29 replies to this topic

[Lee Thomas]

I know what you're all doing on March 7 - 10, 2013. You're going to be racing at COTA.

SCCA Lonestar Region is hosting our double national race there. Pass the word. It's happening.

It's also SxSW weekend so hotels are going to be tight.

Stay tuned... More info coming soon!

[Jim Drago]

i'm sure we will all be there

[LarryKing]

We're all camping in Lee's backyard too.

[Mike Asselta]

I know what you're all doing on March 7 - 10, 2013. You're going to be racing at COTA.

SCCA Lonestar Region is hosting our double national race there. Pass the word. It's happening.

Incredible! Thanks for heads up Lee. I don't *think* I have a V8 Supercar driving commitment that weekend, so we will be there!

[Danny Steyn]

I am so there

[Lee Thomas]

More information...

Access to the track begins on Wednesday March 6th at 3PM. The track is open 24 hours a day so loading should be easy. Thursday March 7th will be a practice day paid directly to the track. It's pricey (at least compared to my limited experience). It will cost $300. Friday is an SCCA practice day and then Saturday and Sunday will be qualifying and race. Details are still being worked out based on forecasted car counts. Also, we don't have the price of the race weekend yet (which will include Friday practice) but we are assuming the car counts will be significant so this should have a positive impact on the cost to drivers.

COTA charges for track damage and it sounds pricey (again, based on my lack of experience with tracks like this). I heard armco damage is $250 per foot. As you may have seen, there is a lot of runoff area but still...they are clearly proud of their track.

I've been driving COTA on the 2012 F1 sim on a PS3. Get a copy and you'll get lots of track time before the race. Clearly, this is a horsepower track.

[suck fumes]

I'll be there in my mustang for sure!!! Already know the track from playing xbox haha

[suck fumes]

You better have a 130hp Miata if you want to win here. This place makes road america look like Disneyland! Turn 1 is steeper than RA hill and longer!

[Doug007]

Any chance you guys will use the cut-off at turn 6?

[MPR22]

No, they negotiated the full course.

[Cnj]

Here is a video that does a good job of describing the track at slow speed. Lots of missed apexes - but who am I to judge..
http://m.youtube.com...h?v=tyscio1DaCg
The track looks pretty much like the video except that the grandstands are all complete. Of course everything is steeper than the video shows. Because the track is on a hill side most of the seats from T1 through T10 have excellent views to multiple corners. The T1 suites are to die for with respect to viewing. Better have some cash if you want to go there.

The FOM/FIA circus started to roll in this week and the scale of the effort is off the charts. I have worked multiple pro sports venues but have never seen anything like this as I get to watch it come together. The support to the main race will be fun and there is tons of space to stroll around and concession stands happy to help you, well, spend money. For those of you going to the race, take a walk to T1 and look down that hill.

Cnj

[suck fumes]

Can't wait till next week!!

[tmartin]

Do you know if registration is up for this event?

[suck fumes]

Negative. Won't be for a while.

[steveracer]

Um yeah, 4 months out is a bit early to register...usually 3 or 4 weeks before.

[tLinder]

It might have been over-shadowed by the excitement, but as Lee mentioned in his opening post, the South by Southwest Festival (15,000 to 20,000 people) is the same weekend, some hotels are already full and some appear to be asking a premium.

[suck fumes]

Just look for hotels away from the airport. Buda, tx is a prime spot out of the spotlight with a lot of hotels and only 15-20 min from the track.

[tmartin]

Um yeah, 4 months out is a bit early to register...usually 3 or 4 weeks before.

Not that this is the place to whine about SCCA and its various antidiluvian practices, but for some of us this sort of event requires some planning and logistics. 3 or 4 weeks in advance for date and reg confirmation isn't really ideal or even practical if you have to move multiple cars, say, 1200 miles. Ditto if you have a work schedule that involves travel and commitments. That, and I don't see any reason that sign up can't be 90 days or more in advance. SF Region sent out their full 2013 calendar today. The LoneStar region site seems to be stuck in mid-2012. Sorry for the rant; I feel better now, hanging to a thin thread of hope that the SCCA is trying to up its game. This COTA event would be part of that, and I can understand that discussions with COTA don't get done overnight.

[Cnj]

Not that this is the place to whine about SCCA and its various antidiluvian practices, but for some of us this sort of event requires some planning and logistics. 3 or 4 weeks in advance for date and reg confirmation isn't really ideal or even practical if you have to move multiple cars, say, 1200 miles. Ditto if you have a work schedule that involves travel and commitments. That, and I don't see any reason that sign up can't be 90 days or more in advance. SF Region sent out their full 2013 calendar today. The LoneStar region site seems to be stuck in mid-2012. Sorry for the rant; I feel better now, hanging to a thin thread of hope that the SCCA is trying to up its game. This COTA event would be part of that, and I can understand that discussions with COTA don't get done overnight.

Tom, don't want to defend SCCA when they can defend themselves, but couple of thoughts. Firstly the South West Div SCCA annual schedule is usually put out in December for the next year. The 3-4 weeks mentioned above is registration not a commitment to the date. I doubt that any region allows registration months in advance. Secondly I urge everyone to give both SCCA and COTA till after this weekend to lock down details on what is (to COTA) the smallest event on thier calendar so far. I have no doubt we will all have several months advance notice for what is likely to prove to be one of the most popular club race weekends in the country. The bigger problem is to figure out how to get a reasonable amount of track time on test day when 350 cars show up - or to fight for main paddock space

Cnj

[suck fumes]

The garages are 20x60'. People can split those and put multiple cars in them. The track is wide enough in some parts to go 4 wide so it should be more than roomy for a large number of cars plus there is a lot of runoff room for errors in most areas.