Todd Z

We have a group of wisconsin cheesehead guys wanting to go run at VIR in early 2007. We only want to run a three day event due to the time and cost involved. Options at this point seem to be either Tarheel BMW the first weekend in March or NASA in mid february. We would like comments good or BAD on both of these events. I have heard a few negative remarks about the BMW club management.

Thank You

C5inWV

The NASA event is pretty good. We've had good weather 2 out of the past 3 years. You'll have a better chance of getting at least one good day if you register for all 3 days, but to get in on the Friday I think you have to have a competition prepped car or be in the instructor school. Someone will have more details.
This could be cool. We might have to challenge the Cheeseheads for bragging rights.

freefall

Tarheel bmw runs a safe event, but you only get three sessions/day (four the second day, but it's a drill-based exercise). Their friday is typically instructors only.

jlucas

You won't regret making the trip to VIR. If your experience level is high enough you might look for an open lapping group or maybe Chin Motorsports if they have a 2007 date at VIR because you'll get more in 2 days that way than you would with a 3 "traditional" event. I heard Chin does not have the same as 2006 July date but I don't know when/if/what the 2007 dates are yet.

CHJ In Virginia

You might try either the Car Guys http://www.carguys.com/ or Mazda Drivers http://www.mazdadrivers.com/ events at VIR this year. Both groups are very well run and you get a lot of track time for the money. Try to go to an event on the FULL or GRAND course. They offer the best combination of long straights, turns and elevation change. Be sure to have fresh brakes on the car, you will need them. My Z06 can easily clock 140+ on both straights. VIR is one of the top facilities in the country - beautiful track, nice paddock, clean restrooms and showers and even passibly good track snackbar food. Stay at the Lodge on track if you can afford it $99 a night this year. The Tavern on site also has good food and adult beverages. Come on down - we usually have a 10-12 car contingent at these events and would love to have you join in the fun !!!

AU N EGL

Friday is instructors only and in most cases one needs to be a member of THSCC to get into the event. It sells out with in days of registration opening.

Plus it is on Grande East course, and lots and lots of cars per run group.

96LT1

Mazda Drivers LLC normally has their VIR Grand East event over the Father's Day weekend.

Mazda Drivers doesn't have races or TTs so each run group gets four 25-30 minute sessions per day. Good group of people and all brands are welcome.

AU N EGL

We will have our NCM HPDE July 2-3 2007 on VIR Full. Monday - tuesday

gonzalezfj

Yeeesss!!! And it will be a hoot. It's 7 months away and I am already excited.

Frank Gonzalez

DoingOK

MazdaDrivers are nice guys. I ran with them once in an Infiniti G35 Coupe (VIR) and once in the C6 Z06 (Summit Point). Very laidback and professionally run. Relatively inexpensive also. I'll be attending their events next year.

Falcon

Tom, for clarification, I think you meant THBMW and not THSCC.

If you try to get into the THBMW's (Tar Heel BMW) event, you have to turn in a certain form that comes in their newsletter. They will not accept copies and they will not accept an application sent in early (they check the postmark).

For you guys who haven't been to VIR before, if the Grand course is going to be your inaugral event at VIR, don't do it. Hold out for the Full Course. The Grand will leave a bad taste in your mouth compared to the Full. After you've run the Full a few times and you get multiple opportunities later, then jump on the Grand. Don't squander your only chance of running at VIR on the Grand.

AU N EGL

Oh gauwd Falcon your right. I ment THBMW. THSCC ( tar heel sports car club ) is a great club, one of the best around. I HIGHLY recommend any THSCC event. They also do TTs.

Grande East with 50 plus cars in a run group is not worth even traveling from NE raleigh to VIR ( 90 miles)

Also Frank I think that frees up your SCCA HPDE that June weekend too. That I would love to do on Pocono full.

If you guys play your car(d)s right, Chin might have July 4th and 5th (Wed & Thusday) on VIR Full too. Four days on VIR FULL.

Timz06

I would go with someone like chin or car guys rather than bmwcca or the like. You will get much more track time, and usually the advanced sessions are passing anywhere with point by.

96LT1

Why would you say that? I actually like the Grand East better than the Full.

With the Grand you loose some of the back straight but you can still get plenty of speed. And yes it is so long with so many corners that some people have a hard time with some of the corners. On the other hand the size, number of corners and added eleveation changes is part of what makes it so challenging.

96LT1

On the other hand I guess a lot depends on what run group you are in. With the Advanced Groups doing passing anywhere (with or without) a point-by it doesn't matter how many cars are in each group.

If you are in a run group that restricts passing to the straights than the GRAND can become a very LONG track waiting for a point-by.

Falcon

Mike, my probelm with the Grand is the laps are so long it's hard to build up a good, steady rhythm. A good hot lap is around 3 minutes and that's barley 4 or 5 laps until it's time to come back in. For guys who aren't there very often, that will be 3:15 or longer so it becomes a short time to learn a track with an emormous amount of turns.

When you and I were chasing each other at this past summer's MAZDA event it was great because we're both very familiar with VIR, but for guys who've never been there, they will be stuck behind a lot of slower cars with little opportunity to pass. IMHO, they would do much better on Full where the passing opportunities are more numerous.

AU N EGL

I think 4 laps was the most I ever ran ( with student or by self)

Too many turns for someone to memorize, let alone experienced guys who race or do lots of track time to run Grande East. Lots of blind corners that you have to set up BEFORE you even see the corner. Heck the esses on the North course portion are called "Steve Wonders" as you have to feel your way as you cant see them. If someone has never been there, not a good place to learn VIR.

I did run gande east a while ago and there were only 20 or so of us in the group. Got some good sub 3:00 min laps too.

Full course has enough turns to learn.

Car & Driver should have done FULL course, not Grande East.

96LT1

Yeah I thought about that right after I hit "Submit" :o

It only takes one driver that doesn't like to give point-bys or only gives one or two each straight to make for a very LONG day.

gonzalezfj

Hey, Tom, are you interested in instructing? We can always use someone of your caliber at Pocono. I can teach you the course in one session.

Frank Gonzalez

AU N EGL

Count me IN Frank. Freind help Freinds