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Exercise #1: Skid Car

12/3/2016

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The classroom discusses very basic principles of mass transfer and although they have cars in the diagrams you could probably have used any icon from motorcycles or maybe even yaks.  As we depart the museum, we are given one of 4 colored wristbands.  Although we have whittled the participants down to groups of 12-14, the instructor to student ratio isn’t favorable.  However, I suspend my disbelief that for a $100/hr rate, we certainly will get some quality instruction.  However, it’s beginning to look as if  this class will be more “experiences” and less “instruction” based

Soon enough, it’s time for a bio break back in the main building next to the gift shop under the canopy.  Sadly, while I can appreciate the need to allow folks to relax, this is the area we will ultimately spend the most time in throughout the day.  The orange team then loads up in a van to be taken out to the skid pad cars. 
The skid pad cars have a student driver, the instructor (always shotgun), then 2 students in the back seat.  The cars are retrofitted with a $30K which allows the pressure to be manually adjusted from 0 to 100% loading. So, needless to say, everyone is going for a skid today. 
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I will echo the sentiment that every new driver program should have this as part of the curriculum.  Its remarkable how pear shaped you can find yourself, but with a bit of perseverance and light throttle and looking where you need to be, the car will follow.  However, I have to say that I also found the centrifugal forces of a complete spin out quite exhilarating.  The instructor was cool as a cucumber during all of our antics, and did it was probably the only time during the day that we did receive any professional corrective guidance.  Each driver receives about 4 mins in the driver’s seat, and a total of 12 mins in the vehicle (8 mins as passengers).
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With 14 students and only 2 cars, we spent much more time watching others than participating.  A purist might say that you can learn an awful lot by spectating, and that might be true. 

However, no sooner do we really begin to feast our eyes, one of the tires on the outriggers to the skid car begins to shred.  Then it detonates shortly before the last student completes. It does strike me as odd as the tire doesn't even last for our session.  However, as the story unfolds the SRT Experience only runs on Fridays, with the longer 2 and 4-day classes earlier in the week.  During track days for bikes, most folks only get 3 days.  At the BMW performance center, which I never saw a tire at wear bars, they said they do new skins every 3 days.  Basically, it seems that the SRT Experience are "dirty seconds", sucking every last nickle out of the kit until it fails.  While it’s probably not considered a true ‘safety’ failure at the speeds we are traveling, it’s nonetheless, an indicator of a more systemic approach to Bondurant’s maintenance philosophy.

Total time in the driver's seat to date: 4 minutes
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