Black_Mamba

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR7PIZhFUdc&

Guys.

VIR is a track I would love to run sometime in my life. It is because of this that I read a lot here and hope to have learned a bit about that particular track. Usually I have seen Grand East (4.2mi) times just below 3min for the Z06 IIRC. I have been in a track with a 2009 GT500 and believed this car to be very slow compared to the Z06. What are typical Z06 track times for VIR? With what tires? Particularly interested in comparing with this car in the video. Almost unbelievable IMHO.

Is there a big difference between Grand East (4.2mi) and Grand West (4.1mi)? Is Grand West a faster course? Care to share?

Thanks in advance

Ed

AU N EGL

Ed

VIR FULL course 3.27 miles is the race course. The Grand West ( almost never used) and Grand East used for Magazines and a few car club events which are not really used at all. Dont give these course times much credence

The Grand course are more the great equalizers. These course can take a very fast car and slow it down or a moderate speed car and make it appear faster.

This is why only look at the VIR Full course. That is the circuit that is raced on and those times tell the real truth and skill of the drivers.

Too give you some other ideas about the VIR Full course.

the Miller prepared race Mustangs do 2:07.xx to 2:09.xxx
C5Z on Rs do 2:07 to 2:09 in capable drivers hands
T1 Prepared C5Zs are in the 2:05 to 2:07 in very good hands
NASA ST2 ( close to T1 ) C5Zs are 2:07 down to 1:59 with aero

C6Zs are UNDER 2:00 min lap times

and guessing that the Miller Mustangs would be faster then the GT500 do to the race prep.

Hope that gives you a bit of an idea.

Come down to VIR and see for and drive for yourself.

Black_Mamba

Thanks a lot my friend. This explains a lot of what I actually see on the tracks around here and what I come to expect from each of these cars.

m3to335

Wish I could go sub 2 in my Z. I'm lucky to get under 2:08

AU N EGL

fully caged race prep Zs with highly skilled driver.

brkntrxn

Yep, that 100+ extra horsepower goes a looong ways.




To add to the OPs knowledge of VIR, there is also VIR-South, VIR-North and VIR-Patriot courses.

While Full course will cater to a higher horsepower car due to the 4000 or so foot backstretch and the 3000 or so foot frontstretch, VIR-North and -South are also horsepower equalizers. The cross-overs on each course (connecting the two sides of Full) are constant varying radius sweepers for North and a helluva rollercoaster ride for South.

In addition to Full being the standard for the racing series' out there, North is also used by a number of organizations and definitely the motorcycles. Good times on North Course for most cars is in the 1.30-1.50 range. A well-driven stock, sticky tired C5Z is capable of high 1.30s, while the equavalent C6Z is capable of mid 1.30's.

South is a less desirable course to some. Imagine an autocross with a long return road. However, was the course used by Chump Car this past Spring to conduct the very first 24hour event at VIR (or so I was told). Very fun to run the cross-over at night, let me tell you!!! And coming into T1 The Bitch at 130 at night is no fun either.

Patriot is usually described as a long autocross and seems to be used for drifting events as well as police/military tactical training more than anything else.


-Kevin

Doc V.

Times from Car and Driver's 2009 Lightning Lap of VIR's 4.1 mile Grand West Course:

2010 Ford Mustang GT 3:13.3
2010 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 3:05.4
2010 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport 2:58.8
2009 Porsche 911 Carrera S 3:05.8
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 2:51.8
2010 Lamborghini Murciélago LP670-4 SV 2:53.9

JeremyGSU

I'm really not a fan of Mustangs but having watched both the GT500 video and the ZR1 video opened at the same time it definitely shows that the GT500 needs stickier tires. If you start both videos at the beginning of turn 1 by Oak Tree they are still very close. It's after that that the ZR1 begins to pull away, mostly from straight line speed and braking I would assume.

It would be interesting to see what the Mustang could do with stickier tires. They are howling in that video where the Vette's hardly make any noise.

AU N EGL

Nope, stock but tuned LS7.

NASA ST2 record with a tuned C5Z LS6 is Buck 59.