Test Day, Nashville Superspeedway

[wbp]

In cooperation with Atlanta Region SCCA, Chattanooga Region is doing a Test Day on August 31, before the "Music City Double Barreled Shootout" at Nashville Superspeedway. The races on September 1 and 2 include Double SARRC / Double MidAm races and a double points ProIT.
Obviously, if you haven't raced on the road course at Nashville before you need to do the Test Day. The first turn off the front straight, an extremely fast entry, decreasing radius corner takes a while to learn.
Not so obvious is the need for those who have raced there before to do the Test Day. In a project done at the request of SCCA racers, 300 linear feet of concrete curbing will be added to the track, with the project scheduled to finish on August 23. This is certain to change the way the track drives. Test Day participants will be the first to drive this revised course.
Online registration for the Test Day and races is by dlbracing. See www.atl-scca.org for info.

[DavidM]

In cooperation with Atlanta Region SCCA, Chattanooga Region is doing a Test Day on August 31, before the "Music City Double Barreled Shootout" at Nashville Superspeedway. The races on September 1 and 2 include Double SARRC / Double MidAm races and a double points ProIT.
Obviously, if you haven't raced on the road course at Nashville before you need to do the Test Day. The first turn off the front straight, an extremely fast entry, decreasing radius corner takes a while to learn.
Not so obvious is the need for those who have raced there before to do the Test Day. In a project done at the request of SCCA racers, 300 linear feet of concrete curbing will be added to the track, with the project scheduled to finish on August 23. This is certain to change the way the track drives. Test Day participants will be the first to drive this revised course.
Online registration for the Test Day and races is by dlbracing. See www.atl-scca.org for info.
[/b]

Has anybody asked the speedway about smoothing out the transition from the banking to the apron at turn 1 somehow? That transition just beat the crap out of my car. I wonder what other people think.

David

[Butch Kummer]

The transistion is not nearly as bad if you don't try to go into NASCAR One before turning into the infield. Some guys never go up on the banking at all yet are still competitive. After having run there three times, I'll go up maybe two-three car widths on the banking at Start/Finish (mainly dictated by traffic) but I'm back on the apron just about the start of where Pit Road comes back in.

And yes, that's about 100 feet left of the pylons up on the banking. If you try to go out the pylons you'll beat the crap out of your car, plus I don't believe it gives you any advantage into Turn One.

[DavidM]

Going up higher seemed to allow people to straighten out 1 somewhat and carry more speed into it. I don't know if that translated to faster lap times or not, but watching from the tower it looked liked the people going higher carried a good bit more speed into the corner. It also makes the car at more of an angle when you go from the banking to the apron, which I could really feel in my car. I went up high once and that was it for me. I wound up getting on the banking about start/finish and drifting about half-way up before turn-in. Don't know if that's the "correct" line or not. I've got a Traqmate this year so I'll have to play around with the lines and see what kind of difference it makes.

David

[wbp]

I have been to Nashville Superspeedway every time SCCA has run the road course (TT and Club race) and watched the lap records set. None of the records I watched were set by going high into turn one. Adding that much distance to a lap and upsetting the car on the transition just isn't the fast way around there.
David, come do the Test Day and figure out what your fast line really is. I know what the fast line in One is in a Honda. I don't know exactly what it will be for your 240SX but I bet it won't be a high line into One.

[Butch Kummer]

Not exactly the same thing, but a LOT of cars will use all the concrete (as in - all four wheels on it) at the exit of Turn 5 at Road Atlanta. Yes, it improves the exit speed, but there's a risk. I don't know if the pot hole is still there where the cut-thru pavement rejoins the main track, but I've seen more than one car get swallowed up by that when they misjudged the exit. I've also exploded (as in "split in half") the rear end on one of my old GT-1 car when driving up there - the loading/unloading under power on the bumps was too much for the rear end casing. It may be faster, but now I choose not to run there any longer because it "just beat the crap out of my car".

Racing is about minimizing compromises and we always have choices to make as to what's acceptable and what's not. Perhaps there are those that will stay away from Nashville because of the transistions, but it's the best option we have available at the moment. I'm thinking it'll be an outstanding event, at least partially because everything (great moves and Oh Sh!t moments alike) is visible to everyone! The transistions can be rough and the twisty parts are tight, but there's also room for the big dogs to eat. Hopefully enough people will agree and we can make this a regular event on the SCCA calendar.

IT drivers don't understand, but I absolutely detest racing at Barber. I also realize it's now a LOT of people's new favorite track in the whole wide world. But that's why all race cars are not painted the same. B)

YMMV...

[DavidM]

I had fun at the event last year and will be back this year even though I don't particularly care for the track. You never know till you ask so I thought I'd ask about the transition. Hell, I may just stay down on the apron. It'll probably be something in the middle, though. I won't be at the test day so hopefully I'll remember some stuff from last year for qualy.

I don't go four wheels over at turn 5 at Road Atlanta for the same reason. My car is fairly stiff and I can feel every bump in the road in my teeth. I could probably do it, but I've chosen not to for now. When I'm looking for that extra 2 10ths then maybe I'll reconsider.

David

[Joe-Racer]

I've run here a couple times and my fastest line (for me) is on the apron. And this was in a 500hp Evo. Yes, you modify the turn 1 entry a bit, but its not so bad. I make it into two braking points.

Bill,

I signed up for the event on DLB but there wasnt a selection for test day. Should I just note it on my entry with the check (to be mailed... soon) :D

[Butch Kummer]

If you're going in through DLB you need to change the calendar to August to register for the Test Day (since it's actually on August 31).

If you go to the Atlanta Region website (www.Atl-SCCA.org) you can link directly to both events on DLB from one page (plus we've got a track diagram and other info as well).

See ya...

[pballance]

The transistion is not nearly as bad if you don't try to go into NASCAR One before turning into the infield. Some guys never go up on the banking at all yet are still competitive. After having run there three times, I'll go up maybe two-three car widths on the banking at Start/Finish (mainly dictated by traffic) but I'm back on the apron just about the start of where Pit Road comes back in.

And yes, that's about 100 feet left of the pylons up on the banking. If you try to go out the pylons you'll beat the crap out of your car, plus I don't believe it gives you any advantage into Turn One.
[/b]

I got in a little late on this one, FWIW, During a TT event at NSS I found a "sweet spot" for the transition that was a little to the outside of the correct line for turn 1. I was only going up the banking about 1-2 car widths and by going a little deeper in the pit out area the transition was pretty easy.

My car hated the apron and hated the painted area even worse.