the rock

[manny]

does any one know if regristration is open for the race at the rock on march 10 th?

[sgallimo]

Hey Manny, the registration is not yet open. I'll check with registrar and post her estimated time.

[manny]

Thank you. Since VIR was cancelled i'd like to be ready for the rock.

[sgallimo]

Manny, Ginny Condrey tells me the plan is to have the online registration available one month before the event. So look for it around Feb 10th.

[Mike Spencer]

Just in case there's anyone else besides me who has never been there, go check out

http://www.specmiatavideos.com/race_videos.htm

and scroll down to Rockingham. There are two full-race videos.

[JeffYoung]

I enjoyed the test day there in 05. I think the place will "race" pretty well. The banking is fun and not as intimidating as Lowe's, and the entrance to the infield far more forgiving.

Only real "issue" is the entrance to the banking. That is a ROUGH transition if you get it wrong. It will be broken spoiler (or worse) land I am sure.

[kbrewMR2]

www.trackpedia.com (http://www.trackpedia.com) has a nice page on the track, videos, telemetry, turn-by-turn guides, etc :)

the entrance to the infield is pretty interesting, makes for some great racing because of the 2 vastly different "good" lines

[manny]

this may sound stupid but i have to ask, for the 2007 racing year does your car have to have 2 side bars on each side?

[iambhooper]

for those that are interested, the schedule and supps are now up available http://www.ncrscca.com/drivers.htm

it would appear that the ECR has been split into 2 groups... interesting.

[GKR_17]

it would appear that the ECR has been split into 2 groups... interesting.
[/b]

As I recall, they've always run 2 groups for the ECRs at Rockingham, that track is just too small to fit everyone. Also, the banking would be asking for trouble with ITS (ITR?) cars on the track at the same time as the ITC guys.

Hopefully it is an oversight that ITR was not included in the ECR group, and they'll get to run after all.

Grafton

[civicracer13]

We'll be there in ITC for the Carolina Cup and ECR. Who else for ITC?

[JeffYoung]

Thanks Hoop.

BLESS IT -- they put ITS in with SM and SRF again. Why that? That's a crappy, crappy run group.

[JimW337]

does any one know if regristration is open for the race at the rock on march 10 th?
[/b]

Registration is open, I just registered yesterday. Go to the NC region calendar for the link.

[RFloyd]

Add one more ITB car. Registered this morning.

[Mike Spencer]

...That's a crappy, crappy run group.
[/b]

Jeff,

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder! Moving ITS means that I don't have to worry so much about getting run over!!! :happy204:

Seriously, I know running with SRF is no fun (you just don't see 'em) but is it just a matter of dodging all the Miatas??? You guys are still the fastest class in the group.

[JeffYoung]

A good SRF is as fast as an ITS car, and the fastest ones are usually a second or two faster than the best S cars.

In that run group, I get stuck in a mass of SRFs since I'm a mid pack S car. I'm faster than them on the straights, but they dive bomb under braking and pass me in corners, in places where I am committed to a particular line.

Running with SRFs is like combat. Not knocking them or their driving skills, they are just very different cars from us.

They have split start the Miatas in the past so I have not seen them, but teh very top SMs are scary enough as fast as a midpack S car........maybe not at the Rock though, we'll see.

[Mike Spencer]

...they dive bomb under braking and pass me in corners, in places where I am committed to a particular line....
[/b]

been there, done that. an SRF came up on my left going into 10 at VIR last fall. Had to bail and I ended up off DR going down the hill sideways.



...but teh very top SMs are scary enough as fast as a midpack S car........maybe not at the Rock though, we'll see.
[/b]

Never been there, but Rockingham seems to be much more about straighaway speed and less so about cornering. Maybe you'll luck out!

In any case, I hope to see you there!

[JeffYoung]

Definitely MIke, hope to see you there as well.

Honestly, a lot of my beef with the run groups is that I know the guys in S, A and 7, and know (and trust) how they drive. When I see ricky t., or Tristan, or Steve E. or Jay M. or Steve P. or Chris H. or Russ B. or Robert M. or Rex or Chris N. etc. etc. etc. etc. I know exactly what to expect.

They guy in the yellow SRF may be a great driver, but I have no idea who it is.

