Funny, I have all the same thoughts as I drive my SR3 around the course.
Here's time trial with nasa midatlantic, Oct 2021 event. I'm headed back next weekend, hopefully it's warm enough.
Nice lap at VIR and it looked like you pretty much had the track to yourself. I've thought about running with NASA - maybe later in the year.
@clark-darrah @tmpoquette What's the story of leaving a car at the end of the braking zone at 11??? You had to have lost 2 seconds tip-toeing through there, not to mention the inherent dangers!
Anyway, I was just at VIR last week for the first time in a decade. I went through the 4 stages of getting to know a new track (Fear, Annoyance, Respect, Love, wow do I love that track!) in the first day. I had some engine trouble on the second day (I hope it's just the injectors), along with a cracked chassis cross-member.
The radical takes 5 laps to get really good heat in the tires in Oct. By that time most cars are done their session in time trial. Perfect for me since there is no one to go around. The bimmer went wide in 10, flew down the grass hill and spun back across the track. He definitely slowed me down, I didn't feel too comfortable headed towards a stopped car doing 110. I've worked my way down to 2 flat after 3 weekends at VIR. Mike Skeen can run a 1:51-52 in a SR3. I have a long way to go still.
@parsonsj I kind of surprised to see the guy had chased the Bimmer all the way up to Oak Tree. Usually they're off in the grass on the right or in the Armco on the left. That is not a good corner to try and save it - usually better just to go off which I have done many times.
After almost 20 years driving VIR I'm still in the Fear and Respect stages. Hope you get your car sorted and isn't anything major. Really wish I could've made it down last week.
@tmpoquette Yes, I saw the dust when the BMW went off-track ahead of you. I'm just amazed the corner workers didn't black-flag the session.
And I hear ya about a long way to go! I've got a 1:57 to show for 30 laps or so, and there are lots of guys in the 40s in an SR8.
@clark-darrah I really had fun there, and I hope to get back there soon.
I've sent my injectors off for service, and I'm hoping to hear that they were a mess -- if not, then I'm not sure what the next step would be with my engine??
Having V8 power is a big plus on that track. VIR loves hp. I've been going there for 15 yrs. When I started, my cobra ran a 2:15. The last year I ran it before I bought the Radical was 2:00.34. 2:01s were the typical lap (165 on both straights). Of course it took 600hp with 2400lb race weight.
I rewatch the cobra videos and it's hilarious how slow it goes through the turns. I remember too, it was as fast as it could go, super squirrely, with constant corrections. I'm still pushing the Radical further to start slipping!
The bimmer was slow, that was the second time I was lapping him.
At the end of last season, I managed to put down a new personal best out at High Plains Raceway HPR. I was able to run a 1:50.66. If the video seems bumpy it is because I had just installed a new front splitter and as it turn out, it needs two additional support rods. Those have been installed over the winter. I only ran two laps this day, my outlap and THIS lap.
well, first time back on track in 2023 - a perfect day. Setup honed a little more, a shorter ratio (1 lower than factory standard), newer pads, and a lot more confidence to attack. Ended up doing 82 laps of Donington GP. I think the tyres are almost near end of life.
This was heaven for me. Sadly I won't get to experience it again for a while....a ton of work commitments + needing to pay radical £6.6k for an engine rebuild w/bearing upgrade means i won't get back on track till maybe October. It's gona be sat in the garage for 4 months gathering dust.
I tried to absorb every minute of yesterday and pushed myself. Today my neck and practically all muscles are sore, and it feels great!
That looks like a lot of fun! I see you get a little mad at yourself when there is a oopsies lol
That looks like a lot of fun! I see you get a little mad at yourself when there is a oopsies lol
yeh i'm always frustrated 😀 - it's basically because i have to treat these final few hours of the day like qualifying runs; the problem is our cars are 10-25 seconds quicker than pretty much everything that turns up on a typical track day here in UK. To then record a laptime that's anywhere close to my theoretical, i have to wait till near end of the day when most people are going home.
Even in the final sessions i was trying to make gaps to give me a chance of a clear lap, which is why i was annoyed when i made that mistake, i then tried to make up for it in the final corner but overdid it and missed the apex. Looking at the data that cost me around 2 tenths overall.
Out of 82 laps completed, i had just 4 laps out the whole day where i had a clear lap.
I'm not complaining though, that's just the nature of track days and ultimately everyone is there to have fun so i have no issue. I might just have to start doing test days instead to get more quality track time where there's less chance i'll be slowed by traffic.
@rojid, I know what you mean, I put my camera microphone far away enough so it can’t record my swearing when I make a mistake. 🤣🤣🤣
