JeffYoung

[JeffYoung]

Jake is right, this BE COOL. Let's start with VIR:

1. Camping - yes. A-, nice shady grove but a long walk from restrooms.

2. Showers - A. Best I have seen at a track.

3. Food - B+. It's good, but still track food.

4. Power -- A. It's everywhere, and it stays on unlike CMP. $20 a weekend I think.

5. Air -- B. Down at the tech shed. Free, and available, but a long walk.

6. Grid/Tech Shed -- A. False grid is COVERED. Tech shed is nice, paved and close to paddock. Tech guys are great.

7. Track -- fast, smooth, up and down, lots of fun. One thing my race buddies say, and I agree -- it's sometimes not much of a RACE track in that cars get spread out and even in a sprint race you are running mostly against the track not other cars. Only downside really, in my view.

8. Local amenities -- it's a good 20-30 minutes to hotels in Danville, South Boston and Roxboro. If coming from the North, stay in Danville. From the South, Roxboro. Track does have a nice club now, with good food and a hotel on site.

9. Autoparts -- Autozone in Roxboro (open till 8 on sundays), Autozone and an early closing NAPA in Danville.

10. The line? HA. Wish I knew.

[gsbaker]

Does anyone have driving tips for this track, or possibly video? I may have a chance to give it a whirl soon.

[matt batson]

I would also like to see video or detailed write up of VIR.
I raced there for the first time for Goblins Go and found it to be a pretty difficult track to learn.
My ITB car (still in development...) turned 1:30 in the race, but I still have about 3 seconds or maybe more time to make on this track as I get more seat time. I dropped four seconds from my qualifying time (1:34), which was my second time out on the track after practice.

My biggest difficulty was hogspen and the blind left hander right after the uphill esses. I also had some difficulty with turn 3 (I think..), which is a left hand medium radius turn taken in third gear.

Ok, the very fast, blind, downhill, left hand turn after the esses was mainly just a courage thing. I was only able to get to the point where I would back off the throttle for a second or two before turning in and applying power. I know this turn should be taken at pretty much full throttle. Meaning, after going up through the esses in full throttle, not backing off for this left hander that is blind and downhill.

Hogspen, is the left-right hand turn just before entering onto the front straight (I'm pretty sure this is the name for the turn anyways...). Going into this section, you are set-up on the right edge of the track for your left turn, which is downhill. I hug the left tight until turn-in to the right for the entrance onto the front straight. My problem, is that I tend to focus my vision on this "hugging the left side set-up line for my big right turn leading to the oh so important front straight", and then go too slow into the right turn onto the front straight.

There is kind of a false line on this right turn to the front straight. The turn "looks" tighter then it is as you fall into it, then midway through I see that there is more track out then I thought.

Those are the toughest turns, in my opinion. Otherwise, everything is pretty straightforward.

[Parrish57]

For those who asked about a video of VIR, try this!

http://www.specmiatavideos.com/OLVideos/vir_may03_miata.WMV

There are more videos at specmiatavideos.com

Steve

[Ron Earp]

Originally posted by matt batson@Nov 27 2005, 04:44 AM


Ok, the very fast, blind, downhill, left hand turn after the esses was mainly just a courage thing. I was only able to get to the point where I would back off the throttle for a second or two before turning in and applying power. I know this turn should be taken at pretty much full throttle. Meaning, after going up through the esses in full throttle, not backing off for this left hander that is blind and downhill.

Hogspen, is the left-right hand turn just before entering onto the front straight (I'm pretty sure this is the name for the turn anyways...). Going into this section, you are set-up on the right edge of the track for your left turn, which is downhill. I hug the left tight until turn-in to the right for the entrance onto the front straight. My problem, is that I tend to focus my vision on this "hugging the left side set-up line for my big right turn leading to the oh so important front straight", and then go too slow into the right turn onto the front straight.

There is kind of a false line on this right turn to the front straight. The turn "looks" tighter then it is as you fall into it, then midway through I see that there is more track out then I thought.

Those are the toughest turns, in my opinion. Otherwise, everything is pretty straightforward.

66720


One 10, the top of the esses, I would think in a B car you should be flat on it. I'm a novice SM driver and I lift, point, and get back on it.

