Heart of Dixie Double SAARC/ 300K Night Enduro ECR

[pballance]

Thats Right folks, 300k ECR "under the lights" at Nashville Superspeedway! Cool nighttime racing experience in cooler nighttime temperatures!

Mark your calendar now for June 14-15 for Nashville. There will also be a pdx!

Covered garages will be available and much, much more to be announced soon.

Save the date!!!!!!!

[titanium]

Anyone have an idea on what '300K' is in hours?

[240zdave]

Well, 300 kilometers is about 186 miles. A lap at Nashville Super Speedway is 1.41 miles, so that's about 132 laps, give or take. The best lap time of the winner of the Pro-IT race at last year's event was a little over 1:13, but a conservative time might be 1:15 per lap, which would be 160 minutes, give or take. Add a couple of 5 minute pit stops and you are at 170 minutes, so it's around a 3-hour race.

[Yellowhammer]

I'll be there. Yay. :eclipsee_steering:

[wbp]

The enduro at Nashville Superspeedway will be scheduled for 300 K or 3 hours. Planned start is 7:30 PM and sunset is 8:04 PM. The sun sets behind the big grandstands so dark spreads across the track quickly. Two pit stops, so 3 drivers can share. Only tough guys and gals should plan on Iron-Manning the 132 laps. This is going to be fun!

[Chris Wire]

What, if any, of the banking is going to be used? The online track map, and a few youtube vids I could find were not clear on the extent of the course being used.

[wbp]

The road course doesn't use the banking for track, we use it for paved safety runoff area. So nobody who gets off on the two very fast corners inside the backing gets to the wall. So all the crash damage at Nashville so far is car-to-car. None of the walls are a factor.
We do run the tri-oval front "straight".

[Cobrar05]

which of the transitions from infield to main course are tough on the suspension?

[pballance]

Well, if you go too deep into nascar1 before dropping onto the apron for turn 1 the transition can be rough. In the times I have run the track I altered my line to not go so deep or high on the banking and the transition was not too bad. I was geared wrong for the track but still managed to turn 1:15's there.

The transition onto the back straight is rough only if you get onto the curbing but I haven't driven the track with all of the new stuff in place. This observation came from working turn 1 at last falls races and seeing multiple cars on two wheels. :p

Coming onto the oval can be pretty rough if you try to get onto it too early as you come around toward the front straight.

Myabe JeffY or some of the others that ran there with the new curbing last year will chime in.

I like the track as it is hard to get "just right" for a fast lap. Others opinions may differ.

Forgot to answer Chris's question. If you look at a track map the road course enters the nascar oval about where the nascar pit entrance is. I have used the hash marks of "pit out" as an aim point for exiting the oval for road course turn one. Hope that helps.



Paul

[JeffYoung]

I found the transitions could be tough but manageable. I've forgotten the line now, but one way "into" turn one basically eliminated all of the hard thumping and it seemed to be fast (I ran a fast lap of 1:13.1 I think, about 2 seconds off the two fast Z cars).

The exit onto the backstraight could be very harsh if you hit the curbs wrong. Again, I just don't remember the line but I got up on two a couple of times. Same was true for entrance to the chicance off teh backstraight. Entrance to the trioval was a non event.

I did transition poorly enough that my strut bar moved and hit a cooling line fitting on the top of the manifold, causing me problems later in the year. But honestly, the transitions if driven right are no harder than at Rockingham or Charlotte.

I liked the track, it's just at 10 hours probably too far for me to go unless I really need the points.

[Cobrar05]

I am willing to run a V8 car in a 3 hour and have enjoyed it in the past. I just want to be sure not to beat the snot out of it because of the race track. From the description it sounds like being a little off line can be HARD on the car.

[pballance]

Come on out and try it. I don't remember the transition off the back straight to the bus stop as being that hard. I do know that if you are not turning right as you drop off of back straight into the bus stop you are WAAAAY behind as the track narrows up as you go slightly down hill. :o I got to see the infield in that area up close!

I don't think the fast line is on top of the curbing coming on to the back stretch but I saw several passes there that used the curbing.

I look forward to seeing all of you guys there!

[titanium]

Paul,
It look like I am tentatively on board for the race with my Cobra.
(With Mike Galley and Buddy Hendricks from Horsepower TV as co-drivers)
The only issue I have right now is BP or ITO is not an 'ECR' class.
The ECR rules state the region can add 'non-ECR' classes to a event, but in the event of over-subscription, the 'non-ECR' classes will be the first to go.
Has a region EVER added ITO to an ECR?
(I did run the car at an ECR in Homestead in Florida region's P1 class)
I worry that I'll drive the 850 miles to get there, just to find out that I can't race:(
So, my question is if they do add ITO to the ECR race, what is the likelyhood of over-subscription?

