30 replies to this topic

[Long Road Racing]

And for all you out of towners on the fence about justifying to make the trip... Friday test @ SoBo, Sat & Sun during day TrackDaze lapping event @ VIR, Sat pm race @ SoBo, 3 days & 2 nights full of driving!


For Immediate Release: February 27, 2012
Contacts: Glenn Long, (919) 614-4797, glenn@longroadracing.com; Nick Igdalsky, (570) 646-2300 ext. 175

South Boston Speedway & Long Road Racing Present

Spec Miata Oval Racing Series

SOUTH BOSTON, Va.—South Boston Speedway and Long Road Racing are proud to introduce the new Spec Miata Oval Racing Series at the historic 4/10-mile South Boston Speedway. For the first time, Spec Miata racers will be able to race under the lights in a unique short track format.

The inaugural Spec Miata Oval Racing Series event will be a 25-lap exhibition race on the night of Saturday, May 5, 2012. The race is open to all NASA and SCCA Spec Miata cars, and both Hoosier SM6 and Toyo RA1 spec tires will be allowed. The top racers will take home trophies and bragging rights after a night of close racing on a NASCAR-sanctioned track.

Long Road Racing will be on hand to offer trackside race day support and setup. “It’s short track, and it’s a unique experience for road racers,” says Long Road Racing owner Glenn Long. “It’s a fun way to maximize your investment. Racers who have bought a Spec Miata can now get more use out of their car and enjoy it in a unique new way.”

South Boston Speedway COO/Executive Vice President Nick Igdalsky is a veteran Mazda road racer, and he understands the allure of a new series. “Spec Miata owners are road racers, but they live for competition,” Igdalsky says. “This is a new kind of competition they can do with the same car, the same tires, and virtually the same setup.”

A new kind of competition isn’t the only appeal of the Spec Miata Oval Racing Series. It is also an affordable way for racers to get on track. Saturday’s events cost just $40 per car and driver, which includes race entry and all on-track sessions. Crew and spectator passes are just $10. The race day schedule includes two to three practice sessions, qualifying, and the 25-lap race.

An additional practice day will be held on Friday, May 4, from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. for $150 per car. There is also an optional night practice on Friday from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. for $40. Racers participating in the daytime practice can participate in night practice for free.

Spec Miata racers can register in advance at www.LongRoadRacing/SoBo. The schedule for the Spec Miata Oval Racing Series inaugural race, as well as other South Boston Speedway activities, can be found at www.southbostonspeedway.com/schedule/index.htm.


ABOUT SOUTH BOSTON SPEEDWAY
Over the past 50 years, South Boston Speedway has earned a reputation for the best NASCAR-sanctioned short track racing in the country. The 4/10-mile oval is home to racing and testing by the most legendary names in both short track racing and all levels of NASCAR. Following a recent renovation, fans—who simply call the track “SoBo”—can enjoy premiere short track racing in a modern setting. South Boston Speedway is online at www.SouthBostonSpeedway.com.

ABOUT LONG ROAD RACING
Long Road Racing specializes in Spec Miata rentals, race car service and preparation of all brands, trackside support, race team management services, and transportation and logistic services. In addition, they also offer maintenance, repair and performance tuning for all sports cars. Long Road Racing’s 12,500-square-foot shop in Raleigh, North Carolina, includes the city’s only four-wheel-drive Dyno. Learn more online at www.LongRoadRacing.com.

[Race Engineering]

What a cool opportunity to race at such a legendary venue. NASCAR legends have been made at South Boston Speedway. What a great idea. For those of you who have never oval raced, take my word for it - it's a ton of fun! All you gotta do it put a little crossweight in it. I plan on entering and I think Jason's going to enter too (Jason's first ever race was at North Wilkesboro so he already has circle track experience. Maybe that is why he is the king of the rovals!)

I say, us road racers need to go show those circle track yo-yos how good road racers really are!

[Rob Burgoon]

Hey Bob, beginner oval question for you, when you wedge or dewedge a the car, (and you're only turning left) that means that you can move the weight on the outside tires fore and aft, right? What is the goal on a paved oval, get the weight on the RR and RF equal and ignore the wacky cross weight?

Or does wedge help the car turn left differently somehow?

[Zauskycop]

You want to get the weight on the LF/RR combo...so your crossweight will actually be below 50% (pretty sure this is correct). THEN, to truly turn left well, you want the front tires near the same stagger, but the RR definitely larger than the LR...helps you get on throttle earlier. Oh then there is all sort of camber help that you can do too...

[Rob Burgoon]

You want to get the weight on the LF/RR combo...so your crossweight will actually be below 50% (pretty sure this is correct). THEN, to truly turn left well, you want the front tires near the same stagger, but the RR definitely larger than the LR...helps you get on throttle earlier. Oh then there is all sort of camber help that you can do too...

Ok, so LF and RR ride height goes up, left side tires have postive camber, but no weight on them and don't matter much since I am turning left. This car sounds like it's gonna push. You're not talking about dirt are you?

