THSCC Forums

So I've only been doing this racing thing for five years now, but I've heard stories about courses at Laurinburg "back in the day" that were some 70 seconds long and had several places where speeds were 90MPH or so. This sounds a lot like what the current Solo rulebook calls a "Solo Trial" event. The SCCA is trying to revive the Solo Trials program to be a bridge available between the Solo and PDX programs. PDX is basically HPDE to most people and is run my the CRB, not the Solo program.

So my question is this: Has anyone looked at the Solo Trials rules and if so, would a Solo Trial event be interesting at Laurinburg? If not, I'd be curious if folks have some ideas as to why not. I'd note that people will probably need to hit an SCCA rulebook and refresh themselves on Solo Trials. It's basically Solo with higher speeds and thus a bit more limited safety rules and course design requirements. This wouldn't be part of the autocross or track programs, though it could be umbrella'ed under autocross for setup purposes if enough people wanted to try one.

I'm guessing there's going to be a "no, we don't want to do this" answer, but I'm just as curious as to the why on that as I am in getting the answer. Yes, this comes from my involvment on the SEB.


--Donnie

Way back we actually ran a solo-1 style event in Laurinburg (pretty sure there were even multiple laps). IIRC, Mark V. set it up as a test for the track program's timing system.

I'm pretty sure the Corvette Club runs a similar event in Sanford every year.

I do think there would be interest in the event, since we could do something a little faster without the *cost* of renting a race track.

Scott

My only complaint about Laurinburg is the ridiculously poor condition of the surface in so many spots. It is brutal on tires and suspensions to be hitting that crap under full cornering loads (was it Eric who broke a suspension part on a Miata this spring?). Other than that aspect, I'd be interested in it.

I'm also still interested in the club doing another event on the Patriot course at VIR. I've wondered if VIR could cut us a deal to rent Patriot when it is otherwise empty (Full course being used that weekend), and we could also rent the skidpad -- could be a great weekend. I'd be glad to instruct on the pad, and there is a lot people can learn on it too. Also, it's hard to get anyone excited about it, but doing an autox on the Patriot course can and is a fun day. Triad helped the BMWCCA setup an autox on the course for the CCA 2005 Oktoberfest (national meet), and they did a wonderful job with cone placement that kept speeds under control without destroying the nature of the course.

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

I love VIR, but as I understand it (and I could be wrong) but getting a "deal" from VIR doesn't sound likely. Weekdays or off-season events seem to be the only way to get a significant price cut.

I'd be interested to know the price of doing what you suggest though.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

The Corvette club runs a sort of something like that. When I did it it was a long accelleration strait into a Chicago box followed by another strait (hmmm...hit the cone save time...oops another thread) into a Vee that made Wes' look big. ( I had to slow down to a 1st gear crawl. It was marked with cones like a fence <15ft). YOu then had another strait and then took the crossover to the taxiway did big slaloms (warned them, they didn't listen, car headoned tree) then do another lap. It was not very challenging, mostly an excuse to see how fast your vette was. (BTW I finished about mid pack in my Miata )

I think they are running again in July there.

Rob

IIRC the multi-lap Time Trial test event that Mark V put on was held entirely on the "P", the only place where the surface is really good. That would seem to make for a pretty dull event, but you track guys have a much higher tolerance for that. You might be able to plot a course that used more of the site without requiring too many tight chicanes and "funnels" to enforce a particular line in places, but you certainly couldn't make a closed loop without repaving that rough section on the other crossover (near the usual finish).

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Carl Fisher

Be Cool to the Pizza Dude:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4651531

With a little work on the surface, I think something like this would be VERY plausible for the area of Laurinburg over by the GK awning. The concrete was in decent shape (save a few areas) the last time I was over there. Multiple laps could be an option.

I would be interested in an event like this.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

We did one of these at Lumberton one year and it was a lot of fun. Used it to test the timing equipment we were using back then for time trials.

But if you think Sanford is gritty - and it is - Lumberton's worse.

