First Day in an open wheel FE

[ktr6]

Hi everyone, after running sports cars for a while I have decided to dip my toe in the water of open wheel racing. I have been out of the saddle for a over a year and its just time to jump back in as my children are a little older. I have chosen FE for several reasons including fun factor/field size/sequential box/running costs etc plus Im only an hour away from Comprent.

The ARRC is coming up and I have arranged to rent a car from Comprent for the Thursday test day to make sure its a platform I really enjoy. Thought about running the weekend races but not sure I am ready for that. Since this is my first time in an open wheel FE was hoping you guys could give me any advice for a true novice. Most of my experience is in a miata.

[glenn cooper]

Welcome aboard the Open Wheel Train - You know you're not gonna want to go back, right?
I mean once you get hooked on the G's, the acceleration, THE BRAKING!



I think the biggest thing to get used to is the phenomenal braking.
You will be decelerating a considerable amount less weight, and the rotors and calipers are right about the same size, or better than the Miata.

Approach your braking normally and you will see that there's PLENTY more you can drive into the corner.
I don't know if turn 1 at Rd Atl is flat like it is in a FB car, but the correct way to brake for that turn would be on the straight, change down to the next lower gear, and you are back to throttle the second you turn in - there's really no trail braking as such when it's done right.

The grip level with wings will astound you. The slick tires and their grip will blow your mind as well. The very good Comprent crew will advise how to get heat into the tire, not sure if you will be on fresh, prob good used tires will be fine.
A good driver can get tires like that up to good temp on the warmup lap, and certainly by the end of the first lap. A cold slick tire offers pretty lousy grip, esp with the cool weather you might find at the ARRC, so be warned. You gotta get 'em warm before you will be able to push it.

You'll have to unlearn a bunch of Miata stuff - slicks will not howl as you approach the limit, so there's no noise to listen to.

I'm all about wearing ear plugs if I'm not on a radio headset. I concentrate better the quieter it is...

Just a few things to think about - Enjoy yourself, be careful, and use your mirrors!

Coop

[Keith Carter]

Get ready to have some fun! I just drove a Spec Miata for the first time last Friday so I know you're going to experience another world going to an FE. Everything Coop said you will experience. Speed, braking, downforce, etc... It's going to be a huge difference than a SM, but what has been learned in momentum maintenance will greatly help you be fast in an FE. Major differences in driving is that you don't use the clutch to upshift. Just let off the gas slightly and shift to the next gear (no clutch). The Comprent team will give you all the guidance you need. Have a blast and let us know your experience when you're done!

[ktr6]

Thanks for the replies, really looking forward to it. Quick questions:

1) Can you use the curbs in an open wheel car (assuming its dry) or does it upset the handling?
2) When down shifting do you need to blip the throttle to rev match?
3) I assume there is no ABS?

[EYERACE]

wings are your friend..........set them well to take a bite not shallow for top speed

and be prepared for virtually no body roll

wear tear offs on your helmet if you have not felt the need to in a tin top

[Keith Carter]

Nope, no abs. No blip on downshifts.. not real easy to do in a sequential. I still clutch on downshifts, but most don't. It's a bit harder on the dog rings if you don't clutch. You can use curbs if they aren't too aggressive of a curb. You can't pound aggressive curbs since it tends to bend pushrods.

[riderxracer]

I will be there Thursday also. We will be happy to help you get going.

Lee Rackley
FE # 79

[ktr6]

I will be there Thursday also. We will be happy to help you get going.

Lee Rackley
FE # 79

Appreciate the offer, look forward to meeting you!

[mikey]

don't be too surprised if you spin as you're learning the car. note everything happens faster, and the car reacts very quickly to even tiny inputs. there is no lag like in a cager. learn to get on the power earlier than you expect. braking with wings is tricky, initial pedal effort should be 'spiked' with some bleed off as you lose speed/aero. I had a tendency to lock up tires towards the end of the braking zone, as the aero grip disappeared. don't use the transmission gearing to slow the car down. be prepared to write a check! I bought my first formula car (also FE) 24 hours after spending an hour in one at BIR.

[glm34]

I am fairly new and will give you some beginners advice. Others may comment if I am incorrect. One thing I learned is you need to trust the car. It will "bite" into a corner and carry speed. Each time you got out go a little deeper into your braking zone and keep your foot in the throttle while going thru a turn, but make sure you have your braking and shifting complete. Open wheel cars don't like you to be in and out of the throttle. They become unbalance and you can lose it quickly. I learned that the shock set up and tires are my best friend. Make sure your tires are sized properly and you have heat into them. Wider tire is not better especially on cold days. Glen's comments are spot on. Take time to talk to guys like him and the experienced drivers. If you don't know something don't be afraid to admit it. Also, have a knowledgeable crew. I went out to many times with friends and I gained very little on a weekend. My last two times out I had a great crew. It allowed me to focus on driving, give feedback, learn how to drive and make adjustments, and they were able to make the proper adjustments. Most importantly have fun!!!!

[gcoffin]

Well if one or both front wheels do not appear to be turning....you have locked the brakes

[Marshall Mauney]

I'll second the "be prepared to write a check" comment. I spent one weekend in a FE after running a season of Miata and immediately bought it.

