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| Home
> Speed > Stories
> Virginia Intl. Raceway 2002 Race |
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VIR 500: Another Race, Another
Brake Duct |
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VIR
Track map
in case you want to follow along |
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For
those Verbally Challenged types such as C2 drivers and other F
class racers, you can find the picture
gallery here.
wait, wait! it's a joke, please don't hit my car at Summit Point
... |
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As
I'm driving to the winner's podium I hear something dragging beneath
the car. A quick inspection reveals my left brake ducting hose loose and scraping
against the ground. The brake duct itself nowhere in sight. That makes the second
one this year. I've got to stop driving the 911 like a rally car. At
the least, I should move the brake ducts to the roof, kind of like the air snorkels
on the World Rally Cars. That'll be cool, but I'm getting ahead of my story.
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Late
last year we heard rumors of a PCA club race at Virginia Intl. Raceway,
one of the nicest tracks on the east coast. Even better, we would be a supporting
race for the VIR 500, a Grand Am Cup series pro race. Grand
Am is one of the two professional road race series in the United States,
with the ALMS the other. Cars ranging from Ford Focus and Hondas, to open
prototypes capable of 200+ mph. Plenty of Porsches including local region
shop Turbo Performance Center's 911's and The Racer's Group Le Mans winning
team. The idea of racing at VIR great long course and sharing the weekend
with some of the best drivers and teams in the world was simply, irresistible.
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My
last race at Mosport was a non-starter in the true sense of the word. During
the test day before the race, a huge vibration developed in the car. But only
in left turns. Very scary (especially with the fast, off-camber, downhill turn
2), but baffling.. |
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Heading
south on I-95 a couple of weeks later, I've got my fingers crossed that we solved
the problem. The trip down was uneventful, the light rain in Delaware disappearing
as Gregg Wilson and I headed south. 5 ½ hours later we pulled
up to a long line of cars and trailers stopped at the south gate of VIR: the
typical organized chaos of registration at a club race. Anne Marie Trew and
Betty Church quickly dispatched the paperwork and we headed into the track |
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Coming
up over a small rise we could see the paddock. Wow, the whole freaking
paddock is covered with giant rigs, tents and canopies. At the Zone
2 DE's, we have maybe 220 cars and trailers, and we all have plenty of room.
Here there are 120 club racers and maybe a little less Grand Am racers and
every inch of the paddock is taken. PCA was relegated to 3 little paddock
blocks in the back, but it turned out to be nice and cozy together. We were
right next to the false grid and all the high dollar cars had to pass us
to grid up. We found a space next to Eric Rupert's motor-home and
setup camp. |
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A view of Paddock
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Eric
was pulling double duty this weekend. He was running his F car in our race,
but also managing Mike Levitas's Turbo
Performance Center's Grand Am team. Mike was running two 911 GT3 Cup
cars in the Grand Am GS1 class. Mike had hired Randy
Pobst, hotshot 911 pro racer, to be one of the drivers for the weekend
and setup the car. Eric was taking care of logistics, including feeding
the team. Gregg and I showed up in time to help finish off the team's
shrimp, steak and hotdogs before we headed out to the hotel for the
night |
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Delaware Paddock |
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If it's Raining, This must be
a Club Race |
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Probably the only car happy this weekend
Ford Focus WRC Rally car on display |
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In
the pre-dawn of Friday, I peer out the motel window. The ground and parking
lot is wet. We tune in the Weather Channel and the days ahead look grim. One
word sums it up: RAIN. The radar shows a
large green area around Danville, with the brightest green, indicating the
heaviest precipitation area, centered on VIR. Just as I expected. It seems that
it's always raining at a club race this year. |
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I've
been working on a theory that PCA club racing is responsible for the
drought, at least here in the Northeast. Every time there is a club
race it rains. If they would just schedule them about every 3 weeks, we
would have this rainfall deficit licked in no time. Unfortunately they haven't
scheduled enough races this year. Let's look for a pattern - Lime
Rock: pouring rain; Mid Ohio: pouring rain; Watkins Glen: pouring rain;
Mosport: well it was 98 degrees and bone-dry, but I ended up not racing,
and its in another country, so it doesn't count; VIR: pouring rain. |
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But
I'm thinking about modifying my theory. First technically, Lime Rock didn't
rain. It was really the test day before. And okay, it didn't rain at Mosport.
