varkwso

Jake and I headed back down to Roebling Road this weekend to run with Chin Motorsports. The 1999 Vette Fixed Roof Coupe is still down with a bad throwout bearing/clutch/etc. (buzzes badly when in gear with clutch depressed) I killed at Roebling last weekend. As a result we teched and loaded up the ZO6 with the manually operated headlight doors and left at 0430 to make the 0700 showtime on Saturday at the track.

Sign in and tech was painless . There were quite a few familiar cars and drivers from Sebring at the event. The drivers meeting is where the "pain" started. They started talking about all the fast Miatas at the event and wanted to make sure all the "Corvettes and Mustangs" did not park in the back half and haul a$$ on the long straight and slow down the Miatas. Now I like Miatas as much as the next "gold chain" guy and was more than willing to give them a fair shot. I must admit I am not fond of "broad categorizations" so I made it a point to do all my passing of Miatas in the "back half" of Roebling. Passing them at Turns 3, 4, 5 and 6 was particularly satisfying . In their defense I have been held up by AMGs, 350Zs and 911s on the back half and blown away on the front straight when I was tracking the Porsche 944S - it is extremely frustrating.

Seriously though, it was a great event . It was a little warm at times - but since you can wear shorts and t-shirts on the track it makes the heat a little more bearable. I especially enjoyed the swim suits and other warm weather gear on the comely lasses. Chin divides into two run groups and give you tons of track time each day. The cones they set out were for momentum cars but we worked around that with our students. I had Todd in his Cobra Mustang (who also consumed Miata's in the "back half") as a student - since he is recently traded his ZO6 for the Cobra to get more track time (now there is a track addict) he is still "one of the family". His car has a killer suspension setup and runs Nitto RIIs. It is a well driven and quick snake. He had run with us at the NASA event the weekend before so he knew the track and his car. I turned him over to the "solo check instructor" and did not warn him about the car or driver - just said he was "ready". Todd like to gave him a heart attack when he turned in at Turn 1 at about 90+ mph and hit the throttle. A "stock" Cobra would have taken a little trip to the berm with the track conditions like they were this weekend. He was cleared solo after about 2 laps. Jake had a Miata (poetic justice I think) on Saturday and a Cavalier Z24 on Sunday - do not see those everyday! The Miata also went solo on Saturday. The Z24 determined 5 year old "free" tires are not the best track day choice. Even so it seemed like they got much better as the day went on and he learned an awful lot. Jake and his students had a blast ripping up the track in the ZO6. I must admit I had a blast taking Todd and Graham out for some track tours. I especially enjoyed my last session out with Graham in the car running with a yellow Z06 and silver Boxster S , both had track tires I would like to state, and then they slunk off to Charlotte before I could talk to them...

I rode with Graham in his ZO6 on Sunday to give him a few Roebling tips - other than taking him faster through most of the corners than he had ever been (100+ exiting Turn 3) - things were great in his car. While smoking down the front straight chasing down a Porsche headed to turn 1 - I start yelling "Deer, Deer, Deer" - Graham mumbled something about not "knowing me that well" when the Porsche in front hit the deer at over 120 mph. I kid you not, it went 30 feet in the air and hit 50 feet to the right of the track. I wanted to see if there was enough to BBQ - but the deer was really hammered. Unfortunately, so was the front half of the Porsche . The driver was OK, bummed out, but OK. I told him it was one incident insurance was clearly going to cover! Other than a lady jumping the fence onto a hot race track to try to find her cat who ran across the track there was no other safety incidents. Quite a few people spun out but there was only dust and pride injured.

Pertinent Highlights:

* I did not get passed by a Miata all weekend.
* We passed many Miatas - almost none on the front straight.
* Jake and I did get most of the remaining track life out of a set Kumho MXs
* Hitting a deer at 120+ mph is not recommended (wish Graham's video had been on!)
* Do not jump Richard's fence at Roebling to chase down your cat across the track.
* We had a blast meeting old friends and making new ones
* The ZO6 is much faster than the FRC (duh)
* Looking forward to running Rockingham in June
* Looking forward to the Hot Rod Power Tour this weekend
* Not looking forward to putting in the new clutch, pressure plate, flywheel, actuator and slave cylinder, now sitting in the living room, on the FRC now currently parked in the yard.

QwickerRon

I hear Roebling is resurfacing the track sometime this year. Any word on when that will be done?

varkwso

Mid July thru September. I will be lost without the patches!

Z06 Silver Bullet

FYI a little doe was there on our May 20th weekend with Nasa and it was literally standing at the track out of turn 1. Thanks god it moved when I came through.
No flag, nothing!!
I think I was the only one who saw it even though it had to be sitting on the track for at least some amount of time.

I almost hit a 6 point buck at the jeffereson circuit one year doing a time trial event.

Flaggers really miss the deer's.

no spin

Dang, I guess they were not kidding when they warn you about the wildlife.

varkwso

I have seen deer at Turn 4 and 5 before. This was the first deer strike at Roebling in at least 16 years. This deer came from the houses on the left side of the track.

varkwso

So when can you come out an play again? I trust your wife is doing great?

jeff

no spin

Hey Jeff

Well we did get go to Sebring in January for Winter Fest. I had signed up for it in early November before we realized how sick she was. It worked out good we were at the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville for two weeks in January for an evaluation. They cut us loose from there on Friday afternoon, drove to Sebring and had a good time. Temps were in the mid 80's so she was happy (she was freezing at NCM CMP). Then drove back to Jacksonville for more testing on Monday. She had surgery in April and is doing excellent we have to go back in August for a week of follow up but after that it is back to the track.

