Bob 33

Just back from a pleasant, well run, and uneventful CG event (3&4) at the Glen where I met Cisitalia and had Wild Bill (vettescca) as first rate instructor. We had one entire rainless day(!) on Mon, one rainy session early Tu, followed by a decent and drying track with good adhesion. I uneventfully tested this adhesion on turn one during one run just to check if instuctor Bill was paying attention. Hey, those NASCAR guys put more than two wheels off on turn one. After getting the kinks out on Monday, I was able to earn my usual "transmission overheat" warning during my Tu runs. The event started with only about 40 cars on Monday and some were scared away by the rain on Tu, although rain was more a worry than a reality, with only one really wet run in two days. With so few cars, there was plenty of open track. In fact, I wish there were more cars to help maintain focus and regulate speed. All things considered, a relaxed, accident-free event that delivered the promised eight 30 min sessions as promised, all of which started at the scheduled time. This is a great HP/Corvette track. Wish it was closer so that I had more time to work on it. I congratulated the best driver in my group, learning that he had been to WG six times this year. WG really rewards those with the knowledge and guts to expoit the many extremely fast parts of the track, especially the fast sweepers that test adhesion. However, the lack of runoff and nearby barriers punish errors that would be without consequence at other tracks.

Bob 33

vettescca

Bob,

Like I said, you were going too fast into turn one and you found that out, plenty of run-off. I think you found the threshold, but you learned! I am glad you had a great time. BTW, gonna have to buy another set of wheels since I broke both fronts, ouch! Bob, you are right, was well run event, had a great time, with good students!

Wild Bill

02impactblue

I will be heading there for the first time next week with pda. Any pointers you would like to share. How long did it take you to get there?

danbo56

Yeah...Car Guys usually runs a first class event. The Glen is a great track. I make the drive up from Monkton at least once a year.
Ah... The infamous transmission overtemp warning. I saw mine too. I bet you kept in spooled up in 3rd gear for most of the technical portions. At the glen or Summit point main track that will do it if it's hot out. Aside fron the Chevy transmission cooler I haven't seen a fix. Have you?

dan
Black Z06 #56

Bob 33

02impactblue, I live between DC and Baltimore and the Glen is about as far North as VIR is South, about
5 1/2-6hrs. I'll leave advice about how to drive WG to more learned colleagues and just share some personal impressions and priorities from my notes. Not having many turns, the Glen is simpler to learn than a track with more turns, like VIR, but it has complexities of its own, with changes in elevation, surfaces, camber, and scenery. For me, after learning the line, the main challenge was matching speed to the many fast sweepers, an exercise complicated by blind apexes. This is a track were I wished that I had a few more days, gradually approaching the limits. With minimal run-off space, high speeds, and blind apexes, screw-ups can be expensive. Each run brough new insights, faster speeds, and associated changes in braking and turn-in points. Faster entry in the home straight, for example, produces a faster speed at the end, requiring an earlier brake point--a point that became clear when I overcooked Turn One on one lap, putting two wheels off. Hey, now I know! Turn one, a "dive-in, climb out" corner sets up a series of very high speed esses that are the really the beginning of the long back straight. These can be taken almost all-out. The "bus stop" at the end of the long back-straight can be taken at a good clip and strightened out by running over parts of the rumble strip, a practice that seemed not to unsettle the car. Turn five, the "chute loop" can be taken at good speed, something I was still experimenting with as the event ended. Diving into the "boot" (the laces) you encounter a critical, blind, late apex, the site of many cars undoing. Turn 9 is a late apex with minimal run off. At sessions end, I was still experimenting with faster entry speeds into turns 9 and 10 that set up the home straight. It's a bit spooky setting up turn-in and speed and letting physics do its work, especially when you are drifting toward yet unseen walls. The Glen is a wonderful, historic track, and I wish I was able to drive it more than once per year.

Bob 33

undertaker

there's about a dozen of us NE trouble makers headin up with the pda on teh 17th-18th as well.....might wanna check this thread out

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1398685

varkwso

How did you break both front wheels?

We were talking about you and Brad while we were sweating down at VIR!

WG has to be 13-14 hours away for me....

Bob 33

Bill,
You should share information about your two cracked, black Z06-style wheels, their history and place of purchase. Both were on the threshold of failure, and on a track where this would be very bad news. A failure of one wheel is bad enough, but cracks in both indicate a systematic problem that everyone should be aware off.

Bob 33

Cisitalia

Bob 33,

It was nice meeting you. WG with Car Guys was a GREAT event. I loved it and wish I could make it more that once per year. It is a 12.5 hour trek from here. Bill and I drove straight thru back this year. Here is a picture of you and Bill entering the front straight.



Here is a picture of Wild Bill's and my rig with our cars.

Bob 33

Good Grief Wild Bill, those wheels don't look good! Can you tell us where to buy some of our own just like them?

Jim 47

Hi Bob:

I too will be at Watkins gGlen with PDA, as an instructor. Look me up and I'll do my best to show you the track and give you some immediate and direct insight to safely and effectively driving the track.

My car is a red 2004 Z06 (#47), and I've driven WG 100's of times. WG is about 2.5 long and while it has only 11 turns, it will take you about a half a day just to figure out where you are on the track. Once you have gotten past that barrier the learning process can begin. Hopefull, I can take you out for a few orientation laps before you drive it yourself, and this will give you a slight edge in learning the track.

The only pointers I have for you right now are: be very cautious, listen to your instructor, don't be concerned about SPEED (that will come as you get familiar and comfortable with the track), turn up your awareness control cause things can happen very fast on this track, and you could end up waring WG blue paint on your car. All that said, it is a great track an tons of FUN to drive. Just be patient and your FUN FACTOR will be at the MAX. See you there.

Jim Helm

02impactblue

Thanks for the advice Jim. I will be in a yellow c6 and I will definitely look you up. I have driven pocono north and long as well as summit point. I' can't wait to drive this track. WG and VIR are on my must do list for this year. 7 days and counting.

Falcon

Holy, I'm bettin' my azz on those spokes, Batman!!!!

WTF happened to those, Bill?

Cisitalia

As you know Jody, Bill plays hard. Don't ever ride with him.