August 4-5 NASA Midwest Event at Road America

Just 2 weeks after the Autobahn event, the next one from NASA Midwest would be at Road America on August 4-5. Please note that it is VERY VERY difficult to get a weekend date during prime summer time at Road America. Other clubs usually end up with some April or October dates that are freezing cold or even snow. So don't miss out the chance if you have a slight interest of going.

This will also be a *spectator event*, meaning that there would be Car Club Corrals, Drifting all weekend and Live Bands for Saturday night. It will not only be a race weekend, but a large party weekend.

For the track itself, it doesn't need much introduction. It's one of the most prestigeous track in the country with a very long history. It is 4-mile long with 14 turns.

http://www.roadamerica.com/



For spectators, you can order tickets online at http://www.roadamerica.com/
Or call 1-920-892-4576 or 1-800-365-7223

For those interested in driving the track with NASA, it will have the tyipcal HPDE Groups, TT and Race groups. Here is the link to registration:
https://www.nasaproracing.com/...d=534

You may be able to register as a driver at the track depending on availability, but there will be a $50 additional fee. However, don't count on it because like Autobahn, it was a sold-out for all groups except for one! Register early online to guarantee a spot and avoid the additional $50.

And once again, here is the info for their volunteer program. You can volunteer and earn credit towards your next event:
https://honda-tech.com/zerothread/1913074

 

This past weekend at Autobahn, they had 200 drivers and almost 600 people total through the gate.

 

I've been exchanging emails closely with NASA Midwest and trying to work out some special deal for everyone's interest. Dave (regional director) is kind enough to put together a package. Here's the scope:

<FONT COLOR="blue">**Sign up for the 2-day event at Road America, membership fee for 2008 will be waived ($40) and you get 50% off of the Gingerman event on Sept 8-9!!!!!!!!**</FONT>

The original price for the September Gingerman event will be $189 for 1-day and $289 for 2 days, which means that by signing up RA, the Gingerman weekend will become only $95 and $145. That is very cheap. (!!!)

In order to track this promotion, <u>this is what needs to be done when registering for Road America</u>:

During the online registration process, when they ask for your car's information, there's a box at the bottom where you can put in sponsor's names. You can put in all your sponsors, but you also need to include the name "Wai" in there. That way, they can track who would be qualified for the free membership and the 50% discount.

To sign up for the Gingerman event, all you need to do is to send an e-mail to Dave (dave@nasamidwest.com) with "50% off Gingerman" on subject line, and he will sync up your info on file. No extra paperwork needed. He'll simply check the Road America entry list and look for the sponsor name "Wai" as verification.

I hope some of your could take advantage of this awesome deal.

 

looks like a great time....went to the track one time. Long and Fast......

 

Wai,

I understand that all of the Hotels are booked basically.. .
How much is camping?

I don't think I can make it, finances haven't been great this summer But if I get my Autopower Roll cage sold, I'm there!!!

Anyone from Iowa going???
I know of a couple STi and BMW owners going?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 6spdKEG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How much is camping?</TD></TR></TABLE>

From the NASA Midwest event detail page, it seems like camping is free.
Camping:
Camping is allowed. No Fee

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 6spdKEG &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Anyone from Iowa going???
I know of a couple STi and BMW owners going?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Do you know if those people have signed up yet? If not make sure you tell them about the promotion that I posted. Even if they don't plan on driving Gingerman, still can get the free membership. And if NASA doesn't get much feedback from this kind of promotion, they might not bother to offer it again in the future.....

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Wai &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Do you know if those people have signed up yet? If not make sure you tell them about the promotion that I posted. Even if they don't plan on driving Gingerman, still can get the free membership. And if NASA doesn't get much feedback from this kind of promotion, they might not bother to offer it again in the future..... </TD></TR></TABLE>

I'm not sure of the list that signed up yet but I will check with at least one of the guys I know that might go in a Blue STi, Brian M. Most likely one or some are not NASA members.. . yet. .

They'd be running HPDEs if they are going but I haven't checked back with them in a while.. . they might just be instructing at a BMW club event up there possibly. Not sure I guess.

 

If i get my brakes sorted by then i'll be coming out in the beater.

 

come out come out wherever you are... Road America is going to be awesome.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Wai &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote"><FONT COLOR="blue">**Sign up for the 2-day event at Road America, membership fee for 2008 will be waived ($40) and you get 50% off of the Gingerman event on Sept 8-9!!!!!!!!**</FONT>

....

During the online registration process, when they ask for your car's information, there's a box at the bottom where you can put in sponsor's names. You can put in all your sponsors, but you also need to include the name "Wai" in there. That way, they can track who would be qualified for the free membership and the 50% discount.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Cool, I guess I'll be there then!

