Tracks & In-Car Video

This page is a collection of in-car video from the race tracks I've driven, and a log of my track days and lap times.

Car

1998 Porsche Boxster: 2.5L, 201HP, factory sport suspension. Usually wearing DOT-R tires at the track. Starting May 2005: add Bilstein PSS9 suspension, TRG sway bars and front camber plates.

Video

Sony TRV-900 DV cam with a wide-angle lens, mounted on an IOPort camera mount on the roll bar, and an external Sony mic mounted in the rear trunk or on the engine cover to pick up engine noise instead of cockpit wind noise.

Video formats and sizes

Currently most of the videos are in the older format I used when originally creating these (using the Sorenson video compressor exporting from the original iMovie). Lately I've captured some new video and started using Final Cut Express HD and the new and improved H.264 format, which yields much better resolution and frame rate for a given file size. The largest size is specifically formatted for the iPod (it should open in iTunes for easy transfer to the iPod) and looks very good when output from the iPod to a TV.

codec	resolution	typical size
Sorenson	360 x 270 @ 15 fps	12 MB
H.264	320 x 240 @ 15 fps	6 MB
H.264	480 x 360 @ 30 fps	12 MB
H.264	640 x 426 @ 29.97 fps (iPod video format)	24 MB

The Videos

(note that the videos do not correspond to the "best lap" dates shown)

video / track / configuration

best lap

date

Thunderhill Park, Willows, CA

standard 3.0-mile course (counter-clockwise)

2:11.046

2006.10.23

3.0-mile course in reverse (clockwise)

2:16.094

2002.07.21

2.9-mile course in reverse (clockwise) with bypass

2:10.644

2006.04.24

1.9-mile course (8/8A) (clockwise)

1:26.796

2005.10.10

Laguna Seca (aka Mazda Raceway), Monterey, CA

2.258-mile course

1:46.856

2008.03.18

Sears Point (aka Infineon Raceway), Sonoma, CA

2.52-mile course

1:56.582

2007.03.22


5.1MB	13.5MB	26.8MB

2.53-mile course (longer turn 7)

1:59.212

2006.03.30

Willow Springs Raceway, Rosamond, CA

2.5-mile course

1:41.525

2005.07.03

Buttonwillow Raceway, Buttonwillow, CA

Configuration #1 - 3.0-mile course clockwise

2:14.216

2007.04.27

Configuration #13 - 2.8-mile course clockwise

2:11.183

2005.01.15

Spring Mountain Motorsports Park, Pahrump, NV

2.2-mile course

2:03.17

2000.05.01

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, NV

1.16-mile outside road course

1:36.89

2002.04.26

Track Log

Where I've driven since discovering that you're actually allowed to do this. :)

