View Single Post
      01-09-2012, 10:22 PM   #25
MFGJR
First Lieutenant
27
Rep
341
Posts

Drives: 2007 Z4 M Coupe
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Richmond, VA

iTrader: (0)

Quote:
Originally Posted by sabbanick View Post
Well it looks like i'll be calling for the secondary membership instead of waiting the ten days tomorrow. Odds are I should be ok but why chance it...I really want to get some seat time at this track!

Frank how does your chapter run events, I have numerous track days under my belt...I want to run in an intermediate group under instruction with other drivers who have 5 plus days on track and are aware of their surroundings. I have close to 25 days on track with the coupe last season and solo track time.

...Think the "C" run group is my ticket, being that this my first time with your chapter as well as running at VIR?
Nick,

Just to be clear, this school is run by the nice folks at the Tarheel chapter, whereas I'm with Blue Ridge. Tarheel has a bunch of track rats at the helm, while we at Blue Ridge run a really wicked wine tour...

I started with two weekends in D in 2010, then graduated to C for my two 2011 schools. I expect to run the next several in C--don't want to be in B yet. With your level of experience, I'd think B is teh right spot; they very well might go C for you based on your having not done VIR before, but I think you have more experience than most guys in C and B would be more appropriate. If you happen to end up in C, there will be a pretty broad range of speed (with me at the slower end), but most guys have pretty good track awareness in that group, else they don't let them out of D. (Saying that is probably the kiss of death, and there will be a dozen guys out there this time who've never been introduced to their rearview mirrors! I did get stuck once behind one such guy two schools ago, who I'll not identify...ahem...red Corvette, wearing number C5...)

B has a mix of guys on street tires and R Comps, and C is alomst universally street rubber. B gives you a couple addiitonal passing zones--they usually let you pass between 1 and 3 and between 3 and 4, in additon to the front, bridge and back straights that are the only allowed zones in the lower goups. If you're going to have a traffic problem, it's usually getting bottled up in the 3-4-5-6 section, so having those two extra zones would be good.

Make sure you put all your experience down when you register on MSR. You might also email JoElla (the Registrar, contact info on MSR) and discuss what run group she thinks would be best. Of course, like I suspect all organizations do, they have the final say and sometimes they have to compromise run group assignments to make the numbers work out. I do beleive they'll work hard to move someone who's in a too-slow or too-fast group, based on the instructor's input. Just don't tell them that you "operate on a much higher level than all these people" a la the Flat Out guy.

And, though they do sign-off people in A and B, they're big on the "E" in HPDE and generally enourage folks to take advantage of the instructors. Only occasionally do I see someone with an empty right seat. Also, plan on one "exercise session" on Sunday, where you'll do leapfrog with a partner, or off-line, or if in B maybe side-by-side with a partner. Some guys don't like them bacause they aren't pure go-fast sessions, but I find the exercises fun and very educational.

Hope that helps.

Frank
__________________
Appreciate 0