Al Fairer Double SARRC at VIR

[Ron Earp]

I just got off the phone with Sara. She did say it is true that cars from the 70s will have to wait on grid while the other cars start the race. However, she clairified the rules for me. The older your car, the longer you have to wait - one minute per year. Therefore a 1970 240Z would have to wait four minutes longer than a 1974 260Z. Good luck guys!

[JeffYoung]

He'll still beat us.

[Parrish57]

I just got off the phone with Sara. She did say it is true that cars from the 70s will have to wait on grid while the other cars start the race. However, she clairified the rules for me. The older your car, the longer you have to wait - one minute per year. Therefore a 1970 240Z would have to wait four minutes longer than a 1974 260Z. Good luck guys!

Sounds fair! I'll even throw in a LeMans start!

[R2 Racing]

Hey guys, I need some advice. I'm making my first ever trip to VIR this weekend and I'm trying to decide how to get there. I'm coming from Columbus, OH so I'll be heading down I-77 from WV, but am not sure where to go from there. Mapquest says to just take SR-58 all the way there from I-77, but I've heard that that's an awfully hilly and twisty road. I should say that I'm going to be in a RV+enclosed trailer combo, so the least amount of that stuff, the better. I'm thinking that maybe taking I-81 from I-77 would work better, and then heading down either SR-220 into Martinsville or SR-29 into Danville. Any advice?

I'm taking tomorrow off of work, so I should be able (or am hoping to) get all of the driving in before dark. So that should help a bit in the off-highway driving but still, I want to minimize that as much as I can.

[JeffYoung]

Kevin, I've never come in that way and unfortunately am not much help. I have driven into Virginia from West Virginia, and even 77 can get hilly and windy. I'd stay on 77 as much as possible. Things do flatten quite a bit once you get east/southeast of Roanoke.

Sorry I couldn't be more help.

[jrvisual]

I have never been on 58 west of Danville, but it is a nice 4 lane east of Danville. Coming from the northwest you are going to be in the hills any way that you come.

Use maps.google.com. You can drag the route to any road you want to get an idea of how a different route effects travel time and you can click the terrain button to get a visual idea of how hilly it will be.

[Harvey]

Kevin:

I live here in Danville and 58 is not terrible. I have been on much worse. The route that you were thinking about I suppose is over to Roanoke and then down 220 to Martinsville will be better roads but out of the way.

Les Chaney
#33VolvoGP

[Ron Earp]

Kevin,

You could come down 77 to 460, take 460 over to 81. 460 is a four lane divided most of the way and would save time over 77 to 81 if you are thinking about going through Roanoke.

The most direct way would be 77 to 81, then 74 down to 58, and 58 to the track. I've driven a lot through those roads and 58 is managable. it gets a bit hilly and curvy around Stuart VA but it isn't bad.

Ron

[tac911t]

Kevin,

Check for a route on I64 east from Beckley, WV to Rt 501 at Buena Vista, VA, then Rt 501 to Lynchburg, VA, then Rt 29 south to Danville.

Make sure your tow vehicle has good brakes for the run down the West VA turnpike, and if you do take I64 East from Beckley there is a steep downgrade and upgrade (both directions) where you will need your brakes and torque.

The road from Buena Vista to Lynchburg is a two lane road through the mountains, it has twisties, but the tow is not bad. I weny that way when I towed to Mid-Ohio (8-9 hour tow from Lynchburg). It is about an hour drive from Buena Vista to Lychburg, and then just over 1 1/2 hours from Lynchburg to VIR's front gate.

Which race car(s) are you bringing?

[R2 Racing]

Use maps.google.com. You can drag the route to any road you want to get an idea of how a different route effects travel time and you can click the terrain button to get a visual idea of how hilly it will be.

Pretty neat tool. I can't say I've ever used that before. It looks like if I take SR-53 the whole way from I-77, I'm looking at about 436 miles, but some pretty hilly terrain from Hillsville (duh!) through Stuart. Taking the SR-460 to I-81 to SR-220 route would be about 456 miles. Longer, but should be flatter. Hmm, we'll see how adventurous I feel.


edit - Todd, google's saying that way is 484 miles. I've towed down I-77 before and didn't have much difficulty with it. Just need some patience for some of those hills. But hey, at least gas is cheap, so I'll just floor it.

[Parrish57]

Race Update: Saturdays ITS, ITR, SRF was a good one. The podium was Parrish, Plucker, McCandless. Jeff Young had an off on the first lap but recovered to finish fourth. Earp fifth. Thompson ran away with ITR, but there was a really fast blue BMW 325 that looked strong at the end. And there were some SRFs, from which we didn't get s split start.

IT7 had one of the closest finishes I've ever seen with Blair Stit edging out Lytle(sp?) by a bumper cover!

Watching the radar for the Sunday qual and race. Looks like there may be RAIN!

