31 replies to this topic

[Jim Drago]

With my luck lately.. I'm glad I missed it
Congrats to all
Jim

[John Costello]

Had a great time this weekend! It was great to meet some of the guys and to put some faces to names. Big thanks to Danny for helping me out with some data and video. I have some learning to do, but I think I am starting to get the feel for a SM and I will surely put Von C's advice to use in a big way the next time I drive the car!

[Strongbad]

Videos anyone?

[DrDomm]

Videos anyone?

I hesitate to post this incriminating evidence, but it adds to the epic rain win for Todd Buras.

http://youtu.be/-2Ra3aSQLTU

I'm new at this, and was struggling to keep the car on the track due to poor visibility and massive understeer. I had just gotten lapped by a T3 car a few laps from the end, and was slowing for the uphill esses since I couldn't see the apexes from the spray, there was a yellow flag, and I was consistently pushing out into the puddles. Voytek Burdzy flew by and kicked up a wall of water. I couldn't see where I was going, so I tapped the brakes to get some distance from the spray. I couldn't see Todd behind me. I must've freaked him out, and he veered into the wet grass, making a remarkable save. Again, my apologies. Congratulations!

[Jim Drago]

They do kick up a little spray don't they
Jim

[Danny Steyn]

I hesitate to post this incriminating evidence, but it adds to the epic rain win for Todd Buras.

http://youtu.be/-2Ra3aSQLTU

I'm new at this, and was struggling to keep the car on the track due to poor visibility and massive understeer. I had just gotten lapped by a T3 car a few laps from the end, and was slowing for the uphill esses since I couldn't see the apexes from the spray, there was a yellow flag, and I was consistently pushing out into the puddles. Voytek Burdzy flew by and kicked up a wall of water. I couldn't see where I was going, so I tapped the brakes to get some distance from the spray. I couldn't see Todd behind me. I must've freaked him out, and he veered into the wet grass, making a remarkable save. Again, my apologies. Congratulations!

As someone who spent most of the rain race eating the spray, I suspect Todd only SAW YOU at the very last second. Great save Todd!!!

[Danny Steyn]

Here are four laps cut from the 2012 VIR Double National race held in soaking wet conditions. The first three laps are non-consecutive. I have also posted this in the SMTV forum.

The new Hoosier H20's, while offering incredible grip in the wet, also throw up way more spray than the Toyos and make driving behind someone else a really scary affair as you are driving totally blind. I ran off the track several times unable to see where the track was, and this actually happened twice on the straights! I also went off a couple of times all on my own!

Almost everyone of the front drivers had an off-track excursion. I have a huge off at South Bend as you will see in the 4th lap (9:25 on the video), and was very lucky to continue. I watched Buras go off in T4, Brown and Charbonneau went off in South Bend, Voytek went off permanently in T11, and Tisseront permanently in the uphill esses.

On lap 3 following Leverone through the uphill esses we pass Pax Lemmon who I never saw until I was passed him. (6:45 on the video)Thankfully I wasn't a car width off to the left or it would have been ugly..

I suggest clicking through to watch in full screen in YouTube. (Tried a new video codec but not sure if its any better)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjuUejhtyVs

[DrDomm]

Let me ask a totally newbie question. Why is it NOT mandatory to run with headlights/taillights on? If not mandatory, why not just common etiquette? As a slow backmarker, it was much easier to let the T3 cars thru. They all ran with headlights on.

[DrDomm]

Here's a quick clip of the last lap thru the top of the esses, just to show the carnage up there.

http://youtu.be/uO3Pb9FBUuA

[Brendan O]

I have a huge off at South Bend as you will see in the 4th lap (9:25 on the video), and was very lucky to continue.

Never been to VIR. But it looks like you flew off a ledge or drop off? It's weird because the track is right there to the left of where you went flying through the air so how can there be a big ledge like that so close to track? Anyway - it looked really scary.

[ChrisA]

Never been to VIR. But it looks like you flew off a ledge or drop off? It's weird because the track is right there to the left of where you went flying through the air so how can there be a big ledge like that so close to track? Anyway - it looked really scary.

Only ledges at VIR are ones that you drive into, not off of and you have to go through tire barriers first to hit those.

[Danny Steyn]

Brendan

If you go off on drivers right at VIR's South Bend, it's a smooth transition to the grass. However if you stay parallel to the track with the plan of coming back on at the dip, there is a large bump that pitches you airborne. I had personally seen the underside of Gorilla's car last year so I knew it was there, I just thought it was closer to the dip. I was wrong! It's about half way down and it will pitch you.

Where most people get it wrong, is trying to get it back too quickly and they collect the wall on drivers right. I saw Bruce Anderson parked there but don't know what happened to him. Both Cliffie Brown and Andrew Von C went off there too, but both did the right thing by taking the wide route, avoiding the bump and the gully and coming back on track before T11