VIR Recap Inside- Road America coming soon...

[Red Tornado]

For those that missed it the VIR (outside of some serious rain sat) was a serious blast.

 

Everyone there please add comments as these will just be some quick highlights I thought of and from my own race battles and is AI specific.

 

Overall was a total blast and accomplished exactly what we hoped. Lot's of cars, lot's of fun, and ton's of good close racing throughout the field.

 

Highlights:

- RA1 vs R888 discussion was hot and heavy on Friday and many curious to test and compare but at end of the day I think no one found out anything till dry running on sunday. I ran RA1's all wknd so I learned nothing.

- Jimmy and Jen did an amazing job hosting lunch on Saturday during the rare rain break and it was great. Thanks for filling us well before race time

- Between AI, AIX, and CMC I think we had nearly 40 pony cars in Thunder. Just being there was a blast.

- Ed McGuire was the homeless guy living in my garage, but the man could change a mean tire.

- Great drinks and fun up at the tavern. Realizing Jay's son will be kicking are butt and racing Rusty when Rusty is our age and Jay's son is Rusty's age and all of us are to damn old and working tech.

 

Race Highlights:

Saturday- Qualifying was drying but still slick as time were all in the 2:20's and up. Robin landed poll, I was behind by about a second and Rusty was 3rd in his new rehagen racing AI mustang. Everyone was watching radar (thank you modern world) and could see a major rain burst coming in. Rain tires were all around and come race start time it was a steady solid rain. Special advanced thanks to Dean Martin from Rehagen who hooked up several of us with duct fans that saved us from fog windows and no vision. At the green Robin and I stepped on the gas and nearly spun out our cars. Rusty burst in between and Robin dropped in behind him. It was scary how bad the track was in the first two laps and I think in the 2nd lap Rusty went off in the lower esses to give Robin the lead. He checked out and Beau was closing on me. Than the rain really came down, like downpour. Beau dropped back (fog on window was my guess and was right). That is how the top 3 finished. Probably the worst track rain I have ever raced in.

 

Sunday - Qualifying was totally dry but traffic was very v ery heavy so whoever got the clean lap was going to be well set. I got pole and Robin got 2nd and I think Jay was third. They combined AI and AIX so Jay and Rusty got screwed by AIX cars being mixed in so they were third row.

Good start and Les in his AIX car was just dying to get by me asap. He was nice and waited till between esses so not to through are race off. Robin was on me like glue and Jay was right behind him. We actually caught traffic on the first lap of the race and rookies were all over the place. Robin, Jay , and I battled through traffic and Robin made the pass move down the backstraight under braking but couldn't quite close it out as I took the next turn quick and got back besides him. 3 of us were maybe 100 feet of seperation for 5 or 6 laps. Came in to turn 1 and Robin was right on me and a SU car was crawling . He concerned me so I slowed up early and stayed way inside which I think threw Robin and he locked up hard as I heard it behind me. A crunch later and Robin wasn't there anymore unfortunately. Emergency vehicles were all over the track so we had to really slow up in spots. Jay was on my butt and my 50 foot lead was so long gone. We came down short shoot before oak tree and like 8 CMC and AI cars were mixing it up. We sliced in between a few and were several wide going threw oak tree and Jay got the run on me as we weaved between 4 or 5 cars. The battle of hawk brake pads went to our event sponsor and he got the lead. Was almost to unearthly but my driver door literally went flying open at top of roller coaster after we turned in and quickly grapped it shut. Must have been Jay using the racing force. When we came out of hog pen we were greeted with double yellow. It was like a nightmare nationals flashback. I could see it all now ending under yellow. I stayed close and the field wasnt moving to fast and werent catching a pace car. By a miracle the yellows came down in the esses and we were off and running. I got a good run out of oak tree and was on his butt at roller coaster. He overshot a little bit before hog pen and washed out and pushed and I planted and grapped the inside and got the run as passed the start / finish side by side as the white waved. I thought I nailed every turn and never even looked in my mirror, was nearly flat through climbing esses and 10 was a quick lift down shift and I figured I had left him in my dust and there was this damn white car with an american iron sticker like 1 car length behind me.

