Garage Heroes (In Training)

GHIT 0261: Our NJMP HPDE Event – Part Deux

GHIT 0261: Our NJMP HPDE Event – Part Deux

We had a large group of drivers at the recent NASA Northeast HPDE event at NJMP’s Lightning course. Since schedules did not fully coincide last week, we broke our group up into two different episodes. We start off with our usual goals for the weekend and cover how the event went. For this NJMP HPDE, we had Audra on who had never been to this track and was driving her 2017 BMW M2 for the weekend. Adam came to the event and was going to use Bill’s M3 but due to mechanical issues, he had to use Vicki’s 1999 turbo NB Miata for one of his stints. Elizabeth was trying her new to her SpecE30 on the track. Lisa returns for a second visit on this event and drove Audra’s M2 at the event in the Hyperdrive session

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice, including the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc. Also, if you could give our podcast a (5-star?) rating or even better, a podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving.

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

PS Please don’t forget that if you are looking to add an Apex Pro to your driving telemetry system, don’t forget to use our discount code for all Apex Pro systems you will receive a free Windshield Suction Cup Mount for the system, a savings of $40. Just enter the code “ghitlikesapex!” when you order. They are a great system and truly invaluable in safely increasing your speed on track and/or autocross etc. The recently released second generation systems and app increases the capability of the system greatly.

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) We start off with our personal goals for the event. Each event we try to make sure we each have at least one goal, but no more than 3 for the weekend.

2) Elizabeth had a bit of motion sickness after going out with Bill as a passenger. We may have found a cure for this, hopefully it will prevent motion sickness as well. We will test this again at our next few events.

3) Each level of the HPDE has a download session and some of the levels have classrooms during the weekend. We discuss the benefits of each and offer some suggestions for further improvement.

4) Highlights from the weekend and our traditional Good, Bad, and the Ugly

5) Adam advanced from HPDE 1 to HPDE 2.

6) Audra advanced from HPDE 1 to HPDE 2.

7) Vicki advanced from HPDE 2 to HPDE 3.

8) Elizabeth advanced from to HPDE 2.

9) We also shared a ton of Ahh Hah moments we had at this event. Its awesome to hear how everyone of us progressed.

10) Adam gave a good review of driving the E46 M3 vs the turbo NB Miata.

GHIT 0261: Our NJMP HPDE Event – Part Deux

Over Slowing for a Turn

DwD 0260: Over Slowing for a Turn and A Few Ways to Stop

On this issue of Dominating with Dawson, we talk through the importance of the entry speed into a turn. One of the potential problems that comes in this area is learning how not to over slow for the turn. There is very little that can be done to make up for that lost time and speed. This can be the result of several different causes including trusting the tires or brakes, habits from street driving where you usually brake for every turn. Over slowing has recently become one of our team’s bigger problems and one of the largest potential areas for improvement. This will likely be part one of a few.

If you would be interested in helping grow our sport of high performance driving and our podcast:

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

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

DwD 0260: Over Slowing for a Turn and A Few Ways to Stop

Paul Gerrard

GHIT 0259: Paul Gerrard – Author of Optimum Drive, Professional Racing Driver and Coach, and Top Gear USA’s “The Stig”

Do you REALLY want to be a great driver? If so, this is the episode for you.

Paul Gerrard is the author of “Optimum Drive – The Roadmap to Driving Greatness” and he knows what driving greatness entails as he has competed at many of the highest levels in motorsports and coaches many drivers pursuing their dreams. In addition, he was the Stig for Top Gear USA. Resume aside, he has a way of breaking down the pursuit of greatness that applies to virtually all areas of our lives, including racing. When he agreed to come on the podcast it was not an issue of what we should ask him, it was what we needed to leave out. Hopefully this is the first of many episodes with Paul.

And we learn the exciting news of Paul’s next book that he is working on to help

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

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) We discuss the natural skill vs learned debate about high performance driving and racing. This is great news for most of us.

2) A story about a bad tractor tire idea leads to a great Ayrton Senna story and then to a Jean-Claude Killy story.

3) How to develop a feel for what is fast and probably more importantly, how to improve your feel.

