Tempuratures were at record levels for the latest Mid Atlantic NASA event at VIR. Reports of 107 degrees on Saturday topped the 100+ 4 days there and if I hear right not a single person was overcome by heat thanks to Bob the water Nazi. LOL
This event was a normal NASA MA event with the added bonus of the Ultimate Track Car Challenge presented by GrassRoots Motorsports Magazine and Pirelli Tire that so many drivers competed in. It was reported that 65 cars were signed up to compete against each other in several classes to determine the ranking of pure speed at VIR. Some owners enlisted pro drivers to take their cars to the top and some of us amature drivers
chose to take matters in our own hands. Either way you look at it...it was man and machine against the clock.
For me...I found myself on a new setup which proved effective and predictable even though I just could not find the edge to push into the next level of finding time on the track even though I picked up 3 seconds over my best overall time there. This will come in time with the help of many people. My best time this weekend was 2:29.7. Many thanks to King Rat Motorsports for the support this weekend.
From our young driver that has discovered the addiction of HPDE's with NASA. This is his recap of the weekend.
Road Atlanta... the fearsome beast of the Southeast. An internationallyfamous track that I've driven on countless times in dozens of different
virtual vehicles in racing simulator video games. None of this could
prepare me for the incredible experience that is Road Atlanta.
This
track honestly robbed me of my confidence as a driver. The first two
sessions on Saturday proved to be very frustrating, influenced by the
incredibly slow and fearful drivers that accumulated into massive
impenetrable trains on track, causing me to have to brake far earlier
and turn far slower than I was capable of if the track was open. This
lack of practice with hard braking and fast cornering resulted in my
first unintentional off-track excursion while passing an E90 M3 on the
front straight. I had forgotten what the feeling of needing to truly
stand on the brake pedal was like, and didn't attempt to turn as
sharply and as quickly as my car was capable of. This lesson resulted
in a good hour of picking gravel out of my suspension; I was lucky.
This
experience drained me of my confidence, and it took until mid-day on
Sunday when I had finally gained the trust in myself and my car to
really crank out some hot laps. I have to thank Joe Ippolito for having
faith in me as an instructor; showing me the ropes even after slipping
up.
Riding in his monstrous VQ35-swapped Sentra was an absolute
treat, and provided me with insight as to where I could safely push
harder, brake later, turn in quicker and exit faster. By the final
session with the DE2 students mixed with our class, I was able to take
the dreaded turn 12 at full throttle. I conquered my demons from turn 1
and pushed to the absolute limits of the car's grip, gaining on all
those with higher horsepower in front of me. The downhill esses turned
into a hectic roller coaster. My confidence was back.
While this
was an incredible experience, what I realized most was that I have an
incredibly long road ahead of me before I come anywhere close to
keeping up with someone like Joe on track. I hope to eventually possess
his level of trust and confidence in his own abilities and his car's
capabilities. He really opened my eyes to what a driver can truly be
capable of. While I was faster than many, I have a ways to go before I
am fast enough to satisfy myself.
The beast known as Road
Atlanta not so easily tamed... but I've got many years ahead of me to
practice and keep trying. Perseverance will be the key.