Nailed oak tree and stuck to inside line of braking so he would have had to make pass on outside and we ran with him a car length behind through hog pen till the end.

 

Was an awesome race and we both flew that last lap. Was bummed about Robin as he was running good. Beau locked up third again and as we were battling I think he had been gaining some good ground but not enough time left in the race.

 

Others feel free to add there stories and track times.

 

I would really recommend anyone on the fence to come on out. Just the fun of drinks, lunch, and a giant race group made it all worthwhile.

Edited March 31, 2009 by Guest

[robbodleimages]

It was a great weekend. No doubt. Saturday I was a spectator choosing not to race in the rain. My race car has a commitment to be on display in the Steeda Compound at Mustang 45th. So I needed to be real careful.

 

Sunday I was a spectator on the track. After not getting any track time before qualifying on Sunday and only two hot laps in that session, I chose not to put the newly shaved R888's on the car with no idea what to expect. I promised Jimmy that I would not pass anyone and he said he would not DQ me if I kept my promise.

 

Wouldn't you know Jimmy had an issue on the start and when he came back on the track I was right behind him. I stayed there til he waived me by. Then I caught the 77 car. That guy must have thought I was dogging him because I was right there behind him the rest of the way. I would move over to let the race guys by and that would give us some space, but in half a lap I'd be right there behind him again.

 

Ive never run tail end charlie before. Chris, have you ever lapped me before? Anyway. It was still fun. I loaded the R on the trailer clean as it was when I unloaded and that was the most important thing for this particular event.

 

I'll be ready to race full out by Sebring in June. I hope to see a lot of you there.

[Mystic_Cobra]

It's interesting to see different perspectives from an event like this. I can provide a little mid-pack commentary.

My weekend started with a trailer wheel coming lose on the way to VIR (see thread about lug nuts) so I had an extra project to work on in-between sessions. Damage was limited to a wheel and wheel studs.

I started right behind Beau on Saturday with the intention of trying to keep with him during the race. I had absolutely no visibility once the downpour started and struggled to keep the car on the pavement throughout the race. My windshield fogged over and I could only see through the small hole I was able to wipe with my glove. I had a pucker moment while trying to stay ahead of Maits as he locked up the brakes and slid sideways towards my car going into hog pen near the end of the race. I finished several seconds behind Beau.

Sunday, I was very excited to see dry pavement and sunny skies. As soon as the green flag dropped, I nailed the gas and quickly pulled up to Rusty's bumper and started to move to his left to pass. As my front tire passed his rear tire, he moved left (passing another car who missed a shift). I dropped into the grass to avoid contact and started to slide sideways. As I collected the car and tried to get going straight, I discovered I had no brakes. I managed to keep the car heading in the right direction and slowly pulled back onto the track in time for the "braking" zone in T1. I coasted around the track checking the brakes and realized I had very little but still some brakes. Not wanted to risk leaking fluids onto the track or damaging the car further, I pulled in. Part of my front end had come loose during the off-track excursion cutting (metal fitting actually broke off) my left rear brake line.

[Sideways]

Had a great weekend despite the weather (Newbie impression here).

 

Thanks to Chris D. et al for helping to assemble a deeply talented AI field and thanks to Jimmy B. and his significant other for feeding us on Saturday, the brownies were killer!

 

My driving weekend started on Saturday, I know better, told myself I wouldnt do it, started working on the car months before the event yet still ended up in a last minute thrash to get the car "done". The new suspension went on earlier in the week, ran out of time and ended up setting the ride height, corner weights (hah!) and aligning the car on Friday, along the way finding a few more surprises that come with buying a used race car (the K member was nowhere near straight and torqued in the body, making a loud POP! when loosened).

 

Practice- out on the track crawling around trying to scuff in the new 888's I notice 3 prominent handling traits: 1. the front feels planted, goes straight at speed and grip is good. 2. The back, compared to the front, feels like it is on ice, and in steady state cornering it breaks loose far sooner than the front. And, what gets my attention the most is 3. The brakes are very touchy, the rears locking under very little pedal pressue (in fact my Dodge Dakota stops better at this point). I started cranking the adjustable porportioning valve to limit the line pressure going to the rear brakes, this would continue all weekend. (Okay, with the trailer attached I would call the braking performance even). Right when I start to dial it up a little, the muffler falls off..

