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ZR1 in TT1


racerns

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It's not exactly easy to do a rollbar on an aluminum chassis street car.

 

And the C5/6 crash exceptionally well....been a participant and a spectator...

And usually exceptionally hard.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Had a best of 32.8 on traqmate (never saw official time sheets) before the car lunched the accessory belt (that session would have been a DQ anyway), this was the 3rd session and the tires were up to 190+ lap count at this point (who knows how many HCs). They are past their prime, but if you don't think they are competitive, I will wager there will be cars at nationals in TT3 on stickers that won't run that quick.

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You are being modest Mark, I would say 60% or more of the field at nationals may not best that time. How many TTA/TT3 cars have ever run faster than that?

 

And only what 2 seconds behind a aero TT1 car on Slicks? You got some large ones with no aero my friend....

 

Is that the car you will drive at Nationals?

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You are being modest Mark, I would say 60% or more of the field at nationals may not best that time. How many TTA/TT3 cars have ever run faster than that?

And only what 2 seconds behind a aero TT1 car on Slicks? You got some large ones with no aero my friend....

Is that the car you will drive at Nationals?

 

I would love to brag but the reality is the car is pretty good, I could go find 5 other guys in the paddock that could run it that fast

 

I'll be running my car at nationals...unless it ends up being slower after the rebuild, then I'll have to rent it

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You are being modest Mark, I would say 60% or more of the field at nationals may not best that time. How many TTA/TT3 cars have ever run faster than that?

And only what 2 seconds behind a aero TT1 car on Slicks? You got some large ones with no aero my friend....

Is that the car you will drive at Nationals?

 

I would love to brag but the reality is the car is pretty good, I could go find 5 other guys in the paddock that could run it that fast

 

I'll be running my car at nationals...unless it ends up being slower after the rebuild, then I'll have to rent it

 

Yeah, maybe, but drivers like Scott, Reese etc. to get that on those old tires. There are plenty of cars that should go faster at Road Atlanta and don't.

 

I stand by my 60% prediction. I'm actually thinking TT3 at nationals will have a huge field and it will be closer to 75%. Don't forget, Nationals in August so hot! And most people do not pick up Road Atlanta fast in 3 days.

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And most people do not pick up Road Atlanta fast in 3 days.

 

Is this down to the testicular fortitude required to get those last couple tenths or other reasons? I'm banking on RA being a quick study in August and everything I've seen from on board vids and sims suggests that it shouldn't take too long to get up to speed.

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the ones with too much balls usually end up getting scraped off the concrete in quick fashion

 

Understanding you still need to respect the track and the fact it is fast enough to bite you hard if you go too fast too soon, I would prefer having to learn RA in a compressed amount of time during a national level event vs a more technical track like Mid Ohio. Maybe its just driver preference...

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the ones with too much balls usually end up getting scraped off the concrete in quick fashion

 

Understanding you still need to respect the track and the fact it is fast enough to bite you hard if you go too fast too soon, I would prefer having to learn RA in a compressed amount of time during a national level event vs a more technical track like Mid Ohio. Maybe its just driver preference...

 

Getting to 7-8/10ths is pretty easy for a quick lerner. It's getting that last couple of tenths without getting in trouble that's the challenge.

 

IMO, the hardest thing about Road Atlanta is learning two things. #1 where to put the car entering the blind turns. Your angle of entry is huge, and you just have to be solidly comfortable with whats on the other side before you go charging in there. You will not have reference points (at least obvious ones). The second part of that is there are some areas where you don't use traditional track out (and still blind) (and without reference points).

 

Technical tracks like Barber and Mid-ohio have elevation, but they are relatively slow turns. The apex of turn 12 is blind when you get close to it. You also briefly lose sight of track out. These things are second nature to RA veterans. So if you are battling a bunch of Road Atlanta noobs may not be a big deal, but in some of the competitive classes with good locals, it won't be an easy learn. A lot of instructors and advanced drivers are still uncomfy and insecure with 11 after 2 or 3 days here.

 

Then there is the courage factor, figuring out where you can end up in trouble. There are a lot a gnarly places like that at Road Atlanta, so there will be some aspect of building up confidence in these areas (of which some are still blind, notably 3,5 and 11).

 

It's not an impossible task, but 3 days is a tall order vs competitive locals, of which there are some in many classes.

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And most people do not pick up Road Atlanta fast in 3 days.

 

Is this down to the testicular fortitude required to get those last couple tenths or other reasons? I'm banking on RA being a quick study in August and everything I've seen from on board vids and sims suggests that it shouldn't take too long to get up to speed.

 

 

I remember a NARRA event where a Viper guy said it only took him three laps to get comfortable with T12 (Tim Marcinek and I just looked at each other). He was an experienced guy I heard. Totalled his Viper next day.

