laguna seca changes ??

[m glassburner]

I was watching the formula extreme ama bike series this weekend on speed...And I was noticing the the area just before the "corkscrew" seemed different....anybody know what they did ? thanx...mdg.

[BMW RACER]

I haven't seen anything myself, but I did hear a little while back that the motocycle guys were complaining about getting airborne in the braking area for the corkscrew (sissies) So maybe they leveled that off.

[Z3_GoCar]

Hey John,

I hope to be out at the next Buttonwillow race over Labor day. Then at Laguna Seca for the joint BMWCCA/Vintage SCCA event September 22nd-24th
Race Flyer

Looks like fun

[ccearlock]

The whole track was resurfaced in June and they did level out the hump just before the corkscrew.

[racer_tim]

Yes, they did repave the entire track, and attempted to smooth out some of the bumps.

What looks different, is the amount of run-off between turns 6 and 8. They added about 50 feet of width from 6-7 and they added more gravel on both sides of the cork screw. The bridge that was over turn 9 is not more towards 8a, so from TV, it does look different.

Also, the entire media center and the look of Turn 1 is also totally different. Again, the actual track didn't change but everything around it has.

[itaintegra31]

Thanks Tim

Can't wait to race on the track with all of the changes.

[racer_tim]

After working on Friday @ the Historics, turns 1 and 6-7 look like Sears Point. Wide waste land with no reference points.

There also is a couple of nasty "ripples" at the exit of 8a.

We should see quite a few track records at our Sep 29-Oct 1 regional there.

All in all, the track is in very good shape, except for all of the gravel traps.

Damn motorcycles

[Daryl DeArman]

After working on Friday @ the Historics, turns 1 and 6-7 look like Sears Point. Wide waste land with no reference points.
There also is a couple of nasty "ripples" at the exit of 8a.
We should see quite a few track records at our Sep 29-Oct 1 regional there.
[/b]

I heard that one little record has already fallen, something about the best of all time by any man and machine. Was it Zonta at the Historics. If I recall what I heard there were lots of complaints about the bumps after 8 and that the repaving job wasn't the best.

[racer_tim]

Yes, Ricardo Zonta in the Toyota F1 car did break the un-official track record with a 1:06.3

And he didn't break it in half like the Ferrari did a couple of years ago.

I only noticed the "ripple" at the apex of 8a if you were way over on drivers right, which you shouldn't be anyway. There is also a very large section between turns 4-5 that shows a lot of grinding that was done to smooth that section out.

[Z3_GoCar]

I walked the track during the Historics on Sunday morning to get an idea on some of the lines that are most likely to give me problems. I'm looking forward to running the joint vintage SCCA/BMWCCA event on the 22-24th. I hope to have my car out at an open practice session at Buttonwillow on the 15th to get an initial feel for it and burn off some rubber.

[racer_tim]

James, I've got all kinds of in-car video's of Laguna.

Check out my web site and go to the video section

[Z3_GoCar]

Hey Tim,

Thanks, I've downloaded the lap video. I'll really enjoy finally running there in a few weeks.

James

[Marcus Miller]

James,
It was good meeting you this past weekend. When is that Laguna Race?


Marcus

[racer_tim]

Double Regional Sep 29 - Oct 1

then the final regional and our 4 hour Enduro is Oct 27-29

[Z3_GoCar]

James,
It was good meeting you this past weekend. When is that Laguna Race?


Marcus
[/b]

Hey Marcus,

I also ejoyed meeting and talking to both you and Scott. Tim's right that the next double regional is on Sept 30-Oct 1, I'll be running the Cal-Club event at Willow Springs that weekend. The event that I'll be there will be with Vintage SCCA/BMWCCA-CR event this weekend Sept 23-24 with a half day of practice on the 22nd. I ran last Friday at Buttonwillow's Test/Tune day and wow what fun

James

[racer_tim]

Yes, the Vintage next weekend also includes a BMW club group.

Vintage M3's ?

[Z3_GoCar]

Yes, the Vintage next weekend also includes a BMW club group.

Vintage M3's ?
[/b]

Vintage Z3

Looks like a MGA, Sounds like a TR-6. I had fun blasting an IP e-30 M3, didn't realize that I was that much faster.

[racer_tim]

James, you had a little problem with turn 9 eh?

I was @ Turn 3.

[Z3_GoCar]

Turn 9's great when you hit it right, but I figured out a couple of different ways to goof it up anyway. I'm still not sure what happened on Sunday. I suspect that I was just a little too exuberant, or tapped the brakes. On Saturday I tried to pinch of the exit to get around the 318 and tapped the brakes when it became evident that I was just going to make contact. I don't have video from either race as first it didn't come on and the second time the battery died on the grid. I did get the Saturday practice session, where I scored a 1:50.1 as a best lap, but my Sunday qualifying lap was a 1:47.3 a three second pickup, not bad for my first time out, and the car's not bent. You should have come by my pit, I was next to Ole Anderson and his Volvo. What were you driving? I don't think the Rabbit qualifies as vintage yet. I noticed the little hump between 6-7 is now gone, althought there is some rippling there.

James

[racer_tim]

Nope, I wasn't running. I was the lone worker @ turn 3. I did run into my old friend and competitor Mike Mills. He's one of your BMW club tech stewards, I think.

Mike and I go way back to 1993 when we were both running in IT. Me in my VW Scirocco and him in his beautiful 2002. I know that Mike had some health problems in the late 90's, and see him every once in a while.

I think that the VW would've qualified in small bore production groups 1,2, or 3. All you need is a license and a checkbook to get into the event.

Quite a bit of carnage for a "vintage" weekend. A formula car barrel rolled at the entrance to turn 5 on the first lap of sunday's race, and one of the BRE Datsun 240's stuffed into the tires at 8a also on Sunday.

During your race, the silver 325 # 168 took a hard hit while being passed by the leaders, and got "squeezed" into the gravel at the exit of turn 4, and hooked back around and hit the wall drivers right. Back markers fighting with bak markers, getting passed by the top 5 pack. I could see that coming when they were all exiting turn 2, and were 3-4 wide through turn 3. Just not enought room for 8-9 cars to occupy the same piece of real estate.

I've also written off a car at that same spot in 1993, so I feel bad for him. I heard he was sore with a banged up shoulder, but hopefully the car was in worse shape than he is.