Last video update. This clip is from a restart about 45 mins into the race after a full course yellow. A few of the total 76 cars field can be seen here, but only the white/red ITS RX7 and a cream (yellow) ITS 240Z are actually on the same lap as us with whom we pretty much ran the whole race with up to this point. The three of us are trying to lap the slower traffic who for the most part were nice, but not all of them are that willing to cooperate. Check out how a backmarker (red ITS RX7) runs off the road the cream 240Z who's trying to go around. Ok, so maybe the 240Z was a little optimistic thinking that you CAN go 3 wide through the "nascar" turn. (turn 4?)
http://www.prism.gatech.edu/~gte231u/vir3.mpg


[Modified by Hracer, 1:29 PM 10/25/2001]

 

can't wait to do vir at speedtrials!!

 

Hey were you the one in the yellow and metallic blue (I like very much) CRX? If so I was the corner worker at turn 8 on Friday (the only black guy out there, and the youngest worker by about 20 years~at least). You guys in the CRX and Civic looked pretty smooth. I was surprised at how many second gen RX-7's were running ITS. I didn't know they were the car to have.

Do you have a website for your cars?

 

That was us in the CRX, while the other similarly painted car was the ITA OPM Civic hatch. Sadly, we don't have a web page and the only recent picture on the web of the car is on the south carolina scca site taken right after the green flag from Roebling earlier this year. http://www.scr-scca.com/Photos/2001ecr/DSC00010.JPG

BMWs seem to be the HP cars right now, but a well build RX7 is still a very fast package. Having said that, Scott Seck's was really flying in the GSR. Oh yeah.. the professor Dr.Fowler pulled another lesson for everybody there by qualifying on pole with a 2:15.4 in the OPM Prelude. (1/2 second under the existing track record previously set by himself) He had 2nd place cleared by almost 1 second!! One more thing, Justin Bell was there co-driving a RX7, one of the 30+ ITS cars who attended class on Saturday.


[Modified by Hracer, 10:06 AM 10/22/2001]

 

Alex... Hey, you need to put another "special" clutch in for ARRC!

I hear there were some ITC Honda's destroyed on Sunday.

Scott

 

What kinda times are the ITA cars putting down on the Full course?????

 

Have you tried not coming in on the apex for the first right hander in the hog pen? I always felt that was faster in my old ITC CRX. Clip the one on the left, and aim immediately for the turn in cone for the second right hander - the one that leads you on the front straight. Going for that second cone also gives you a nice straight line to brake in. I also don't come in for the gentle left turn after the turn 1-2 combination. Moving in for that apex tended to bind my car up, and make me move deliberately to the right to set up turn 3. I just stayed wide on that kink, and dove in for 3. I'm not saying your line is wrong or bad, just suggesting other things that you might want to try to pick up some time if you can...'

Matt

 

I still don't know what the best way is around that track, especially turn 1 to 4. (I don't even know the turn numbers after 4.) Hog pen is turn 1? I'll definitely try that next time out. I've done one sprint and three enduros on VIR before this weekend, but still in the first session out I was completely lost out there. Every lap was totally different! Advice is more than welcome. I want more! The oak tree turn also feels like I'm always turning in too early...

I was in the 21s-22s in the race with the fastest being a 21.2. The one in the video is a high 21. ITA times ranged from 24s-30s+ for the rest of the guys there. Bowie was another FAST ITA car there, but did not run the enduro (not sure what he ran in the sarrc). Tom Fowler co-drove the ITA Civic on sunday and last I've heard in qualifying he matched our 21.2 (in the Civic!). Had he been driving the #60 CRX he'll be driving at the ARRC, well he would have put on a "this is how it's done" clinic in ITA also!

 

Tom is just plain unfair.

2:15s and the car is still under development...
Damn. Looks like the battle will be for 2nd place in the Honda Challenge.

 

Turn #'s http://www.virclub.com/pages/trackInfo/main_course.htm

Video of some of the instructor session at Feb. '01 SpeedTrials event. http://www.trackshots.com/virvid.htm

My observations... take with a grain of salt... please.