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Karl S.
2014 Baby, 2014 House, 2013 Ford Focus ST, 2013 BMW 328i, 1994 Mercedes E320
(Insert passive aggressive signature line here)

What part of the airport are they using in this video? http://videos.streetfire.net/search/maxton/0/a74a7d2b-b2b5-41bf-8f8a-984601233490.htm

Something about 225mph in a twin turbo Viper on the surface I think about that we use for autox is insane...especially upper 100's on a bike!

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

Couple things...first, Eric's car failure at Laurinburg was likely more a factor of overall grip *and* weakness in the part. In fact, it's obvious from the broken part that it had been previously cracked for quite some time, so it isn't likely that anything specific to Laurinburg caused it.

It's my understanding that people have gone over 200MPH on motorcycles at Laurinburg. They use the main runway, which in total is around two full miles long. The East Coast Timing Association has a yearly event there to do measured mile tests. They go right down the middle of that relatively bumpy mess. I don't get doing that, either, but I think you could do a Solo Trials event there and not use anything that's so bumpy it will damage things.

You want car-breaking-bumpy? Go to the Peru Tour. It's the same level of grip as Laurinburg, but has more "heaved" concrete squares and thus it isn't possible to just "avoid" the bumps like Laurinburg...at Laurinburg we have heaved areas, but the bigger problem is the broken chunks at the edges of the squares. So in effect while volume of these can be a problem in some areas, in general they are smaller and thus easier to avoid than when all the damned squares are heaved up and down.


--Donnie

Where the camera is there I believe is the maintenance stairs that have been at the site for a while. The bus would have been just to the 7 o'clock position from the camera and the P would be behind him.

The white line that runs the length of the runway is their centerline.

I can't imagine going that fast on that runway.

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Todd Breakey
STS 42 - 1992 Sunburst Miata
Dammit!
"You souldn't play leap frog with a porcupine. You might get hurt." - Eliza

When we first starting running at Laurinburg, we always started the course at the intersection of the taxiway and the diagonal crossover. The courses went across the crossover, part way down the runway, then back across the same crossover to the taxiway, around the P, and back to a finish within a few yards of the start.

For the 2nd NCAC event of 1996 (in March, no less, thanks to NCAC chairs Dishman and Kauffman), Sybyl Villard and Kelly Lackey decided to use every cone in the trailer, and set up a huge course that started at the north end of the main runway, went across the diagonal crossover, down the taxiway, clockwise around the P, back up the taxiway and across the diagonal crossover, down the main runway, and back. The tech runs took about 5 minutes in Ron's Audi 4000 (Ron was not driving), so as A/X VP, knowing I could not get Sybyl and Kelly to give up an inch of the course, I decided to remove about every 3rd gate. Rob Falker came back from his first run with a huge grin and the report that on trip back up the taxiway from the "P", he was going 90 at the entrance to the slalom. Rob won the PAX that day in his 944 Turbo, with a raw time of 97.628. The fastest raw time was David Frye running an 89.168 in his sports racer 2000.

The event name was "Hot La(i)ps at Laurinburg".

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Art McDonald
Premier Amateur #518
2008 Dishman Cup
Pivot Cone Snob

Rodney is a waxer (but in a good way)

Old fart mode on

For one of the first Rocky Mount events we had access to both runways and the taxiway that ran paralell to Hardee's Blvd plus another taxiway that ran between the ends of the runways. The course was about 5 miles long according to my H stock Datsun 510. My car was clocked at 90-95 mph at the end of the longest straight by a former member who was a local officer and had borrowed the town's radar gun for the day. I think my times were in the 4:30 range on that course. I think this course also had 100 ft spacing on one of the sloloms.

Jim Knowles ran a Corvette and hit the rev limiter at 130 mph on that straight.

Yes we were in excess of Solo II guidelines. Back then we did not name each event.

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George Bright Member # 141
One of the youngest of the old farts.
Yes I voted against you joining the club.