MARRS at Nelson Ledges

[BRAD BARNHOUSE]

Yea Gregg, thats it. The tower and tech building can be seen in the photo as well. They have come very far from what it used to be. I heard that one of the cars destroyed in the front straight crash was just purcased the day before and was on his way home but decided to stop at Nelson and race it. All drivers were unhurt. Doug Kinser has an incar of the incident. Maybe he can post it.
Brad

[szilard]

what caused the incident ? Saturday morning I was talking with the guy who had just bought the yellow RX7 , he told us that the car was very evil handling. He told us was going to go out "and see if he could hang on to it".... i hope those words didn't come back to bite him - Anybody hear if he's OK ?

[mgyip]

I think Brad found the only naturally shady paddock spaces in the entire pasture

The weekend itself was a serious challenge for many reasons - a blown hard brake line on the tow vehicle at the PA/OH state line followed by a broken LF hub on the racecar on Sunday morning. Many, many thanks to Doug for replacing said brake line AFTER Sunday's race and also for his help in repairing the hub - talk about a volunteer

Unfortunately we discovered much too late that the "spares" I have aren't for my car - they may be for a Volkswagen but not for MY Volkswagen After "borrowing" Brad's truck and having my crew (Ryan) drive me around rural Ohio, we ultimately ended up partially repairing the broken hub so that we could get the General Li loaded in the trailer.

The facilities are quaint - they remind me of Summit Point 20 years ago. They have made some improvements though in T&S. When I was there last year, T&S was wide-open but this weekend, it appears that they have air-conditioning in the Tower. More interesting were the flaggers - several of whom were young enough that they could be my kids (shuddup). It was great to see younger people actually working a specialty and enjoying it SCCA as a whole needs more of that.

Saturday's race, albeit marred by the incident at the bridge, was interesting to say the least - I made my way past a few ITS cars at the start and only got passed by one ITA car (unfortunately it happened to be a MARRS ITA car). To say the least, the track is bumpy - when I spoke with Jon Marhefka, I told him that the track gave me hemerrhoids - his reply was "Push'em back up and tape'em in place". While the hub on my car was about 1 season old, I'm sure that the punishment of the track surface at Nelson didn't do it any favors. I'm just glad that my car is almost fixed and that it'll live to race another day.

to Brad and his lovely wife Debbie for their gracious hospitality!!! They were kind enough to host Ryan and myself for the weekend. Their kind of friendship and generosity is what SCCA is all about

[spnkzss]

More interesting were the flaggers - several of whom were young enough that they could be my kids (shuddup). It was great to see younger people actually working a specialty and enjoying it
[/b]

FYI, telling people to shuddup is not nice. You should know that as a fatherly figure. Your old enough to be my father. If you were my father, I think I would have ended up in the looney bin or trying ti figure out the best way to loosen a brake line on your tow vehicle a couple hundred miles from home.... o wait..... Daddy!?

[nip_mr2]

I want to thank Brad and Debbie also. They are both such great people to be around. Brad took me under his wing Friday night and walked me around the track and provided me with some valued info. about the track. I left some speed out there and I wish I could had more seat time. I did pick it up a little between sat and sun.

The accident on the front was pretty horrifying to say the least. I did hear that all the driver's were ok and will race another day. I must say that is the first time that I ever drove under an air bourne car before. As Matt said, "Maybe you should start a career in stunt driving." All I could think of was "This is going to hurt" as I was trying to find a line through all the mess that was starting to happen at my left then proceed to move back across the track. I know my dad was very happy to see my car roll onto the pit road when the black flag was diplayed. I'm thinking it maybe given him a mild heart attack. I'm just glad my mother wasn't there. That would have been another story.

Matt, I volunteered to help because of how much you have done for me in the past. I really wanted you to be on the track Sun. I think it would have been a hell of battle between the two of us.

[nip_mr2]

The accident was cause by the 300z. It started at T12 the RX7 tried to pass him on the inside. They were side by side going into T13. I put my nose under the RX7 and started to draft the 300 down the middle of the front stretch. At that time the RX7 was at my driver's left. He started to pull on the 300 and just got his nose at the left rear wheel when the 300 driver start to move to driver's left. He basicly push the RX7 driver of the track into the bridge.

Both driver's are rookies. Neither car had rookie marks ( the supps. read, "it was not required" ) But the the driver of the nissan must have been so fixed on my car in the mirror he never checked to his left before moving left. I you lose sight of a car in your mirror hold the line that you are on, DON"T move. I feel that it was a rookie mistake that I hope he chalked up and will never do that again. ( I'm not a perfect driver, but I've talk to alot of vet. driver's to understand that blind spots can hurt you. )

[joeg]

I was in a race at Nelson about 6 or 7 years ago where our group had a similar melee--but with roof to roof contact and 5 cars involved. It was at the start of the race.

I hope everyone had a good time at NL because it is the fastest 2 mile track around and while it has had a bad rep in the past--mostly having to do with paddock infrastructure--the track itself is rather forgiving and the tire "walls" (actually "piles") dissipate a tremendous amount of impact energy if you hit them.

Cheers.

[mgyip]

I you lose sight of a car in your mirror hold the line that you are on, DON"T move. I feel that it was a rookie mistake that I hope he chalked up and will never do that again. [/b]

My favorite catch-phrase about this is: "If the car behind you suddenly disappears, chances are good that the car didn't PULL OFF AT A DRIVE-THRU. Start looking long and hard for them before you decide to make any aggressive manouver.:

I was impressed with Nelson Ledges as a whole - the paddock was nice and neat but not fancy or spiffy. The track management was clearly glad to have the MARRS series there and they were genuinely pleasant and polite - not that we don't get that at Summit Point but I think the NL mgmt was ecstatic at the sheer number of warm and quasi-warm bodies in attendance. If the MARRS series goes back next year, I'll be there with softer springs and a few extra hubs

[mlytle]

I was in a race at Nelson about 6 or 7 years ago where our group had a similar melee--but with roof to roof contact and 5 cars involved. It was at the start of the race.

