Especially for those who are listed as "Instructors" for EXPO 03.

No flame intended, but I would not want the instructor to learn the track with me together.

 

Instructors will be on track before anyone else to pick up on the lines.

 

On the same day?

 

For some of them, yes. I think some of the others have been there before though. Not much we can do about that though

 

The line at Beave Run is easy to get, especially when compared to tracks like VIR.

 

I understand.... cuz Beaver Run is a relatively new track that not many people have driven on it before.

I'm not too concerned about the lines. But I DO want someone who is familiar with the track to tell me what the potential dangers are (turns that are off camber, blind, change in radius, etc.). Don't want to find out in a hard way!

 

I'm sure the instructors and classes will point out problem areas on the track. "westernpa" has driven the track and gave some insightful tips about 3 weeks ago. He also offered for us to burn down his 5 acre field.

 

instructors get the first session.

 

This is a 2 day event, and not a race!
What a better way to spend the first session of the first day learning the track!

Anyhow, some of us didn't need instructors at Buttonwillow for the first expo.

 

exactly.

instructors will easily get the line in the first session anyway.

 

That I don't think I have a problem with. Everytime I go out on a track, I know what kind of mentality I should be taking. Please don't think that I raised this concern because I wanted to "race" in Expo. Despite the mental danger, the "physical" potential dangers are still there, so your comment didn't really stay on topic.

Take Road America as an example, the carousel is high speed with the outside half of the pavement being pitched away from the center, followed by the kink then a series of concrete walls on the sides. Also, turn 6 is a blind turn that brakes need to be applied before seeing it. I'm glad that my instructor (thanks Ken) knew the track well enough to warn me about these potential dangers. I just want a similar level of instruction to be expected......

 

I don't think that is the point. Many people, including advanced and intermediate students, can also easily pick up the line in the first 2 sessions. But LEARNING THE TRACK is more than figuring out the line. I think that safety, in this case, would be slightly compromised.

 

 

Oh no not at all. See my sig.....
My friend (member here) introduced me to this site and I stop in here once a while. Most of my posts are actually quite irrevelant to specifically "Honda", just some general things or opinions that I have.

 

You didn't have a Honda either did you?

 

when in doubt of the line, just follow the kaa in front of j00... pray its not me in front of j00

 

That could be some of the worst advise ever. Nothing like learing the wrong lines.

Mattj

 

I've driven at Beaverun before and can say that its a relatively tame track as opposed to somewhere like SP maybe (turn 3 comes to mind). I was flagging the start tower that day too so I heard about all of the offs and incidents that day. Some points of interest in no particular order. A track map is provided for your convenience



-The high speed kink (turn 6, the one in the middle of the back straight) is a 85+ mph turn which for the most part didn't cause me problems but is where a few people had big offs in the rain, and one Porsche tagged the wall (low damage). The lesson there is you should not be sliding at this turn and...DO NOT LIFT!
-Turn 7 is an even higher speed kink that leads you into the double-apex turn 8 and 9 (I single apexed it however). I can take that turn flat out in my GSR but doing so means you have to be very careful about starting to apply the brakes because you may not be going exactly straight when you need to start braking. Adjust accordingly.
-Turns 8 and 9 probably won't be a problem for a front-wheel drive car but thats where a Mustang in the instructor group crashed in the last session of the weekend. The driver said he had kinda been sliding a bit over there all weekend to get to the second apex and this time he slid too much and hooked into the inside wall. Don't slide too much around there.

Hopefully if you ask about the dangers of the track in the classroom or driver's meeting someone will be able to answer more in depth. If anyone disagrees with my assessment or has anything to add please post so we can all learn.


[Modified by JMU R1, 7:10 AM 1/2/2003]

 

i think wai has some valid concerns.

 

Great stuff!

If anyone has video of the track, I will gladly host it on behalf of itrca.com & bseries.net. I doubt there are too many people who couldn't learn from seeing the track ahead of time!

**Note: During this expo, I promise to keep the crank pulley bolt TIGHT. It was kinda fun to catch the viper without it though ;-).

http://www.itrca.com/events/expo.php

http://www.beaverun.com/track_3d.asp

These pics are like Gingerman + elevation change


[Modified by BudMan, 6:49 AM 1/2/2003]

 

I'm disappointed at this statement George. I am probably more experienced than both at the oak tree rally course at VIR. Geez, you always forget me



Jason-
who has a pretty good idea that the instructors understand where Wai's coming from, but thinks everything will be just fine with the right attitude

 

Wai, I think with beaver run being such a new track you will find only a hand full of experienced people who know it and are qualified to instruct. What I plan to do is find the few that DO know the track very well (We have 2-3 folks) and have them give the instructors a quick run down. THe instructors will have had 30 minutes (We might squeeze in more early the first day) to learn not only the line but any safety aspects they could passs along. I don't think anything ever at Road America is a safety issue if you drive the whole course at 5 tenths. George said it best, it is all about minset. Safety will be our foremost focus but finding 20 beaver run specific instructors will be difficult if not impossible. I do trust everyone instructing if not only qualified but intelligent enough to recognize dangers after 30 minutes of time with the course.

Everyone rest easy. The safety of the event should be a concern that you can rest assured I am very cognizant of!

Trey

 

Yes indeed, you always have the option of going slower if you're not comfortable with the situation.


[Modified by Zygspeed, 9:28 AM 1/2/2003]

 

This is was the only part on the track that I felt a bit apprehensive. there is not a lot of run off and a very short braking zone. Apex late and you should OK.

 

Thank you very much for the information!
This is something that would be beneficial to every participant.

I understand that Beaver Run is a relatively new track that not many people have driven it before (as I stated in my earlier post). That's why this concern was raised and hopefully we would have a perfectly safe event.

Hmm IMO it is actually a false sense of security.... a lot of issues were not an issue when the speed is not built up to a certain level. If a driver spends 3 sessions going 5/10 around the carousel and thru the kink, with no proper warning from the instructor, and starts to think that it is a safe place to go flat out, then we all can see that an accident is laying ahead.

Anyway, I'm glad that there are many qualified drivers/racers listed as instructors. I hope that after this concern is raised, they can emphasize more on spotting the potential dangers.




[Modified by Wai, 9:26 AM 1/2/2003]