7 replies to this topic

[KachMiata]

Anyone heading to the Mitty at the end of April? I am thinking about heading down - I hear it is quite the weekend and with Mazda being the featured marque, I am guessing it will be a good time.

[Lance Snyder]

I'll be up there Saturday to watch the MX5 Cup race, usually there is a group of us watching from turn 10.

[G-Man]

I went in 1996 and again in 2009. It was fantastic both times and I bet this year will be even better with Mazda as featured marque. If you go, please post pictures and stories!

[KachMiata]

Just booked my flight for the Mitty weekend. Really looking forward to it, as it sounds like there will be a lot of fun stuff going on during the weekend. Also, I was talking with one of the event personell and I mentioned that I race with the SM guys in the SCCA. He did some checking and apparently I can enter my SM in the event. This came as a suprise to me, as I thought it was a "historic" type weekend, but I figured what the hell, so I will be sending my car down as well. I have never driven Road Atlanta, so I am looking forward to driving one of the great american tracks. I have been watching all the video on the intertubes that I can find, which has been helpful. Any other tips, or things I should really avoid when on track? And, I will take a bunch of pictures as well.

If you are curious, here is a sample of the cars that will be in my class:

71 RX2
70 Porsche 911
94 RX7
01 Miata (Danny Stewart - Anyone know him)
62 Jag E-type
63 Lotus 23B
72 Porsche 914
64 Lotus 23
96 Toyota World
70 Royale RP4
74 Opel Kadett C
74 Datsun 260Z
63 Jag XKE
71 Pinto
65 Mustang
69 BMW 2000CS

That us a just a quick selection, and honestly, I do not know what some of those cars are, so it should be fun....and educational.

[Lance Snyder]

If it's wet, stay off the paint... if it's drying, stay off the paint. The esses are treacherous in the rain, rivers galore. Try not to get on the curbing exiting turn 1, if you do gently get off of it... too much input will lead to bad things. Turn 3 has a nice escape route drivers left should you feel the back end coming around on turn in. Try not to go off in the middle between the curbing and the motorcycle chicane at 3 as it's rutty and all kinds of crap will be there. Turn 4 is treacherous in drying conditions, fine in the dry. Exiting 5 being straight when getting on the curbing is a pretty good idea. Turn 6 will be quicker then you think. Exiting 7 there is a HUGE hole at the end of the exit curbing drivers left, enough of a hole it will snap you into the wall drivers right. Turn 10a gator teeth are mild... the gator teeth exiting 10b you want to avoid. Most folks pick a colored light on the lightbar under the bridge to position their car for the exit of 11... really try to stay off the curbing on the left, or the grass, bad things usually happen in both cases... same thing with the exit of 12. Try to do the test day if you can.

HSR lets anyone with anything run as long as they pay. The schedule is incredibly packed, do not expect to get the track time they put in the schedule especially if it's storming. They get behind and things start getting cut.

[KachMiata]

Thanks for the run down, Lance. It sounds like the track deserves respect - especially in the wet.

The weekend originated as a chance to spend some time at a new track with my dad, who will be running his GT3 in the event. Then I found I that I could run my miata, so now it is a "race" weekend. I am not going into this with the same frame of mind as an SCCA National weekend, but more of a fun weekend at the track with my pops. If the conditions are right, I will try and see how close I can get to some of the times turned by the SM guys last month - We shall see.

[Lance Snyder]

That is a very good way to put it and good attitude to have going in. You'll see some cool cars now whether or not they are actual period correct is another story. Personally I loved working the event except for the schedule. 11+ hours on the corner finally broke me and I stopped working it a couple of years before SCCA stopped handling it. The drivers are fantastic people, real nice group of folks but it was just too much hence I spectate on Saturday.

[KachMiata]

Yeah, I am really interested to see all of the different marques and vintage racers there.

I will be the guy with the gray/orange #80 SM with the Porsche Napleton Racing crew. If you see us, stop by an say hello. It would be great to meet you.

Thanks again for the tips regarding the event.