Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Va

[LancePearson]

This great road course track of 3.27 miles with 170' of elevation and 17 turns i ran in May, 2012 with my 76 Vette and was thinking of doing another Touring Lights day with my 1991 Zr1 which would be much faster has had some setbacks and now an ownership change this january.

They lost their big moneymaker event for several years running there last year when the Grand Am circuit traded them for Detroit where there are more people, more television and they have not apparently been able to replace it. The man who saved the track fifteen years ago as of Jan, 2013 is now out of ownership and the other owner, a woman named Connie has found some investor who owns some kind of track near Pittsburg also but the program where I ran for a day for a relatively modest fee at the moment is no more on the same basis. As it was with prep work, motels, fees I spent nearly $1,000 for that day since I'm not a member of any sports car racing club and won't be since it is only an occasional whim for me. It looks like you have to now join their club which is something like $5k or more the first year plus $175 a day for any of the 18 days a year dedicated to the club members to get on the track at the moment. Several own condo second homes there. I'm glad I don't as it might be hard to sell one if the track isn't thriving. The grand am ran the DP class and GT class exotics including Vettes, Ferraries, Audies, Porsches, etc. and were really exciting. That circuit is thriving.

I guess I could look into trying Summit Point Raceway's 2.0 mile track up in W. V. but I'm not all that excited about the track when I see it. VIR was set up safely and fun to drive.

Perhaps there is more going on behind the scenes but it is a long way from any major metro center and the signs aren't positive for growth and care at the moment but I hope they make it.

Too far to go to Road Atlanta or Elkhardt Lake, Wis. for me from here.

Lance

[ZZZZZR1]

Lance,

We have 5 that love to go to VIR regularly.... 2 from Southern Va, 1 from Florida that stores his car in Va and another from Annapolis Md.

I think you have met at least one of them and maybe more!

I've been promising at the least, we come to watch and maybe run
a few laps. This is on the TO DO list for 2013!!

:cheers:

David

[LancePearson]

David, et al,

this is a couple laps on VIR from May, 2012 with me driving my 76 Vette. The camera is videotaping in effect as the passenger.

The trick will be finding a way to get on the track now.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjK2uPWc9Bk

It is a fun track.

Lance

[Shrek]

We ran 8 weekends at VIR last year with 4 different groups and only had to join one.

The VIR calender looks like the usual suspects again for 2013 with tons of track time oppertunities! http://virnow.com/track/calendar/

Current clubs with more added during the year.
NASA
Tarheel BMW
Chin Motorsports
Tarheel Sports Car Club
Audi Club
First Settlers PCA
SVT Cobra Mustang Club
Potomac PCA
NNJR PCA
TrackDaze


We ran all of the TrackDaze events at VIR last year and their schedule looks the same for this year.
https://www.trackdaze.com/index.php/events

[Kevin]

a good friend of mine instructs there

[LancePearson]

Shrek...I thought you had to be a member of those clubs. Track daze looks interesting. Thanks. I only did it once with thr vir clubs touring light as a complete novice. Thanks!

[Shrek]

Shrek...I thought you had to be a member of those clubs. Track daze looks interesting. Thanks. I only did it once with thr vir clubs touring light as a complete novice. Thanks!
Some you do and some you don't, while others just charge an extra small fee for non members. The ones that do are usually very reasonable to join. The big National Corvette Museum HPDE event requires you to be a member ($50)
http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/HPDE/virinfo.shtml

Here's a little taste from one of the TrackDaze events last year!!!!

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq186/2manyvettes24/VIR%20Trackdaze%20June%202012/DSC_0051.jpg

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq186/2manyvettes24/VIR%20Trackdaze%20June%202012/DSC_0049.jpg

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq186/2manyvettes24/VIR%20Trackdaze%20June%202012/DSC_0025.jpg

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq186/2manyvettes24/VIR%20Trackdaze%20June%202012/DSC_0053.jpg

[LancePearson]

Shrek, Those photos are great. I put down to get a dog sitter for the May 4,5 weekend and am planning on driving down just to watch the Z's run that weekend hoping some do. May 15 I leave for the drive all day to Bowling Green shortly thereafter.

What lap times do you run on the full course? The cars look terrific by the way. The day I ran I was in a touring lights group with a 2009 aston martin with 585 hp supercharged, two bmw's they said were M4's but I think were M3's with 435 hp engines, a couple porsche 911 turbos and one Boxster run by a lady who brought a driving coach and an older highly modified Mustang and me in a 76 Vette with 210 hp. All were faster than I was partly due to my inexperience especially at first then because of the power. After one session and some knowledge I began to take a minute off my lap times each session over the prior one but never got real close to 3 minute lap times...did not have the power or the experience. I'm sure I could do much better with the 91 zr-1 though.

