vir grand with mazda drivers - june 12/13

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

http://www.mazdadrivers.com/10_vir_june ... d_main.htm

one of the very few opportunities to drive grand course, if you're interested in going please contact me at jtower at gmail dot com (i can get an instructor slot if i recruit two more students). thanks!

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Tue May 11, 2010 1:41 pm

I'm seriously considering doing this. I need to make sure I can afford it first. Do you think the grand course would be too much for the first time at a track? It looks like a ton of turns to remember.

Stephen Westerfield · **Posted:** Tue May 11, 2010 1:47 pm

JamesMilko wrote:

I'm seriously considering doing this. I need to make sure I can afford it first. Do you think the grand course would be too much for the first time at a track? It looks like a ton of turns to remember.

A ton of turns and not many laps per session to learn them. Don't they have a Full course event a few months later? I'd lean towards that.

Of course, I'd recommend our event at CMP instead. :lol:

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Tue May 11, 2010 1:55 pm

I plan on doing CMP. Got the e-mail this morning reminding me to sign up. trying to make up for that silly snowstorm

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Tue May 11, 2010 2:38 pm

Stephen Westerfield wrote:

JamesMilko wrote:

I'm seriously considering doing this. I need to make sure I can afford it first. Do you think the grand course would be too much for the first time at a track? It looks like a ton of turns to remember.

A ton of turns and not many laps per session to learn them. Don't they have a Full course event a few months later? I'd lean towards that.

Of course, I'd recommend our event at CMP instead. :lol:

I'll agree with Stephen here IMHO, Grand Course is a tough one to drive. Grand course is like breaking in to Baskin' Robbins and trying to eat everything they had. It seems like a good idea until you have the ice cream headache and tummy ache. Its just too much of a good thing IMHO.

I'd go to CMP with Tarheel in a heartbeat over VIR Grand

TomFreeman · **Posted:** Tue May 11, 2010 2:42 pm

I'll agree with Stephen on this one. Grand isn't a great course for a novice. The # of turns isn't that bad, but it's just the small number of laps per session that is the handicapper.

It's a lot different if you're familiar with most of the other VIR configurations, as you can easily piece together 95% of Grand if you've run North, South, and Full before.

Edit: I've run this event w/ Mazda in the past. It wasn't bad, but for 30 min sessions, I'd much rather run Full than Grand.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Tue May 11, 2010 4:02 pm

This was my first track event at VIR 4 years ago or so. I tend to agree with the others that the small number of laps p/session make it less than optimal for a first event there. I would tend to look for a club doing VIR-F or VIR-N.

If I remember correctly they run 20-25 minute sessions so you maybe get 8 laps in during the session so there just isn't the repetition that you get on full or north or with a group that has long sessions. The course is different though because it combines elements from all three courses. I wouldn't take it off my list to do, but would certainly want more time.

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

JamesMilko wrote:

I'm seriously considering doing this. I need to make sure I can afford it first. Do you think the grand course would be too much for the first time at a track? It looks like a ton of turns to remember.

my first track day ever was on grand, and i didn't have any trouble whatsoever. it's still my favorite layout. plus there are so few chances to drive grand that missing it means you might not get another chance for a long time.

Patrice Bousquet · **Posted:** Wed May 12, 2010 7:35 am

I was planning to be there, but since my trip to Germany, that was cancel last month because of the volcano has been reschedule for June
I will not be there. Instead, on that weekend I would be at mother of all track, the Nurburgring, driving a 996. I will report on how it went.

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Sun Jun 06, 2010 5:03 pm

Just got an email from Dave at Mazda Drivers. They still have plenty of slots open for Grand Course at VIR next weekend, except the instructors group is wait listed (?)

Grand Course looked great on paper. However after driving it found the experience somewhat anti-climatic. Expect Long trains, even in the instructor group because most of the good passing zones are gone.

Difficult to teach because the student is very busy most of the time. In the slower run groups you are lucky to get in 7 laps per session. Just about the time you start to make progress and figure it out, the checker is out.

Difficult to build on experience from one session to the other, it always seemed we were starting over again from the same place, session after session. Lots and lots of patience is needed by all concerned.

Its a hoot in a light slow car. You can seriously harass all those monster Corvettes who used to harass you in the uphills esses, so the payback time is cool from that prospective.

We may be biased, but in it's new configuration, CMP is the better learning experience. If you got the bucks, sure do both.

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vir grand with mazda drivers - june 12/13

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