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Cool, I guess I'll be there then!</TD></TR></TABLE>

Signed up. BMW 328i Super-Unlimited #04. Not to be confused with Chris Fries driving BMW 328i GTS2 #04.

 

Group 1 is SOLD OUT!! :D

 

I'm missing all the local nasa events... I'll be in florida for this one. Can't even come and watch. Hope I can make it to the gingerman event. Can't run, but I'd at least like to come and check out the action.

 

Anyone else? Online registration still open.

 

I'll there Saturday.

 

Some last minute info on:

Road America Rules
RA Wisdom 2007
HPDE Info 2007.doc
HPDE1-2 Passing Zones
HPDE3 Passing Zones
HPDE4 Passing Zones

They are posted here:
http://www.nasamidwest.com/sea...=1826

 

There's 2 other non-NASA races too. Should be fun for spectating. Porshe 996/997 Yokohama Cup something-er-other, and Skip Barber.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Signed up. BMW 328i Super-Unlimited #04. Not to be confused with Chris Fries driving BMW 328i GTS2 #04.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Think it's be wrong for me to tape "I'm SUPER, thanks for asking!" on the back of my dad's car? I had that song stuck in my head all afternoon.

I'm so sorry, mister cripple, because I just can't feel to bad for you right now. Because I'm feeling, so insanely super, that even the thought that you can't walk won't bring me down.

(chorus) he's super, thanks for asking, all things considered he couldn't be better he must say....

I'm SUPER, no nothing bugs me... everything is super when you don't you think I look cute in this hat these little pants this matching tie my god I'm vogue I'm SUPER! ....

-Chris

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Chris F &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">-Chris</TD></TR></TABLE>

Why don't you tape the whole lyrics in the back? People would stay behind you trying to read them.

 

Online registration is officially CLOSED.
You can still registration at the track, but it would be a $50 additional charge.

For those who has taken advantage of the special offer (free membership + 50% off Gingerman in Sept), please send an email to Dave Royce at dave@nasamidwest.com to verify if you're on the list for the special offer.

 

Just got back from dual-driving my dad's BMW 328i. It's my first time racing a RWD car. Unfortunately, the only other classes that I could run (not going at the same time as GTS) were SUPER UNLIMITED, ST1, or ST2. I picked SU, which was the 'smart choice'. I beat just enough people to get myself a trophy. ST1 had Damian's uber fast RX7, and ST2 was vacant.

Saturday I spent some time in the morning realizing the physics of RWD cars are a little different. One thing that was disconcerting was trying to figure out what a "balanced RWD" car should feel like. Turning in for a corner off throttle, it didn't want to immediately spin, which was a surprise for me. But, it was a little dancey on throttle especially near track exit. I think we want more front swaybar for that, and new rear tires too.

Anyhow, here's a few laps of me by myself. I don't suck miserably. The rear tires are really starting to go off and I'm hesitant since I learned earlier in the day that WOT isn't a good fix for corner-exit oversteer. (Really.) I end up 3rd out of 5 SU cars (one didn't show up, one DNF'ed). Yay me, #1 Super Participation award!
http://video.google.com/videop...hl=en
^^^ boring, unless you want a nice quiet ride around Road America!
Speaking of "accomplishments", I qualified on pole for the SU field on Sunday. Qualifying was in the rain! Hahahaha.... I might as well have been driving in reverse at the start of the race in the dry. I'll get that video up sometime, I get passed by 15 cars in the first half a lap. It made me sad so I quit. No participation award for me! Really, I was tired and just out there spinning laps anyway. I knew the start would be kinda fun so I went out for it.

Here's my dad's GTS2 race. For you rubberneckers, skip to 14:00. You can hear the right rear tire rumbling for a few seconds after coming out of the carousel, leading up to the turn-in for the Kink. That leads to a spin, which at 110 MPH is, well, bad.
http://video.google.com/videop...hl=en
Anyhow, we now have 4 Kumhos that are really really flatspotted, and one (Driver rear) that is missing some tread all the way around the center. Maybe it'll accelerate his plans to get those wheels...

We straightened out the car fine at the track (front fender needed some love to get out of the tire, trunk doesn't line up well anymore, etc.) but it's a little uglier than it had once been. It will minimally want new front/rear bumper supports.

So.. yeah. Driving the BMW was fun, definitely a change of pace. We just need to make it a lot faster. It's 300 lbs off of the min weight for its power in GTS2, it's hella under-tired, and that adds up to about 10 seconds off the pace at Road America. Dad turned a 2:51 in practice Sat, I had a few 2:52's in the race Sat, and the GTS2 winner had 2:41's. Ouch.

-Chris

 

Congrats on the podium finish Chris!

Did you get the pix I sent you?

 

252's arnt bad at all i love that track