One Lap video: Why Shenandoah is a bad idea #1

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

http://65.75.164.80/onelap/2005/day04/video/td04v02.wmv

MikeWhitney · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 9:15 pm **Posts:** 4724

Remind me to never drive there. Now I thought the bowl was stupid when I first saw it, I didn't even know about the idiocy with the "jump" on the straight leading up to it.

<shakes head at dumb track design>

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

I may not be a track guy, but this is ridiculous: The only tires out there are on the cars.

TomFreeman · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2005 1:09 pm

Ouch. Maybe I'll pass on that Mazda club event at Shenandoah Circuit later this year...

As for the bottom pic, the track design doesn't look that bad, it's just tight. I'm not a fan of the big mid-corner puddle, but at least it's off line. The configuration cut-through's look to be pretty short also.

Great, I move up here, and my "new" home track is this...

Please, someone who has driven Summit, Jefferson Circuit or Shenandoah tell me it's not outright dangerous...

Ashraf Farrag · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2005 2:37 pm

I knew what the clip was about before even looking at it.

Most of the One-Lap journals say that the WRX driver was being a bonehead (based on his first "recon" lap).

There seems to be quite a few folks running the event with a lot of money and not much talent...money can not instantly buy you driving talent...it takes seat time (and money) to develop it...

Yes, Shenandoah has eaten a few cars (minor damage to a Corvette from one of the first events I heard run there - all instructors in that group, IIRC), but if you want to be an idiot on track, you will need a big checkbook and you can be an idiot at ANY track.

That said, I will think twice before sending in registration fees for an event on Shenandoah.

I have driven Jefferson Circuit in my 3rd gen RX-7 and it is pretty darn fun - highly technical and similar pace and some similar features to VIR-S. Not many as passing zones as VIR-S, though, so you get a little bogged down. I don't know if a different organization other than MazdaDrivers would open up more passing zones or not for JC. Haven't driven SP main but I plan to in the near future.

Mark Vitacco · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2005 3:11 pm

What's wrong with Jefferson Circuit other than it's tehnical & Slow ?
It was designed for smaller club HPDE type events not racing. It is great
for vision and not overdriving, some great spots to practice &
learn car rotation at reasonable speeds. It may not be a favorate track
there are places you need to be carefull but that is true of any facility.
The classroom facility at Jefferson is the best of any track I have
visited (not been to BMS, I hear that is the ultimate in facilties)

Summit Pt main course was my favorate until
VIR opened. My only regret is that we can't get a date there and not
for lack of trying.

Shennandoa looked like a pass to me when I first read the track map.
The main course had some serious Kart injuries. I
figured this was going to be the Kart track. Was I shocked to find
out they expected to run HPDE type events on it! I'll pass.

One lap is run as a Time Trial so lets put this video in the proper
context this was not a HPDE or Marque club event.

TomFreeman · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2005 3:29 pm

Ashraf/Mark: Thanks for the input - that's what I was looking for. I'll concentrate on finding something at JC or the main Summit Pt course. BeaveRun might be in the future also - it's not that far from MD...

David Teague · **Posted:** Thu May 05, 2005 10:14 pm

He was way offline coming over that hill, which has probably why he got airborne, then going in the dirt it was all over, having walked the course, the area's shown with the walls around are pretty slow, and fast corners have quite a bit of run off room. None of the course's at summit are dangerous in most people opinoins, the people who have driven Shanadoha, say it is more like a big jefferson of vir south course track, slower and techincal. Summit Main is a blast to drive as well as jefferson, in all the events I have done with Nasa, we have had very few contacts with anything at any track including all of the summit tracks in the hpde 1 and 2 groups.

Kevin Hoff · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2005 12:35 pm

Yeah it seems like more than a touch of the red mist -- <edited for facts. Duh. Was thinking of another guy.>

That track does look scary though. I don't think I'll go there until I have more than a few DE's completed. (Still zero, but that will change soon I hope!)

--Kevin H.