4) What is the key to becoming a great driver. It is a simple answer and the same answer for most aspects of your life.

5) Comparison on learning to be a racing driver at a racing school and a HPDE ladder system for a goal of professional racing

6) How vision skill issues can almost always be traced back to a lack of car control skills.

7) The importance of spending time on a skid pad as well as what to do when on the skid pad

8) Bill has read Paul’s book 6 times but still gets things absolutely backwards. Time for a seventh lap.

9) We digress into couples therapy for a few minutes, lol.

10) How the key to improving your driving is the fundamentals.

11) We also go into why a car that is understeering is so difficult to work with and why a car that is below the limit does not help you as much to improve your driving as you would expect.

12) The best brake initiation practice and how it differs from street driving.

13) Potential fallacies of the smooth is fast mantra. As always, Jackie Stewart is an example of the exception.

14) We also go into all of the listener submitted questions from our Instagram and Facebook.

To find even more from Paul, please go to:

https://www.theoptimumdrive.com/

Instagram at: @theoptimumdrive

Facebook at: The Optimum Drive

Paul’s blog articles can be found at:

https://www.theoptimumdrive.com/f1-blog-entries

Paul contributes to The Fast Lane Car YouTube channel at:

https://www.youtube.com/c/TFLcar

Or email Paul at [email protected]

GHIT 0259: Paul Gerrard – Author of Optimum Drive, Professional Racing Driver and Coach, and Top Gear USA’s “The Stig”

DwD 0258: Overdriving vs Underdriving

On this issue of Dominating with Dawson, we talk about the two types of drivers we have on our team. Some of us approach track driving by overdriving the car and then backing down. Others of us approach the limit gradually working up to the limit. Both have their merits, but it is valuable to know what your default is and how to maximize your specific predilections, especially as an instructor or team captain. In this episode, we go into various indications of both under and over driving at a variety points across each lap.

If you would be interested in helping grow our sport of high performance driving and our podcast:

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

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

DwD 0258: Overdriving vs Underdriving

Joe Adams from Blackstone Laboratories

GHIT 0257: Joe Adams from Blackstone Laboratories and Host of the Slick Talk Podcast

Joe Adams joins us for an in depth discussion of all the introductory questions that we had related to oil. And what their analysis can reveal within your car’s engine. We start with what the oil is actually doing within your engine. Next we go into how indications either the oil degrading or the degradation of individual engine components. We also try to cover the individual components used within the oil formulations and what their function is. After this episode, we know that we learned a few things about oil. Also, how to save some money (for more track time). Testing can also reveal some potential issues in your car before they become very expensive or perhaps even catastrophic.

If you would like to help grow our sport and this podcast:

You can subscribe to our podcast on the podcast provider of your choice. This includes the Apple podcast app, Google music, Amazon, and YouTube etc. Also, if you could give our podcast a (5-star?) rating or even better. A podcast review, we would greatly appreciate it and it would help us to grow the passion and sport of high performance driving.

For instance, leaving an Apple Podcast rating is very easy. If you go to your podcast library, under shows and click on the podcast. Then you can leave a (5?) star rating and enter your review.

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) What does the terminology mean and what you need to make sure that your oil is going to work properly for your application.

2) How to determine when you need to change your oil due to the individual engine and your use of the vehicle. The testing can often result in cost savings by optimizing your oil change interval to your usage.

3) What other fluids besides engine oil that can be tested by Blackstone, as well as how to take the sample and send it in for testing.

4) We cover what the Blackstone Laboratories tests are and how their test team’s test report will help you to interpret the information easily and quickly.

5) How best to take the sample and what liquids Blackstone Laboratories is capable of testing.

6) What to look for in your fluids and how to best make emergency substitutions or substitutions for racing applications.

7) Synthetic vs conventional oils. Is the (former) dinosaur better or worse.

Sorry Bill sounds like he is talking into a paper towel roll for most of the episode. He borrowed it from Mental (or the microphone disconnected during the recording)

GHIT 0257: Joe Adams from Blackstone Laboratories and Host of the Slick Talk Podcast

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