Hogspen is a great corner and my favorite at VIR. You make a left, go downhill, and then bend right for the entrance on the front straight. I simply go deep on the first left, make the left, then stay left (but off the concerete). At this point I'm on the gas well before the right turn and this is where it takes courage because you don't lift - the car will be "caught" by the pavement below as it comes up to meet your car. It is definitely spinchter tightening!!!! But, as soon as you make the left you can be on the gas and this gives you the drive out and onto the straight.

When you exit the last part of hogspen and onto the straight I generally have enough speed that I am seriously wondering if I'll run out of track on corner exit and if I did it right I almost do. I find I can really make up time on people in this area of the track but everytime through there I about scare myself silly.

People told me to drive it like this when I first raced at VIR in the 260Z and I trusted them, and it worked. But now knowing what I know of the corner if someone told me to do that I'd be wary! Glad I started doing it when I was naive because I'm not so sure it'd be easy to start now.

R

[zooracer]

yes, that is the reason I know I have more time to gain on the track, as hogspen and turn 10 after the esses are not being taken at 100%. I am working up to it, and will certainly drop seconds off my time when I go there next.
I try to be as methodical as possible, taking small bites out of my lap time. This keeps me off the grass... :D

Once I master those corners I should be turning some competitive lap times.

Funnily enough, the spec miata video above showed the driver getting a little out of shape in hogspen...makes me feel better B)

[iambhooper]

Originally posted by rlearp@Nov 27 2005, 03:12 PM
On 10, the top of the esses, I would think in a B car you should be flat on it. I'm a novice SM driver and I lift, point, and get back on it.

Hogpen is a great corner and my favorite at VIR. You make a left, go downhill, and then bend right for the entrance on the front straight. I simply go deep on the first left, make the left, then stay left (but off the concerete). At this point I'm on the gas well before the right turn and this is where it takes courage because you don't lift - the car will be "caught" by the pavement below as it comes up to meet your car. It is definitely spinchter tightening!!!! But, as soon as you make the left you can be on the gas and this gives you the drive out and onto the straight.

When you exit the last part of hogspen and onto the straight I generally have enough speed that I am seriously wondering if I'll run out of track on corner exit and if I did it right I almost do. I find I can really make up time on people in this area of the track but everytime through there I about scare myself silly.

R


I was told to drive Hogpen and southbend pretty much the same. Southbend should be flat out... occaisonally I do lift (yes I know... I drive a C car), however there are times this corner offers a great opportunity to set up or make a pass. I am under the impression that you can't drive Hogpen correctly without having gone off there several times (maybe that's because I have come out of 17 backwards a time or two early on :D ). 17 is all about 15... turn in to early at 15 and you will be exiting 17 on the dirt... no doubt about it.

I was told to get through the first corner however you can... and I still pretty much believe that. Any help here would be apreciated.

As for 3... I set this up buy apexing 2 (2 is a unoficial corner) and late apexing 3. I am told be those who drive faster cars that they can't apex 2, so they come out of 1 stay right for a VERY VERY late turn into 3. Late turn in is the key to 3. I've seen enough cars run off there to know that thats the line through. 4 is a late turn in against the strip to set up a late apex at 5. Hit 5 right and you will have the correct line throughout the flat esses.

After the bridge turn in for 7 is easy don't unballence the car at 8 on the rumble strip or nasty things can happen. Basically youi stick it all the way up the esses through southbend and down to the entrance for Oaktree.

Oaktree is a double apex. Pay attention to your turn in at the first apex, cary out to the rumble strip on your left and then crank the wheel all the way back to the tree and accross the inside strip. Believe it or not... a GT3 Porsche doesn't cary any more speed through this corner than an SSB Miata! I put a radar gun on cars here at test day in August... 39-46 mph as the difference between all the cars (a prod car was the slowest). Obviously if you can have better exit speed you can have better straight line speed.

Down the straight through Madison Ave to 14. Cary your speed best you can into 14. I used to brake at marker 3, change gears at turn in and brake again as I cranked the car back right into 14. Obviously I didn't know what I was doing. do whatever you need to keep from blowing your car up at the end of the straight, for me... I lift, and shift from 5th to 3rd now. This allows me to scrub off just enough to turn in at the end of the straight. Brake, then crank the wheel back right and follow the hill. Apex as far right as you can... which brings us back to the turn in at 15.

So, how was that as a lap in a C car? Any thoughts? I know that my times have improved over the year on the track, as has my competetivness. I can't wait to have the opportunity to climb into something faster and see how the track changes for me.

hoop