No Test Day this year.

[bobpink]

Due to the Panoz Racing School having a Track Day on November 10, there will be no Test Day at this year's ARRC. We regret not being able to have this available to competitors as it is an opportunity for first-time visitors to get used to the track and dial their cars in for this event.

Please don't contact the Atlanta Region SCCA about this as it is completely out of our control.

As mentioned in another post, if you've got an extra $975 and have some kind of a desire to drive a school car rather than your own car for 80 minutes of track time they have spots open.

[Racerboy03]

Bob,


Do you know if there are any test days at RA between now and the ARRC?

Thanks.

[bobpink]

Originally posted by Racerboy03@Oct 5 2005, 03:32 AM
Do you know if there are any test days at RA between now and the ARRC?

[snapback]61795[/snapback]

I've honestly been pretty much out of the racing loop for a couple of years now and don't keep up with this stuff near as much as I used to, so I don't have an answer for you.

You might contact Road Atlanta to see if they would be any help in letting you know if any other people like Car Guys or something has the track rented before the ARRC.

[chumpy36]

The schedule doesn't list SM as a participant in the Pro-it class. I hope this is a typo or it's really gonna screw up my plans. I co-drive with someone and one of us would do the arrc and the other the pro-it then we would split the enduro.

If we both can't get a sprint in, one of us is gonna feel slighted.

When you add this to the no test day, it makes coming to the event less than appealling. There are other events that might work out better.

I can't imagine why RA would not want to have the test day. At $200 a car they have to be making more than the couple of people that want to pay 975 to run around in the panoz cars. It's not even their school it's a lapping day.

This is nuts.

Jason

[RacerBowie]

Originally posted by Racerboy03@Oct 4 2005, 11:32 PM
Bob,
Do you know if there are any test days at RA between now and the ARRC?

Thanks.

[snapback]61795[/snapback]

To save everybody some time, including the people at Road Atlanta, I figured I would post what the nice lady told me when I called:

The track is booked Monday through Thursday, so the idea of doing a test day on a different day that week is right out.

We will still be there gunning for the top step of the ITA enduro podium!

Bowie
ITA Miata

[charrbq]

Originally posted by bobpink@Oct 5 2005, 02:54 AM
Due to the Panoz Racing School having a Track Day on November 10, there will be no Test Day at this year's ARRC. We regret not being able to have this available to competitors as it is an opportunity for first-time visitors to get used to the track and dial their cars in for this event.

Please don't contact the Atlanta Region SCCA about this as it is completely out of our control.

As mentioned in another post, if you've got an extra $975 and have some kind of a desire to drive a school car rather than your own car for 80 minutes of track time they have spots open.

[snapback]61792[/snapback]

Well, I guess that decided what I was going to do on Thursday!

[R2 Racing]

This is seriously very bad news for me.

I guess my option now is to show up for qualifying with a suspension I'm unsure of and an untested engine. Very unsettling, indeed. Will anything go right?

[RSTPerformance]

hummmm...... hummmmm

Another strike against the event... 3-4 days of racing makes the travel well worth it, but 2 or 3 days is like any other event... No Test day might hurt this event... someone dropped the ball???

with no crew available to make the treck and my brother still can't get dam work off... I need to question if this trip is worth the haul from the Notheast by myself... especially considering the lack of funding and the higher gass costs... hummmmm...... hummmmmm

The ITB race really has tougher competition at Lime Rock at the NARRC runoffs... which I will deffinatly be attending provided the car makes it through the enduro next weekend at the Glenn so hummmmmm....

Raymond "hummmm" Blethen

[charrbq]

This same situation happened a few years ago. We went over expecting a day of testing only to find that there was a Panoz school scheduled, and we would be getting only a few hours of testing. It rained and the Panoz students went off all over the track. The collection of same extended well into the ARRC practice time. We were left with only one hour of group testing. Every class and type of car was let onto the course at once...open wheel, sports racer, IT, and thunder wagon. I lost count at 104 cars on the course at once...on a damp track!

If Panoz wants to schedule a school on what is normally our test day, he can...he owns the football and the field. I wouldn't even make a conjecture as to what kind of money/planning/politics it would require to reserve the date for us.

If he wants it, let him have it. Better to have none of it than a piece like the last time. Sadly, Atlanta Region takes the hit when prospective entrants feel they can't justify the expense and the effort for one less day.

We'll be there...test day or not. I believe it's jambalaya that day, or maybe gumbo. We have a reputation to maintain in the party and food department.

[bobpink]

This year was just kind of a mix up with the scheduling and there is no conspiracy or Road Atlanta/Panoz Racing School going out of their way to be difficult. The Atlanta Region and Road Atlanta are already working to see that this does not happen again. It is an unfortunate situation for both sides.

[Hracer]

We were planning to run some of the test day, so this is not good news. However, it's hard to understand how a weekend that offers 2 sprint races plus a 3 hour enduro does not have enough track time to make it worth going to. With all the qualifying sessions, there is a potential of almost 6 hours of track time. We're planning on running all three races, and the only drawback to it all is the sheer amount of use time that the car will have to endure. Plus, there is a potential of about an hour and a half of track time available on Friday before Saturday’s ARRC. Still, I don’t deny loosing the test day is a big loss regardless.

[dj10]

My questions are: When can you get into the track with your trailer to setup your spot? Can you get in Thursday just to setup so you are not rushing around on Fri.? Is there a Pro IT race Fri?
dj

[bobpink]

Originally posted by dj10@Oct 5 2005, 05:03 PM
My questions are: When can you get into the track with your trailer to setup your spot? Can you get in Thursday just to setup so you are not rushing around on Fri.? Is there a Pro IT race Fri?
dj

[snapback]61835[/snapback]

Schedule is posted on the ARRC website.