Staggering the rear tires makes some sense. That would actually turn the car left with a welded or strong limited slip diff. However, stagger probably isn't going to be allowed in SM oval. I doubt 4/32 shave on RR and a bald LR will be much of a stagger. Tire pressure games are possible but may not offer great returns.

[Zauskycop]

Well, you have to work within the ruleset....and I haven't seen what that is yet. Here are some ideas and thought for you..

http://www.racelinec...SetupGuide.html

[Race Engineering]

We need to get Glenn to chime in and tell you guys all the setup secrets hes my guru.

[trey]

You need stagger ?

You can always stick the RR in the sun for a few hours then throw it in the swimming pool. When I raced the Allison Legacy cars one of the top guys lived a few houses down from me. After I stopped racing them , he told me his secrets. His pool was full of tires , at the track everybody was changing everything to get the car perfect. This guy's chassis was perfect when he got there and he just polished it with different RR tires.

[Rob Burgoon]

I read the setup guide you linked to Tracy, and it doesn't sound like cross changes helps you go left as such. It seems like it's just another device to adjust oversteer/understeer in particular portions of the corner as weight transfers fore and aft on the way in and out.

[Zauskycop]

Well Rob, there are many things in oval racing that we CAN'T do with an SM. I'm sure (though I haven't read the ruleset) that you can't put softer springs on the LF to help the car into the turn, you can't put different springs all around to thelp the car turn on throttle. You can't make your wheelbase shorter on the left side than the right. You can't offset the car front and rear. Not to mention different shocks.

I ran oval for one year in a late model car (talk about expensive) and learned just enough to be dangerous, but not enough to be considered an expert. All I can say is go to the track with a "turn left" setup...yes that means wedged. Also go with a guide in your head to solve different things that may pop up...Understeer into a corner, Over/understeer out of a corner.

Ride heights, swaybars, tire stagger (if possible) are all your friends...don't be afraid to play with them...but make sure you write down what you change to the next time you turn right, you aren't surprised

[Glenn]

You want to get the weight on the LF/RR combo...so your crossweight will actually be below 50% (pretty sure this is correct). THEN, to truly turn left well, you want the front tires near the same stagger, but the RR definitely larger than the LR...helps you get on throttle earlier. Oh then there is all sort of camber help that you can do too...

> 50% to turn left!

[Glenn]

We need to get Glenn to chime in and tell you guys all the setup secrets hes my guru.

Pretty smple.....Go really fast, turn left....repeat tll checker comes out DUUUHHH.

[Rob Burgoon]

> 50% to turn left!

Certainly the "why" isn't as important as whether it works. If it works, it works.

[Race Engineering]

LOL You tell em G man.

[Sam Barnett]

What a great event this turned out to be!

The battle between Tyler Cooke and Estus White for 1st place was epic! They swapped the lead and ran literally door to door non-stop for the last 15 laps of the 25 lap race. In the end Estus White pulled off the win by about 2 feet!

It was great to see Spec Miatas in a new enviornment! There were a lot of spectators, post race interviews over the PA etc. It was a really well done event! The locals and oval regulars really got a kick out of it. I think they were surprised how close the lap times of the SM's were to their 4cyl stock class cars that are designed for ovals!

If you are on the fence about going to one of these events I highly recommend it. Not to mention VIR is right around the corner so you could easily do VIR and SoBo on the same weekend!

It was great seeing Tony Senese again who drove all the way down from Vermont!!!

Kudos to Long Road Racing and Nick Igdalski for putting together such a fun event. I look forward to coming back to the next one in Sept!

Sam

[Zauskycop]

Didn't happen without video!

[Race Engineering]

Congratulations to all the competitors and organizers. Wish we could have made the event - I really wanted to race this one, just couldn’t work the scheduling out! From all accounts it was a knock down drag out battle between Estus White and Tyler Cooke. I think Estus (otherwise known as Little E) may have had an unfair advantage, considering he's from Kannapolis NC, home of Dale Earnhardt Sr - JUST KIDDING - LOL!!! Little E did cut his teeth on the ovals of Carolina.

Its great to see such a deserving young man have success!

Thank goodness good people like Glenn and Tom Long are looking to the future of our sport by coming up with such a unique event and making it happen.

[Long Road Racing]

Hello all - As Sam said it was EPIC! Not sure if the Super Moon had any effect, but it was an amazing event. I'll get some videos up soon from Tyler Cooke's in car.

I'll be listing the set-up changes that we made from what we did as we unloaded to the final small tweeks. The short answer is that it's all in the ride heights. We kept track of how mant rounds we'd move a corner so at the end of the night, we had our road racing set up back on the car in about 3 minutes.

It was so nice to receive such a warm welcome from the fans, the officials and the competetors.

I can sum it up this way - it was even better (all of it) than we'd hoped for! I enourage you all to come out for the next race at South Boston in September - you will NOT be disappointed.

[Glenn]

Alright THATS it the motivation I needed to FINISH the SM! I will be there for sure!!

[Jason Owenby]

Congrats to little E on the win! also to Long Road Racing for putting on a good show.
Hopefully more of us can make the next event.