I hope everyone had a good time at NL because it is the fastest 2 mile track around and while it has had a bad rep in the past--mostly having to do with paddock infrastructure--the track itself is rather forgiving and the tire "walls" (actually "piles") dissipate a tremendous amount of impact energy if you hit them.

Cheers.
[/b]

i think you mean the fastest "1.8" mile track. no way it's 2miles around. both my odometer and my hot lap on foot show otherwise....

was it 2miles in some older configuration and they have never updated the advertised length?

the track is fun to drive. might be more fun if it would repaved. dang that thing was bumpy!

anyone else get incar lap times that differed from t&s laptimes? myself and several others i spoke with were all getting incar times .3-.7 sec faster than t&s was posting. usually my timer is within a hundredth or so of t&s at other tracks.

[JohnRW]

I was in a race at Nelson about 6 or 7 years ago where our group had a similar melee--but with roof to roof contact and 5 cars involved. [/b]

There is a small ding in the bottom of the bridge where Sandy Satullo whacked his GT2 Panoz a few years ago at a Nat'l...I think he holds the altitude record for 'flying under the bridge' at the Nelsonring.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbPBk8qRujQ

[mgp240]

anyone else get incar lap times that differed from t&s laptimes? myself and several others i spoke with were all getting incar times .3-.7 sec faster than t&s was posting. usually my timer is within a hundredth or so of t&s at other tracks.
[/b]

I saw quite a few beacons on the wall, you sure your faster time wasn't due to someone in the next group coming out and turing theirs on?

[dlg208]

On behalf of all of us locals.....
Thank you DC folks for coming out and providing us with such a large, entertaining crowd.
And thanks to the DC workers who drove all that way to help!
(Some of us drivers thought we might be flagging but that was not necessary)

Track management changed a few years ago & the new people are trying to improve the place and still keep the rental down.
(It is still the cheapest track I know of to rent.)

The RX7 fire was very unfortunate and I am surprised the response time was so poor.
So far as the bridge incident......What can be said except that the workers were right there!

I had a blast & will make the MARRS event a top priority in the future.

Dave Gills
Red ITB Pinto #8

[joeg]

Dave--Is Aaron going to have to call Green Sales for parts?

Cheers.

[dj10]

If Nelson Ledges is going to survive they will need great groups on people like that came up from beneath the Mason- Dixon Line this past weekend. It indeed was my privilege to meet and to race with what I consider some of the best sportspeople in the country. From the good crowds I am sure that the paving process will improve. Be it 1.8 miles or 2 miles (walking the outside of the track of measuring from in inside) you must admit it is one hell of a track. Nelson has to stay competitive unlike Summit Point because Nelson's has, world class Mid Ohio to the south and up and coming Beaver Run 70 miles to the east. Like some had mentioned, how many tracks will let you take a truck packed full of people that have never been to the track and let you drive around on them? I saw some incidents that should not have happened, one, Sam's ITR incident comes to mind. We need to police our ranks and keep these assaults from happening. Otherwise the weekend was a success.

I hope in the near future I'm able to get down to Summit Point way to enjoy everyone's company once again. I'm sure this is the sentiment of quite a few of us who live north of the Mason- Dixon Line.

[nip_mr2]

Just wanted to let everyone know the video has been uploaded to You Tube. I hope the vid. quaility to good. It took a couple of time converting the vidoe before it would take. Not sure when it will be posted. it is titled MARRS 5

Enjoy

[mlytle]

Just wanted to let everyone know the video has been uploaded to You Tube. I hope the vid. quaility to good. It took a couple of time converting the vidoe before it would take. Not sure when it will be posted. it is titled MARRS 5

Enjoy
[/b]

not having much luck searching you tube with "marrs 5". got a link directly to it?

I saw quite a few beacons on the wall, you sure your faster time wasn't due to someone in the next group coming out and turing theirs on?
[/b]

it was pretty consistent difference, session after session for multiple cars in different groups, so i doubt it.

but, that does bring up a point. nelson needs to enforce an "all beacons go here" rule like summit point. having them spread the length of the pit lane does increase the chance of inaccurate timing. at summit all beacons must be placed by pit out. not allowed anywhere else.

[JoelG]

Doug's video is here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3_Co-jYWGKw

I'd also like to add my thanks to folks that put on this race. I had a great time and I hope to be back at NL soon!

[dj10]

Doug's video is here:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=3_Co-jYWGKw

I'd also like to add my thanks to folks that put on this race. I had a great time and I hope to be back at NL soon! [/b]

WOW is he lucky!!!!!!!!!!!

[lateapex911]

Jeeez, that was ugly! And TOTALLY dumb. I can see that happening at the start, but in the middle of the race with so few things going on, you've really got to be sharper. I hope the 7 didn't get the damage the 300 looks to have suffered.

[dj10]

Jeeez, that was ugly! And TOTALLY dumb. I can see that happening at the start, but in the middle of the race with so few things going on, you've really got to be sharper. I hope the 7 didn't get the damage the 300 looks to have suffered. [/b]

Jake, 3 or 4 cars got totalled in that incident and I do mean they were scrap. Everyone was ok that I heard. There was a full moon out.