103 replies to this topic

[Butch Kummer]

Wondering if the SCCA has any pull to get that filled in with concrete?

Not saying they shouldn't, but if it IS filled in what keeps everyone from moving a foot farther over to the right exiting the corner (and eventually digging a new hole)? It used to be the track ended at the edge of the rumble strips but people kept going over that edge so they paved some more. Now people regularly put their whole car to the right of the rumble strips (on top of the concrete).

More pavement is not always the correct solution...

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Been sick since returning home, battled a sinus infection the whole time I was down there.  Weekend thoughts:

 

Weather was really great!

Competition was very stiff!

Racing in SM was very clean!

 

While I have now learned how to go faster in all the corners I have now forgotten how to go fast in a straight line

 

The handling of my car was the best it has ever been at this track Thanks to Racing Analylitics, My two season old 1 in 1000 motor finally feels like a 1 in 1 motor, I dont think I ever gave a single bump draft the whole weekend.

 

Great hanging with Jim, Erik, Pat, Craig T, and Dutch!  They didnt really see me much as I spent alot of hours looking at my data and vid knowing that the only way I was going to improve my grid spot in that field was go faster in every corner since I sure wasnt going to make it up on a straight.

 

I have to be thankful though, as how many 1 in 1000 motors races the equivelent of 14 race weekends a year for 2 years and are still in top form!  It was just time to really rebuild her, unfortunately that was also a weekend it was important to have top power with so many very tallented drivers and so many well prepped cars.

 

As for the tires, they were really great for 6 heat cycles running both SM and STL.  When they went away on lap 3 of the sunday race, they went without warning, and send me backwards several spots a lap till I decided just driving around for another 20 minutes wasnt going to be much fun.  

 

Skip Brock jumped that spot where Danny crashed, he landed inches away from that wall with me right behind him, I was sure he would bouonce off and collect me, but aparently Skipper has been saying alot of late night prayers! He made with foot still to the floor, and just like Skip I did the same on lap 3 of the sunday race that was the start of the tires just being shot.  I count myself so very lucky to have gotten away with it!  

 

Congrats to Jim on Sunday, and even more to so to Alex on Saturday who had to drive an entire race with Jim in all his mirrors for a whole race, beating the champ is never gonna be easy, but Alex made it seem so if even for a minute.

 

First time in a very long time that I left Atlanta with the car lookng pretty much as it arrived, if it wasnt for the STL botched start on Sunday where I almost had the rear bumper crushed and we saw at least 4 cars written off. 

[Keith Andrews]

Not saying they shouldn't, but if it IS filled in what keeps everyone from moving a foot farther over to the right exiting the corner (and eventually digging a new hole)? It used to be the track ended at the edge of the rumble strips but people kept going over that edge so they paved some more. Now people regularly put their whole car to the right of the rumble strips (on top of the concrete).

More pavement is not always the correct solution...

 

Agreed.  The new paving at VIR uses lots of options.  Progressive gators, paving beyond the gators, grading to smooth out off track excursions.  Here is a Mike Skeen video that shows the new paving.

 

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=5Q1ynsZNuy4

[Jim Drago]

Not saying they shouldn't, but if it IS filled in what keeps everyone from moving a foot farther over to the right exiting the corner (and eventually digging a new hole)? It used to be the track ended at the edge of the rumble strips but people kept going over that edge so they paved some more. Now people regularly put their whole car to the right of the rumble strips (on top of the concrete).

More pavement is not always the correct solution...

I'm with Butch... Part of that corner is the fact that it is dangerous. I am all for driver safety, but I think the fact that we all know that corner can hurt you comes into play in lap times and the race. Similar to the kink, we know it is dangerous, that is part of it. I say this knowing I likely have an appointment with the turn 5 wall at some point in the future as well.

