Hello,

Is there a schedule of events? Like at what times what different things are happening on which days? I'm curious how much track time the RR portion will get and an idea of autocross runs and such. I've looked on the website but maybe I missed it.

Thanks!


Costas
cars and such...

Costas - We've worked up a schedule, but I'm not sure if Bock's posted it yet. Road race will have the track Thursday morning and Friday Afternoon. Drag & AutoX will have it the other time (& Saturday). I plan on running the first day with 20 minute sessions in four groups. If it's not too crowded on track, we can combine the run groups for longer sessions and more time. The second day I plan on open tracking for everyone, except the novice group running on their own. It all depends on the mix of folks we get. We're limiting the road race registration numbers, so the more experienced folks that sign up early, the more open track we get.

I'd also like to do parade laps while setting up for the time trials to give the drag/autox guys a chance to get out on the track (slowly!).

Autox is nearly unlimited, since the course is always set up, and most of the road race crowd is too beat to do more than a few runs. It's a great chance for some test and tune time. I remember that on Saturday, you could just about hot lap both.

Andris

Andris touched on most of the best points. Honestly though, sometimes it takes a new perspective to point out things us Event old timers take for granted. We'll see that the event schedule gets put up on the page. To second Andris, we generally get more RR time than either our bodies or our cars can take. Thursday's 1/2 day is great for track time, but Friday's 1/2 day is amazing!

Auto-x runs on Saturday morning (while the drag race guys are doing the last test and tune before eliminations) and like Andris said, after the first hour or so people generally hot lap as much as they want.

Thanks
JamesG

Huge thanks for the info guys.

Any idea on an actual amount of track time? I'm wondering quantity of tires and (more importantly) fuel.

Hoping to make it!



Costas
cars and such...

One set of tires *should* be enough, as long as you don't flat spot them. Are you taking the GT1 car? I used to crew for a TransAm team, and although the tires drop off, they were never corded - This is with 4 30 minute practice sessions and a one hour race, although we did use old race tires for practice and new for qualifying/race (so probably 3 hours of track time on each set before we gave them backt o BFG to get disposed of). I'm not familiar with how quickly your car wears the tires. The V710's on my Camaro last a few weekends, fwiw. The first day track time will be in 20 minute blocks (4 run groups from 8am-12:30pm), and if everyone cooperates, we might combine the instructors/advanced group together for a longer last session as long as the track isn't too crowded. Friday afternoon we plan on running an open track format 1-3pm, and limiting the total number of cars on track. They'll be let on in a first-come basis, and if there's no one waiting in the hot pits to go out, you can run as long as you want. If there is waiting, we'll ask that you bring yourself in to let other cars out. This should get a ton of track time. We'll break at 3pm for parade laps to get some of the "floor it for 1320 ft, slow down, and turn right onto the return road" crowd hooked on road racing as we set up for the time trials, and then do time trials. As soon as everyone entered for the TT has finished (half lap warmup, 3 hot laps, half cooldown, group of 3 cars released in 20-30 second intervals), we're back to open track.

We will run in the rain as well, so try to have some kind of non-slicks available just in case. It's a great learning experience. The Grants Tomb arera gets very slick (drag race launch pad) in the wet, so we might run the cars slowly down pit lane instead.

The track has race gas, but they usually just open the pumps once a day - we're trying to get them to do it more often, or at least open it first thing in the morning. If you run pump gas, the gates will be open to let cars through in between each session, so you (or whoever volunteers) can get to the BP gas station a mile from the track, fill up a few fuel jugs, and return to get back in 20 minutes later.

Does your car have a passenger seat? I'd love to get a ride!

Andris

Thanks for the info, I'm trying to get my head around it. Yes, I'm going to try and bring Scratcher.

So on Thursday there is track time in the morning. 20 Minutes sessions, but how many sessions? Any idea what run group I'd be in?

8-820 = group1
820-840 = group2
840-900 = group3
900-920= group4
920-940= group1
940-1000= group2
1000-1020= group3
1020-1040= group4
1040-1100= group1
1100-1120= group2
1120-1140= group3
1140-1200= group4
1200-1230= combined 3 & 4 ?

So that is about an hour of track time on Thursday Morning....

Then on Friday afternoon we have tracktime from 1-3pm and it is fairly open so assume another hour there, more if it all runs smooth.

