PDA

View Full Version : Roebling drivers school, Who's going



88YB1
01-02-2004, 10:35 PM
It's only a little over 5 weeks away. I am planning to be there with my newly built Pontiac Fiero running ITA.

Chuck
Woodstock, Ga

Knestis
01-03-2004, 12:24 AM
I have my entry sent in and hotel reservations made. Discovered 2 days ago that the locking lug bolts on the rear wheels of the new car are frozen in place. They withstood a bazillion whacks with the air impact on 5 before the wrench/key/socket piece of crap failed.

I'm thinking about using a sawzall to cut the wheel off if I can't get the entire the wheel/rotor/caliper mess off tomorrow...

K

PS - I'm not 100% sure of the availability of my tow/support vehicle and might be stuck trying to mooch some stuff into someone else's vehicle, if anyone is headed going from Charlotte, Greensboro, W-S, Raliegh, or vicinity. I'd trade a bed in a paid-for room if anyone can help out.

JeffYoung
01-05-2004, 05:37 PM
Guys, have fun. I had a blast at Roebling last February, one of the highlights of my on track career. Well run school, and Savannah is close by -- have fun.

Kirk, I've thought about going down to flag. Unlikely, but I might. If I do, I'll let you know as I will take my SuBurpan and will be more than happy to haul some stuff for you.

CaptainWho
01-05-2004, 05:37 PM
The Nuts will be there in an ITA/IT7 RX-7 and an ITS Celica. We'll be camping on site, though.

Knestis
01-05-2004, 08:47 PM
That would be great, Jeff! Keep in touch...

K

emwavey
01-08-2004, 11:50 AM
I'm hoping to go...
This will be my first SCCA school... some track days and 2 full seasons of autocrossing.
... If I go, I'll be renting a blue IT7.

-dave
8)

88YB1
01-10-2004, 11:13 PM
Got my car tech'ed today, and passed. Got my novice permit earlier this week. Motel resverations made. All that remains is to register.

Chuck

Knestis
01-10-2004, 11:46 PM
Wheels off, suspension, brakes, and bearings all done. Engine is next - hoses, belts, new juices, and a tune up, and we're good to go.

BTW, I'm in a SSC VW GTI.

K

88YB1
01-11-2004, 09:32 AM
Kirk, Where are you located? May have spare room in tow vehicle.

Chuck

Knestis
01-11-2004, 10:47 AM
I'm in Greensboro, NC but wouldn't mind at all driving some distance from here to deliver whatever you might be able to haul, before the date of departure.

This would be VERY helpful! Feel free to email me - [email protected] - or call - 336-378-0127. Thanks!

K

pimpm3
01-12-2004, 12:05 AM
who do I need to contact to get registered? I just got my car running again yesterday.

Knestis
01-12-2004, 08:46 AM
You need to call Buccaneer Region to order an entry packet (no web option). I don't remember which number I called but the package has 904-771-4208 on the front - Hyler or Faye Craft.

K

88YB1
01-25-2004, 03:29 PM
According to the folks down at Roebling more than 200 info packs have been sent out. Come on folks let us know who we'll be on the track with.

Chuck
ITA Fiero #34

88YB1
02-06-2004, 10:39 AM
Only five days to go and amazingly quiet. Is everyone planning to bring a sleeper? Or maybee Just too busy getting the car ready. See you there
Chuck
ITA Pontiac Fiero #34

pimpm3
02-08-2004, 10:11 PM
I will be there again (The MR2 blew up last year at the school) Hopefully this year it will survive. I will be camping on site, and driving my 1985 Red ITA MR2

Knestis
02-08-2004, 11:11 PM
I'll be there - white VW GTI SSC car, number 42. Say "hi" if you get the chance...

Kirk

timelapseracing
02-09-2004, 02:07 PM
If all goes well - I'll be leaving Wednesday morning to drive down from MD for the school. I'm getting re-licensed after the requisite get married have kids build new car break. Looking forward to seeing Roebling and having a great weekend/week. BTW - we've only had 1 or 2 days over 35 degrees for the last couple months... It is warm in Savannah isn't it?

Jason Fields
ITA 240sx #21

88YB1
02-09-2004, 03:47 PM
Right now the weather is looking great. Forcast for Thursday is possible light rain with high in middle 50s. Friday, Saturday, and Sunday forcast for partly cloudy with highs in the upper 50s to near 60 degrees. Should make for a good weekend.

Chuck

Zal Chitty
02-09-2004, 07:35 PM
I will be there as well.

1973 Alfa Romeo Spider ITB 09. No top so lets hope for sunny skies.

emwavey
02-23-2004, 11:19 AM
Well I actually went. Hard to believe, but I actually managed to keep the car on the track save for having to pullover for a fuel pump switch problem. Ten dollar part and an excellent crew got me back out for the next session.