[Brocodile]

 Turn 5 Air.jpg   27.8KB   5 downloads

 

Here I am: airborne after hitting the hole in T5. Just a projectile at this point. Hitting or missing the wall depends entirely on the point of aim at time of launch- and keeping the wheel straight on landing.

 

I agree with Jim that moving the curbing probably would be counter-productive. We will always use 100%, and then some, of available track. The wall can't be moved (several of us have tried). Widening the track will only lead to higher speeds, closer to the wall. As my experience illustrates, there is currently some margin for error.

 

Regarding filling the hole with concrete, it would just move the hole. Wherever curbs are used consistently at track-out, holes develop because drivers are on the gas. The spinning rear wheel becomes a Ditch Witch. At Road Atlanta, there are holes at the end of the curbs at Turn7 and Turn 10A - only the results of hitting them are less severe.

[suck fumes]

Has to be done right though. I remember at tx world speedway they filled in holes with concrete and halfway through the weekend since people were driving over them the concrete started breaking up and then there became huge chunks of concrete that people were hitting including me haha. Bent a wheel that weekend

[zoomzoom22]

Video link T3 350z accident, on youtube easy to watch:

 

[HoneyBadger - BrianW]

That is a nasty hit.

[Keith Andrews]

Unreal hits.  

 

The Porsche is sitting there with brakes on.  Very instructional video.  I know it's discussed in schools.  It sure demonstrates how important it is to know where you can get off track or pull off the racing line safely if you need to.

[Tom Sager]

Unreal hits.  

 

The Porsche is sitting there with brakes on.  Very instructional video.  I know it's discussed in schools.  It sure demonstrates how important it is to know where you can get off track or pull off the racing line safely if you need to.

Yes, brakes on and front wheels straight.  No attempt made to get off to the left or farther right.  

[DrDomm]

Unreal hits.  

 

The Porsche is sitting there with brakes on.  Very instructional video.  I know it's discussed in schools.  It sure demonstrates how important it is to know where you can get off track or pull off the racing line safely if you need to.

 

I heard the Porsche was slowed by the very slow T4 Neon.  I'm not sure if the Porsche had power when it got to the top of the hill...and with so many things going on didn't think quick enough to get off the track.  Bad timing.

[Keith Andrews]

I heard the Porsche was slowed by the very slow T4 Neon.  I'm not sure if the Porsche had power when it got to the top of the hill...and with so many things going on didn't think quick enough to get off the track.  Bad timing.

 

If you stop and start the video you can see the Neon in relation to the Porsche, it looks to me like the Porsche got by well before that point.

 

I guess I'm just less trusting of my fellow racers, every time I've had to pull off track the first thing I think of is where can I go so I don't get hit.

[zoomzoom22]

If you stop and start the video you can see the Neon in relation to the Porsche, it looks to me like the Porsche got by well before that point.

I guess I'm just less trusting of my fellow racers, every time I've had to pull off track the first thing I think of is where can I go so I don't get hit.

We can all learn a lot of things from these videos not to do.

Let me leave this here from the weekend as well:

[zoomzoom22]

We can all learn a lot of things from these videos not to do.

Let me leave this here from the weekend as well:

[zoomzoom22]

Another close call from weekend

[svvs]

1.  Holy cow, that first formula driver got hit with no belts on.  That guy needs to go to mass or the religious service of his choice every day for the next several years.

 

2.  That second formula driver.....is anyone kind of surprised they don't see a yellow flag waving like crazy at that flag station?

[LarryKing]

Unless on fire I'm staying in the car with all safety gear in place.

[suck fumes]

He's lucky he didn't get hit while trying to get out!

[Parity]

The corner station was waving yellow but who knows if that what the case further down. I'm just amazed that a 1:15 after the initial wreck they're still running that hot

[DrDomm]

Unless on fire I'm staying in the car with all safety gear in place.

 

I agree!  In one of the qualifying sessions I was helped into the gravel trap at turn 12.  I sat there with belts buckled and window net up til the wrecker came and dragged me out.