| Author | Message | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2589 Registered: 1-2002 |
Will, actually, this is part of a larger trip: Austin-NYC for a business meeting. NYC to Philly by train to spend Labor Day weekend with my mom & my brother & his family. My wife is flying in to Philly as well. Wife flies home. I go down to VIR--probably via commuter plane into Raleigh-Durham or Greensboro. Then I fly home from there. So, probably not coming thru the D.C area directly. Sorry--thanks for the thought, though!! | ||
| will h (Willh)
Junior Member Username: Willh Post Number: 180 Registered: 3-2003 |
Dave, are you coming through DC? Not sure why you would, coming from Austin, but just thought I'd ask. Probably could get a few folks together for dinner. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2588 Registered: 1-2002 |
Will do--thanks! I just hope we in fact DO use the full course, as I have been told... Also, it will be interesting to drive a live-axle race car... | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 901 Registered: 8-2001 |
Thanks Dave, Let me know what you think of VIR. I compare it to Mid-Ohio in terms of diffulty (Mid Ohio is a bit harder). As for the facilities there it's like a Country Club. The lawns are manicured to the point that you think you are at Augusta, not a race track. Have fun and keep it sunny side up! Regards, Jon | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2586 Registered: 1-2002 |
Jon, I just realized that I did not answer your question. The car is called the GT-RA. 250hp, 2400 lbs. I think the GTS is reserved for the actual racing series, unfortunately... | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2584 Registered: 1-2002 |
Jon, EXCELLENT stuff! Many, many thanks!! Rob, the "yellow car"??? Damn, how did that Enzo sound, anyway?? I will be there 9/2-9/4. | ||
| John B (John_b)
New member Username: John_b Post Number: 43 Registered: 5-2003 |
VIR is an awesome track and a beautiful facility. It's one of my favorites. It's like a country club. I love the uphill curvy section. In a sports racer that is flat, but barely! ie no lifting. A car might require a lift there. | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 883 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dave, First off go to: http://www.virclub.com/pages/trackInfo/trackLayout.htm for a full listing of the track layouts and corners. Next watch my buddies video at: http://www.taner.net/vids/wwang/wwang-vir-cleanlap.WMV (Acura Integra Type R Grand Am car) I have driven VIR in my BMW and my Spec Racer so Will h. is right it makes quite a difference between a 3000 pound street car and a 1600 pound SRF or in Will's case a 1000 pound Formula car. Turns 1 - 3 are relatively straightforward. Turn 4 is a slow speed left hander that requires quite a bit of rotation to get the car turned with minimal understeer. Like many corners if you get 4 wrong 5 is blown and so is most of your straightaway speed up the esses (5a through 10). As for 6-9 don't let the curbs (rumble strips, gator strips whatever you call them) scare you. Use them! If you are carrying enough speed through there in a streetcar (anything over 2000 pounds without a big wing) you'll automatically drift towards them. Some people (with big attachments) even go a bit into the grass but I don't. Some people stay off the curbs but this slows you down. Turn 9 and 10 are very high speed flat out corners. Turn 9 is more like a kink but 10 is taken quite fast into 11-11a, which is famously referred to as Oak Tree. Turns 11 and 11a are very important to getting good exit speed out of oak tree onto the back straight. You will likely do at least two downshifts here, either one right before 11 and then another at 11 or both at 11a before coming out of 11a onto the straight. Smoothness and quick gear changes as well as perfect braking are a must here or you get bogged down and lose momentum out of Oak Tree onto the main straight. For my BMW Oak Tree is a second gear corner in the SRF it's a third gear corner. Back straight is pretty simply just nail it! Turn 14 and 14a can be taken with two different lines so do what you instructors tell you to. Turns 15 - 17c are to me the most technical and hardest. You have to take 17c (down hill right-hander) nearly flat out, which takes some balls and a perfect setup so you don't get any understeer. As will said it's not the most technical track overall but I feel there are some good technical sections like 15 -17c and getting turn 4 and 5 right. Best person to talk with is fellow F Chatter Paul Prideaux (355 C) who has done several hundred laps at VIR in his Challenge car. Which Panoz do they use in the School the GT or GTS model. One of my Spec Racer teammates has a Panoz GTS that he races in GT1 SCCA. He loves the car. Last thing, VIR has tons of run off room which is good if you go off, but for some reason the worst wrecked cars I have seen are usually at VIR. My personal theory is that because the abundance of run off room exists people aren't as careful. Good luck and have fun. Regards, Jon PS: My track time at VIR consists of a few track events and one SCCA race weekend so if your instructors tell you something different than what I have listen to them, since my experience is somewhat limited there. | ||
| bob snow (Resnow)
Junior Member Username: Resnow Post Number: 105 Registered: 5-2001 |
Dave, I have lapped VIR several times - the FCS-SE Region rents it the first weekend every May. What day(s) will you be there? I only live 35 minutes away and might drop by to spectate. Here's a shot of me trying to overtake the yellow car at last May's event. Bob  | ||
| will h (Willh)
Junior Member Username: Willh Post Number: 175 Registered: 3-2003 |
http://www.tarheelbmwcca.org/virhotlap.pdf Here is a "hot lap" description of the track. One of the more interesting tracks in the US, in my opinion, a beautiful facility with for th emost part decent run off room. I don't feel it's overly technical, and it has some great flat out sections. I have driven the track many times, but only in cars much lighter than the Panoz, so I'll defer to Jon and the others. | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2576 Registered: 1-2002 |
Jim, the Panoz spec race cars. Jon, I will check back. MANY thanks!! | ||
| Jon P. Kofod (95f355c)
Member Username: 95f355c Post Number: 882 Registered: 8-2001 |
Dave, I am just out the door for a few hours but will list some things on VIR later this evening. I have driven all three courses (North, South, and Full course) many times. It's an awesome track, great facility, and a blast! Quite technical with plenty of elevation changes and two very long straights (3000 and 4000 ft). Check back later this evening. Regards, Jon P. Kofod 1995 F355 Challenge #23 | ||
| Jim (Silverz06vette)
New member Username: Silverz06vette Post Number: 2 Registered: 8-2003 |
Are you driving your 550 or one of the Panoz cars? | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2575 Registered: 1-2002 |
Jim, many thanks!!! Good stuff! Yes, I believe Full Course. Panoz Racing School. | ||
| Jim (Silverz06vette)
New member Username: Silverz06vette Post Number: 1 Registered: 8-2003 |
Out of Road Atlanta/Roebling Road its the the most challanging of the 3 tracks. I loved it. Here are a few in car videos: http://slobird.com/movies/vir1.wmv http://slobird.com/movies/miscues.wmv Not from me, I only went off once.  This guy was running 2:17s with the active handling turned off. I'm not to his level yet so I still run with it on. My best time was a 2:21. Are you running the full course? This was a viperdays event. Very well ran!! About 5 Z06s went up there with one of our viper buddies from Atlanta. http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=609872 Have Fun!! | ||
| Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member Username: Maranelloman Post Number: 2572 Registered: 1-2002 |
I have decided to take a racing school at VIR right after Labor Day, and wondered if any folks here who have driven it (I have not) could offer any tips/suggestions/"line" hints, etc. Thanks in advance, Dave |