YRS Sprint Race Round 3

"Course 1000" in Tsukuba Circuit , Ibaraki, on July 13th, 2002

Weather:Cloudy

Condition:Dry

Lap Time

- REPORT -

"50-Second Class"

The reason why I decided to enter the YRS Sprint Race for the first time is that I heard the class for the entries who can only drive with over 51 seconds each lap on "Course 1000" of Tsukuba Circuit would be established. According to the entry list, 50 entries are divided into five classes and Class A has seven cars including my RVR . The others in Class A are ROVER MGF, TOYOTA Caldina (AT), SUZUKI Alto Works, HONDA Integra iS (AT), FIAT Barchetta, and MAZDA Roadster that a chief instructor Tom Yoshida will drive.
I took MAMA and T-Dino to the racing track to show PAPA's passionately driving today for the first time. Thanks to YRS, they could watch the race in the room (with an air conditioner!) at the 2nd floor of the building beside the track. Whole the track is out of the window of the room.

Practice & Qualifying

Today's schedule is as below.

10:30 Practice
11:20 Qualifying
12:30 Heat 1
13:20 Heat 2
14:10 Final

The practice is to check if our body and also our machine is in good form at first. Just before starting, I found I forgot adjusting the 4-point seat belt, and tried to fasten getting panicky, but..., the waist belt is too short for me! It had been quite OK until TDW in May ... I fastened 3-point belt just for the practice and went onto the track. I could confirm that the knee rests made by a stuffed toy and GT Plate on the floor with 5,000 yen were actually useful for driving on the track.
The second lap of driving only three laps will be an official result of the qualifying. I knew it would be hard for my RVR to overtake the others in the heat races so wanted to get as a forward position as possible, but the result was the 5th place of six entries. MGF I had expected as my rival drove more than 1 second faster than me, and I found that Caldina would be the one I should compete with today. Alto without any unnecessary interior decorations got the pole position with extremely faster speed, and Roadster Tom will drive will start from the last position in Heat 1.

Heat 1

I wonder if I can do the rolling start that I have not done since November, 2000 . We roll along the oval without the infield section for the start, with 1 m space with the others, before and behind, and left and right. We start by the green flag waved at the end of the back straight. At the first lap, we could not start with the ruffled lines. At the second lap, up the green flag and down quickly, and then, we started! Wait a moment! I was expecting one more lap because the flag was not shown just before starting... Quickly stepping on the gas with braking for gunning the engine, I released the brake and started, but I did not do "Rocket start" without the engine's enough revolutions. Roadster just behind me overtook me from my inside before I knew it. I could not have my space and got the last position. Stepping on the gas more at the end of the last corner, but I could not get faster speed and the others went away.
I caught up with Caldina at the hairpin corner, but could not overtake. I could get to be with him side by side because he braked earlier than me, but he was faster from the exit of the corner than me, and I got behind him again. We had such fights until finishing Heat 1, and I kept the 7th place. Caldina and RVR got one lap behind Alto.

Heat 2

We could start by once. I could get the 6th place at one time since Integra lost his space to go, however, he soon overtook me and I got the last position again. As well as Heat 1, there were fights between Caldina and RVR. I lost my speed at the inside of him at the middle of the hairpin corner and got behind him again at the end of the corner. Also with slower speed from the end of the last corner to the end of the home straight, I could not overtake on the 1st or 2nd corner as well. Such situations were going on. How can I do!? But then, the checker flag of Heat 2 was waved.

Final

I knew I would have no choice but to overtake when starting, and understood how to start. I got high revolutions of the engine by stepping on the gas with a little braking on the back straight. We started with a green flag waved down! I steered to the right at once and tried to get the inside of the car just before me, but I could not, and also Caldina went faster at the end of the last corner. Then, I got the last position as well. I started fighting with him again. It was Final so I tried not only at the hairpin corner, but also in the infield section. I thought I might be able to do when Alto overtook us, but Alto was too fast and overtook both of us before I knew. Then, a checker flag was waved.
The final result was Alto Works, Roadster, Integra iS, Barchetta, MGF, Caldina, and RVR. The best three drivers except Roadster Tom drove were on the victory stand. I determined to be there at the next time!

After Racing

I could feel at ease even when racing, like watching other cars and feeling my own driving; "Caldina's diving on braking is marvelous!", "I may less step on the gas here", and etc... I may have been able to get better driving than trying for better lap time. Tom also advised me that the tires were worn out well. Better time may be at the next time.
But, the creaking brake tired me because I had to devote to care about it on my way from the racing track.