One thing that is more critical than in the Miata - don't be shy about fixing anything uncomfortable in the cockpit. When you finish your first day in the car, you will likely get out with a number of bruises and sore spots that you don't remember getting. This is what happens when you drive a car that easily pulls 2 Gs and has a VERY stiff suspension. Take some time to ID what in the cockpit is causing the rub or bump and tape it, foam it, move it, or otherwise fix it so that the weekend doesn't become painful.

The FE will do a lot more than you will be prepared for. If you have time and help, use your data to see how close you are to the limits. This is considerably less expensive than learning by exceeding them.

Comprent is a good shop - they'll take care of you properly!

[Eric Cruz]

I will be there Thursday also. We will be happy to help you get going.

Lee Rackley
FE # 79

How'd you get out of the wedding, Lee?? I'm telling Yvonne...

Thanks for all the effort and help on setup of the T-car at VIR, my friend. Sorry it just wasn't enough to get us a good run at each other again on Sunday. Not going to post on the why's of that, but they should know who they are.

Best regards,
Eric

[BillH]

One thing that is more critical than in the Miata - don't be shy about fixing anything uncomfortable in the cockpit. When you finish your first day in the car, you will likely get out with a number of bruises and sore spots that you don't remember getting. This is what happens when you drive a car that easily pulls 2 Gs and has a VERY stiff suspension.

I used to build FE's for the SCCA Enterprises Customer Services Rep out here.

If you buy one, the best money spent is to have a bead seat built for you. We did one in every car. There's a night and day difference in comfort, you'll be relaxed after a 30 minute session , not bruised. Not cheap but worth every penny.

I figure it's usually 4 hours just to fit the driver in the car, 6-8 hours when doing a bead seat.

[BillH]

Nope, no abs. No blip on downshifts.. not real easy to do in a sequential. I still clutch on downshifts, but most don't. It's a bit harder on the dog rings if you don't clutch. .

I blip on downshifts but, I've been driving sequentials for a long time.

Yea, there's noticeable wear on the dog rings when not using the clutch. The clutch acts like a shock absorber for the dogs. I also think dabbing it on the upshifts helps even though it's not necessary.

[riderxracer]

How'd you get out of the wedding, Lee?? I'm telling Yvonne...

Thanks for all the effort and help on setup of the T-car at VIR, my friend. Sorry it just wasn't enough to get us a good run at each other again on Sunday. Not going to post on the why's of that, but they should know who they are.

Best regards,
Eric

I didn't. We plan on the test day Fri, drive home Fri night, do the wedding thing Sat, then drive back on Sat night. That is the plan. U know how plans work.

I enjoyed racing with you at VIR, clean straight up racing, we will have to do that some more. Willing to help you and any othe FE competitor anytime. Are u guys going the the ARRC ?

Lee

[jcorsico]

Hi everyone, after running sports cars for a while I have decided to dip my toe in the water of open wheel racing. I have been out of the saddle for a over a year and its just time to jump back in as my children are a little older. I have chosen FE for several reasons including fun factor/field size/sequential box/running costs etc plus Im only an hour away from Comprent.

The ARRC is coming up and I have arranged to rent a car from Comprent for the Thursday test day to make sure its a platform I really enjoy. Thought about running the weekend races but not sure I am ready for that. Since this is my first time in an open wheel FE was hoping you guys could give me any advice for a true novice. Most of my experience is in a miata.

The best advice I can give is to simply be prepared for the speed at which things occur - when I was first learning to drive my FE, this caught me off guard. The car will feel incredibly twitchy compared to a sedan. The first time it oversteers, it will feel like "snap oversteer" to you. The car is unforgiving.

Plus, be prepared for the volume of feedback that the car provides. You will get an order of magnitude more feedback than in the Miata, particularly through the steering wheel. It will feel like the car is constantly trying to wrench the wheel out of your hands.

You'll be completely hooked after one session.

[ktr6]

Thanks everyone for the replies, everything appears to be a go for Thursday. Weather looks like it should be dry and mild. Ill be sure to report back, sounds like this will be a fun challenge!

[cooleyjb]

One thing that I didn't see mentioned was the steering.

It is way quicker than Miata. I feel like every time I let someone take a session in my open wheel car the first thing they mentioned was how they were surprised how quick the steering was. they were expecting all that is mentioned here and loved it, just didn't expect the steering as it was.

[ktr6]

Had my first taste on Thursday....in the rain. Despite the wet it was a really fun experience. I never really got to push the car but did get some laps in to work with the gearbox. Still have to figure out the clutch as I stalled several times trying to get underway. Will give it another go soon, hopefully in the dry. Still haven't figured out how you are supposed to see while its raining in an open wheel car. RainX helped but I really couldn't see much at times.

I can't compliment the Comprent team enough. The car was perfect and the crew worked really hard the entire day to make things easy for me. What a great outfit. Got to meet some of the FE drivers including Paul Schneider and admire his car as he lapped me. Seems like a great platform in a series that is starting to revive itself.

[provamo]

i guess demisting your visor will help

if you are following someone use your peripheral vision as you probably won't see much straight ahead

listen for the other car as its exhaust note will give you a hint as to what is going to happen next

you can simulate the experience by driving in the rain at high speed (suggest very short exposure to this) in one way traffic while NOT using your windshield wipers