[Shrek]

All three were first year HPDE students and got into the 2:15-2:20 range by the end of the year. Look for the White 91 and Black 93 to be at several events again this year.

The Red 91 (wife's hot rod) is retiring from track duty and being replaced with our old 96 track rat!!

http://i446.photobucket.com/albums/qq186/2manyvettes24/96/1996CorvetteRaceCar013.jpg

[LancePearson]

Those are good times when you consider a modern zr1 with all that horsepower is what, 1'53-2'? Pretty good driving by all of you. You have a fast wife as well, no pun intended. I'm sure my 91 zr1 would at least get to 3' or under even with me driving it!

Thanks.

Lance

[mgg]

Lance. Summit Point is also a great track. Facilities have really been updated and it is a track that will provide all of the challenges you will want to find. I certainly hope that if you attend a track day that you are at least changing your brake pads from stock to a bit more aggressive compound. Stock pads will give out quickly and limit your ability to learn by reducing how agressive you can drive after just a few laps. I instruct up at Summit Point for various clubs and organizations. If you would be interested, I could let you know if an event was scheduled that you would enjoy. I got my SCCA competition license at VIR. Great track no matter which configuration they run it. I prefer the full course over the grand as the braking from "oak tree" on the full course will certainly get your attention. Lance, I would suggest if you have not had much track time that you would consider attending an AUTO-x . Every student that I have instructed that routinely auto-xed their cars seem to have better car control. Auto-xing really allows you to hang the car out at safe speeds and almost always demonstrates understeering and oversteering at reasonable speeds that you can safely correct. Just a thought.

[Shrek]

Lance. Summit Point is also a great track. Facilities have really been updated and it is a track that will provide all of the challenges you will want to find. I certainly hope that if you attend a track day that you are at least changing your brake pads from stock to a bit more aggressive compound. Stock pads will give out quickly and limit your ability to learn by reducing how agressive you can drive after just a few laps. I instruct up at Summit Point for various clubs and organizations. If you would be interested, I could let you know if an event was scheduled that you would enjoy. I got my SCCA competition license at VIR. Great track no matter which configuration they run it. I prefer the full course over the grand as the braking from "oak tree" on the full course will certainly get your attention. Lance, I would suggest if you have not had much track time that you would consider attending an AUTO-x . Every student that I have instructed that routinely auto-xed their cars seem to have better car control. Auto-xing really allows you to hang the car out at safe speeds and almost always demonstrates understeering and oversteering at reasonable speeds that you can safely correct. Just a thought.

Excellent advice!!!!!!!!!!!

Wife and I were autocrossers for nearly 8 years. The later portion of those 8 years were running numerous NCCC high speed events at a veriety of road courses throughout the southeast and mid atlantic.

[mgg]

Hey Shrek, that car looks familiar. Did you used to attend the "Spooktacular" at Summit Point "jefferson " circuit. You may remember some of the regulars at those events. Chuck Wasserrott, Mike Woods, Aaron Quine. We had some good shootouts. Just curiuos if this is the same car I remember.

[Shrek]

Hey Shrek, that car looks familiar. Did you used to attend the "Spooktacular" at Summit Point "jefferson " circuit. You may remember some of the regulars at those events. Chuck Wasserrott, Mike Woods, Aaron Quine. We had some good shootouts. Just curiuos if this is the same car I remember.
Yep!! The Spook is where that photo was taken! I think it was the same event Aaron put his C4 into the tire wall right there by the paddock.

[LancePearson]

Thanks for the learning advice but at age 69 I think I will mostly watch now. The one day I did was for the experience and I might be interested with the ZR-1 for one more day to compare but I don't have an interest in buying a trailer, getting seriously into racing. Don't at this stage have the reflexes or the time for it to that degree. I have several other time consuming interests as well in sailing, kayaking and do photography on a very serious level as well so this is one of my interests and won't get seriously into racing. Thanks though as it is very interesting.

Have watched auto x and the vettes are almost too powerful for it to be the fastest. you have to rein em in to be fast around the course I saw. Would teach you control and precision to be sure.

[ZZZZZR1]

Among the various topics we discussed at various times is tracking our cars. It would be great fun to get others interested. I thought I would to send you some more information on it to share with anyone else that might be interested:

There are three tracks within a reasonable distance of us:

Summit Point: http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/ (http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/)

Virginia International: http://virnow.com/ (http://virnow.com/)

NJ Motorsports: http://www.njmp.com/ (http://www.njmp.com/)

Of these VIR is by far the most fun! Check out this stock GT500 being driven by a professional Ford development driver from Ford’s SVT Group. The in car video has been overlaid with track telemetry showing G-forces, steering wheel position, and even a video of the driver! Change to 480p full screen and turn up the volume!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR7PIZhFUdc&feature=related (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR7PIZhFUdc&feature=related)