[iambhooper]

Honestly, a lot of my beef with the run groups is that I know the guys in S, A and 7, and know (and trust) how they drive. When I see ricky t., or Tristan, or Steve E. or Jay M. or Steve P. or Chris H. or Russ B. or Robert M. or Rex or Chris N. etc. etc. etc. etc. I know exactly what to expect.[/b]

So what are you saying about those stuck in C and B? hmmmm? :eclipsee_steering:

[JeffYoung]

Hoop, not a thing, not a thing. My run group usually is S/A/7, and I know those guys. SRF and SM I don't.

Don't know a lot of B and C drivers cause I don't usually run with them, but at least I can SEE their cars and at least their cars are not bouncing off of each other........

[iambhooper]

until the Carolina Cup has a entry's of more than 1 or 2 C cars, doubt you will see many. i wouild consider running it, but without any competition, there is little chance for contingency money from Kumho.

as for cars bouncing off of each other... i never seem to know where those round black marks come from? :D

[Mike Spencer]

... i never seem to know where those round black marks come from? :D
[/b]

Hoop -

Bill brings in REALLY GIGANTIC Krispy Kreme doughnuts in the morning and we lean them up against your car.

(sorry, didn't know that was a problem) :D

[JeffYoung]

Damn, I need to move to B/C then. Donuts! Hmmmmmmmmm......

[Mike Spencer]

Damn, I need to move to B/C then...
[/b]

Not with THAT car, you don't!!! ;)

[camop]

Any thoughts on the best hotel/motel for Rockingham? I'll be making my first trip to the Rock.

Thanks!

Neal Norton
Tampa, FL
ITA Miata #57

[iambhooper]

so that's what goes on at nite when I'm not there?!

[Knestis]

Hmmm....

Looks like we might go after all. I hate COMING to the race track with body damage even more than LEAVING that way, but I'm headed up to Conover's tomorrow to do a look-see and determine what we need to do to be ready.

Seven ITB cars already on the list is a strong motivator.

K

[lateapex911]

Thats what I love about you Kirk, you LIKE big fields!

[Knestis]

Well, they call it "racing."

K

PS - we're in.

[iambhooper]

It wound up being another great weekend of racing! The Honda did well, I got faster with every sesion (except the last). I wound up running the Carolina Cup race (since there wasn't a test day, I thought it would be good practice for the SARRC) and turned my fastest times of the weekend... proof that you are faster without brakes!

Qualifying for the SARRC was great ;) and the race itself was a blast! It was tail to nose tail to nose between Butch Mckenzie (in his SSB Cooper), myself, and Jim Wray (in his ITB Rabbit) for half the race. Butch's tires were gone, so I was faster in the twisties, and he out pulled me on the straight. About halfway through, Jim and I swapped positions.

All in all I like the track layout. My car could use some more umph on the straight, but it handles the twisties extremely well. The surface is much more abraisive than VIR or Lowes, so the tire ware is much more.

Nice seeing everyone!

hoop

[Knestis]

Mr Hooper's ;) is probably him pulling my chain, because he was right in front of me on the grid. :lol:

We didn't have anything for Richard Floyd but had a really fun race to 2nd. Gotta say, the Rock roval was a new trick for this old dog and some of the things that are hardwired into one's brain from "real" road courses just take some time to retranslate. Bowie Gray called and told Cameron that a Miata will go flat through the NASCAR 1-2 bank flat on street tires.

I guess my problem was that I wasn't on street tires. :P

Floyd also got his picture in the local paper, in a Sunday front page spread about the SCCA coming back to the track. Very nicely done, NCR SCCA.

K

[jmark]

Results?

[JeffYoung]

Which class? Which races? If I remember correctly SARRC was:

ITS

Kent Thompson
Jeff Young
Chris Hennecy
Jay Miller
Kathleen Weddington
Ron Earp

ITA
Rick Thompson
(not sure the others, i think a Ford Escort was second)

IT7
Grover McNair
Rex Deffenbaugh (way to go Rex!)
Paul Perez
Robert Mitchell
Chuck Hines

ITB
Richard FLoyd (and on the front page of the Richmond Co. Sunday paper no less)
Kirk

ITC
Ben Hooper (I think)

SM
Bob Thornton
Steve Figura
3rd not sure
Ron Munnerlyn.

Funny thing -- I passed a rock star. One of the SM guys is Edwin McCain, of the Edwin McCain band. Too much -- he tows wih his tour bus. Also the Robertsons had their new ITR 944S2 out and it was COOL. Won the ECR overall I think. Great car.

[jmark]

Thanks Jeff. Did you run the 260Z?

[JeffYoung]

We did, as a team, but I ran the TR8.

