I'm planning a trip to Road Atlanta next year - November with Chin Motorsports or NASA South East. It will be my 1st time at that track! I can't wait to check it out.
Road Atlanta highlights
- Thread starter TXPD
- Start date
:lol1: Greg That's just crazy. About like racing through the woods flat out in enduros.
Had buddy that raced with WERA back then. Kevin Rentzell.
His mom and dad, as well as Kevin and his brother were also in SCCA way back.
His Mom passed away 3-4 years ago.
Saw him touch fairing twice with another guy under that bridge.
Made me decide on SCCA instead of WERA racing.
oke:
I liked the dip much better. All the red clay and tires...and pine saplings didn't seem as intimidating.
Y'all ever come back down, let me know. Jim Pantas with SE NASA is an old, old friend. I could join NASA again to run an event or two.
We had been racing together for 9-10 years in SCCA before he went over to the darkside. LOL Great guy. He and Julie, too.
Hell. We're still good looking. When we 1st meet, we all had dark hair...jeez, I HAD hair back then.
Had buddy that raced with WERA back then. Kevin Rentzell.
His mom and dad, as well as Kevin and his brother were also in SCCA way back.
His Mom passed away 3-4 years ago.
Saw him touch fairing twice with another guy under that bridge.
Made me decide on SCCA instead of WERA racing.
oke:I liked the dip much better. All the red clay and tires...and pine saplings didn't seem as intimidating.
Y'all ever come back down, let me know. Jim Pantas with SE NASA is an old, old friend. I could join NASA again to run an event or two.
We had been racing together for 9-10 years in SCCA before he went over to the darkside. LOL Great guy. He and Julie, too.
Hell. We're still good looking. When we 1st meet, we all had dark hair...jeez, I HAD hair back then.
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4 or 5 times. Great track, lousy amenities. Nothing but sand and weathered wooden outbuildings. But that downhill section was awesome.
I see it's part of a golf course now, with some of the trackage used as golf cart trails (Google Earth)
Except when the red clay was running across the track.:lol1: Greg That's just crazy. About like racing through the woods flat out in enduros.
Had buddy that raced with WERA back then. Kevin Rentzell.
His mom and dad, as well as Kevin and his brother were also in SCCA way back.
His Mom passed away 3-4 years ago.
Saw him touch fairing twice with another guy under that bridge.
Made me decide on SCCA instead of WERA racing.
I liked the dip much better. All the red clay and tires...and pine saplings didn't seem as intimidating.
I hadn't thought about it but I guess with the chicane you also miss the high-speed compression from the dip.
Safer I'm sure, but that was a thrill.
I remember Kevin. He was getting real good just as I was winding down. I think he held a class record at Summit Point for awhile.
It looked and sounded like a 'lil bit of "rubbin'" right at the six minute mark....lol
Also, did that white '99-'01 Cobra pop his engine? Sure was smokin' pretty good....lol
Also, did that white '99-'01 Cobra pop his engine? Sure was smokin' pretty good....lol
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yup. there was a little contact there. having no idea how serious it was, i took it easy for a couple of laps which dropped me right back into the jaws of the guys behind me.
the smoker was smoking the entire race...i think. he started in that group ahead of me and at the end there was the first i saw of him. meanwhile there was a lot of smoke ahead of me on a consistant basis. i thought it was brake lockup but the more i think ab out it, it was that guy
the smoker was smoking the entire race...i think. he started in that group ahead of me and at the end there was the first i saw of him. meanwhile there was a lot of smoke ahead of me on a consistant basis. i thought it was brake lockup but the more i think ab out it, it was that guy
If I had not replaced my rear main seal, I would have been smoking like crazy myself. I was getting black flagged my last 3 events with NASA midatlantic cause it was smoking so bad. Glad I am not the only one who has that problem. The crazy part is that I had 2 shops that specialize in Mustangs tell me my engine was shot.
My race in ST2 was going well for about 12 laps... then I decided to try and knock down the front straight wall coming out of turn 12.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehZLwFf6e3A"]Chasing Michael Smith - Thunder Group @ RA - YouTube[/nomedia]
I had Brian Bowers on my tail the entire race and was trying to shake him when we started to catch lap traffic. The car just turned on me and I was just along for the ride. No warning whatsoever. Its pretty banged up as both front frame rails will need to be fixed, the rear cross frame repaired and all panels except the doors and roof will need to be replaced as well.
So since the car is down, I'm using this time to go ahead and put a good aero setup on the car. So once I get the frame, rear tub and anything else in the front that needs to be fixed/repaired (radiator cradle, front inner panels... somehow the radiator recieved no damage and only need to replace the main hose as its got a small leak in it) then I'll be working on getting the body panels ordered.
I doubt I'll get to race much if any at all in 2012, so I'm shooting for 2013 with hopes to make it a litttle sooner than that. I was able to run a 1:35.1xx in the race which is my best time on that track so there is still alot for me to improve on.
[nomedia="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehZLwFf6e3A"]Chasing Michael Smith - Thunder Group @ RA - YouTube[/nomedia]
I had Brian Bowers on my tail the entire race and was trying to shake him when we started to catch lap traffic. The car just turned on me and I was just along for the ride. No warning whatsoever. Its pretty banged up as both front frame rails will need to be fixed, the rear cross frame repaired and all panels except the doors and roof will need to be replaced as well.
