The Official VIR Zone 2 Thread

[Graham]

10 day weather outlook for Danville, VA has next Wednesdays high of 70!

 

Thursday, the 15th has a predicted high of 64.

 

Let's keep our fingers crossed for the warm weather!!!

 

[Tony356993]

Let hear it for Global Warming

[Sechsgang]

Im completly psyched...


hmm...for any who know, how much faster(while being smoother and safer) then the group (say blue) does one need to be to move up in run group, and how quickly could this happen given an accelerated learning curve?


I dont want to say Im worried about this or that I will be relying on my car, but the turbo has alot of pop and Im more then eager to let it loose a bit...



BTW, had a great time at the Supertech, learned lots of great stuff!


Any Clubracer/instructors willing to sit shotty with me?

[Marty Kocse]

It's not just speed.  It's track awareness, smoothness, consistency, and seat time.  On average, a student in RTR will spend 1 season in each run group before being able to progress into the next run group.  Plus, I believe our chief instructor wants someone to at least run once at every track we run to move from Green to Blue.  Blue to White would take another round of events.

So basically, if you have adequate seat time building up your track awareness, smoothness, and consistency and you can pass everyone in Blue and you've driven each of the tracks at least twice, then you should be able to move up to White.

Talking about an accelerated learning curve already probably isn't the best thing out of the gate...  Have you done any DE events before?  What prior track experience do you have?

[Sechsgang]

I dont have THAT much experience other then 7 or so days of DE's including a 3 day skip barber racing school, 2 day hpde and a 1 day intro to racing, about 3 autox's and 1 BMW driver's day thingamajig...I can always use more help and practice, but I feel that most of the basics(heel-toe, general line, car balancing, threshold breaking etc. (though not necessary for my ABS equipped car) have been pretty well covered at this point.

Also, realizing (from prior experience and just common knowledge) that videos arent a be all end all factor in knowing a track, I can assure you I will have a decent, memorized run through of VIR before I get there...as I have nothing else to do with my time...other then drive...


I am planning on going into clubracing (car is already prepped by Dougherty's for clubsport stock class B) and the car events/racing/meetings take up most of my life already. I am going to be at every event (after Shenandoah) that Bill Dougherty will trailor my car to.

I will also add, so there are no suprises, I am 18...but I can also assure you, and am pretty sure there are others I have met who would confirm this within the PCA, I am not your average teenage monster.





BTW...I love the quick responce time! What a change from some of the other forums I belong to!

Thanks beforehand to all that have any info for me!

[Brian Minkin]

Sechsgang wrote:

Im completly psyched...


hmm...for any who know, how much faster(while being smoother and safer) then the group (say blue) does one need to be to move up in run group, and how quickly could this happen given an accelerated learning curve?


I dont want to say Im worried about this or that I will be relying on my car, but the turbo has alot of pop and Im more then eager to let it loose a bit...



BTW, had a great time at the Supertech, learned lots of great stuff!


Any Clubracer/instructors willing to sit shotty with me?

Your car is a handful for all but the most experienced drivers. You have a lot of physical/mental training to learn to drive at speed on the track that takes practice. You will be fast on the straights in the turbo but just like every new driver you will need to learn how to drive in the turns. The proper line, where to turn in, hitting the apex and when to acelerate out of the corner are all learned skills. You will need to train your vision to look ahead. No mater how much talent you have these skills take practice (seat time) to develop. Lets add how to brake and throttle control to that list of as well. I suggest you focus on learning and not on how fast you advance. Be safe and have fun.

I just read your second post and I apreciate that you have some seat time, but 7 days is not a lot and you have a monster car. Learn the track and do not let the cars speed capability exceed your skill level.

[Sechsgang]

Brian Minkin wrote:

Sechsgang wrote:

Im completly psyched...


hmm...for any who know, how much faster(while being smoother and safer) then the group (say blue) does one need to be to move up in run group, and how quickly could this happen given an accelerated learning curve?


I dont want to say Im worried about this or that I will be relying on my car, but the turbo has alot of pop and Im more then eager to let it loose a bit...



BTW, had a great time at the Supertech, learned lots of great stuff!


Any Clubracer/instructors willing to sit shotty with me?

Your car is a handful for all but the most experienced drivers. You have a lot of physical/mental training to learn to drive at speed on the track that takes practice. You will be fast on the straights in the turbo but just like every new driver you will need to learn how to drive in the turns. The proper line, where to turn in, hitting the apex and when to acelerate out of the corner are all learned skills. You will need to train your vision to look ahead. No mater how much talent you have these skills take practice (seat time) to develop. Lets add how to brake and throttle control to that list of as well. I suggest you focus on learning and not on how fast you advance. Be safe and have fun.

The seat time issue is one thing I TRUELY lack and have plans to correct that very quickly. As I mentioned, I will be at nearly every event after the Shenandoah event!

I have already send an email to Mr. Herman about having a clubracer ride with me, but if there is anyone else who wouldnt mind giving me some "accelerated" help, I would be thrilled to take it!

[Marty Kocse]

We spoke briefly on Saturday at Dougherty's.  Please remember that you have a TON of car underneath you.  First and foremost, be safe and stay within your personal limits, not the cars limits.  Patience is the key with DE and speed will come with time but don't try to rush it.  Your car will allow you to go fast, but the other things I spoke of before are even more important; consistency of the driving line and turn-in/track-out, smoothness on/off brakes and throttle, overall track awareness - looking ahead, flag station waving and flag identification, incidents, other cars, etc. 

It's ok to be excited, you've been bitten by the bug and are now addicted like the rest of us.  But remember to be patient and don't rush things.  In due time, your move up in the ranks will simply happen when it is supposed to happen.

[Brian Minkin]

Tom Diamond and Bob Turgeon are two names of club racer/instructors that pop into my head.  Both are great drivers.  But I would say as far as learning what a DE has to offer any of our instructors will improve your driving.  You are not going to learn a lot of racing techniques in a DE. Car handling yes but traffic and passing in a DE is far different then wheel to wheel racing. I sure you have heard this before but I will say it again.  DE is not a race. It is a school to learn to drive your car safely at speed on a race track.

[Sechsgang]

I am aware the DE is not a race, I just hope to be able to pick up a couple of *special* skills as I dont know where else to learn them...other then in a race...


Yes, the bug has bitten...and its infected to the most severe degree!


I am not acutally concerned about the speed at which I will progress, as that will happen as it will happen, I guess I just want to know, for better or for worse, if I DO happen to have the skills necessary, I will be moved up rather quickly rather then wasting precious time.

I guess Ill have to set a benchmark for where I am trackwise as talking only does so much.

Again, thrilled to actually get on the track with that rocketship and thrilled to see you guys in action.


(man, I hope I dont end up eatin my words...and goin to the green somehow...haha)