V4kerker

Overall I had a SAFE fun and rewarding weekend. Pros 1.Driving the car and me to the track and back home the same way we left home except for being exhausted after it all. 2. Meeting some helpful/great/friendly people at the event. 3. Learning how to be a safer/better driver on the track. 4. Getting to try out the new JO swaybar/shock kit on my 2007 base C6 A6 5. And the biggest reward was giving my instructor the confindence to feel confident enough to let me go SOLO my first time in HPDE 1 Thanks MIKE

Cons: 1 The usual NASA Mid-Atlantic event weekend for 2012. wet/sleeting one day and but great weather the other day. 2. Not bringing my sun tan lotion and getting a RED NECK. The weatherman said rain and clouds for the weekend. 3. Reality check Sunday morning. After getting out of HPDE1 class and hearing the silence of a quiet track being broken by the sound of a medivac helo coming in to air lift a driver away. I just hope the driver is OK. This sport is fun but serious when on track. 4. I can't do another HPDE1 until I finish the remodeling on the bathroom I promised the wife.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/album.php?albumid=25783 some pics of the weekend at the track.

moespeeds

Love summit, was one of my favorite tracks back in my motorcycle racing days. Haven't been there in about 10 years, are the S-turns still a patchwork mess? Glad you had fun, drive safe.

CHJ In Virginia

Welcome to the addiction ! NASA Mid Atlantic does run a good event. Saturday really did suck - being on track in sleeting rain was not my idea of fun. The perfect weather on Sunday did make up for it though.

RIRaven

Agreed- that was a great weekend and it was nice to meet you. Summit Point is a nice track. I didn't mind the cold and wet - it kept the pace down while I was learning the track - and then Sunday was a blast. The JOC Stage 1 was a big improvement over the stock setup I ran last year. With the same tires and the same alignment settings as last year, the outside edge rolled over about a half inch less judging by the wear.
I hope to see you back out there soon.
Bill

Hat_Trick_Hokie

Glad to hear it went well. How is the A4 on track? Do you shift yourself, or leave it up to the car?

V4kerker

Yes Moespeed the turns are all patched thur the driving line, but not a mess. I think they repatched the turns spring of 2011 or 2010. I remember turn 1 back in the 80's or 90's had some major ripples on it from all the hard braking.

V4kerker

Bill thanks for letting use the turkey baster lesson learned that weekend was don't over fill your power steering fluid or you'll bast your engine with power steering fluid.
Yes Bill the JOC stage 1 is a big improvement over the base setup even with the base springs on my C6. I had my rear bar set in the middle and still had a little front end push Saturday but nothing like with the base setup than Sunday on my 3rd run with it sunny and 75 the back end started to loosen up a little thur T7 thur T9. I think it was because I was more confident with my throttle management going in thur and out of the turns and I was able to give it more throttle coming out of the turns.
I'll be back for more fun once I get my bathroom remodeled.

V4kerker

Hat_Trick_Hokie I have the A6. When I did my very first HPDE last Oct in the rain. I left it in drive and didn't like it because some times coming out of T10 I would smash the throttle and it would down shift twice. On my 3rd track session back in Oct. I went to SPORT mode and havn't looked back since. At Summit Point Main I can run 3rd gear from T1 to T10 and some times all the way around if I catch up to the train in the T10 to T1 strait. The biggest draw back to the paddle shifting is you don't really know when the transmission well down shift. This weekend I was running about 120-135 going into the braking zone for T1 and applying the brakes very hard at the 500' mark and I would down shift anywhere from 300' to 100' and when I would start rolling on the throttle after the apex the transmission would down shift. I think if I had remembered to do it I could have maybe tried some toe heel and gave it some gas while braking it may down shift before going into the turn.
My 2007 C6 A6 has over 46K onit and no transmission fluid change yet. Sunday was sunny and 75F My trans temp was 226 max engine oil temp max was 277 engine cooling temp 221 max. The engine and transmission is bone stock I still have a warranty.
RIRaven was runnig a auto also at the track. He said he likes the sport/paddle mode. My C6 girl likes it when I paddle her

Hat_Trick_Hokie

Thanks for the insight, I wasn’t sure how the auto would react on track. I haven’t driven an auto on track, but I assumed what you mentioned earlier, where the car would downshift mid-turn and disrupt the car if in Drive. But it sounds like you can control most of the shifting through the paddles.

Also great to hear the engine and transmission temperatures were being kept in check.

I’ll be out at Summit soon, so I’ll look for your car.

sothpaw2

NASA let you solo in DE1 group? I thought you had to go to DE3 to run solo? Sorry about the weather but glad you had a great time. I have to try and make one of there events. How many Corvettes were in DE1 and DE2 etc?

I'd definitely change the trans fluid on your car. DE's are going to be hard on it.

V4kerker

I thought the same thing' but I made some good progress on my driving skills mainly my attention to my surroundings while driving. I made it a point last weekend to try and look for every flag station after I passed the last one and I would say out loud no flags or what ever flag was up and checking my 6.This is hard for me to do when catching the end of the train and trying to setup for a pass. Dam white flags messed with my brain alittle In NASA they stand for EV on track and not last lapSunday my first 2 session I started in the back on purpose to help work on this.The track was never wet for me but the rain did come down after my last session.

DE1 had 2 vettes and I think 2 or 3 in DE3. DE4 had alot and some in TT also. I hope you can make one of the events.

The trans oil change/flush along with putting on new pads is on the list of things to do. First thing on my list is finish remodeling my bathroom and make the wife happy. I'm going to try and make the June NASA event HYPERFEST.
Sothpaw2 I've been using the Valvoline DOT 3/4 "synthetic and no boil so far. I think I'm braking alot harder and not longer now.

Hat_Trick_Hokie

I'm guessing he didn't run the whole weekend solo. He probably was signed off by his instructor for the last few sessions to run solo.

Is that right?

Vette53

V4kerker
Glad to see you had a great time. I think NASA does a great job. Seemed like there were more Vettes this past weekend than I have seen in the past. Maybe they just parked in the same area. It is interesting to note the change in my personal attitude towards the weather. When I was doing DE events I hated the rain. Now that I am racing, the rain is actually a lot of fun. But I can understand your point of view for sure.

I am still trying to find time to get my Z06 out for a DE event. I put a roll bar, race seats and harness in the car and it is just about ready for the track. I seem to spend every spare dollar and free time on the race car though.

Here is a video of the rain race from my SM. (I am not very good but I have fun) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dRwWhJTkoM

As far as the early morning incident, not sure how the driver is but I can say that you will never spend enough money on your safety equipment.

I'll be at Hyperfest as well... Stop by and say Hi. (#53 SM, Yellow)
-Scott