Ryan Cheek Racing

3 minute(s) of a 210 minute read

Getting that coveted point by! SCCA does an excellent job explaining and encouraging a "gap lap" during time trials competition. Every first lap, of every session, is entirely under yellow/caution, which is normal procedure in most driving organizations. Yet, with SCCA, during this first lap drivers are expected to work their way from 5/10's speed to 10/10's speed, while also making space between themselves and the car ahead of them. For instance, if I am behind a Miata, I would open a large gap between them and myself by the end of the first lap, so that I may full throttle down the front straight and NOT catch the Miata at the first turn or subsequent turns. If the Miata was behind me, they could leave a smaller gap between our cars at the end of the gap lap because my car will naturally create a gap on the long straight. This technique works quite well but I have not seen it implemented within other organizations. The first track session for each group at each event, driver's may place themselves wherever they like in grid. Hopefully using logic to know if they should be at the front (fast), in the middle(average), or at the back (new to the track or slow). Every session afterwards, for the rest of the event, driver's are gridded based on their previous session's best lap time. This pictured point by is from the first session of the Road Atlanta time trials. I placed myself towards the front of the grid, knowing I was very comfortable with RA. I had competed against the the Audi TT previously at NCMMSP and they placed ahead of me overall, so it made sense for the driver to grid ahead of me and for me to not leave a large gap. Well, I quickly caught the Audi. Over slowing to leave a gap would create an accordion effect, subsequently stacking up everyone behind me. Luckily, point bys were plentiful. I received this one from the Audi at turn 5 and gave one to the Camaro at turn 7. The next session, now that there was a baseline for each of us at RA and we were gridded accordingly, the gap lap worked perfectly and no point bys were needed, until we caught the back of the run group . #sccatimetrials #funwithcars #PlayAllTheMotorsports #RyanCheekRacing