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+--- Thread: Back from Mid Ohio (/showthread.php?tid=865)
- Mark Fox - 10-02-2007
WOW what at course. Update: I did blow a head gasket at Pocono. Thanks to Pete Fitzpatrick for getting the car together so I could make the Mid Ohio event. I was suppose to leave on Thursday to drive out for a lapping day on Friday, with the DE scheduled for the weekend. But with the car not loaded until 4:00 on Thursday decided not to start the 8 hour drive and to sleep in my own bed and get a good nights rest before heading out at 4:00 AM on Friday.
So the drive out took a little longer than expected. Rolled in the track at 1:15, got registered, teched, unloaded, food, water and now it is 3:00. My objective for the weekend was to get the track dialed in and I was planning to spend the better part of Thursday morning in the right seat with people and then get some people in the right seat with me in the afternoon. Scratch plan! So I get in with their chief instructor for 20 minutes and immediately am surprised how poorly the Mid Ohio track video reflects the elevation changes and how closely connected the infield turns are linked.
Good point is how similar the infield lay out is to a kart track I drove years ago in Fla. Familiarity is a good thing. So now we jump in my car for a check out ride and I was surprised how comfortable things felt. Watching the video numerous times picking out trees and poles for visual references, getting the track notes from their track chairman (his son came up to me latter and said he didn't even have a copy of his Dad's notes. Larry what are you not telling Dan?) and discussing the track turn by turn with Frank Sangorgio paid dividends.
Saturday Morning I made the addition of 2 down shifts in places that their instructor wasn't using but another one was for their 951's and wow this is getting more dialed in yet. I am gaining on and catching people thru the infield. This may be my new favorite course, but to clarify it is my new favorite technical course and VIR remains the favorite normal course.
This track is a must for the drivers who enjoy a technical circuit ( I was told it is the most technical track east of the Mississippi) and the end reward of getting it right. Make a mistake in the infield and you will carry it thru the better part of the remaining corners. Make a big mistake........well you don't want to go there.
If you like the throttle steering and loading you get thru T-1 and T-5 - T-8 at summit, you will like this course. Of course before getting to the above you will approach blind corners, which go over a crests, then fall away from you, are off camber and double apexed, with the car fully loaded and then often quickly fully loaded to the opposit side. Awesome!
I couldn't help but think how Tom, Bob, Jack, the Steve M's, Kenny, Larry and Dan, Paul and Pete would be grinning at this track. ARPCA has dates for next year and may be interested in hosting a split event. Pete Acker would be a good contact person.
- JIMK - 10-02-2007
Mark,
Glad to hear that you were able to get squared away for this western trip.
It seems I need to get VIR in my schedule because I hear a lot of buzz around hear as a "To Do" track for next season.
HOWEVER MID-O is already on my planner. It seems you are as thrilled as I was after my trip.
Keep me informed as to any group trips because I want to get to MID-O again.
Jim
- Mark Fox - 10-02-2007
Jim were you at Mid Ohio?
- JIMK - 10-02-2007
Mark Fox wrote:
Quote:Jim were you at Mid Ohio?Not this past w/e, July 4th with ARPCA.
I haven't been to VIR yet and I haven't been to Shenandoah in a while; so Mid-O is my hands-down, unequivocal favorite track.
Lots of rewards and excitement on the "in-field", quick feedback for getting things right and not too dangerous for minor errors as there appears to be run-off almost everywhere.
I ran it with the inner loop / chicane after T1 so the hairpin at the top was called T4 and you are right, video does not show you the elevation drop-off around that corner.
- Mark Fox - 10-02-2007
Jim you want to drive VIR. It is a different type of track than Mid. Where mid is fairly consistently technical, VIR just has everything you can think of in 3.25 miles. The Nov NNJR event is always good. Check it out.