Goblins Go

[John McFarland]

This year will be the second annual Production Car Festival at VIR, last weekend of October. I will be venturing down south from frosty Cleveland, Ohio to run my ex ITB GP Scirocco.

They will be running the North course. Have been watching some video to learn the track. Anyone have some driving advice that I should know to run fast there? (No smart remarks please!)

I want to chase down and pass Mark Coffin at his home track!

[JeffYoung]

Been a while since I've run the North Course. It would seem that exit from 5 is not as critical as on the Full Course because you are braking hard not too far up the road to make the right up the hill.

Turning up the hill and going smoothly through the uphill esses is probably key. After that, track is pretty much the same.

North Course seems to favor torque over balls out horsepower as the up hill esses and the straight leading to them, plus the backstretch are de-ex-elimini-communicated. Should be fun, but definitely fewer places to pace with the entrance to the esses, 10, Oak Tree and the backstraight out of commission.

I think good ITS lap times there two years ago were what, 1:45?

[Fi3555]

I want to chase down and pass Mark Coffin at his home track!
[/quote]

And I want a toilet made of gold but it just isn't in the cards !

Seriously, wish you big luck passing him ! I'll see you there
in Louis B.'s old GP Golf. Too bad we're not running the full course.
But half of VIR beats most of the tracks in the eastern US.


Tim Pitts
#11 GP Golf

[John McFarland]

I smoke good northern stuff.

Hey, I can dream! And now you in Louis' car! E-gad!

[Knestis]

That right up the hill, onto the crossover portion of the track, is WAY faster than most people think. You shed a lot of energy defying gravity there and there's more room driver's left at the exit than most people ever use.

K

[JeffYoung]

I agree. It is kinda like turn 1 at Road Atlanta. It takes a while to understand how hard you can go up the hill at the first right there. Interesting corner, and the uphill esses there are different and in my very humble opinion trickier than the uphill esses on the full course (well, except for 10).

I like the North Course. Would prefer to run full, but this will be interesting. Kirk, see you there I hope.

Jeff

[Parrish57]

I think good ITS lap times there two years ago were what, 1:45?
[/b]

Race results from Oct 30-31 2004 show an ITS track record of 1:44.287 by Kent Thompson. IT7 was 1:47.788. ITA 1:50.687. ITB 1:48.986. SM was 1:48.370 by Bob Thornton.

That was the last time I can remember running the north course. I have a feeling we'll see all of those records reset!

[jmark]

Anybody got ITS results from this weekend?

[dspillrat]

ITS: 1.Steve Eckerich 1:45.118
2.Kent Thompson 1:45.115
3.David Spillman 1:44.049 ...Qualified/sputtered 17th :eclipsee_steering:
4.Robert Thornton 1:45.196
5.Boatright 6.Tucker
7.Miller
8.Mackaman
9.Weddington
10.Garcia
11.Young....."Brakes"
12.Parrish...."Coli Wire"

60 plus cars? North course....SFR and SM fun in traffic!!

Had a great time...once the Goblins were found and removed from the ignition system.

David Spillman

[jmark]

ITS: 1.Steve Eckerich 1:45.118
2.Kent Thompson 1:45.115
3.David Spillman 1:44.049 ...Qualified/sputtered 17th :eclipsee_steering:
4.Robert Thornton 1:45.196
5.Boatright 6.Tucker
7.Miller
8.Mackaman
9.Weddington
10.Garcia
11.Young....."Brakes"
12.Parrish...."Coli Wire"

60 plus cars? North course....SFR and SM fun in traffic!!

Had a great time...once the Goblins were found and removed from the ignition system.

David Spillman
[/b]Congrats David. I know you are looking forward to the ARRC! :023:

[raceengineering]

ITS is BIG FUN!!!!
Thanks guys it was a super fast, supre clean race with Steve and Kent swaping the lead back and forth,It was fun to watch.
Seems like when I would get close I would make a mistake(in the grass more than on pavement) and then I spun out, but lots of fun.
David Spillman had a super drive to come from the back to 3rd with the fastest lap of 1:44.049,thats up on the wheel.
Lots of work to do over the winter. looking foreward to the spring.

Bob Thornton

Race Engineering

[seckerich]

Great job David, I think that is a new lap record. That race was a lesson in dodgeball. Nowhere to pass on short course without screwing everyone up. I spent more time in the grass than on the track.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Here comes Race Engineering! I have 'coon-dog' power up here in my ITA Miata and we grabbed 3 wins and a track record this year...I'll be watchin' you guys!!!

[Parrish57]

Wow!!! What a fun race. Eckerich and Thompson put on a great show for a photo finish. Bob T was exciting to watch between the slam-drafting on the start and the John Deere tractor grass passes. I managed to hold off David "Raging Bull" Spillman for 3 laps until the coil wire fell off. ( I think Steve was right, that is a North course lap record!). It's going to be a great time next year.

[dspillrat]

Great job David, I think that is a new lap record. That race was a lesson in dodgeball. Nowhere to pass on short course without screwing everyone up. I spent more time in the grass than on the track.
[/b]

Thanks Steve E. ,
The real congrats should go out to both Steve E. and Kent...Put on quite a show of car control and tight racing without taking each other out, that's what SCCA racing should be about..Give and Take on the track.
Dodgeball did come to mind while parting traffic, cones, grass, and amazement of not having any contact.
Great race for you guys congrats on the win Steve.

David Spillman

[JeffYoung]

I got the car up to 5th, from 12th (damn crew chief, I mean me, forgot to put the transponder in for qual), in the first 6 laps, and then -- imagine this -- brakes failed. Watched David run down Steve and kent from the uphill esses where I parked the car.

David, fantastic run. You were smoking fast, and Kent and Steve put on a great show up front. Good run guys, that is why I like ITS in the SE Div so much.

[jmark]

According to this David the ITS record is yours!

http://www.ncrscca.com/Pdf/RECORDS1.htm

[dspillrat]

According to this David the ITS record is yours!

http://www.ncrscca.com/Pdf/RECORDS1.htm
[/b]

Mark,
I like the sound of that!!!!! But look at this link, it can traversed a little quicker...:o


http://www.ncrscca.com/Pdf/2004%20Results/...nsGo/G1GRID.pdf (http://www.ncrscca.com/Pdf/2004%20Results/GoblinsGo/G1GRID.pdf)


David Spillman

[JeffYoung]

Qaul doesn't count! Probably in the morning, when it was cool. Besides, we all KNOW Steve can't go that fast......lol.

David, again, great lap man. Awesome to see that Z run (and be driven) like that.

[seckerich]

Great job David, I thought it was a record. My clear laps were shot quick in the middle of the SRF battle. Had a good lead until I ran into the first of the spec miata trailers running 3 wide and pig slow. :P Lots of new faces in ITS for 07 so we should all have a blast.

[jmark]

Results are up.

http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=177010

Looking forward to the ITS race at the ARRC!