Bowie, thanks for the follow-up about Road Atlanta and any other test days.

[R2 Racing]

Well, after some digging, it looks like I've found some more potential track testing time fairly close to me before the ARRC. Ok, I feel a little bit better now since I (hopefully) don't have to show up to Atlanta shooting in the dark.

[Greg Amy]

IT'S A CONSPIRACY!!! It's a conspiracy to keep all the medals back in the Atlanta Region. I heard (actually, just made up) a rumor that it really TICKS OFF the Southeast boys when the Yankees show up and start kicken' butt!

Well, you boys can try all ya want, but you'll see. Oh, yay, you'll see.

[dj10]

Originally posted by GregAmy@Oct 5 2005, 07:31 PM
IT'S A CONSPIRACY!!! It's a conspiracy to keep all the medals back in the Atlanta Region. I heard (actually, just made up) a rumor that it really TICKS OFF the Southeast boys when the Yankees show up and start kicken' butt!

Well, you boys can try all ya want, but you'll see. Oh, yay, you'll see.

[snapback]61849[/snapback]

HEHE!! Guy please get back on your MEDS.....QUICK.

Any chance of getting setup Thursday before 1800??

[RSTPerformance]

Just want to clarify one thing- No harsh feeling from me to the Atlanta Region, I know what goes on behind the sceens and it is probably fustrating to see that some people might not show up... in reality most people probably still will.

For me it doesn't make much sence as I am a crew/driver of one towing 12+ hours. Sure I could con someone to go with me probably easily (after all everyone want to be on the winning team right (that is a joke )). But in reality our cars require a bit more maintenance than most of the others at the ARRC (funding & PM go hand in hand), and it isn't the easiest thing working on a car with only people who don't know its caricteristics/history of problems. The likelyness of needing a few repairs between sessions will be required...

Also if I were to run the ProIT race to get my moneys worth out of the travel, my Friday would really be exaughsting... I would be driving most of the day and working on the car every moment that I am not driving to get it set up right.

Oh well, this year we have sorta "taken off" with the IT cars as my brother had a unique work experience that took his weekends and I concentrated on becoming a Steward going to a race just about every weekend... So next year we will attack the ITB class with full force and be back in action (watch out!!!)... oh and I will also somehow find time to do some stewarding...

Raymond "I know that I will be kicking myself that entire weekend " Blethen

[charrbq]

In the past, when there was a test day on Thursday, we've been able to get in and set up on Wednesday. We have two teams coming from two different parts of the country, planning to be there on Wednesday just for this reason. Vacations are set as are motel reservations.
I fully understand about the cancellation of the practice being unavoidable. It will eliminate the third team that was coming, but so be it. I've seen the ARRC schedule, and it is the same as it has always been written as that is all Atlanta region can truly guarantee.
My question is, does anyone know if we will be able to get into the track on Wednesday to set up, or will we have to wait until Thursday? Either way we have to cool our jets on Thursday, but it totally changes travel plans with ten and 14 hr tows.

Thanks.

[Catch22]

As Alex mentioned, there is still plenty of track time available on Friday, so if you need to learn the track, run the Pro IT race. You'll end up spending about the same money as the test day and will get about 1.5 hours of seat time on Friday.

That won't help you much for ARRC sprint qualifying, but it still gets you awfully familiar with the track before the saturday races.

I simply can't understand people cancelling this trip due to the loss of the test day. This race weekend is the best anywhere and Road Atlanta is awesome. Not making the trip because of the test day makes no sense to me.
But I drive a 22 hour round trip to VIR at least once a year simply because VIR is friggin awesome, so maybe I'm just a leetle crazy in the head.

Amy? You comin'?

[Greg Amy]

Originally posted by Catch22@Oct 6 2005, 02:02 PM
Amy? You comin'?

[snapback]61965[/snapback]

My racing year has been downright painful. I've managed to blow up two engines, see all of two checkered flags out of four attempts (with one of those in someone else's car and the other in my ITS Miata, which I managed to sell a good 10 minutes before finding out it's getting moved to ITA at a very attractive weight.) The bright spot of the year was the ITB win at the Summit 12-hour, then the damnable owner goes and rolls it into a rounder shape so we can't defend our '04 VIR 13-hour win. My buddy blows up *his* Spec Miata engine (my ride for the 4-hour NHIS enduro, plus a few other events), then gets it repaired and totals the car at the Summit 12-hour (makes a great table in the shop for putting stuff on, though.)

Did I mention my year sucked?

I've gotten very little track time, I have no more money ('cause I went and bought a nice truck and enclosed trailer immediately prior to blowing up the new engine the last time), I'm almost out of vacation, but I do have four good used and two new Hoosiers (yep, you got it: bought 'em right before the last blowed-up. They look really cool in the tire rack in the nice enclosed trailer.)

There's a 50% chance I may attend the NARRC in a few weeks, and a 0.5% chance I could hit Georgia; this, when I rarely show up given 50/50 odds. However, I was just tellin' Matt last night that that there's good food to be eaten, beer to be drunk, and tall tales to be told, plus it would be really cool to top off a sucky year by driving 15+ hours down to Road Atlanta to blow up the brandy-new engine before getting stone s**t-faced and driving back home 15+ hours. So, I guess you never know...