A couple of laps in the G coupe at Infineon Raceway.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uxYG35DJa8

 

wow lots of traffic!

lets see, miatas, evo, ferrari, stock cars?

looks like fun, was that the full course?

 

that is their "LeMans Course" configuration. When the NASCAR boys run it they do not do the off camber turn 4 or the carousel, but do a long roundabout. So for the sports car types, yes that is the full course. The "stock cars" were NASCAR spec vehicles.......but they were not piloted by NASCAR spec drivers!

 

That was AWESOME

 

Thats for sure. And the trafic, wow, what run groupe was that? Looks like a lot of fun Ed. I have ran 2 NASCAR Touring Car races there, but like you said, that was a little different track configuration. Still wanna hit that track in a street car someday, looks great.

 

That was the advanced group that day, open passing rules, with TMR. Pretty cold day, and a few people went off. One of the NASCAR rides went nose first into a wall off the end of pit lane, and a Evo VIII was pretty much totaled in the esses of Turn 8. Cold asphalt + cold tires = poor grip.

 

Nice video, that makes me want to drive Sears Point. What is up with the stock cars? Why where they so slow. I have run with a few of them (Barber and Road Atlanta) and they are usually some of the fastest cars on track.

I actually like cold asphalt as it is so much better than water on asphalt to learn car control.

 

It's been years since I raced at Sears, but Eagle1's video brought it all back in a hurry. One thing you can never quite capture on film is the elevation changes and how, at speed, they become quite dramatic. I always think of Sears Point as being the greatest rollercoaster I have ever been on! Up and up from T1 to T6 is simply amazing and the downhill pitch of the Carousel is tighter than you can imagine. And I'll always remember the downhill run through the esses and how unforgiving they were at speed. A CRX was on it's lid the second lap I ever made through there (after bouncing off the guardrails). Now THAT got my attention! Late apexes are a means to not only speed, but survival itself at that track. My SCCA events were always in August or September, so I can only imagine what cold pavement would have been like on the day this was taken. Thanks again for the ride, Eagle1!

 

It's a shame that nascar takes the best turn (carousel) out of Infineon.
I remember being excited to have the opportunity to run the 'NASCAR circuit' a few years back and was dissapointed to find out that it just meant chopping out 2 turns.
Can't wait to go to Infineon next weekend for my season opener.


edit: just watched the video, it looks like you ran the full course. Disregard previous rant.

Ed, try coming in and hugging the left side of the track, just after the bridge (at the end of turn 1). The track is smoother there which allows you to carry more speed up the hill. This will also set you up better for turn 2 where the car will be weightless for a moment while you crest the hill.

 

I think there would be a lot of carnage if they left in the three turns they took out. Not so much 5, but 4 is off camber and diminishing radius, and it is really going to make the boys look bad. 6 would be a hoot to see them going three wide, and I bet the drivers would love to do it too. Junior ate it big time in a vette in the third part of 8, hit the wall and caught fire a couple of years ago. it is a track that is very technically demanding of car control, and self control, and with all the walls and shallow run off.......it makes a lot of sense that NASCAR took that section out. Bad for the fans perhaps, but a lot better for the safety of the drivers, and the business of NASCAR.

 

very nice