2015 VIR-N Wrap-up

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Creating a thread for people to talk about the A-M-A-Z-I-N-G weather we had this past weekend and all of the fun that was had.

Sunday's 1st session in Red group was probably the most fun I've had on track. There was a bunch of traffic, but everything sorted itself out and I just did lap after lap of the car and track feeling awesome.

Thanks for putting on a good event, guys!

RichAnderson · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 10:46 am

Highlights from my perspective:

No exaggeration, the best Green run group to date. I had no fewer than four unsolicited compliments from instructors on Green group etiquette and courtesy on the first day alone, including one who ran across the paddock to tell me. In class, the group was just as good as on track. For Green, the passing zones at VIR-N are tightly bunched, which can often lead to more frustration, making the smoothness of this event even more exceptional.

Getting hugged by a Yellow student after the passing exercise which was just part of the palpable excitement of the group in class. That beat out an instructor telling me that the leapfrog drill was the best thing he had done as it compressed 10+ sessions of learning how to pass and anticipating traffic into one session. I made time to go out and see (and video) for myself and the passes given and taken in the Yellow group late Sunday were better than I have experienced in the past and would even expect from our Blue group.

In class, a Yellow group student after saying he watched me going into Hogpen asked "how does your car go sideways and forwards at the same time?"

I'd like to publicly thank all the in-car instructors for the work they do, in particular when it comes to the on-track exercises that are now a standard part of THSCC track weekends for our Yellow group. Your willingness to navigate these difficult sessions is truly appreciated and I wish I could adequately express to you all the response I received from the students in class.

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:32 am

This was hands down the best red group I've been in yet. The lowish car count certainly helped but everyone was really good with point bys and most of the cars were turning laps in the same ~5s/lap window. Except for that mustang with the spoiler, that thing hauled ass.

Car stayed together, weather was about as close to perfect as you can reasonably expect and I took about a second off the part of the track that is shared with full course.

And most importantly, my fastest time was faster than Jonell's.

Austin Culbertson · **Joined:** Thu Nov 13, 2014 12:35 am **Posts:** 47

Had an absolute blast in Green group - my instructor was exceptional, and helped me out greatly. Everyone else in Green group was great with giving point bys, and I could really tell that most people in the group improved greatly as the day went along - Instead of the Porsche Turbo giving ME a point by, I had to give HIM a point by at the end of the day

Instruction in class was very excellent. I even learned a little bit from watching the yellow group myself - my instructor told me they were going to be practicing passing via leap frogging and what-not, and told me to watch -- so I did. It was a learning exercise even for me, watching turns 3 and 4. Hoping that continues when I join Yellow group!

All-in-all, would recommend this to anyone.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 12:29 pm

Thanks for the classroom instruction Rich!

This weekend was a lot of fun, especially for me, it was a 100% better experience than the Hyperdrive I did with NASA last October. They cut our session way short, didn't bother to attempt to break up a huge train of cars. This weekend however was awesome, I got to turn lap after lap of not riding behind somebody, and when I did get behind somebody the passing was done well.

I look forward to September, I probably won't CMP though unfortunately. I'm also really looking forward to getting another instructor with different points of view. My instructor was great and kind of let me do a bit of my own learning while only correcting where he felt needed.

I was also learning a new setup on the car with a new rear sway bar and new tires running a square setup and the Camaro handles way better now, no more terrible understeer! Really excited to try it out in the next autocross now since I think it will be even more noticeable there.

Thanks for the great weekend and I know I improved a huge amount and saw lots of others improve a huge amount as well, I actually started having to give a few point bys Sunday afternoon, lol.

clinehall · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 1:39 pm

JamesMilko wrote:

This was hands down the best red group I've been in yet. The lowish car count certainly helped but everyone was really good with point bys and most of the cars were turning laps in the same ~5s/lap window. Except for that mustang with the spoiler, that thing hauled ass.

Car stayed together, weather was about as close to perfect as you can reasonably expect and I took about a second off the part of the track that is shared with full course.

And most importantly, my fastest time was faster than Jonell's.

