jesse82nc

Is anyone else coming? I'm coming up from Raleigh with some friends. We should be there first thing when they open.

If you are not familiar with it, for $25 per session (about 20 min each), you get to drive around their legendary full course (3.27 miles). I've been a few times in other cars, this will be the first time in the C6.
http://virnow.com/news/virginia-inte...ldren-in-need/
https://www.facebook.com/virnow/?fref=ts

jcsperson

I'll be there. I'm playing (cough) hookey from work (cough, cough).

LFZ

Ain't nobody got time for that!

jcsperson

Wanna bet?

jesse82nc

There must have been over 200 Corvettes there, a ton of C6's and C7's but still quite a few older ones as well.

I have some contacts with the track and the organizers of the event. I'll put up a new event in the spring, but if we can get 25-40 guys who are interested in a little better session (then getting stuck behind a stock Dodge Dart or Honda Fit), we can all go out together, and keep the order of cars from fastest and most experienced to slowest and least experienced. That would give the most enjoyable experience to everyone. We would need all 25+ people there first thing in the morning though, that means getting there around 7:30-8:00am. As having our own session would mean it would be the first or 2nd session of the day.

So would many people be interested in that?

jcsperson

I would.

I got stuck behind a turd in a 2006 Mustang GT, red with white stripes, who went up the esses at 55. He did the backstraight at a mind-numbing 75.

Some people were more courteous. I was in line behind a 700+ rwhp Roush Mustang who was behind a Porsche 944. The Porsche guy told us to go ahead of him in line because he could see (and hear) that he was going to hold us up.

PMD C6

There were a lot of slow cars this year. Some douchebag with a UNC shirt, backwards hat and vap pipe driving a Red 90's Cobra got black flagged because he was going so slow. Luckily he was 3 cars behind me.

During my first session there was yet again, another Mustang that was afraid of the Go Pedal. 2013ish Silver with a black stripe down the hood and roof and "C" Boss 302 style stripes on the side. The rest of the pack completely left him/her. As I approached the top of the esses looking at the back stretch, the rest of the pack was gone and the Mustang was just entering Oak Tree.....

jesse82nc

Yea on our last session we got stuck behind a few mustangs that would slow down to about 5-10 mph before going into Oak Tree. Because I was going so slow in 2nd when I gave it gas on the straight, I would break the tail loose easily. I never thought I would have to go down to 2nd (and low RPM in 2nd!) at VIR, usually it's all 3rd and 4th for me.

As long as we can get 25-40 to commit to being there by around 7:30am next year, I can get us our own private session out there. And probably a 2nd session all together as well. We would meet at a different private entrance to VIR actually and they would bring us in together.

jcsperson

VIR should consider having lines by marque. Corvettes get into the Corvette line, Porsches in the Porsche line and so on, including a "motley" line for mixed marques. They could still send us off in turn, but we'd go with our brethren. Hell, I'd even volunteer to make a sign. If we had had a Corvette line last Friday, it would've been full the whole time. Same with the Mustangs and Porsches.

I think we could get 25 easily through this forum and other performance car sites, as well as local Corvette clubs. We'd have to post reminders in the C1, C2, C3, C4, C5, C6, C7, Southeast, Autocrossing & Roadracing, and Off Topic sections because a lot of guys only look at one or two things. Southeast, unfortunately, is not as widely read as most other forums.

jesse82nc

I've discussed something similar with them, and it doesn't sound like that would be something they are willing to do. But I can bring it up again. I think if we used a separate lane for Corvettes, they would let us all go again together once we have 40 in the lane. Problem would be that we would have to wait until we got 40 in the lane before they would let us go to the false grid. Only issue I see with that would be if say a C6 ZR1 with a driver that goes to VIR regularly or C7 Z06 got stuck behind a stock C4 with a driver that never drove their car over 70 mph before, or something like that, you get the picture at least. But we could work out the order a little more once all 40 cars were there.

jcsperson

That's something I can see us working out a little beforehand and as we go along. I was in a line of Mustangs with a Porsche 944 and Dodge Challenger sandwiched between the rest of the Mustangs and a supercharged Roush Mustang and my Corvette. Without asking, they told us to cut in front of them in line once it started rolling. It worked out great.

drclaw

Is this something a beginner could do, or would I just screw it up for everyone else? Would instructors be available?

jcsperson

If you have a drivers license, you can do this. No helmet or instructors required. It's a very controlled, safe environment.

jesse82nc

Anyone can do it, all you need is a vehicle that will pass the equivalent to a DOT safety inspection. Working seat belt and brake lights are all that are needed really lol. There was a guy out there in an F350.

They don't have instructors available, but you can take a ride along with one of the pace or chase cars.

And if you are a beginner, I would just suggest that you line up towards the back of the pack. At least don't put yourself in front of a 911 Turbo S where the driver goes to HPDE events every other weekend. He will hate you.

DinkyDonut

Checking in; I'd be willing to do it as well. Hell, maybe even the wife would bring a car, too.

jesse82nc

Also of note, anyone can ride along with you in your car. I had a friend this year bring his wife and 2 kids. They all rode along with him in his Genesis Coupe.

jcsperson

Here's a video from a few years back. I'm in the blue C5 ahead of this bike. Note the speedo at 11:50. In this session I got as high as 130. A couple of times we topped 90 in the Climbing Essses. In HPDE I go through there around 110 on street tires.



If that TR6 hadn't been ahead of me, I could've gone quicker in other sections of the track.

msgvert

Hey Jesse - guess I was lucky. I was behind a BMW Z? and in front of a Z06 driven by a retired VA trooper. My first time and I got all I wanted .... an early Vette-only run would be great in the future so good luck if you proceed.

PMD C6

Don't forget about Victory Junctions Charity Laps in the Spring. Basically the same thing but for a different charity.

Video from Holiday laps 2014:


Yeah, I slowed down a lot before Oak Tree and kept my distance throughout some of the course so I could build up speed into certain sections like the esses and the back stretch. I reached 140-145 on the back stretch.

jesse82nc

I did start a conversation with my contact at VIR about having a Corvettes Only row in the staging areas. They are open to the idea and she will discuss it with the other organizers of the events and let me know what they decide.

We would probably have to do a little work on our own to keep things in line and organized within our group so that it does not add to their workload for the day.

Update - I did hear back from Tommy, their security directory who does most of the organizing for the day, and he is on board with the Corvettes having our own line in the staging area. Still hashing out the details, but it should make for much more enjoyable laps out there.