Turn #1 "Horseshoe"
I had been going in fairly deep then turning in (hard) and motoring on past #2 mid track. After some discussion... I have started following a turn-in similar to the one on the video.... but tracking out to the left (past #2) a little bit more.

Turn #2.5 "I just made that turn up"
Mid track motoring towards #3 with a full head of steam. If you are mid track the turn in for #3 is a lot less abrupt than if you head (after hitting the curbing on drivers left) straight towards #3 and then turning in.

Turn #3 "Nascar Bend"
A very early turn in for me works well... I found quite a bit of extra speed from that turn in from mid track from #2.5... I need all the help I can get. Tracking out to the curbing (drivers right) helps a bunch.

Turn #4 "Left Hook"
Sucks... Similar to the video is the best way I have found to make it thru there.

Turn #11a "Oak tree"
Early turn in seems to work better for me also.

Turn #17-17a "Hog pen"
In the old RWD beast I could make it smooth as butter thru there... but in the new FWD beast... I have to ease my way thru or have a little bit of time to myself gardening.

FWIW:
I am on street tires... and will be so for a while... I am sure slicks would make the game a whole lot different
I was the first ITR in the beginning of the video (do not observe my lines... I was still trying to learn how to drive a FWD beast)
Filmmaker was driving crazy in order to capture the "moment".

Willis
-who needs to get some "times" for Full course... maybe 2.30's?
-who has achieved 1.53-1:54 on North course

 

Hey Scott, I thought all IT preped cars get bumped up a class? So in reality, Tom would be running that Prelude against, um, ME!!! I got some homework to do

 

God help us next year. I don't have anything for a 2:15 on the south course, and doubt I ever will. At least not without nitrous.

Bowie from what I heard ran 22s-23s...which is awfully frikkin fast in an A car. Especailly the only A Miata that I'm aware of that consistently does well. The kid's good - I don't think he's lost a race this year.

I too heard that Seck's car looked real good. Methinks I won't dabble in ITS for a while - I'll be getting enough of a beatdown in H3.

 

Video clip update! Check first post.

 

Corey,
You will be running against Tom.
Vehicle to Vehicle, it is pretty even on paper (he is allowed some things you aren't, but you have VTEC and he doesn't), but be prepared to take a severe whipping simply because Tom is one of the best drivers out there. He also builds Honda race cars for a living, so "slow" is not something ever associated with him.
My best advice to you is to take your whipping with a smile and buddy up to him. He is a seriously nice guy, and as strange as this sounds, he'll do whatever he can to make you faster. Tom has been spotted multiple times helping his competition prep their cars before a race, neglecting his own car in the process.
He is very unique in that he specializes in whipping everyone's ***, but everyone really likes him. You guys will understand why once you meet him.

And don't forget about Starnes' Type R. He was last seen abusing RX7 twin Turbos in the instructor group on VIR long. He's pretty stinkin' fast as well.

Corey has his hands full next year.
Hell... we all do.

 

I guess Corey does have his hands full.

Will

 

But I got VTEC! =~)

Hell, I don't care if i get my *** kicked, i can only learn right.. At least its a prelude driver who can help me out w/ a tip or two.. Because there are very few of us..

Corey - Who cant wait till next year





[Modified by Honda318dx, 1:47 PM 10/25/2001]

 

"A tip or two?"
You have no idea Grasshopper.
Just wait.

 

Nice vids Hracer......seeing mutiple cars through hogpen makes me wanna go out during luchbreak and do some hot laps in the parking lot.!!

 

I meant about the car..

 

[QUOTEI meant about the car.. [/QUOTE]

Same answer still applies.

 

Time for the last video clip. Check out the first post!

 

As always, invaluable vids... I really appreciate your efforts in that!

Did you hit the red RX7 coming out of Oak tree onto the back straight? He certainly was doing a good job of being a ******** for someone who wasn't on your lap...

Andy

 

Or at least give him the finger or a love tap.



Will
-who liked the vid... but hated the pistonless cars actions.

 

Sometimes a gentle tap does the trick.

I think there was a reason for all that room he gave me at the end of the backstraight.

 

Cool videos Alex... what do you have going on with your helmet that you're playing with? Radio wires getting hung up?