Rich Anderson · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2005 12:43 pm

To me, the photo is far scarier than the movie. The complete lack of tires and relatively short runoff areas shown in it are a bad combination IMO. In the movie, the driver takes what is clearly the wrong line in a very high speed section and ends up with a nose in the tires. Frankly, that isn't a bad result, all things considered.

Kevin Allen · **Joined:** Thu Aug 28, 2003 6:42 pm **Posts:** 3479

Actually, he's done a lot of track stuff - he even kicked Tom Hoppe's butt at One Lap a couple of years ago. :lol:

For the real story on the video, here it is in his own words:

Quote:

thanks for all the support. here is what happened:

i got greedy.

end of story.

i had a car that didn't belong in the top 5, yet i wanted more. 11/10ths wasn't enough, i had to bump it up to 12/10ths - and paid for it.

we could've put the car back together for Nelson Ledges. however, it took me about 2 days before i could think straight. by then it was too late. i've never been in an auto accident before - it was a little overwhelming. plus my hand starting swelling, it looks like a ham hock now. i couldn't even pick up a wrench with it - so i was down to one hand. seeing my car wadded up made me physically sick. and my neck/back stiffened up, as was expected. - so i called it quits. it's a decision i regret now, you gotta at least finish.

it looked like we needed an a-arm, a housing for one of the JICs, and some intercooler pipes and silicone hoses, and a windshield. i'm sure other items would've popped up. i just noticed today that i flattened my seat brackets, not sure how, but my driver seat is about a foot lower than the passenger.

i would like to thank Turbo XS, Subaru of America, Rota and Safe Drives. the car was a shoe in for a class win. thanks to their help my finishing positions overall were (out of 93): 9th, 4th, 7th, 5th, 5th, 3rd, 5th, 5th, 4th, dnf's. class finishes were (out of 18): 3rd, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, 1st, dnf's.

they were all more than willing to assist after the crash too.

also thanks to Top Speed, Doug and Porter (Jason) for some last minute tweaking. Tom Hoppe for some rad suspension setup advice. Fitz (Mark) for jumping right in to help fix the car. If he doesn't do One Lap next year, somebody get him on their team - he's very helpful. The AMS Evo guys were great too. Jon is a great competitor. His dad Ray sat me down after the crash and gave me some needed advice. Braille for hooking me up with a 7.5lb battery. KC for some nice decals. Dale at boxer4racing who is always helpful and was standing by to search and send me whatever parts i needed. sorry if i forgot anyone.

one clarification, the other black STi was a father/son duo - ben and dan, taking in the whole experience - in a stockish car - and kicking butt. 2nd at roebling - awesome.

the dyno comp STi had 3 great guys - enrique, neil and richard. we were all helping each other out and having a great time. you'll see them in the ultimate street car challenge - good luck.

i was thinking this would be my last one lap for a while. but now i think i'm going to have to try one more time (redemption). ideas have been thought up and plans are under way. the experience this year will definitely mature me as a driver and make me better overall. so look out.

luke

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Clean Lap (right click, save as - 34 mb)

Fixed linky

Rich Anderson · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2005 1:19 pm

Wes Eargle wrote:

Clean Lap (right click, save as - 34 mb)

Link is not working for me.

David Teague · **Posted:** Fri May 06, 2005 5:26 pm

Rich Anderson wrote:

To me, the photo is far scarier than the movie. The complete lack of tires and relatively short runoff areas shown in it are a bad combination IMO. In the movie, the driver takes what is clearly the wrong line in a very high speed section and ends up with a nose in the tires. Frankly, that isn't a bad result, all things considered.

Most tracks do not have tires along every length of wall/gaurd rails usually they put ties in the areas where people are most likely to go off.

Rich Anderson · **Posted:** Sat May 07, 2005 7:52 am

David Teague wrote:

Most tracks do not have tires along every length of wall/gaurd rails usually they put ties in the areas where people are most likely to go off.

Right. So are you contending that there is not a single place in that entire picture where someone would be likely to go off?

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