What makes this conversation difficult is that different maps have different corner numbers as they have changed thru the years. While I think of hog pen as 16, 17 and 17A, on newer maps they are labeled 16A, 16B and 17. Regardless, while the DE line says to stay right before 16A (or 16) and left after, thus making an "S" figure, the faster race line cuts straight thru apex of 16A and apex of 16B (or 16 and 17A). It's a more risky line, as it puts you at more of an angle coming into the hog pen, and more likely to run out of room if carrying too much speed. And apexing 17 (17B) in unnecessary and can scrub off speed if forced, better to let the car run wide and concentrate on carrying maximum speed onto the front straight.

 

I think this was like a 1:59.3 lap with some mistakes and a check up for vette I thought blew up....so probably a high 57 low 58 lap clean. VIR is all about the full send...fast line is always going way up and over the curbs more than you think is possible.

 

Glad to see you are still around, hadn't seen you post in quite some time

 

You are smoking on that lap.

 

Sorry I missed you. I was instructing that weekend and they stuck me in a BMW E36, which is fine, but its nice to have an instructor that knows your car. NASA SE always puts me in a Z if there is one on the roster.

I did not drive on the wet laps.

Agree with not shifting too much. Most new DE drivers short shift and shift in the wrong places. I use 5th in the two long straights at VIR but nowhere else.

One of the main tips I have for new drivers at VIR is not to 'steer' through the upper esses. Make it as straight as possible, use all of the curbs and use as little steering input as possible. Sometimes the curbs are scary to new drivers and even though they feel like they 'upset' the car a little they don't upset the car as much as large steering inputs.

Hope to see you at VIR sometime. I usually go in October and March.

George
Blue 350z #86. Mostly stock.

 

I was bummed last weekend at VIR, I was given a student with a 350Z with race seats and I couldn't fit into it. Shouldn't really be surprised, the way the seat mounts are I can barely fit into my car pass seat with no headliner. He still had headliner which made it impossible for me to sit straight. Damn my long torso. Had to have another instructor assigned to him and missed out on a chance to ride in another Z.

 

It seems like it is hard to get a passenger race seat low enough and back far enough in a Z especially if there is a roll bar/cage. My car still currently has the OEM seat on the passenger side and it will not go back fully because of the roll bar. I don't like taking students out in it for that reason and hope to put a race seat in the passenger side soon. It may take some 'engineering' to get it low enough for tall passengers.

 

I think the only option is to modify the floor and move the the mount point by the shifter lower. Or create a new mount point somewhere lower.

 

With a fixed race seat using steel L shaped mounts bolted to each side it is possible to make a drop down bracket welded to that mount point. That's how mine is done and it gives heaps of head room, and I'm 6' 2", with just enough height for visibility purposes. But if you need an adjuatable seat then problems.

 

Could you post a pic of your setup. I have a fixed sparco but on a mount plate that's sitting way too high.

 

I have Bell mounts. My seat position is different than the pic. I'm 5'10 and I can barely see over the steering wheel. I've had tall instructors for some reason. I don't believe they had any issue with headroom. In the last pic is when I put the seat on the bottom setting. It sits pretty low to me.

 

Mine are similar to Young Wonder's but home made.

 

I'd like to see your pass mounts, since that's the side that has very uneven floor

 

When I get home I can try my best to get some good pics.