mjdrebano

i might be doing the NASA clinic in february or march and havent driven VIR full. Just the VIR north course maybe 8 years ago.....

does anyone have a good youtube video of VIR full course in a mostly stock c5 z06 driven well/safely?

I watched some videos and some people take the "oak tree" in 3rd and some in 2nd. what is better?

I would think if you were entering/apexing fast enough, downshifting to 2nd would be a waste.

thanks.,

Mark

drivinhard

IIRC traqmate has me @ 41 or 42 mph at the slowest at oak tree, that's about ideal for 2nd in a straightline drag race as there's about where 1st runs out, however you've got a lot of steering input into the car, so you'd need wicked sticky tires to plant 2nd gear at WOT.

In an M6 box, 2nd would be about perfect probably.

for just HPDE, I'd probably run 3rd for the sake of being lazy. competition, 2nd if running sticker A6 tires (probably the only thing that would hold up for the torque/steering angle).

check out chris ingle's youtube video's for VIR

AU N EGL

to learn VIR use two gears. 3rd and 4th.

2nd gear tends to upset too many drivers too soon in their learning curve

mjdrebano

thanks for the quick replies.

i'll stick with 3rd since i'm not participating in any HPDE "championship".

Gray Ghost GS

Excellent advice - only need two gears so you can focus on the other more impact aspects of the maintaining the line and hitting the apex consistently. You'll really enjoy NASCAR bend, the climbing esses and the roller coaster into hogs pen!

davidfarmer

If you are not a master of the heal/toe downshift, then using 2nd at turn 12 will waste more time shifting than you'll gain under acceleration. Remember, turn 11 isn't really a turn, it's just part of the braking zone for 12. Shifting entering 11then again between 11and 12 takes a lot of skill to do efficiently

brkntrxn

I very much agree with this. You will shift down to 3rd going into T1, shift into 4th out of T6a, shift into 3rd before T11 (or T12 Oak Tree), shift to 4th out of Oak Tree on the back straight, shift to 3rd in the braking zone for T14, and shift back to 4th out of Hog Pen (T17).

Words of advice if the track is remotely damp:

- Be careful with full throttle and/or shifting to 4th out of T6a. You can end up ping-ponging off the walls down the straight to the bridge. It happens to someone every time the track is damp/wet.
- Be careful shifting to 3rd coming into T11. If done improperly, you will cause the rear to over-rotate.
- Be careful with full throttle and/or shifting to 4th coming out of Hogpen. There is a dip in that area and it can upset the car.

On top of that, you might try the first session with only 4th gear. The Z06 has enough grunt to get it out of the corners for the first session while you are learning the lines.




David,

If I am on a hot lap, I will sometimes go from 4th to 2nd at Oak Tree and skip 3rd all together. However, some of my (bad?) habits come from man-handling a Mustang Cobra for a number of years before buying this Z06. I sometimes needed a foot full of 2nd gear at Oak Tree to get the car to rotate.

The next time I am up there, I might try shifting to 3rd coming into T11 and see how that feels coming around and out of Oak Tree.


-Kevin

davidfarmer

Kevin, I hate "coasting" into corners in front engine/rear drive cars, and even though there isn't time to accelerate between 11-12, I like the instant response of being in a lower gear for my "maintenance" throttle

I will reiterate what you say about 5a-6 also, and not just in the wet. Turn late a 5a and treat it as a throw-away, and you are at full throttle by the apex of 6. If you turn in early at 5a, you are coasting and bouncing through turn 6. If you are early and get on the throttle early, you'll be tank-slapping at best, and hitting the concrete in the worse case.

RedLS6

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD22mQlc7RE

From my car, stock C5 Z06, a couple years ago.

Some good points have already been made here, but I'll reiterate:

Use 3rd and 4th gear only, and you'll consistently be faster (up to a point).

Late into 5a, and treat 6-6a with kid gloves, as this very innocent looking section of track eats high-hp RWD cars every event. Stay off the gators here, stay smooth and as straight as possible. Watch sudden throttle application, and don't upset the car at all in the wet here.

Just after entering the climbing esses, T7 righthander nears apex on the peak of a small rise. This rise unloads the rear around the corner - I like to have the wheel as straight as possible here (especially when wet).

Apex of Oak Tree, low-40mph range is good, but don't worry if you're running 30-35mph at first.

drivinhard

With 25.5" rear tires I have to use 5th on the backstraight, I am on the limiter (if stock) before the last corner worker stand. My car is stock crap cam '01 LS6 so no big hp. The difference in riding 4th out and using 5th on the traqmate was 6 mph. Otherwise, yeah, 3-4 all the time.

wtknght1

Here's my "hot lap" write up of VIR. If you do Oak Tree right, there's no need to go to 2d gear. My video out on You Tube was back in 06 I think...on Kumhos...in my C5 T1 car...before they ground the corners. The lap on You Tube was a 2:05 and I'm doing 2:01s now...but the shift points and gear selections are the same. Enjoy!

http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/VA/VIR.html#HotLap

m3to335

I'm with with Chris on this one. I'd been running from 2nd out of OakTree until you told me give third a whirl. For me its certainly easier and apparently quicker.

sleeper02Z06

3 words - El Ess Three

wtknght1

Several other words - Johnny Miller's LS2 went .3 faster than my El Ess Three.

waddisme

I have never even thought of using 2nd there. At RA, I do occasionally before ripping down that backstretch, but never thought of doing it at VIR. I am usually on the rev limiter at ~ 153 when cresting the hill so not much left to gain. I might try it if I ever get back to the track.

davidfarmer

One thing left out of the conversation is traffic. 90% of laps I'm following someone into Oaktree, and at the reduced speed, 2nd really rockets you around traffic. I agree that on a flyer, 2nd isn't necessary and certainly doesn't effect top speed.

If you lug out of Oak Tree in 3rd behind another Corvette, they'll likely give you a point and then just stay in front unless you hang back and get a run on them out of the corner. If you've done the NCM events, you are very familiar with this.