Makes in ITS were:

Kent -- RX7
Me - TR8
Chris - RX7
Jay - 280Z
Kathleen - RX7
Ron Earp - 260z

There were at least two other RX7s (Boatright and Rogers) that qualified but I think had issues during the ECR.

Steve Parrish won the Carolina Cup in his 240z.

[jmark]

Thanks!

[it7rx739]

ECR
:smilie_pokal: 1 st pl.Tom Rogers (way to go Tom) :happy204:
2 nd pl.Ken Thompson (good job Ken) :happy204:

[seckerich]

So the Mean Green British Machine scored a podium. Way to go Jeff. :smilie_pokal:

[Parrish57]

Congratulations to everyone for a great race weekend! The Rock is awesome.

Jeff.. It looks like you made the right move by saving the brakes for the SARRC. Good run!! I just wish you could have run the CCPS as well. Who knows how it would have turned out?? I ended up losing 3rd gear and ran around in 4th for the last part of the race. It was wierd passing people on the banking just to point them by in the infield.

[iambhooper]

Mr Hooper's ;) is probably him pulling my chain, because he was right in front of me on the grid. :lol:
[/b]
Perhaps, however once the green flag dropped, I never saw Pablo Azul again! Good run! That SI was faster than something through a goose, though.




So the Mean Green British Machine scored a podium. Way to go Jeff. :smilie_pokal:
[/b]

The Triumph ran great! The roof was a nice looking addition, and seems to have helped on the top end. Glad to see the car doing well!

[JeffYoung]

Thanks guys, car ran good. The real test on the brake improvements will be CMP.

Steve, great run in the Cup especially with the issue you had. I imagine the car didn't want to pull out of turn 1, etc. You think you can get it fixed by CMP? Hope you get to run some SARRCs with us this year. CMP already has 8 ITS cars signed up and some regulars aren't on there. We might get a 12-15 car ITS field at CMP so the racing should be a lot of fun. Hope you make it.

Hoop, great run in the Rex. You going to try and make CMP?

Rockingham was great. A good finish is always a boost, but I liked the track a lot more than I thought I would. Very racy place. It's no VIR, but VIR is so long it can turn into such a parade sometimes.

[iambhooper]

Jeff, I agree about the track. It was much more fun thatn I had expected. Turn's 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were all good passing opportunities in the Honda. I need just a little more top end to take full advantage, but still it was a nice change vs VIR. I love VIR, but with only 2 or 3 places to pass in a "momentum car" it gets a little old... not to mention this place is cheaper!

No, I won't be on track again until the SARRC/MARRS. Melinda and I are going to Naples for Easter, and I will be out of town the whole moth of April for work.

Wished I could... it's easy to get greedy :D

hoop

[Mike Spencer]

Just wanted to throw my $0.02 in...

First time at the track, I qualified poorly for both the Carolina Cup and SARRC. Then I got crashed on Lap 1 coming off the oval in the CCPS. Could have been a really lousy weekend.

However.....

thanks to good friends, a good crew and help from people I didn't even know and the car got banged out quickly. I actually logged a finish in the CCPS. More banging that night and a pep talk in the morning led to a really fun SARRC race. Good close racing, passed my share of cars and then some. I finished out of the money, but I will definitely be back there next time! :023:

I know we find reasons to complain about the club and how it is run from time to time, but RACERS ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!

Thanks to everybody! :OLA:

[jmark]

Congratulations to everyone for a great race weekend! The Rock is awesome.

Jeff.. It looks like you made the right move by saving the brakes for the SARRC. Good run!! I just wish you could have run the CCPS as well. Who knows how it would have turned out?? I ended up losing 3rd gear and ran around in 4th for the last part of the race. It was wierd passing people on the banking just to point them by in the infield.
[/b]Congrats Steve!

[Parrish57]

Congrats Steve!
[/b]

Thanks!! I hope we go back to The Rock soon!!

[btaylor]

The best race of the weekend came when Kent Thompson and Chris H ran door to door for the first half of the SARRC race. They took off from the rest of the ITS field and traded the lead numerous times. Everyone on the roof of the media center seem to really enjoy the battle. A great clean race.

[JeffYoung]

I had nothing for Kent and Chris. They checked out, and then about 1/2 way through, looked like Chris had a problem adn then recovered. Ben, did you guys see what happened to him?

[instigator]

Mike glad you were able to get back out and finish the CCP race. Your car looked worse than it was under the sheet metal when you pulled into the garage. Hope to see you run a ECR soon.


Kurt A Jackson IT7 #00 & #59