Car & Driver use VIR as there test bed, kind of a USAversion of the Nürburgring Ring:

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap-2012-feature (http://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap-2012-feature)

http://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap-2012-feature-sortable-times-complete-lightning-lap-times-2006-to-2012-page-8 (http://www.caranddriver.com/features/lightning-lap-2012-feature-sortable-times-complete-lightning-lap-times-2006-to-2012-page-8)

Various groups rent the track to put on a day or two event (sometimes referred to as a high performance driving event or “HPDE”). These vary from Car Clubs like BMW and Porsche to companies that do nothing but travel around the country putting on track events. Cost is usually around $250-300 per day for four 30 minute sessions which includes an in car instructor and some classroom time. Examples include:

https://www.trackdaze.com/ (https://www.trackdaze.com/)

http://www.nasaracing.net/?page_id=88 (http://www.nasaracing.net/?page_id=88)

http://www.chinmotorsports.com/ (http://www.chinmotorsports.com/)

http://www.summitpointfatt.com/ (http://www.summitpointfatt.com/)

Theresa and I are probably doing the 2 day event at VIR May 4-5 (or the June 8-9 event) and definitely the Nov 12 & 13 event at VIR with Trackdaze. The Nov 13 event is the "Grand Course" used by Car & Driver and the only time this year we non race car drivers get a shot at it! We typically rent a villa that overlooks the track:

http://experiencevir.com/lodging (http://experiencevir.com/lodging)

From the balcony you can see about a third of the track. Theresa will watch and sip her wine while watching me do my hot laps. Nice way to go racing! The attached picture was shot from the villa balcony. At this spot on the track your clicking along at about 100 - 110 mph right near the limit through a series of climbing esses! WOOO Great Fun! They also have a hotel on site and there are several hotels in Danville, a 20 minute drive to the track.



Car prep almost certainly must include upgrading both Brake Pads and Fluids to that which will survive a day on the track. Stock pads will not last the day or maybe even the first session. Sounds like you already have upgraded brakes and pads. Many guys will eventually start using racing slicks on their cars but I continue to use street tires, (although the tires I use are specially designed to be somewhat stickier at track temperatures at the cost of thread life) because you can still drive to and from the track. I also feel your much improved driving skills are better transformed to the street using the same tires that you use every day.

Remember you are not insured while on the track but special insurance is available for some events through this group:

http://hpdeins.locktonaffinity.com/Default.aspx (http://hpdeins.locktonaffinity.com/Default.aspx)

Cost for my 90 ZR-1 is usually about $150/event. Price depends on your actual declared value.



From another Z brother!!!! (I'm trying to get him to post on the forum)

We need to get a group together! At worst, I would love to spend the weekend watching and maybe go out as a passenger.

:cheers:

David

[batchman]

My buddies from the SVT club are running there this weekend. They may have had some cancellations, could be worth trying to contact Tony Sorrentino. He's a great guy, and this is a great bunch. Looks like they even have a very inexpensive 1/2 hr session - sure wish I could get near a track like that! But I'll try to stay happy with autocrossing for now...

www.trackclubusa.com

Best,
- Jeff

[LancePearson]

Thanks, Jeff, but I probably won't. It's 23 degrees F and snowing as I speak. Not time for a track. I'd wager they will have more than a few cancellations. It is a nice track. Paul Newman used to love running there, said:
"If there's a heaven on earth, it's VIR."
Lance P.

[LancePearson]

David, the day I ran my 76 as touring lights with the vir club for four sessions of 25 min's each there were several c5 and up vettes there running in full classes. They told me they each changed pads every four hours of track time and rotors every six hours of track time as they were very aggressive with brakes with three straights on the track counting the climbing esses portion before you get to the turns heading to Oak tree. The ferrari 430 guy from Baltimore said the same for him.

Lance P.

[mgg]

Lance, if someone told you that, they were WAY too hard on the brakes or did not have an adequate braking sytem. I drove stock Z06's at VIR without any brakeng problems and was easily doing 150mph into the braking zones. Braking is one part of high performance driving that takes a long to progress in. Think about it. Anyone can go fast in a straight line. All you have to do is pucjh the accelerator, braking and mid corner speed is what seperates the men form the boys when going fast on a road course.

