Track: Shenandoah at Summit Point in West Virginia for SCCA PDX
Date: 8/4/12
Best Lap time: 1:54.27
Car: 03' 350z Base
Tires: Falken Azenis RT-615K 245/45/17 All Around
Brakes: Hawk HPS
Other Modifications: Sikky Trans Mount, Kaaz 1.5way LSD, K&N Air Filter, Motordyne Swaybars F-Soft R-Soft.
Lap Notes (Rain, heat, etc): My third session of the day when I was just upgraded to intermediate from the novice group. Lap 5 was my fastest lap. A few mistakes when shifting, but I learned a lot. I wish I got a recording of the 4th session. I improved my best lap by 3 seconds.

The Hawk HPS brakes were very weak. I had to brake extremely early. They weakened after they got a little heat, no bite what so ever.

The video was recorded with a Contour GPS and the rear view camera with external mic was a GoPro. Used DashWare to display the overlays, and Sony Vegas to add the rear view camera overlay.

Video:

 

amazing video, that contour cam takes great video

Off topic: For the people running fixed back seats, especially Corbeau Forzas, are they comfortable even for DD use?

 

Track: VIR Full
Date: August 2012
Best Lap time: 2:16
Car: 2007 Nismo
I/E

Ran wit h BMW Club and started out in itermediate 1 so I could learn the track. Got moved up to Advanced for day 2. A track like VIR with lots of shifting is hard for me but I'm happy with the lap times. My 3 fastest laps are within a few hundreths of each other.
Looking to go back later this year and try to shave a bit more time.

 

What tires?

 

Meh thought I would post this up. I think it's pretty cool.
After winning the first three rounds of my time attack series in my class I ran the 4th one with a bum engine and finishde 2nd.

 

That's a pretty decent 350Z time. great job.

 

Thanks Marty. There's more left in it. I'm still working on confidence through the uphill esses. Oak Tree is coming together and I finally got Roller Coaster and Hog Pen figured out

Vids are being uploaded

Mike
275 square BFG r1's

 

Actually, that is an AWESOME 350Z time!

 

Here are some good time tips for the next time you make it out to VIR.

1) the one and two corner combo. If you can maintain and accelerate well out of these two you would be surprised the amount of time that you save. You actually spend more time here than you do the entire of the entire uphill esses combo.

2) the breaking zone into turn 14. Most people break way too early here and lose up to a full second the house going in. If you wait and use the uphill compression you can exit compression you're breaking zone by a significant amount.

3) entry into 15 through 16 and on through 17. Many people actually they use a twin breaking zone or break too much going into 16. If you actually crest the hill and almost go off-track left over the "bump" before you turn in on 17 you can exit maintain your speed scrubb a little off into the entry of 17 but on full throttle all the way through. I have actually gained up to 8 miles an hour difference on my competitors by the end of the front straight just by doing this.

4) there are two good lines going into Oak tree. For a late break pass a great line is cut the diagonal and straight-line from 11 A to 11 B with no loss of speed. This does hamper your speed down the back straight but allows you to carry a lot of speed in Oaktree to complete a pass. If you have no traffic then the large arc and then turn into Oaktree to accelerate out . One mistake I see there a lot is people going into Oak tree too fast and then not able to get onto the throttle until they are fully tracked out. If you go in a bit slower swing wide and wait later on your turn in that is a real swear it off Warner. The more you squared off and the sooner you get on the throttle the more you'll see on that back straight which is so important on this track.

 

5) The four, five, and turn six combo is actually very important. You actually spend more time there than you do the combination of uphill esses and turn 10. Plus your exit speed out of five really dictates how fast you go into the uphill asses. If you take your time and only go mid track right out of turn for it set you up nicely for the turn five and six combo. With this even carry heck of a lot more speed all the way through six leaving on to that small straight under the bridge.

By the way, please excuse any funky words or misspellings I am actually doing all of this by talking into my phone. Siri does not always get things right.

I also want to make sure that I am no way with diminishing the job well done. That time is a very good time feight 350 Z.

 

None taken Marty. I really do appreciate the advice.
I'm working on trying to do all those better, I usually will work on one section during a session and then take what I learned there and add onto it by practicing another section later.
I watched some of my video and I'm braking deeper into Roller Coaster and taking a tighter line. With more practice will come quicker times.
If you're ever down at VIR I'd like to link up with you and do some back to backs with you. You in my car and me in yours....if you have the added weight of a second seat

 

Video, unedited
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wz27T3Ru7pk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Sounds like a good plan. heck, you may already be doing a lot of what I mentioned above. To have disclosure I did not come up with this list, I just like to pass these pointers along because they were given to me by my friend Peter Krause, probably one of the top 2 or 3 VIR experienced guys around. He is one that helped open the track back up.

I have a question, what entry do you take into T14?

I guess I could wait for the videos. BTW, who was your instructor with THBMW?

 

Second video
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/oaQU8szNV2I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

Here's how little I know of VIR, I had to search for a track map to figure out turn 14.

The line I started taking Sunday was mor of a bee-line through it, then coming in hot and trail braking through 14a.

I'm trying to initiate braking at the compression of the last dip and use the uphill to slow me down more, I then lighten up on the brakes at the crest. Afte rcresting, depending on how much speed I scrubbed I try to keep my foot on the brake pedal or tap the gas and then trail braking into 14a. I apex early and if I get it right, I'll drop my two inside tires into the dirt and have the curbing pull me around. This allows me to get back on the gas sooner.

I'm no instructor here, but this is what a second and third instructor siad to try, and its what they did.

My instruvtor was a new guy named Holcombe Baird, he's very good. He has a lightly modded e46. I also talked with and know Brian Hair and Tom Long and they're the ones who told me to try this line through 14

 

Tom and I go back a ways. The straight line to the inside curbing is the line I prefer as well you can really compress your braking and 14 is slow enough and short enough you don't lose any real time from exit speed. All the guys you had sound like great guys to have in the car.

 

Thanks, I will be making another one this weekend at VIR for the PCA PDX/DE. Wish me luck on over taking some Porche drivers!

 

Hi guys, first post here. I just got back from a DE event at VIR full and made the transition into Intermediate which felt good. My question for the guys who know the track, what is a reasonable time with a bone stock 03 touring with the standard (non brembo) brakes and stock 18" wheels? I felt much faster than my previous DE, and was much faster down the straights (and through roller coaster) but finished the second day with a 1:36.02. I recognize that I'm leaving time all over the place, particularly the esses and the 1-4 sequence. I'm just curious to know what the consensus is?

Again not a single mod to the car, only Hawk HP Plus pads that stayed pretty consistent through a previous event and 2 days of heat and heavier braking. I started my BBK fund as soon as I got back, lol.

 

I really wouldn't worry about times at this point. Just have fun and work on technique. I will say get different pads. It won't be too long before you start burning through the HP pluses.

 

I sort of expected that response, and I know you're right

It's more a matter of curiosity. In the sake of being frugal I'm happy to stay stock as long as it takes to reach the car's and my limit.

Thanks for the tip on the pads too, I took the wheels of today and they are cooked. Loads of uneven transfer on the admittedly cheap rotors.