"Back to the Future" Thompson, July 2014

[StephF]

The next weekend is NARRC and Pro IT at WGI, so when faced with a back to back decision, the Glen won.

[StephenB]

That seems to be the theme... the Glen won...

[Greg Amy]

I have no plans to go to the Glen Regional, but I am at the Glen Majors the weekend before.

I suggest, however, my primary reason for considering volunteering instead of racing is that during the "soft opening" I developed serious reservations about how the track will "race". Starting from the back of our group, I found it extremely difficult, and highly frustrating, that the track had no flow and even with a significant horsepower advantage I could not get up to relative speed to stick a clean pass (a la Watkins Glen). Yet, the track itself is so stop-and-go that it does not provide consistency such that a momentum car could maintain speed and stay in front of a higher-horsepower car (a la Lime Rock).

There's only one place on the track where a higher-pony car could stick a clean pass, and all the slower car needs to do is move over one lane to stop it from happening. If someone in front wanted to keep you back there, they could do it with little effort.

I fear this will cause a lot of driver frustration, resulting in unreasonable desperation passes, with a lot of metal-to-metal.

Dick related to me that we said the same thing about NHMS, but in the end it all worked out. I don't know, I wasn't there then, but I personally never thought that when I first hit NHMS (not even with the chicane/chicane layout). I sincerely hope my fears are unfounded. But, I'll probably sit this one out and instead do paperwork, then maybe I'll come back later in the year and give it a shot.

Greg

[gran racing]

Absolutely agree. The oval sections and the front straight. Other sections the driver would need to stuff it in there and the other driver be aware that it's happening and give way.

[JLawton]

So where is everyone paddocking? Are there showers? Is the paddock area paved?

[georgethefierce]

So where is everyone paddocking? Are there showers? Is the paddock area paved?

B paddock, No, Yes...bring an ez-up or 3...no shade.

[Greg Amy]

B paddock, No, Yes...bring an ez-up or 3...no shade.

That may have changed, Jason; my roomie this weekend was talking about staying in the same place as the "soft" weekend.

And as noted, no showers (yet), no shade (well, not much accessable to paddock under).

[Greg Amy]

...I found it extremely difficult, and highly frustrating, that the track had no flow and even with a significant horsepower advantage I could not get up to relative speed to stick a clean pass (a la Watkins Glen)....the track itself is so stop-and-go that it does not provide consistency such that a momentum car could maintain speed and stay in front of a higher-horsepower car (a la Lime Rock)...I fear this will cause a lot of driver frustration, resulting in unreasonable desperation passes, with a lot of metal-to-metal.

Hoo-boy, was I a busy man today. I did not do a final count, but I managed more drivers with contact impound reports in five hours today than I did at any other weekend...ever. We had two driver protests go through (both with reprimand-level penalties), two more protests submitted and later withdrawn, three more protests threatened and dropped, and at least one Chief Stewards Action. And, believe it or not, it wasn't all Miatae.

I am freaking BEAT.

And yet...I had someone come up to me toward the end of the afternoon and say that he felt the track was working in, that the more he drove it the better it raced. So there's hope...

Good weekend, great times with friends, super to be back home at a reasonable hour.

GA

[StephenB]

I think it was real fun to race on. You make a mistake and you pay for it in lap time... and with so many corners you can make a lot off mistakes. Unlike most tracks with so many 180 turns it feels like your turning a LOT more than your going forward. I did have a real hard time passing but it made it real fun. A few key corners to the track that will give you fast lap but not enough of a run before the next turn to make a momentum pass, you need to pass under braking... turn 11 is key to this track and for any SM or IT car we need to be flat or go make an adjustment to the car until you can be. (Yes I did it)
My data shows if I can put together a continuous lap I could have been @ a 19. (Theoretical was actually an 18) I Only managed a 21.2. A real good driver will be fast, a good driver will make a small mistake every lap and never leave knowing they had "that lap"

Stephen

[dickita15]

i do think the track is getting better but Stephen is right there are lots of chances to make mistakes and when i made one it seemed really hard to get back in the groove. I got tapped in the rear at the apex and knocked off the track twice this weekend by cars in other classes, neither had malicious intent and other than losing spots there was no real harm. both were a result of not understanding how different cars were going to react. that will get better. I hope.
one thing i was having a hard time dealing with is near the end of the long race i was getting lapped by some faster class cars. they would toodle around the turns near the oval and not make a move and then coming out of 10 stick a fender inside at 11 and try to push me outside on the most important apex on the track. for those who have not race there is is like sticking it inside in the downhill at lime rock, maybe worse. for me at least there is not a lot of margin there. i either have to make a big lift onto the long straight of wreck us both.

[JLawton]

Yeah, interesting weekend. I really don't like the track flow. As others have said, really tough to pass. It is a big auto X with a long straight. Abhi and I (he was in first, I was in second) came up on the group of IT7 cars that were battling. I knew that Abhi getting caught up in the middle was my only chance to possibly pass him so I know I made some "risky" passes to get by them. Hope I didn't mess anyone up and they all did a great job of letting us through.

Dick, if I couldn't stick the pass going into the oval it was really tough getting by anyone until flat footing it through 11. Hope it wasn't me who pushed you out because I know I did it to one of the IT7s...........

The only other place I found decent to pass was the corner coming off the oval (turn 8?). If I cut the corner straight using the grass on the left as the apex I could brake in a straight line to block the apex of the car taking the wide approach. (but considering they cant see you, you MUST be up along side or there will be contact) And seeing as you are immediately going into turn 9, it didn't matter if you were slow in 8. In fact, that was my normal line through there. There is no "straight" between 8 and 9 and I think most of us had to lift through 9 any how so why not take the shortest route??

The transitions onto and off of the old track really unsettled the car.............

Although, after making a really stupid mistake on the start of Saturday's race and going into turn one DFL in ITA, I was able to make quite a few passes on my way back up and through. The Prod cars killed me though......... They raced me like we were battling for position..........


I also over heated myself on Saturday. Looking back, I spent two days drinking plenty of water but not replacing any of the other shit in my body (sodium, potassium, etc.) and I think by time I finished Saturday's race I was a little out of it. Lesson learned............

Great job on the weekend JB!! Well done!