Thunderhill Park	Willows, CA
3.0 mile course	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	1999.07.26	Miata	S-02	030	2:26.63
	1999.07.27	Miata	S-02	030	2:24.37
w/ chicanes	1999.11.14	SCCA	g-Force	030	2:27.49
	2000.07.02	TracQuest	V700	030	2:23.09
	2000.08.04	open test	V700	030	?
	2000.08.25	open test	V700	030	2:23.18
	2000.08.26	PCA	V700	030	2:20.29
	2000.08.27	PCA	V700	030	2:17.25
	2000.09.25	CFRA	V700	030	2:16.40
	2001.04.09	CFRA	V700	030	2:16.16
	2001.07.08	TracQuest	V700	030	2:17.80
	2001.07.09	TracQuest	V700	030	2:14.60
	2001.08.25	PCA	V700	030	2:19.47
	2001.08.26	PCA	V700	030	2:16.39
	2001.10.20	PCA	V700	030	2:14.65
	2001.10.21	PCA	V700	030	2:12.782
	2001.10.22	CFRA	V700	030	2:13.77
	2002.03.01	PCA	V700	030	2:15.22
	2002.03.02	PCA	V700	030	2:12.62
	2002.03.25	CFRA	V700	030	2:13.48
	2002.06.10	CFRA	V700	030	2:13.81
	2002.07.07	TracQuest	V700	030	2:15.56
	2002.07.08	TracQuest	V700	030	2:14.43
	2002.10.02	UnlimitedLaps	V700	030	2:12.42
	2003.03.31	CFRA	V700	030	2:13.04
	2003.06.16	CFRA	V700	030	2:17.403
	2004.04.03	PCA	V700	030	2:17.03
	2004.04.04	PCA	V700	030	2:13.618
	2004.04.11	PCA	V700	030	?
	2004.04.12	CFRA	V700	030	2:13.95
	2004.10.08	CFRA	V700	030	2:12.720
	2005.04.18	CFRA	V700	030	2:14.448
	2005.10.10	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:11.553
	2006.04.29	PCA	V700	PSS9	2:11.31
	2006.04.30	PCA	V700	PSS9	2:11.16
	2006.09.23	PCA	V700	PSS9	2:14.38
	2006.09.24	PCA	V700	PSS9	2:11.592
	2006.10.23	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:11.046
	2007.10.22	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:11.718
3.0 mile course in reverse (clockwise)	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2000.10.21	PCA	V700	030	2:29.45
	2000.10.22	PCA	V700	030	2:19.75
	2001.03.10	PCA	V700	030	2:20.78
	2001.03.11	PCA	V700	030	2:16.41
	2001.06.04	CFRA	V700	030	2:17.26
	2001.07.20	PCA	V700	030	2:18.93
	2001.07.21	PCA	V700	030	2:16.094
2.9 mile course (bypass) in reverse (clockwise)	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2006.04.24	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:10.644
	2007.05.21	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:13.334
1.8 mile East Loop course (turn 7) w/ turn 1 chicane	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	1998.11.01	SCCA	P-Zero	030	?
	1999.01.23	SCCA	P-Zero	030	?
	1999.04.03	SCCA	S-02	030	?
	1999.11.13	SCCA	g-Force	030	1:29.60
	2000.08.20	SCCA	V700	030	1:27.62
1.9 mile East Loop course (turn 8/8A)	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2000.08.05	CFRA	V700	030	1:32.76
	2001.04.09	CFRA	V700	030	1:28.75
	2001.10.22	CFRA	V700	030	1:28.02
	2002.03.25	CFRA	V700	030	1:28.26
	2002.06.10	CFRA	V700	030	1:27.xx
	2004.04.12	CFRA	V700	030	1:27.679
	2004.10.08	CFRA	V700	030	1:27.42
	2005.04.18	CFRA	V700	030	1:29.212
	2005.10.10	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:26.796
1.9 mile East Loop course (turn 8/8A) in reverse (clockwise)	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2001.06.04	CFRA	V700	030	1:29.66
1.9 mile West Loop course	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	1999.04.03	SCCA	S-02	030	?
	1999.11.13	SCCA	g-Force	030	?
	2000.08.20	SCCA	V700	030	1:01.11
Sears Point (aka Infineon Raceway)	Sonoma, CA
2.52 mile course	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2000.02.26	NASA	S-02	030	2:18.90
	2000.02.27	NASA	S-02	030	?
	2000.11.13	Quattro	V700	030	2:08.29
	2000.11.14	Quattro	V700	030	?
	2000.11.24	CFRA	V700	030	2:05.54
	2002.10.26	PCA	V700	030	2:02.61
	2002.10.27	PCA	V700	030	2:02.72
	2003.02.21	CFRA	V700	030	2:01.51
	2003.11.28	CFRA	V700	030	2:04.808
	2004.02.14	PCA	V700	030	2:02.50
	2004.02.15	PCA	V700	030	2:00.71
	2004.02.27	CFRA	V700	030	1:59.81
	2005.11.25	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:58.563
