I will be at Glen in June - would be very happy with a 2:03, even on repaved track. 1:17 in Scud sounds good, I instructed in a 430 challenge car and his best time was about 1:17.
The AER event this past weekend was the first time on the new pavement. I don't usually use club day drivers and club racers to "benchmark" changes in the track. Most of the time, they go faster because of greater confidence, smoother surface, easier to read curbs, gentler curbs and they change their car's specifications between events. What I need is the SAME car, SAME driver (that has a consistency that allows them to be within tenths and hundredths over the course of at least a three or four lap run) with NEW tires and data from a test pre-paving (last summer is the last event) and post-paving (this past week or at a sanctioned pro racing test) to accurately gauge the improvement. I am waiting for data from a few pros that were there and ran on days leading up to this to quantify measurements like grip, compression and other factors, plus do a segment time analysis, but the most important thing for drivers going out on the new surface is the confidence knowing that the surface grip level is MORE consistent, less bumpy and that they can focus on rolling slightly more speed into the corners than they have. When VIR was paved, the Spec Miata, SRF and a few other 2:14-2:18 range cars DID go exactly four seconds faster. However, there were wider sections of pavement that could be used to open radii and carry more speed (specifically the T11-T12 area), so it wasn't exactly the same track, but the surface was KILLER! VIR and Glen times parallel each other, with the Glen a tiny bit quicker (slightly higher vMins in a few of the slower corners than VIR). As the times get quicker (2:00-2:05) I would expect the gains to be less, and for those in the 1:55 range, I would expect even less gains. It's all proportional. But it is fun! And I can't wait to drive the new track surface at the end of May. Just remember that the geometry, track width, elevation and curbing placement HAVE NOT BEEN CHANGED from the old course, so your landmarks and aiming points will be unchanged. You'll just be able to go FASTER! Ross Bentley and I will do a "virtual track walk" available online within four weeks, so that will have MUCH more information.
That Cannonball story is priceless! Some open wheel times for the thread. 1997 Reynard Champ Car, 2.65L Cosworth XD, turbo/methanol Watkins Glen: 1:37.62 Road Atlanta: 1:12.52 Road America: 1:57.60 NJMP Thunderbolt: 1:10.7 Swift 014a Formula Atlantic, 1.6L Toyota Watkins Glen: 1:45.47 Road Atlanta: 1:19.42 Road America: 2:05.15 NJMP Thunderbolt: 1:13.57
Originally Posted by Ky1e View Post Post your best lap times. Please record the time, track, date, car, tires, any special mods. (This is the track forum after all). Sebring: 2:22 2013 Ferrari 458 Spider with street tires (Mich CUP 2 Tires). No modifications to the car. 1/3/16 2:18 2011 Cayman 3.8L Race Car. Slicks, 3 pedal, full race mods but still with in GTB3 specs. Palm Beach International Raceway (PBIR): 1:25 Ferrari 458 Spider with street tires (Mich CUP 2 Tires). No modifications to the car. 1/8/15 Road Atlanta 1:33 Cayman 3.8L Pirelli slicks 3/28/16 (first time there) VIR 2:00.4 Cayman 3.8L Pirelli Slicks 6/23/16 (first time here)
PBIR sometime in 2009 1:30 in my wife's 2009 Maserati GTS F1 - P Zero's Really cost me though - after two weekends had to replace tires, pads and rotors It was track retired after that Can't remember any of my other times in my various Ferraris though
Spring Mountain 3.4 mile course - 29 May 16 - 2:42.1 - 134mph at end of front straight 2015 McLaren 650S - Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 - stock
UPDATED TIMES 2011 Cayman R Track car 3.8L Pirellis: Sebring 2.18.25 VIR 1.59.25 (first time there) Road Atlanta 1:33.10 (first time there) Ferrari 458 Spider Street car on street tires: Sebring 2:22 PBIR 1:25
I just bought a 5x8 trailer and will pick up an intrepid 125 with an X30 at the end of the year. not a shifter but fun all the same.
Good times, especially for tracks that were new to you. I only broke 2min at VIR for the first time at the last CCR race 4/16.You should go back to your original idea of a 458C and race in CCR.
Thank you. It set a new PCA track record at VIR for my class of car, won both my races (for my class), 70 car field that had 22 Caymans and the rest were CUP cars and 911's. In the 90 min enduro I lapped the nearest cayman, double lapped the rest. I want to use this year to get some more experience then maybe move up.
LOL yup, even the lowliest open wheel cars trounce all but the most elite fire breathing street car-based racers. F1600 (FKA Formula Ford) cars make ~113HP from their cortina or Honda Fit engines but from this years website best times: Sebring 2:15.5 Glen 1:58.7 VIR 1:58.9 Mid OH 1:29.0 I always thought Carroll Smith was just being a curmudgeon for disparaging production chassis converted to race cars but during our 3 years campaigning FF I grew to appreciate the huge advantage of designing a car to a single purpose!
UPDATED TIMES 2011 Porsche Cayman R Track car 3.8L Pirellis: Sebring 2.18.25 VIR 1.59.25 (first time there) Road Atlanta 1:33.10 (first time there) Road America 2.22.4 (first time here)-- I'm here right now for a PCA event and love RA. Two more days of racing then off to Watkins Glen next week for 4 days. Ferrari 458 Spider Street car on street tires: Sebring 2:22 PBIR 1:25
1:30.45 Road Atlanta. Beat Cayman track record by over 1 second over the weekend. Pushed to hard going for a 1:29 after that and crashed during qualifying #3. I need to dial down my qualifying laps. Did a no lift, 100% throttle turn 12. 15 days on track this month, but have a 2 week break until Daytona.
1:44:13 @ Big Willow this past weekend in my stock '03 BMW Z4 3.0i. Still losing my nerve and coming off the throttle at turn 8 but I'm slightly faster and definitely more consistent than my last time back in March. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