I got a year membership with Chin from that Trackquest event in Nov. so I did want to ask you how their format was for the less experienced.

Tom

yellow01

Sounds fun!

I imagine the miata comments were for particular types or newer folks in mind. We always have gentlemen's rules for passing with dedicated passing zones, and frequently the high HP cars love to drag race even though the car behind is faster through corners. The miata being a momentum player anyway, as soon as they have to slow it takes a bit to get going and they never get the pass they deserve. And like ya said, you've had it happen and I'm sure we all have.

All these weekend reports showing up, I can't wait until next weekend (my first of the year finally)... I think I've organized and reorgainzed the trailer 3 times already

Cisitalia

Jeff,

Great seeing you, Jake and the guys again. What a great weekend, but I need to get used to the heat even with the luxury off shorts and short sleeves. Shorts and short sleeves should be an option at every event and track.

Yes running with you guys was fun. Sorry we did not get a chance to talk before slinking off. They don't let you cross the track often and it was tight just getting the rig ready for the five minutes they let you cross.

The deer situation (not "dear" Graham ) was amazing. I am so glad no one was hurt! and the car can be easily repaired (I think). Here are a few pictures of the Porsche Boxster S that took a deer out. I was expecting to see venison as a special for lunch, but as you said, there was not much left.

Brad

MattW_VA

Great write up as usual!

Man that guy in the P-car must ride around with a horseshoe up his *ss, looks like only the hood (bonnet?) is damaged? Lucky son of a gun..

varkwso

Glad to hear it

It is not bad for the less experienced and the "fast" group was not really that fast...it was near as aggressive as the Barber event I went to in the fast group. Of course I am more comfortable at Roebling than Barber...



I guess I am a little sensitive since I hear, constantly at events, about how fast "they" are in the corners and "we" need to not break their momentum. They are not faster than a ZO6 or even a FRC at Roebling or CMP that is well driven in the tight sections - yes there are some arrogant a$$es in Corvettes who give us a bad rep and cannot drive the cars also. I guess some Miata guys are lot like some Bowhunters vs Gun Hunters (I do both by the way...) they feel they are better since it is "tougher". I have driven really fast Miata's and they do not scare the bejeesus out of me like a high horsepower well set up car does. If somebody gets behind you - point them by - do not let ego get in the way or what "you drive". Heck, I will drive anything at a track and will gladly point by anyone (except Falcon that is....).

Brad we took the dive as soon as Jake's student called it quits and we loaded the trailer. They let us out between cars! Since there was only two cars on track it was no big deal though. I really enjoyed running with Bill and you the last session - I was teaching Graham lots of bad habits though since the tires were grease and I was compensating - I kept on telling him "I hit it this way since we are going to slide about a car length to the outside..."


I kept on telling him it could have been much, much worse

vms4evr

Fun weekend. Damned hot, but fun. Nice meeting Todd and Brad. Obviously hung out with some of the usual suspects. This was my first event with Chin Motorsports. They are not kidding about giving you the most seat time. I had to actually cut sessions short.

My first session I was provisional solo and had one of Chin's chief instructors in the car with me for my drving test. After a warm up lap we ran a couple of hot laps and he said he'd seen all he wanted and signed me off. He asked me if I wanted intermmediate or advanced. I checked off my ego and decided to get more solo seat time in intermmediate before jumping up. I may try advanced at VIR-F in July on the 2nd day. They mark big white X on the back of cars that are new to a higher group or noobs to tell other drivers not to crowd them. That's actually a pretty smart idea on both sides of the coin.

Got a ride with Wild Bill. I think he's still bummed he never got me to throw up the first time I rode with him Rode with Jeff and he rode with me to work on improving. Almost wet my seat going through Turn 3 a fair bit faster than I have done before. Thanks Jeff!!!

The "Deer Hunter" incident was a trip. I had my camcorder in the car but hadn't turned it on for the session. Could have been an awesome video. Oh well... At least I'll know in the future if Jeff starts calling me Dear I'll know he's not flirting and we should plan on stopping very quickly!

I also listened to the speech about you're in a Vette and be nice to the Miatas and Minis because you hold them up in the turns. I too am tired of that story after only my 5th track event. So I gave 1 Miata and 1 Mini a point-by once as a token gesture. After that I ran their butts down from T1-T7 and passed most of them on the short straight between T8 and T9.

To top the weekend off I blew a trailer tire on the way home after it went dark. Fortunately the tire didn't leave the rim and cause the trailer to swing. But a whole chunk of the tire was blown off the side of it...

And I still think Jeff and Jake were yanking my chain about the turn in mark at T7. But it won't be there anymore by the time I get back to Roebling. All you guys are going to be really confused when all your squiggly marks are paved over

Graham

varkwso

"Turn on the sperm when your left tire is on the head" - remember it is only visible early an late .

We will paint it (and other key marks) on the new pavement!

injuner

I know I will personally be lost at roebling without all of the squiggly marks in the track that I use for my references!