	2006.02.25	PCA	V700	PSS9	1:59.65
	2006.02.26	PCA	V700	PSS9	1:57.54
	2006.11.24	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:57.452
	2007.02.24	PCA	V700	PSS9	1:57.53
	2007.03.22	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:56.582
	2007.11.18	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:58.986
	2008.03.02	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:57.762
2.53 mile course (longer turn 7)	Date	Club	Tires		Best Lap
	2005.03.08	CFRA	V700	030	2:04.669
	2006.03.30	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:59.212
2001-2002 temporary shortened road course short turn 7 configuration	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2001.08.31	open test	V700	030	1:35.39
2001-2002 temporary shortened road course longest turn 7 configuration	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2001.11.23	CFRA	V700	030	1:34.69
2002 short road course using NASCAR Chute	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2002.02.21	CFRA	V700	030	1:08.63
Laguna Seca Raceway	Monterey, CA
2.238 mile course	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	1999.11.26	Miata	g-Force	030	2:00.67
	2000.03.07	CFRA	S-02	030	2:01.57
	2000.06.10	PCA	g-Force	030	1:56.27
	2000.06.11	PCA	g-Force	030	1:55.26
	2001.02.05	TracQuest	V700	030	1:52.56
	2001.02.06	TracQuest	V700	030	1:52.61
	2001.02.22	CFRA	V700	030	1:51.03
	2001.03.01	Quattro	V700	030	1:52.31
	2001.03.02	Quattro	S-02	030	?
	2001.04.14	PCA	V700	030	1:52.??
	2001.04.15	PCA	V700	030	1:51.082
	2002.03.30	PCA	V700	030	1:52.53
	2002.03.31	PCA	V700	030	1:50.650
	2002.04.17	CFRA	V700	030	1:50.42
	2003.10.27	UnlimitedLaps	V700	030	1:53.42
	2003.11.05	CFRA	V700	030	1:51.189
	2004.02.09	CFRA	V700	030	1:51.84
	2004.06.26	PCA	V700	030	1:53.96
	2004.06.27	PCA	V700	030	1:52.03
	2006.02.03	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:50.275
	2006.09.07	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:48.292
	2008.03.18	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:47.416
	2007.03.11	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:47.657
	2008.01.22	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:48.572
	2008.03.18	CFRA	V700	PSS9	1:46.856
Willow Springs International Raceway	Rosamond, CA
2.5 mile course	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2005.07.02	SpeedVentures	V700	PSS9	1:44.128
	2005.07.03	SpeedVentures	V700	PSS9	1:41.525
Buttonwillow Raceway Park	Buttonwillow, CA
3.0 mile course "Race #1" (Star Mazda) clockwise	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2000.08.19	TracQuest	V700	030	2:24.74
	2001.05.19	PCA	V700	030	2:23.12
	2001.05.20	PCA	V700	030	2:20.224
	2001.08.18	TracQuest	V700 (corded)	030	2:25.54
	2001.08.19	TracQuest	V700 (horribly corded)	030	2:24.03
	2002.05.18	PCA	V700	030	2:17.49
	2002.05.19	PCA	V700	030	2:15.14
	2002.10.14	CFRA	V700	030	2:17.53
	2004.05.17	CFRA	V700	030	2:17.784
	2005.05.16	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:14.858
	2006.05.19	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:15.873
	2007.04.27	CFRA	V700	PSS9	2:14.216
2.8 mile course "Race #13" (Sweeper) clockwise	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2000.04.15	PCA	g-Force	030	2:28.71
	2000.04.16	PCA	g-Force	030	2:20.46
	2005.01.15	Racerfactory	V700	030	2:11.183
	2005.01.16	Racerfactory	V700	030	2:11.873
Spring Mountain Motorsports Park	Pahrump, NV
2.2 mile course	Date	Club	Tires		Best Lap
	2000.04.27	open test	g-Force	030	2:05.43
	2000.04.28	Pantera	g-Force	030	2:04.85
	2000.04.30	TracQuest	g-Force	030	2:03.79
	2000.05.01	TracQuest	g-Force	030	2:03.17
Las Vegas Motor Speedway	Las Vegas, NV
1.16 mile outside road course	Date	Club	Tires	Suspension	Best Lap
	2001.04.28	Pantera	V700	030	1:38.67
	2002.04.26	Pantera	V700	030	1:36.89