So since the car is down, I'm using this time to go ahead and put a good aero setup on the car. So once I get the frame, rear tub and anything else in the front that needs to be fixed/repaired (radiator cradle, front inner panels... somehow the radiator recieved no damage and only need to replace the main hose as its got a small leak in it) then I'll be working on getting the body panels ordered.
I doubt I'll get to race much if any at all in 2012, so I'm shooting for 2013 with hopes to make it a litttle sooner than that. I was able to run a 1:35.1xx in the race which is my best time on that track so there is still alot for me to improve on.
Michael,
I hate it that I did not get over to talk to you during the weekend. TT's with 2 students will keep a person busy!!!
We watched your slide from the front straight wall down from the hospitality pavillion on the TT parking side of the track. Very slow, sideways skid and then into the wall. I had a similar spin at Nationals this year in T1 and just could not believe how far and how long I slide sideways. I never fully figured out why I slide there either. From my perspective, it appeared that you pinched off the exit in order to get the run on the inside of the Mustang. The weird thing is your car almost appeared straight before the backend began kicking out. There was a collective, "ahhhhhhhh" and then a "daaammmmnnn" from the crowd, but I am sure you were screaming something else inside your helmet.
-Kevin
I hate it that I did not get over to talk to you during the weekend. TT's with 2 students will keep a person busy!!!
We watched your slide from the front straight wall down from the hospitality pavillion on the TT parking side of the track. Very slow, sideways skid and then into the wall. I had a similar spin at Nationals this year in T1 and just could not believe how far and how long I slide sideways. I never fully figured out why I slide there either. From my perspective, it appeared that you pinched off the exit in order to get the run on the inside of the Mustang. The weird thing is your car almost appeared straight before the backend began kicking out. There was a collective, "ahhhhhhhh" and then a "daaammmmnnn" from the crowd, but I am sure you were screaming something else inside your helmet.
-Kevin
Michael,
I was standing near Kevin, and as he said, very sorry to see you wreck. You & Brian had a great battle going on and was impressed you were able hold him off through T12 - T3. Hopefully you are able to get it back together soon and back on track!
John
I was standing near Kevin, and as he said, very sorry to see you wreck. You & Brian had a great battle going on and was impressed you were able hold him off through T12 - T3. Hopefully you are able to get it back together soon and back on track!
John
I cant drive on the edge like that. I admire anyone that can.
That is the beauty of running lots of Time Trials. You either learn to drive on the edge or you don't get on the podium. Period.
time trailing is in effect qualifying. its a different mindset than racing. since i am not racing to win right now, its not something that i spend any effort on. i certainly dont think i could run a full race on the edge like that.
Clearly I can't either :nonono:
But thanks guys, it was a great battle and I was doing everything I could to keep Brian back there. He's tough in his vette even with a PTA prepped vette. I expect you Kevin to be tough as well once you get into W2W seeing as how well you've done in TT this year.
I learned early this year just how important qualifying was... its easy when you can out qualify your competition rather than having to try and pass them in the race. And since I was running 3rd and had a Hoosier tire on the line... I was pushing it to see if I could hold on. I did pinch the turn off, but I thought I slowed up enough to keep from upsetting the car when I put the power down on corner exit... just didn't hold for me.
probably the pinch off had a part to play, but you were deep enough in the session where the tires might have given up a little on you as well as the changing fuel load encouraging some more loose as well.
agree about the importance of qualifying. i am more comfortable racing a desperate driver when he is in front of me than i am when he is behind me. it distracts me. ive learned its not just me either. unfortunately its also a very limiting factor unless you qualify up front.
i tagged onto the tail of the fast AI group and was content with that. i was running aix and the leader was pole in the group and long gone. 3rd place i couldnt see in my mirror.
i did see that i was about 2 seconds off the pace for nasa se in st2. that was the most important thing that i got out of that event. the car is competitive in AI if i choose to run toyos and it needs some help, mostly driver, for st2.
agree about the importance of qualifying. i am more comfortable racing a desperate driver when he is in front of me than i am when he is behind me. it distracts me. ive learned its not just me either. unfortunately its also a very limiting factor unless you qualify up front.
i tagged onto the tail of the fast AI group and was content with that. i was running aix and the leader was pole in the group and long gone. 3rd place i couldnt see in my mirror.
i did see that i was about 2 seconds off the pace for nasa se in st2. that was the most important thing that i got out of that event. the car is competitive in AI if i choose to run toyos and it needs some help, mostly driver, for st2.
Mike, as I said before, so sorry about the car, especially now that I see it happen. I agree with Kevin and Rob about cutting inside the backmarker. I caught a slide like that at SP once (wasn't going near as fast), but it shifts the weight, and then the car is playing catchup. That could be why it looked straightened out before the slide, the weight was still transferring (is weight invisible?). And the tires did smoke a bit under braking for the chicane, must have been getting a bit greasy. Sure hope you can came back before 2013. Seeing all my Vette buddy's graduate from Ford products, I love watching you all run together (get in there Kevin).
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