 

Qualifying is more of the same, the tires still greasy, the brakes locking at all the right moments.

 

Driving to the grid before the race, the rain begins to fall as if on cue. On the grid, my buddy Rob tells me that a stock car hit big water and just stopped running, I imagine hitting a puddle and having to be towed off, Thanks Rob. Out on the pace lap, the rain is getting heavier, and my windshield is starting to fog. As the flag falls, so does visibility, rooster tails are everywhere! Being in my first rain race (besides being terrified) I notice a few things: people are pulling into the pits immediately (smarter than me) cars are going off everywhere and I can't see squat. Every time I get a head of steam going I hit a big puddle, move sideways a few feet and have to slow down. I slow down. Finally I reach forward and wipe the windshield with my glove and voila! I can see.... the left side of the track. I notice Jimmy B. is driving around the puddles so I follow him for a few laps to learn the "puddle avoidance" line. Jimmy, I am sorry I coasied up to you in the hog pen, I really was NOT trying to examine the beautiful A frame cage work in your car at close range. You scared the hell out of me when I was behind you at the apex of 6 when you hit your brakes (why is he braking here????) just as I was "dribbling" on the power heading toward the lower esses.

 

My "Oh sh*t" moment came near the end of the race, when under braking coming off the back straight the car just wanted to slide no matter how lightly I was on the brakes. First it went right, caught it, then left, caught it again, then it went waaay right to about 90 degrees and I thought "no catching this one" and lock em up, sliding off on the outside on the top of the hill on left. Trying to get back on, I do my best Nascar victory lane impression (a 360) but finally get back on, finding out later that I did not even lose a spot in AI!

 

In fact in this weekend I have been off more (two and four wheels) more than in the previous 10 YEARS of HPDE driving! Talk about a learning curve!

 

No time to do a Sunday recap but had a great weekend, had alot of laughs (mostly at myself) and met some more great people and can't wait to get out there again.

 

Definitely hooked,

 

Randy

[Racer91m]

I consider myself a little bit of a newbie to AI even though I've been around it for years. I've not competed, but after seeing all you MF'ers having so much fun at VIR, it has motivated me to get my car built and out there. I've got a shelf full of parts that need to get installed. I just need to go get them damn thing from Florida now. I'm gonna run one of our Koni cars in AIX this weekend at Mid Ohio for a little bit of fun.

 

I have run blind at VIR too many times so I knew that visibility was going to be an issue. For the past 5 years, it has rained every time I've gone there (except the Koni season finale in 2008). I made sure we had the defroster setups in the cars fo rth race. If anyone is interested, I can supply all the parts for this kit. It's only about $100 for the kit with some hoses. It works well. Give me a shout if you're interested...

 

Good times at VIR! I'm looking forward to running with you guys soon. Just got my NASA suit back from the embroiderer today so I better get going on build the car.

[Mystic_Cobra]

I consider myself a little bit of a newbie to AI even though I've been around it for years. I've not competed, but after seeing all you MF'ers having so much fun at VIR, it has motivated me to get my car built and out there. I've got a shelf full of parts that need to get installed. I just need to go get them damn thing from Florida now. I'm gonna run one of our Koni cars in AIX this weekend at Mid Ohio for a little bit of fun.

 

I have run blind at VIR too many times so I knew that visibility was going to be an issue. For the past 5 years, it has rained every time I've gone there (except the Koni season finale in 2008). I made sure we had the defroster setups in the cars fo rth race. If anyone is interested, I can supply all the parts for this kit. It's only about $100 for the kit with some hoses. It works well. Give me a shout if you're interested...

 

Good times at VIR! I'm looking forward to running with you guys soon. Just got my NASA suit back from the embroiderer today so I better get going on build the car.

Who is this masked man?

[robbodleimages]

Sounds like Dean Martin. I think he was jonesin' pretty bad without a race car on Sunday.

[swhiteh3]

I've worked with Dean for years. He's only really happy when he's thrashing the crap out of something with four tires. Well, with the possible exception of when he's drinking and waxing poetic about his last race.

 

Wait... how does that make him any different than any of us???