Session Sheets and Photos
Here are three session sheets I captured from the first three sessions of the event, along with some photos of the cars present.
Notably, several drivers—including myself, Brian Black, Nick Zelisko, Michael Young, and Sean McPike—were using Vitour P1 tires. Additionally, James Rauck later ran a 1:29, and I believe was mostly testing and scrubbing various full race tires during these sessions.
Fast Laps and Tire Performance Window
These session sheets show the fastest lap for each session, which often wasn’t the first lap. Based on my experience with the P1 tires, I’ve noticed they have an optimal performance window that’s fairly broad.
Outlap Strategy with Vitour P1
During the outlap, I usually apply very little heat to the tires. I don’t do much of the zigzagging—maybe a few heavy brake applications to get some heat in the brakes and tires, but nothing too much. With the C8s this season, my goal has been to run the full session. Sometimes, but not too often, this amount of heat has proven to be too little, and corner 1 on lap 1 was a bit of a ride, but the tires come on quickly under a serious load. It does take some heat to get them to work, but I prefer to not overdo it to help extend the time before they overheat and slow down. This strategy is much less crucial, and different for lighter and lower-powered cars where it may make more sense to put a good amount of heat in during the outlap, as the odds of ever overheating the tires is much less. I've been primarily driving C8 Corvettes of various trims, where the less heat approach makes sense.
E-Ray Performance
With the E-Ray, though, I didn’t notice any significant drop in tire performance either way, thanks to the frequent cool-down / recharges. The most laps I completed in a row were three before the battery needed to recharge on a cool down, which was also enough to cool down the P1.
SCCA Time Trial Nationals Preparation
With TTN coming up, I’ve decided to pilot the bone-stock E-Ray in Unlimited 1, where I can use the Vitour P1.
At that event, I’ll likely put a bit more heat in on the outlap to ensure the tires are fully turned on for lap 1. I’ll be looking to maximize my first lap with a full battery charge, and I won’t be as concerned about putting as many laps in during a session as possible, instead focusing on putting in a couple laps in a session with everything at peak performance.