I learned a ton. Mostly the confidence level rose each day. Also transitioning back to dry pavement after being in the rain for a day and a half was decent. The last track day I went to in the rain, I couldn't get myself back to dry pavement mentality. I also learned what "flat-tow" means. http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/wink.gif

FWIW, I drove a blue ITA/7 #31 in Group #3. I met a few of you guys, in particular I remember the dude in the MR2 who was in my class. Congrats to you for making it through this school! Unfortunately I won't see many of you. The Northeast is my home, so once I actually buy a car this is where I'll be racing.

"Battle of attrition" kept going through my head.

-dave
8)

Knestis
02-23-2004, 02:25 PM
Glad you made it down. Being in Group 2, I had a chance to watch your guys out there and it looked pretty, um...busy on occasion.

K

emwavey
02-23-2004, 04:18 PM
Knestis wrote: "...it looked pretty, um...busy"

One situation I remember pretty vividly...
I was closing the gap on a 944, when a Spec Miata closed his gap on me more quickly. I let him pass and figured that I'd try and keep up and see if I could pass the 944 along with him. Just after letting him pass I noticed him dart off to the outside of Turn 5 approaching Turn 6.
Sure enough yellow flags were a-waving and two cars were perpendicular to each other. Surprising how calm I can be... I just let off and went to the inside of the "incident". It was one of the only times I wasn't really paying attention to the flagging stations. Newbie mistake, and lesson learned.

Later I talked to my crew chief, cool I had a crew chief, and he said that in listening to the scanner the way it was called in, the workers said something like 90% blockage on the course.

Sorry for rambling... I had such a great time at the school! I'd love to hear other folk's stories about the school. Got any?

-dave
8)

timelapseracing
02-23-2004, 06:10 PM
I did make it down, but was the unfortunate soul who broke between the tech shed and the paddock. A problem with the machining on the head, the end of the cam broke, releasing the timing sprocket from its function... Ewwww. :/

But I worked F&C on Friday before the long drive back to MD. Hopefully on track for D.S. at Summit Point next month. Thank you to any of you who helped push my car back onto my trailer Friday. See you at the track - http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/biggrin.gif

Jason.
---------
ITA Nissan 240sx #21

JeffYoung
02-24-2004, 08:23 PM
I went to the Roebling double last year, and completed it successfully -- in a British car no less.

Did want to add to a couple of the points above. I was AMAZED at the amount of carnage that weekend. One Miata into a tree at the end of 1. One Miata rollover near 3-4. On Escort rollover. One two-Viper melee (had to see it to believe it). One Viper-RX7-Capri (I think) melee. One GT3 car end over end down the dirt to the left of the front stretch. One black CRX that was fast, but spun every couple of laps.

Real race weekends are tame compared to that
zoo. Why is that?

Knestis
02-24-2004, 08:37 PM
I suspect that it would have been woolier if it hadn't been wet - the rain caught a lot of people off guard and made them hesitant.

I was frankly pretty surprised at the number of people in the school who had significant track experience, compared to when I did this almost 20 years ago. As a group, they got up to speed more quickly and were more aggressive than any school that I've attended - or taught at for that matter.

There is a great in-car segment of a banzai attempt in 1 by a 944 against another ITS car over at honda-tech.com it was a classic no-room, door-banger that I have a hard time imagining in a regional, let alone a school "race." If that student had been my student, he'd be driving to another school next month.

K

emwavey
02-25-2004, 12:37 PM
I made an attempt to discribe my experience with photos and stuff... some may call it an article. http://Forums.ImprovedTouring.com/it/smile.gif

There's also a link to some photos that my wife took.

Enjoy...

http://www.nerdsracing.com

JeffYoung
02-25-2004, 08:13 PM
Kirk, you had a similar observation as I did. Before I went, I was told by people who had done the school at Roebling just a few years before that most there would never have been on track before. With my several years of HPDEs, I thought I would be far more experienced than most.

Wrong. You had guys with Solo 1, HPDE, all kinds of experience there. My run group was fast -- I don't recall it being that much different from a standard regional weekend to be honest with you, except for the constant spinning and wrecking.

Good point though. Perhaps too many people go in with my attitude -- all my HPDE experience will make me top dog. That ended the first time a car with 50 less hp dive bombed me into 3, adn then just pulled off into the distance. At that point, I decided I just needed to ride at a reasonable pace and get through it.

88YB1
02-25-2004, 10:52 PM
My little Pontiac and I made it through the weekend with nothing worse than a brused ego.
I held to my original plan. Start at the back, don't push the car to the limit (meaning don't break anything) and come home with my novice ticket signed off. I accomplished my goals, but boy did I learn a lot between Thursday and Sunday. The school was fantastic. Hope to see some of you at raod Atlanta this summer.

Chuck
ITA Pantiac Fiero #34