussed on the podcast, some thankfully forgotten
10)  Rally stories abound including the Asheville Pinball Museum
11)  Alan makes his debut as our sound board
12)  Eric discusses a long list of cars he has had and would like to see in Lemons
13)  An amazing (and backward) Good, Bad, and the Ugly with the best “Good” we have ever had
14)  Our trials and tribulations related to getting our E36 BMW race car prepared for our upcoming race
15)  Alan may have an apprentice “In Training” and Vicki seems to have a talent and enjoys the mechanical work, well most of it
16) We are now looking for a “Hub Tamer”.  Does anyone happen to know anything about them?
17) We have a high-level discussion about our telemetry system and electrical system upgrades.  More details will come in an upcoming episode.

Eric at rest and and play. Little Difference.

This week’s Dominating with Dawson segment reviews proper hand position while racing and how that can impact your driving performance and control of the car.

To keep up to speed with Eric and the 24 hours of Lemons team, they are on all the social medias as the 24 Hours of Lemons or via his email at [email protected]

Best regards,

Bill, Vicki, Jennifer, and Alan

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training podcast
and team members in the GHiT
Immature Endurance Racing Team

GHIT 0096: Eric Rood on the 2020 Lemons Rally schedule is our Special Guest

GHIT 0083: Our 2019 Review and 2020 Goals Episode

On this episode, Vicki, Jennifer, Alan, Kate and Bill went over our 2019 season and our 2020 goals.  Are we on the same page?  Do we even belong in the same book?  Listen in and find out.  Some of it was news to us, lol. 

Areas covered included:

2019 Review:

1)  How did our Team’s 2019 go in your opinion, Highlight and Low-light
2)  How did your personal season go?  Highlight and Low-light
3)  Things you want to keep the same/similar and Things we need to change or improve
4)  Biggest team weakness or missing need
5) Best Race or HPDE and Worst Race or HPDE
6)  Our traditional Good, Bad, and the Ugly

2020 Goals:

1)  What race goals do you have For you, For the team, For cars
2)  Personal, Non-driving/racing goals
3)  What driving/HPDE goals do you have, Any tracks or races interested in for 2020
4)  Any additions to our team in terms of People, Tools, Training, Paddock, Cars,
5)  Roles/Responsibilities, and Team talents missing/needed
6)  What would define a successful year? For you and for our team
7)  What would you say to the other members of our team

We try to do this every year and would recommend it to you and your team. 

Bill’s inner planner sometimes takes over. 

Best regards,

Bill, Vicki, Jen, Kate, and Alan

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training podcast
and team members in the GHiT
Immature Endurance Racing Team

GHIT 0083: Our 2019 Review and 2020 Goals Episode

GHIT 0073: RaceCapture and Podium with Brent Picasso

Podium Pit Setup
You want data that you can use?

Brent Picasso has been racing since 2009 and has since created a company that provides the RaceCapture and Podium real time telemetry and data capture/display systems.  We cover the development history and capabilities of the system, as well as his racing history.  With what originally began as a self-tweeting race car, they have been able to develop one of the best and most complete systems we have seen to date.

Podium is capable of being used with virtually all data collecting systems and converts the data into many potential formats to aid in understanding and analyzing.  RaceCapture is a separate  system that comes in three levels suitable for once in a blue moon track day participants to full time professional racing teams.

Podium

His initial racing history began at Thunderhill with what was originally intended to be a Peugeot entry but eventually led to turbo Miata and 1,000 penalty laps and the race to zero laps began.  The initial wheel to wheel racing action set the hook and he hasn’t looked back since.  Since then, in addition to the Peugeot, his conquests included a turbo 3-cylinder Mercur XR4Ti, a Crown Vic, and a second gen V6 MR2. (Bill really wants a piece of that MR2 since he had one in college) 

1)  The development history of both RaceCapture and Podium and how each can be used together or with other data capture systems like AIM, MoTeC etc. 

2)  The use and capabilities of the various systems and how they interact

3)  Data collection capabilities as well as how the data can be followed, used, and displayed, both in real time at the track, remotely, or within the racing car itself.

4)  There are three levels of the RaceCapture system, what they are used for and how they differ

5)  Podium app capabilities, use, and several upcoming features and capabilities

Podium on Cell Phone
Mobile and Remote usage as well

6)  Ability to look at data in real time or as a review, especially with racing coaches and friends.

7)  These systems appear to lower the barrier to look at and use any data you are collecting currently or in the future

8)  Driver data comparison techniques and use

9)  Some of the key improvements of this environment is the lower barrier to using and understanding and improving as a result of the data

10)  The interface is also able to be used as a real time, in car dashboard and/or dashboard replacement

11)  It is also able to be used not only in the car, but also in the garage/paddock at the track, and even remotely, all in real time on a wide variety of hardware including computers, laptops, iPads, phones, etc.

12)  What is predictive lap time, how it is calculated and potentially used on the track

13)  How the system works with driver changes etc., so common in endurance racing

14)  Pit use vs in car use vs post-race review usage and options

15)  Options and thoughts for use with multiple cars/multi car teams

16)  We try to overview the installation process and requirements, as well as how they vary depending on the car being used, its OBD2 capabilities etc.

17)  Options and thoughts regarding additional sensor use for things like brake pad temperature or tire temperatures

18)  What is Canbus and how it can be used with the system to increase the capabilities and data that can be collected and monitored in real time, like differential temperature etc.

19)  Shift X3 capabilities and usage to form alarms and warning systems for the driver of potential car issues such as engine rpm shift lights, oil and water pressure and temperatures etc. 

20)  Advanced customization options are also available for those interested through Lua programming capabilities built into the system

21)  Options and use within dedicated race cars, as well as occasional track/daily driver cars

22)  In car dashboard replacement options with using the system

23)  We are very excited with several of the upcoming additions to the systems and steps to continuously improve the ease (of use and data “digestion”) and capabilities of the systems and how they integrate with each other and external data sources like video etc., as well as several advanced pit-to-car communication capabilities

All of this can be used for track days, HPDE events, and racing events at all types of venues and tracks, including impromptu tracks and non-traditional racing areas common with Autocross events etc. 

We are placing our order for several of these systems next week and will likely have our review in an upcoming episode(s) as we progress. 

Best regards,

Bill, Vicki, and Alan

Hosts of the Garage Heroes In Training podcast

and team members in the GHiT

Immature Endurance Racing Team

Several links mentioned within the podcast:

Autosports Lab/RaceCapture:  https://www.autosportlabs.com/

Podium App:  https://podium.live/software

Aim Sportline:  https://www.aim-sportline.com/index.htm

MoTeC:  https://www.motec.com.au/products-currentrange/product-directory/

GHIT 0073: RaceCapture and Podium with Brent Picasso