fleming23

If anyone is interested in running Charlotte's infield road course, an organization I participate with is in need of about 30 more participants to secure the track. I'm friends with the organizer and although the specifics of securing this track day are a bit outside the norm, they put on a good event and we have a great group of car enthusiasts already signed up.

Few caveats, first this is a single day event - July 29 from 11am to 10pm. Yes, it is the middle of summer and the first few sessions will be hot! But, your eyes did not mistake you, we are running until 10pm which means we will run the track under the lights, at night!

Please read the details carefully as James is only making the deposit for the track if and when we get 75 participants to register and pay (there are only 2 more weeks before we lose the ability to secure the track.)

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...hBTAA/viewform

We ran this same configuration in 2016 for the Optima USCA event and it was a great time! Even though there are a number of concrete walls just at your door, I feel the layout is generally really safe with little risk of damage to your vehicle assuming no catastrophic failures.

Come drive the banked oval of one of NASCARs premiere tracks and experience the sensation of being flat-out through the banked oval turns 1 & 2 as you scream down the back straight!

brkntrxn

Ask your friend a couple of questions for me please. I did not see these answered

- I see no beginners, so I assume no green students and no instructing even for Novice groups. Correct?
- Will this event allow passengers for ride-alongs? I have a racecar, but my passenger seat and harnesses are the equal of mine. I am an instructor with multiple organizations and I give rides quite often in this car.
- Is there a gate fee for spectators? Or the normal waiver signature?


Thanks,

fleming23

I know the answer to these but will confirm.

No beginners - there will be no instructors available at this event. Having run the track, not sure I would recommend it to anyone with limited experience. That said, it is a lot of fun and while there are concrete walls pretty close, a relatively safe track, in my opinion.

James has always allowed ride alongs in the past for experienced drivers so I don't see why this would be any difference as there will be no novice.

I do not believe there will be any fee for spectators (which by the way I think is absurd for an HPDE event). Usually just a waiver signature is all he requires. I'll check to see if he is charging a nominal fee for ride along passengers but again don't believe that is the norm.

brkntrxn

Thanks. Yes, I have ran Charlotte many times... some of my NASA lap records still stand because we cannot get return dates, LOL. We ran another Chump event there last summer and it reignited my desire to run the roval again.

fleming23

Come join us! Should be lots of fun! We are currently at 56 signed up so the event is not guaranteed just yet. Be sure to read the link in the first post, it is slightly different than most event registrations just due to the large risk of financial loss by the organizer should we not hit the break-even point. Also, any excess registration fees are donated to charity. This is not one of those large groups with a 30 foot, $50k+ trailer, selling ride-along tickets in their new NSX.

This is the response from the event organizer, " Yes there will be passenger ride - alongs, no ride alongs the first session or the first session after dinner break. No gate fees, normal waiver procedure for guests and ride alongs."

fleming23

If anyone was reading this and on the line, we just learned we are getting 8-20 minute sessions (assuming all goes as planned) at Charlotte.

Only 4 weeks away if anyone wants to still sign up! Also, I believe it was confirmed we are running the new NASCAR configuration. Basically the same as originally posted but cutting out T6 & T7 in the infield.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...hBTAA/viewform

davidfarmer

So you are running the original configuration if you drop 6-7. All of the extra crap was added 2 years ago. I'll take a look, I can see the speedway from my 2nd floor

davidfarmer

Could 2 people share a spot, i.e. 4 sessions each in the same car?

fleming23

This was the latest configuration sent to us, and what we are supposed to be running. I expect we will not run the banking through 12 and 13 but rather have them bring us down to the apron to slow speeds a bit. This is a close group of friends and I don't think any of us, or the organizer what to see someone crash at 170+ trying to drive 12 wide open. Pretty sure I touched 160 running a similar configuration, last year in July.

Checking on the 2-driver deal with James, and will post back.

fleming23

per the organizer, "Yes, +50$. Has to be same run group must be qualified for that run group"

naschmitz

I'd love to come but have a family conflict that weekend. Count me in next time.

brkntrxn

Having turned many, many laps at CMS, I feel running the banking in NASCAR T3-T4 is actually safer than trying to keep people down on the apron. Yes, the apron is slower, but it is flat and has less grip than the true track surface. When you try to stay on the apron you are more prone to losing the rear end or washing the front end up and into the banking. You are also forcing an unnatural line back onto the slight banking of and through the Tri-Oval.

If you truly want to reduce speeds in NASCAR T3-4, then put a small chicane on the back straight with jersey barriers or cones. I have set up the track that way for races in years past and I can tell you where and how much if you want the input.

My .02, just offering and I will not be offended if you don't take it.


-Kevin

fleming23

That may be what happens, not sure. There was discussion of a chicane but I don't know what the ultimate decision was, or will be. I do know it won't be like the SCCA events where it is run with no restrictions, or the ones I've seen anyway.

brkntrxn

I ran the new configuration last night in our 2012 Grand Sport daily driver (220 tw Michelins). It was fun, a little tight but fun. The exit of the infield does not flow out into NASCAR T1 like it used to, but one advantage is (new) T9 is a second gear turn and it reduces speeds into T12 (NASCAR T3). I was only able to hit 149 before going into the banking. The exit of the infield now has the same feeling as Daytona or Rockingham for those that have run at those tracks.

One thing of note is that although the infield is all new pavement, NASCAR 3-4 is starting to get rough. The pavement in the banking now has bumps and ripples that I do not recall being there last August when I ran with Chumpcar. I still had speeds up to 143 through there (on street tires), so no worries with the grip not handling it, just something to add to the info.


-Kevin

fleming23

This was a great event! It looks like we may do it again next year if everything works out!

I had to swap off my Forgelines and BFG Rivals about mid-day as the tires were too worn and had me catching the car from spinning out a few times. I forgot how good the OEM Michelin Cup2s were on track.

Basil2000

what a great experience. you must have had a blast. i wish i was independently wealthy so i could trailer my car around the country doing events like this. thanks for posting the vid, nice driving.

C6psi

That was the most fun I have had at a track day/night in years! Speaking with James I believe a future event is guaranteed. I need to get my video up so you can see the flames blowing out of your tail pipes as we hauled down the back straight between 11 and 12! Matt in the GT3 had his hands full as the air temps dropped for us later in the night and the PD blowers woke up!

fleming23

I agree completely! I'd love to see what the exhaust looked like too...I had some pretty heavy heat discoloration on the Magnaflow exhaust I removed and they couldn't believe my car was generating that kind of heat. Now my expensive Akrapovic carbon tips are starting to brown from heat as well. Crazy

Had fun running with the two of you! Including the crazy 70 year old guy in the yellow Porsche Turbo, we seemed to be the fastest of the event so it was fun running together in that last session!

BEZ06

WOOHOO!!! That looked like great fun!!

There will be an under-the-lights run here at Daytona the end of Oct - I think I'll definitely have to do that one!

Hope to see some of you roval runners down here to run the Rolex24 roadcourse at one of the fall events at Daytona, and I'll be watching for info on the Charlotte event next year!!

Here are the upcoming Datyona events:
C'ya at the track!!

.

C6psi

Finally uploaded some additional video of the trio running into the night! Blue flames @ 7:00!