I will echo that! In times past I have thought about going back to other groups to avoid the mayhem but it was excellent. I didn't feel like anybody was begrudging me for have a low HP car in that group.

I thought I was awesome when Vincent's Mustang could not get away, I was soon disappointed when I found out he was running on 7 cylinders. :cry:

Interesting to note, when I started doing these, Ron Spencer mentioned in class that my original stock Mini Cooper was a high horsepower car to start in, this weekend he mentioned it was a low horsepower car. The Times, they are a changing.

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 2:07 pm

Doesn't a stock Mini Cooper make over 100HP?!!!! You should save that monster for the drag strip and get something more sensible for the track, like a 1985 Nissan Sentra. We just happen to have one sitting behind the shop if you'd like to trade.

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Is your Mini supercharged?

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:04 pm

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Is your Mini supercharged?

Yes, and it's a JCW version to boot. It's not 'fast' but it's 'quick', and handles well. I drove it twice on Sunday since my pony was limping. BTW, driving two plus hours in a big V8 running on only 7 cylinders makes for a long drive. The sound is like your favorite CD with a huge scratch on it.

Carlton Whitehead · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:08 pm

RichAnderson wrote:

In class, a Yellow group student after saying he watched me going into Hogpen asked "how does your car go sideways and forwards at the same time?"

That was me. I had let Rich pass in roller coaster. I entered hog pen between 1 and 2 car lengths behind him and roughly the same speed. When he reached the bottom of hog pen, his brake lights came on and the back end started stepping out. By the time he went over the second right side gator, the car was quite visibly sideways, but the front wheels appeared to be pointed straight, and he was pulling away very quickly, roughly three 3 car lengths by that point. By the time I reached that gator, Rich had extended that lead to well over 4 car lengths. I caught up to plenty of students entering hog pen this weekend, hung with them through the length of the corner, but in most cases, the cars I had recently let pass me would pull away at the exit as they unwound their steering angle on the front straight. I think Rich was the only one that pulled away from me in the middle of the corner.

I must learn how to do that.

Rich, I tried looking for the left foot braking video you mentioned in class, but my Google-fu failed me. Could you share that link, pretty please?

clinehall · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:12 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Is your Mini supercharged?

Yes, and it's a JCW version to boot. It's not 'fast' but it's 'quick', and handles well. I drove it twice on Sunday since my pony was limping. BTW, driving two plus hours in a big V8 running on only 7 cylinders makes for a long drive. The sound is like your favorite CD with a huge scratch on it.

VK, I forgot to tell you. When you left with Nora in the car her dad said "I hope he makes her pee a little"

clinehall · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:15 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

It's not 'fast' but it's 'quick'

VK has been telling Sonya that for years! :evil:

RichAnderson · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:35 pm

Carlton Whitehead wrote:

the car was quite visibly sideways, but the front wheels appeared to be pointed straight,

Yup. That's my approach to the corner.

Carlton Whitehead wrote:

the cars I had recently let pass me would pull away at the exit as they unwound their steering angle on the front straight.

Yup. And since I am able to unwind the steering early by initiating an aggressive yaw angle, you know why...

Carlton Whitehead wrote:

Rich was the only one that pulled away from me in the middle of the corner.

I get on the gas earlier because I get the car pointed down the straight sooner.

Carlton Whitehead wrote:

I must learn how to do that.

I have taught a couple of people; it isn't as hard as you might think. The key is knowing when and how much to rotate the car so that you hit the compression point the right way.

Carlton Whitehead wrote:

Rich, I tried looking for the left foot braking video you mentioned in class, but my Google-fu failed me. Could you share that link, pretty please?

Sent you message on Facebook.

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 3:48 pm

Awesome event! Mega-cudos to all those that made it happen. What a awesome club we have!

Roger - Roby is not on the forum, but raved about your instruction. Based on the telemetry he was turning some very respectable times for a first-timer.

Everyone made he and his family feel welcomed. I suspect they will all be back soon and driving together.

Cash

Roger McDaniels · **Posted:** Mon Apr 06, 2015 4:02 pm

Thanks, I really enjoyed riding with Roby and we made some very good progress. I'm looking forward to seeing him out on track again.

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