But all the rest were wet. What's the common denominator? |
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Club Racer or Modern Day
Noah
you make the call |
After
applying a strict statistical analysis and several Guinness stouts, I've come
to the conclusion the common factor is the F class driver, Gregg Wilson. Every
single time he comes with me to a club race it pours. He didn't do Lime
Rock or Mosport and it was dry. And didn't it rain just after the Glen 2001
sprint race which he won? Gentlemen, I rest my case. Whether or not this is
an ancient curse laid upon the Wilson clan, I cannot say. What I can say is
that Gregg is planning on running the Summit Point race in September. You have
been warned, bring your rain tires. |
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The
race weekend had an interesting change from the usual qualifying procedures.
Due to the large number of cars in each group, and the limited time available,
your qualifying position was based upon the fastest time you turned in
any session during the weekend. This lead to some interesting race strategies,
at least for Gregg and me. At the Driver's meeting, held at the dark hour
of 7:30 am, they asked for a show of hands from all drivers who had never
driven at VIR. Probably close to half of the audience raised their hands.
I've had 3 days of the Long Course and another 6 on the North Course, so
I was comfortable with the track. Gregg also was here earlier in the year
for the Zone 2 DE. |
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The
track was wet in the morning, but drying. Group 1, the GT cars, was on the track
at 8:30 am. In a quirk of the schedule, we weren't scheduled to run our first
session until the afternoon. By lunchtime, the track was pretty dry, although
dark clouds were looming in the distance. Our strategy was to go out hot and
lay down a blindingly fast hot lap, and then pray for rain the rest of the weekend.
Our local knowledge of the track was our Unfair Advantage, as
a lot of racers didn't have a clue where the line was. |
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So
off we went for the 1st practice session. Traffic was thick with cars wandering
all over the track hunting for somebody to follow who knew where the line was.
It was tough getting a clear lap. Gregg managed to knock off a 2:18.5, putting
him on pole for the rest of the weekend. My car felt a little weird, I haven't
had it on the track since Mosport. I managed to turn a 2:25.7 in heavy traffic,
putting me 3rd in E Class. Coming in off the track I check my tire pressures
and they were low. Maybe that was the cause of the weird handling. |
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Shortly
after that session, it started to rain lightly. By the time our second practice
session was due, the track was getting wet. Gregg was 2 seconds slower on
his Kumhos. I managed to knock another 3/10's off my time with the car slipping
and sliding and oversteering hugely in right handers. More guys were starting
to catch on and their times were dropping. Anita Sangi rocked and put
together a 2:18.7 in the damp conditions for the best time in the session. |
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Eric
dropped two wheels off coming into Oak Tree on the back side of the course
and spun the car into the tire wall. No structural damage to the
car, just some crumpled sheet metal on the side. I passed him twice while
he was up against the tire wall and never did see him. There was a waving
yellow just before the corner but I thought it was just somebody who spun
and got back on the track. For Eric, that was the 2nd 13/13 this season
and he's done. |
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Poor Eric's car -guess
its time to call SCCA |
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I
was concerned about the handling of the car. It would oversteer big time
when turning right, but push when turning left. That made for a thrilling
ride up through the fast esses. Tire pressures were good and I couldn't
find anything wrong. I'll just have to deal with it. |
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By
now, the rain was coming down steadily and darkness was approaching. We finished
out the evening bench racing and drinking beer under the canopy before heading
back to Danville. |
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Haven't had enough? More
mental masturbation can be found here |
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©2002 Cris
Brady - All Rights Reserved |
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