[LancePearson]

MGG, yes, I know that is true but these guys raced all the time. I stood when they were on the track at the starting line just off pit row there and watched back towards the Hog Pen corner where the long straight into the turn #1 hairpin is and one guy with two following him that was being timed by the crew standing there by me and he rocketed past me at 175 mph then braked to do turn 1 and powered around from there. I heard and saw him coming and he still frightened me with the speed and sound of it. I don't doubt that some of these guys are hard on the brakes. How can you not be at those speeds? I rode one session with a pro driver in a GTI with 200 hp and automatic to see how he handled the straights and the turns as passenger and that little thing flew...he hit 130 mph and I saw 7,000 rpm on the tach. What he did was keep his average rpms and average speed substantially higher in just about every corner. The BMW M3/4 guys didn't like him because they couldn't catch him and they had 200 hp more than he did. He knew how hard to push the GTI in every corner so their straight line speed did not allow them to keep up with him. Good driver.I went back out in my car the next session a couple hours later and took a minute off my lap times then almost another minute the last session so i did learn but my 76 is stock l48 running as configured about 210 hp and I was unwilling to push a 37 year old car as hard as he pushed the new GTI.

Lance

[lbszr]

It has been on my list to do VIR, it would be good to get a group going as mentioned. I probably won't be ready by May though. cause I'm doing some suspenion mods and would like to get it dialed in on tracks around here before making the long haul to VIR

[ZZZZZR1]

It has been on my list to do VIR, it would be good to get a group going as mentioned. I probably won't be ready by May though. cause I'm doing some suspenion mods and would like to get it dialed in on tracks around here before making the long haul to VIR

Are you installing DRM coil overs? Have you seen MGG (Mike Geyer) posts about installation?

Are you doing anything different and if so what? (are you doing the install?)

Love to hear about it!

:cheers:

David

[LancePearson]

May 4,5 Track Daze at VIR.....I am not going to get involved in racing my car but I'm thinking I will drive it down to VIR and watch others do so at the weekend. If anyone wants someone to work on their crew helping time or anything like that let me know and I'll be glad to do so. Not long after that I'll be driving it to B.G. in May.

Lance Pearson
Chester, Va. 1991 00682

[lbszr]

Are you installing DRM coil overs? Have you seen MGG (Mike Geyer) posts about installation?

Are you doing anything different and if so what? (are you doing the install?)

Love to hear about it!

:cheers:

David

I'm not sure what Mike's last name is, but I probably talked to him. If it's the Mike that has his car in CarDomain. He has great info about modifying the cooling system to get them cooled down on the track. I just went with Dewitts and drilled three holes in the thermostat. It's been run with offset bushings on the front, Lingenfelter FX3 roadrace chip and different controller. This year it's getting 32S 26S bars, 1100-1200 lbs/in, front, 850 lbs/in on the rear VBP leaf spring. Trailing arm adjustable links, smart camber struts for the rear. I went with Danny Popp spring rates cause he raced them in the day and he'll do the ride heighth/corner balance/alignment after I do the install.

If anybody runs out this way, 10/10th's motorsports is a good group. They usually get MidOhio couple times a year.

[lbszr]

May 4,5 Track Daze at VIR.....I am not going to get involved in racing my car but I'm thinking I will drive it down to VIR and watch others do so at the weekend. If anyone wants someone to work on their crew helping time or anything like that let me know and I'll be glad to do so. Not long after that I'll be driving it to B.G. in May.

Lance Pearson
Chester, Va. 1991 00682

Maybe I'll try for May, this is getting me motivated! How's the weather there in May?

[LancePearson]

April and May are two very nice months here. May should be good. They run rain or shine at VIR. There is a skid pad on the property as well and they have various track configurations. the one I liked and did was the full course of 3.27 miles with 17 turns and two kinks. I isn't the widest course you ever saw but it also has few hard barriers with grass and tires and hay bales around if you leave the track. It's out in the country on the Va/NC southern border. You'll see lots of skid marks on the track heading off where people have gone too fast and lost it but a good Corvette Z seems to run somewhere around 2'15" here or a little less per lapo versus a current model ZR1 638 hp which might get under 2' if pushed by a pro level driver. For that matter, a tuned 500 hp zr1 of ours should be able to do pretty close to the same being pushed by a pro level driver as it's a fair amount of carrying speed through the corners to the max possible and good brakes. Paul Newman used to love driving there..one of his favorite courses.

Spring weather is temperate though it can also rain. It's spring. I ran my 76 here on May 11, 2011 and it was 72 degrees, sunny and dry. Either way, they run or did then, wet or dry.

Lance Pearson

[LilRedCorvette]

Hey Shrek, that car looks familiar. Did you used to attend the "Spooktacular" at Summit Point "jefferson " circuit. You may remember some of the regulars at those events. Chuck Wasserrott, Mike Woods, Aaron Quine. We had some good shootouts. Just curiuos if this is the same car I remember.

Yep!! The Spook is where that photo was taken! I think it was the same event Aaron put his C4 into the tire wall right there by the paddock.

I was there and remember all of that.

Still need to make it down to VIR. Watkins Glen is my favorite track thus far, but I have family up there so I have a place to stay for free. :)

I am only an hour away from Summit Point, so I mostly go there for my 'need-for-speed' events.