[Ron Earp]

Fantastic job Steve and nice way to recover from the rocker arm issue, nice work. Chris and McCandless too, good podium finish there for McCandless on his first time out.

My family was up and my wife and daughter watched the race on Sat. Interesting comments - "well, there was Rickey, and he was way up here away from everyone else....then there was a big gap, some flat cars (SRFs), and then some other cars that looked likes yours, sort of. Then some more flat cars, then we saw Jeff run off a couple of times, some more flat cars, and then there is you. What happened?". Well, hard to do a lot better with half the motor running.

Bad luck for Jeff and he cut down two good Hoosiers as well. Hope the fixes will help out for Mother's Day.

IT7 was a good race, very good - congrats guys.

Looks like you guys might be clear for qualifying this morning but I suspect the rain will set in solid about 10-11am according to the radar - good luck!!!!

[Ron Earp]

Heard things were mostly dry for the ITR/ITS group and Jeff Young with the TR8 has ITS pole starting alongside Rickey T on the ITR pole, with Steve P. in second. Now, if you guys just hold the speeds down like Sat's start and let torque take over you'll both be fine. I know if I had the pole in that TR8 I'd start at about 25 mph and let the chips fall where they may...

Good luck!

As a side note I hear they have a split start today so the SRFs won't be in the IT cars. A good thing. After yesterday's race without a split start I have to say if the NCRSCCA section is going to continue to go against the SAARC run groupings, which should be ITR/ITS/ITA/IT7, and run ITR/ITS/SRF instead then I don't think I'll be racing with the region. MANY of the other ITR/ITS racers felt the same, as do the SRF guys. These cars do not mix well and make speed in different areas, as well as can't see one another.

[seckerich]

Congratulations to Steve P on his first SARRC win. It has been a long time coming. And now we have "Mean Green" on the pole!! Damn I miss my S car.

[Ron Earp]

I didn't know that was his first, double congratulations! I could have sworn you'd won those before but I'm getting confused with the Cup I suppose. Hope it stays dry for you guys today!

[mlytle]

results posted anywhere yet? didn't see them on mylaps.

[Ron Earp]

I don't know if they are up yet but I spoke with Jeff Y and got a brief, although it'll be from his view since he's the one briefing me!

Dry start, but Jeff had transmission problems on the outlap and had to pull off and let the field go by, so he doesn't know how the start was. Car would not shift into third in hog's pen, then, wouldn't go in fourth either, so he got it in fifth and ran the race.

As I understand it Steve P won 1st place for two SAARC firsts in a weekend, congratulations! After that Chris was second, Jeff Y managed to run around and get by Jeff M., and get a third place while Jeff M was 4th. Not sure if Jay Miller ran or not.

Rain came down in the last third of the race and saw numerous offs, including Jeff Y in 5 and Jeff M in 10 with a nice 360 and subsequent catch. I think ITR had Rickey in first place but not sure.

Sounds like all the IT cars are in one piece. I'm sure folks will post an update.

R

[JeffYoung]

If only they gave points for qualifying....I qualled 2nd Saturday, blew that with a 1st lap off, 1st today and had a weird tranny hang up issue that slowly cured itself over the course of the race. Bad rain the last few laps, Jeff M. had a wicked 360 and save in turn 10, I nosed into the tire wall on the last lap, but made it back around for 3rd. Steve P. picked up two wins, Chris P. two seconds. Good job guys.

The IT7 race Saturday was awesome...Blair and TOm had a great battle, and then Neil, Chuck and Robert M. for 3rd.

Kirk K had a GREAT race for the ITB win on Saturday and then just dominated today, was running 4th overall at some point I think. Awesome drive!

[Parrish57]

Congratulations to Steve P on his first SARRC win. It has been a long time coming. And now we have "Mean Green" on the pole!! Damn I miss my S car.

Thanks! Now make that first and second SARRC wins!

Sundays raceday started with an eye to the sky. We were very lucky in qualifying. Our group was about the only dry session of the morning. The track was still slower than Saturday due to oil. There was speedy dry all over. Congrats to Jeff Y on the pole!

After all the discussion we still didn't get a split start. I had 3 SRFs between myself and Jeff. But Jeff turned left out of Hog Pen!?!? That made it 2 days in a row that he had to chase the field down from dead last.

The middle of the race was uneventful but with about 2 laps to go it started to rain. With all of the oil out there it started to create havoc. I understand both of the Jeffs had spins with Mr. Young coming out ahead ( albiet with a little bit of front end damage ). The last lap of the race was probably slower than the pace lap!

[Ron Earp]

After all the discussion we still didn't get a split start. I had 3 SRFs between myself and Jeff.

You are kidding?

I think we need to get a petition going with the SE SAARC runners and instigate some changes. If that doesn't work I suppose voting with our attendance might get some attention too. ITR/ITS does not need to play with SRF.

Congrats again on those wins!!