 

Road Atlanta is pretty technical to be fast and unforgiving most everywhere.

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Had a best of 32.8 on traqmate (never saw official time sheets) before the car lunched the accessory belt (that session would have been a DQ anyway), this was the 3rd session and the tires were up to 190+ lap count at this point (who knows how many HCs). They are past their prime, but if you don't think they are competitive, I will wager there will be cars at nationals in TT3 on stickers that won't run that quick.

 

 

I want to make it a rule you are on 200 heat cycle tires when I run against...

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Getting to 7-8/10ths is pretty easy for a quick lerner. It's getting that last couple of tenths without getting in trouble that's the challenge..

 

Some folks pick things up faster than others, I have coached guys that were fast after 2-3 sessions. But a Skip Barber instructor once told me, you'll never go fast there unless you're willing to risk your car.

 

I tell students if T1-T5 was a piece of mountain country road, it would have a 25 or 35 mph speed limit, half of it you can't see until you are right up on it. A front running TT3 lap from the S/F to the bottom of the esses before T5 has an AVERAGE speed of 100+ mph.

 

It is a great track! I have fallen in love with it all over again the last 4-5 yrs

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I'll echo what the locals are saying... it's a wonderful track, but you need to know the subtleties to go truly fast and you need to risk the car to some extent. Many turns are blind and many sections of the track change depending on which line you choose.

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I've never driven a more 'technical' track than Rd Atl.

 

"technical" track is like the "momentum" car term. It is just track speak for "slow"

 

Every track is a technical track, and every car is a momentum car

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And Scott holds the current TT3 record at 1:30.169 and Mark was previous at 1:30.6x. I expect a 1:28 in March if track doesn't have snow, wet, grasshoppers, snow birds in the way....

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I was thinking it would take a low 29 or high 28 to win TT3 at nationals as well.

 

That's part of my point. I know TTA-TT3 has yielded some performance changes, but even in spite of that, TTA was getting faster and faster. Even guys that have been here for years are still getting faster. And not just the cars.

 

3 days to get your setup right (aero and suspension) if you need to make changes, and learn the track to the extent of some of our locals is going to be tough. I would say that the TT2 lap record will not come close to winning nationals. The TT1 record is soft and TTU time probably won't hold for a championsip either. But from there on down, you are gonna have some serious work cut out for you as a first timer with 3 days.

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I was thinking it would take a low 29 or high 28 to win TT3 at nationals as well.

 

In the aug heat, I don't think it'll be that quick

 

I would bet the title to my car I could run a 28, maybe a 27 in Benny's car in TT2 trim (-about 20 hp from full uncorked), if my weight comes out where I want it, I'll have "enough motor" to run in TT2, and I think it will be faster

 

there will be some REALLY good ST2/TT2 cars there

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"technical" track is like the "momentum" car term. It is just track speak for "slow"

 

Every track is a technical track, and every car is a momentum car

^^Can't argue with this.

 

Thanks for the input fellas. Really looking forward to running RA. Sounds like the consensus to be fast there is:

1. trust what you can't see

2. be willing to wad the car

 

I just hope for my sake that T12 is easy flat in my car with A6s. If I have to suck it and see every lap its gonna be dicey...time to finally get that HANS device...

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the ones with too much balls usually end up getting scraped off the concrete in quick fashion

 

Understanding you still need to respect the track and the fact it is fast enough to bite you hard if you go too fast too soon, I would prefer having to learn RA in a compressed amount of time during a national level event vs a more technical track like Mid Ohio. Maybe its just driver preference...

some wise man once said …

 

"at RA if you go off, you're gonna hit something … and sooner or later you're gonna go off …."

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the ones with too much balls usually end up getting scraped off the concrete in quick fashion

 

Understanding you still need to respect the track and the fact it is fast enough to bite you hard if you go too fast too soon, I would prefer having to learn RA in a compressed amount of time during a national level event vs a more technical track like Mid Ohio. Maybe its just driver preference...

some wise man once said …

 

"at RA if you go off, you're gonna hit something … and sooner or later you're gonna go off …."

 

 

Us less wise ones have done it several times..

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"technical" track is like the "momentum" car term. It is just track speak for "slow"

 

Every track is a technical track, and every car is a momentum car

^^Can't argue with this.

 

Thanks for the input fellas. Really looking forward to running RA. Sounds like the consensus to be fast there is:

1. trust what you can't see

2. be willing to wad the car

 

I just hope for my sake that T12 is easy flat in my car with A6s. If I have to suck it and see every lap its gonna be dicey...time to finally get that HANS device...

I would figure out a way to get to the track before Nats even if it was in a car from Hertz.

I've instructed Kings of the Track from Florida that absolutely could not wrap their heads around the elevation changes and blind corners of RA.

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