[pballance]

You know, I don't know what the powers that be will do. I will find out and post something back ASAP.

SteveE, Butch,BillP do you guys know? Emails will follow.....

Thanks for considering the drive up, FWIW I am on business travel in St. Pete this week. I walked the course for the ALMS/Indy car Grand Prix today. I have to tell you that while it looks like fun a street race with jersey barrier along the edge of the course has got to be a nerve wrecking trip! Where do I sign up:D:D:D (I wish)

[wbp]

The classes listed as eligible for ECR in the rules will be allowed in the 300K/3 Hour Night ECR at Nashville Superspeedway. Those are:
ITR, ITS, ITA, ITB, ITC, IT7, SSB, SSC, SRF and SM.
Find those rules at:
www.sedivecr.com (http://www.sedivecr.com)
Full information on the event will be posted on the Chattanooga Region web site when the Sanction number is received. See the info at:
www.rivergate5speed.com (http://www.rivergate5speed.com)
Some PROVISIONAL info is posted there already including a schedule, track map, motels, etc.

[Cobrar05]

Paul,
It look like I am tentatively on board for the race with my Cobra.
(With Mike Galley and Buddy Hendricks from Horsepower TV as co-drivers)
The only issue I have right now is BP or ITO is not an 'ECR' class.
The ECR rules state the region can add 'non-ECR' classes to a event, but in the event of over-subscription, the 'non-ECR' classes will be the first to go.
Has a region EVER added ITO to an ECR?
(I did run the car at an ECR in Homestead in Florida region's P1 class)
I worry that I'll drive the 850 miles to get there, just to find out that I can't race:(
So, my question is if they do add ITO to the ECR race, what is the likelyhood of over-subscription?

ITO should be run in that Enduro. We run ITO in Atlanta Region Enduros and have been encouraged to put the Nashville race on our schedule. We tentatively will have two ITO Cobra Mustangs entered for the weekend.

I believe Butch is lurking and can answer for sure, but I would plan on ITO for your red Cobra.
FYI...my sig photo is the ARRC Enduro this past November. Victory Lane. ITO.

As for oversubcription, they can be on the verge of that at Road Atlanta. I would not expect it to be that close at Nashville.

[Cobrar05]

I repost this from the endurance forum on the ITO issue.

"Rob,

Chattanooga Region and TVR will make that decision, but I will certainly encourage them to invite ITO to the Nashville ECR. You will also be able to run the July ECR at Road Atlanta.

Be aware of the ECR rules regarding oversubscription of events, however.
__________________
Butch Kummer
Atlanta Region Competition Director
2006,2007 SARRC GTA Champion"

I hope that Chattanooga is allowing us to race.

[Butch Kummer]

I checked with the event organizers and despite my "encouragement" they have decided stay with the standard ECR classes for their first attempt at hosting a three-hour ECR race under-the-lights on a 1.41-mile roval. This could well change in the future, but for 2008 it's "no-go for ITO" at the Nashville ECR.

As far as oversubscription, we can only start 40 cars at Nashville. CRSCCA & TVR are already stretching their comfort zone and heading into unfamiliar territory by hosting a Double SARRC and night Enduro as their first event, so being conservative is probably the right thing to do.

Again, ITO WILL be invited to run all Atlanta Region Enduro events (ECR or otherwise) in 2008. We're working on another event at Road Atlanta and should have announcements early next week.

[88YB1]

Is the infield portion lighted, or do we need to add additional lighting to our cars?

Chuck

[Butch Kummer]

There will be some auxillary lighting in the infield portion, so that combined with the oval lighting plus your standard headlights should be adequate.

[Cobrar05]

Thanx Butch. On a related subject there is a NASA 3 hour enduro scheduled for next Friday. The entry list as of today is 30 cars, 12 V8 cars and 15 cars with more HP and weight than would be allowed in ECR competition. 4 Miatas and 8 Mustangs. Food for thought.

[wbp]

On the question on lights above:
The oval portion of the track will be fully lit, as will the pits. The infield section will be lit enough so that corner workers can see cars, even those off track, and drivers can see flags. But cars must have lights. Standard headlights should be enough I would think but auxilary lights will be allowed.
We spent last night out in the cold testing lights. Our intention is to light the infield section to a level that will certainly feel different than driving in daylight.

[pballance]

Thanks Bill and Butch, That saved me some effort, especially since I was TDY this past week.

Sorry about the outcome and the enduro, but you can come run the sprints.

Paul