No track time on Saturday...because? Drag race action? Would be cool if we could have the first 80 minutes of the day to give all the groups one last hurrah...

The spec tires that T/A used to run (bfgs) will indeed last two hours, but a 430 goodyear won't. My car is pretty balances on 240F 430R and no way I'd get more than an hour. I have a set of BFGs and for stuff like this I should look at getting another set. Not sure if you've been peeking in my garage or what, but I'm mounting a passenger Kirkey right now. About another hour or two of fab time and it'll be done.

Who did you crew far? What chassis? What engine size/builder did they use? How tight did they spin it? It is interesting to me to go back and see who ran 310s and who ran 331s and who ran 358s.

Costas
cars and such...

Running RR is more expensive than drag, since we need to hire more support and rental for the entire track is more expensive. The budget & entry fees are set, but it's something we can bring up for next year. We have drag/autox on Saturday. One other thing is that rain cancels drag, so it's nice to have the flexibility of being able to re-schedule drag & RR so we all get to run. You should take Scratcher on a pass down the 1320. I remember when Lou Giggliotti took one of his TransAm cars. Didn't hook up AT ALL, but had a crazy timeslip. Something in the high 10's low 11's with high 130's, I believe.



It was for Joey Scarallo (the ROH Wheels Corvette). We eventually ended up with a 310 CID CRD smallblock chevy, and TA rules had an 8200 rpm rev limiter chip built into the spec MSD ignition system (that was randomly issued each event and tested before/after the race in impound). Originally was a pair of 18 degree smallblocks (I forget if they were 331's or 310's). The only ones running 358's were GT1 guys doing one or two races. I don't think TA let full time competitors run them. They had a nasty weight penalty as well. Chassis was similar to Rocketsports, but made by a New Zealand outfit that took 2 years to get (arrived around '99-'01). We did alright on a 200k budget if you ignored Rocketsports winning everything, and racing for 4-6th place.

Thanks for the info, that all makes good sense.

I'm supposed to be at the Laguna Rolex race that same weekend but I'm trying to figure a way to make it work. I wonder if I can leave my rig in Memphis somewhere safe and fly to Laguna and back, then drive home. Hmm...anyone know a safe place there?

I've had SO many folks ask me to run the 1/4 and I also wonder what she would do. I know she goes from 60-120 in less than 5 flat by the DA (C6 Z06 is an 11.5 1/4 car and takes 7.5 to do it...). It is one of those things that just makes me cringe for the clutch tho. <Shrug> Who knows, maybe I'll try it and see what she lays down after the RR stuff. We get a few free passes right?

Cool on the T/A info, I'll be interested to see what you think of the car and if you see anything obvious that looks out of place.

I need to take a closer look at the track and get an idea of what rear gear to run. Wheeee...


Costas
cars and such...

Whoops...

Any idea what the groups are and which one I'd be in? Do you have one for cars with training wheels??



Costas
cars and such...

http://www.lawmotorsports.net/mw/vids/lgmotorsports.wmv

WOW...thanks for the vid! Mitch, you going to go?

12.03 @ 135 with a 1.77 60' is what it looked like to me. Yowzers... Sounded wicked. For those who DO know drag racing, what does a 135mph trap usually equate to ET wise?

Guess I could stick a decent first in it (right now 1st is 2.11)...


Costas
cars and such...

It's on my radar. Will have to see how the year's racing budget works out.

You'd be in the instructors or advanced group, and probably the fastest car there. In the past point-by's were mandatory, but I find it goes smoothly in the advanced groups if it's optional, and the one passing goes off-line and completes the pass before the braking zone. With a car as fast a Scratcher, you want to make sure the person you're overtaking is aware that you're there, and doesn't turn down in front of you to pass whoever is in front of him. Common sense, and it's worked well before.

We try to group similar laptimes/abilities together, so you're not passing someone with a closing speed of 60 mph. For the never-ever novices, there are usually two groups - low and high hp, so the guys who want to take it easy and get comfortable with their 6 cyl don't have someone with a 600hp blower car and Hoosiers all over them every corner.

Thanks for the vid. Brought back goodd memories! That car, as well as Chris Aker's '67 Camaro sounded awesome, and is part of the reason I'm here!
A.