[Dr K]

Hi, everybody and thanks for the kudos. I'm finally back after a 5-day hiatus. Yes, Josh was amazing and it was fun mixing it up with Rob, even if I didn't know it was him... Look to Donnie's thread for my description of his amazing feat (and he really did drive well).

It was a tough weekend on many levels but I am glad I was there. I learned a ton, and much did not have to do with driving.

• Get more than three track days on your car before you race it
• Get more than zero days on your car after sorting and adding ballast before you race it
• If something hurts, look into it for example if your calf hurts, it could be a DVT (thank God it wasn't) or a ruptured plantar is muscle which dumps a cup of blood into your calf and lower leg--not good for your leg or your driving to drive like that (in my defense, it DID feel better on Saturday than on Friday)
• The modified 13/13 rule in GTS doesn't Cary over to the other classes GTS runs with, like Spec E-30. If you aren't fast enough to stay ahead of em be careful (Heinz came through unscathed)
• Mutiple people told me to follow cars' lines and speed and you'll see that your car will hold -- it was less than fun driving down the grass on the right side of the hill after South Bend--faster than I thought but very rough
• Going 4-off is always slower than driving a bit slower. My namesake would have commented on the number of times I ended up off the track and NOT facing forward (3 times in 2 races)
• You can basically pass another car on any point on the track (notice I didn't say that I can pass another car at any point...you saw the video)
• NASA waves a white flag for the last lap it looks a lot like the checkered flag
• Having a 4-car line of Spec E30's pass you in Nascar Bend is scary if you're a rookie
• Finally: drive your own race!

Neither video went all the way to the end of the race and I really think those 8-9 minutes in Rob's video are the best view of Heinz, but I will post later (currently using iPad so no Flash support).

Important numbers:

• HP: 200 to the wheels
• Fastest lap: 2:22.3. Typical lap in traffic 2:24. Other GT2 cars: sub-2:19!
• Car weight: 2812 with driver, empty cool suit, empty gas tank
• Number or record hot days at VIR during the 3 days we were there: 3 (Saturday, 102 degrees).

[BlackTalon]

Sounds like the car did pretty well, especially with the lack of shake-out time!

Were you on RA-1s? Were you spinning because you were following cars that had more grip?

[Dr K]

I was on RA-1s and after turn 1 never saw the GTS2 cars again (who were all or almost all on Hoosiers or similar)... The cars I was following were generally Spec E-30s which were on RA-1s, and I should have been able to follow them around the turns. The best line to follow was around the Oak Tree - until I started following their "momentum" line they got enough of a head start it would take me twice as long to catch them with my much-more-powerful car. Since they were racing against each other, I learned the mid-pack capabilities and tried not to pass them late in the straight or we would both be slower down the roller coaster. I believe you can see my improvement in that area and in my roller coaster speed on Rob's video.

The car did much better than I did...except the GHL muffler I bought blew all to pieces (will post photo later). Luckily, I'd already arranged to purchase mufflers from a Dorki! I'll ask GHL if they'll fix the muffler, but according to the seller, it's been back a few times for repairs and keeps breaking.

[N Fotouhi]

It took you long enough to surface. I was beginning to wonder that since you are a racer, you decided to ditch Dorki

Glad the weekend went well. BTW, if the clip is any indication, your problem is not RA1s

[Jase007]

Since they were racing against each other, I learned the mid-pack capabilities and tried not to pass them late in the straight ...

Good idea to stay out of the way of a class battle ... even if you are supposed to "technically" be faster then them. I've diced with lower classes when me / my car (RSR) was "wounded", not up to speed, etc..

All is does is piss them off and they try to use you as a pick. Better not to play that game in a race environment.

I've also been in the battle as a slower car (lower class - 356) and someone who should be way ahead of "us" was doing the "fast in the straights, slow in the corners thing" .. that really gets the blood boiling. Not so much that they aren't up to speed but more so that they don't have the situational awareness to recognize they are f-ing up our race.

Not a comment on you / your car / weekend, just some general observations w/r/t racing with different classes in sprints and enduros.

Glad you survived the weekend. Any car-to-car contact? Damage?

[Trak Ratt]

Originally Posted by N Fotouhi

It took you long enough to surface. I was beginning to wonder that since you are a racer, you decided to ditch Dorki

Like we would EVER be that lucky!!! !!!

[Dr K]

Lots of car-to-car contact/damage at a NASA event. Fortunately, none of it involved my car.

The worse was a Corvette which I believe was in time trials. It hit a patch of oil (possibly self-inflicted) entering the climbing esses and went right into the wall at >100 MPH. The woman driving was shaken but okay, but every panel of the car was shattetered and and there were radiator and oil cooler parts, fans, etc. all over the track and surrounding grass. My thought was "at least she doesn't have to explain it to her wife..."

[smdubovsky]

Vette was in Thunder race group. not TT. There is video on vimeo. Roman in his GTS4 car was right behind her.

Edit: found link.
http://vimeo.com/13643398

[Vicegrip]

funny pass and take back there too. C-vetts sure do disintegrate into lots of little bits on impact.

[magnetic1]

Originally Posted by MLIN

Looks like Josh did really well in his first GTS3 race weekend as a bimmer owner. Congrats.

.

Cheater!

We are both going to have our hands full at Summit though when Bob Turgeon shows up in his Pcar...