Oktoberfest and VIR

I just spent the last 2.5 days at Oktoberfest. VIR is a track that everyone should drive at least once during a driver's education (DE) event. The track is fast and not hard on brakes or tires. There were about 5 or 6 coupes there. Our cars (coupes) are so much fun on that track it's hard to describe. When you're finished, you just start craving to go back for more.

BMW Mobile Tradition brought four race cars and sold rides around the track for $25 each. They brought the McLaren F1. Wow!! Another guy brought the street version and had it parked for everyone to look at. What a car!

I ran into Terry (Pinecone) and his wife there. We were in the same autocross group and the same DE run group. He had his M3 light-weight there for the autocross, and his E46 M3 for the DE event. I'll let him tell us all of the details when he gets back, but he was in the top 2 or 3 times for the autocross.

It was great to see several of the Homecoming people there. Much fun was had by all.

Reply » Oktoberfest and VIR

I got to drive VIR for a few laps this spring during One Lap of America.

What a great track! I never did get the back section (the series of corners going downhill toward Hog Pen) right. I wished that I could have spent a day or two in a DE so that I could learn the track.

It is a great track, I loved the Dancing Esses and then coming around Oak Tree and onto that back uphill straight.

Reply » Oktoberfest and VIR

If you think VIR isn't hard on brakes or tires, you're doing something wrong.

Lots of the turns are incredibly deceptive and take a LOT of courage, though. I love the Hogpen/Rollercoaster complex, the Uphill Esses, and turn 10.

Reply » Oktoberfest and VIR

Quote:

If you think VIR isn't hard on brakes or tires, you're doing something wrong.

Lots of the turns are incredibly deceptive and take a LOT of courage, though. I love the Hogpen/Rollercoaster complex, the Uphill Esses, and turn 10.

My comparison should've been clarified. I was comparing it to our local track, Carolina Motorsport Park (CMP). It is like a meat grinder on tires and brakes.

Dwayne

Reply » Oktoberfest and VIR

This is totaly unrelated, but it reminded me of something... My friend saw a kid driving a McLaren F1 around the other day. When he got out of the car, my buddy asked him how the old he was and what the deal was. Apparantly he is 17 and his dad was out on business....

I hope to GOD he didn't hurt the car at all. I have a feeling his dad would probably kill him...

Reply » Oktoberfest and VIR

Hi Dwayne. It was great seeing you again. I did take 2nd in Class 5B in the autocross in the LTW.

The autocross course was AWESOME, I LIKE high 3rd gear autocrosses. And maybe next time Dwayne will have more fun if he gets all 4 tires at the right pressure.

Of course, from my vantage point the reason VIR was not hard on your brakes and tires was you were going too SLOW.

But VIR is definately an awesome track, very fast and very slow, straightforward and very tricky, lovely setting, and overall just a great place.

I was pretty disappointed with some of the B group on Tuesday (not you Dwayne), after 2 - 3 sessions pople should be at least approximating a line and hitting turn in, apex and track out be closer than 1.5 car widths like some people. Also I expect B group people to be more heads up about faster cars, followed one car, with instructor for almost a full lap without a point by.

I did run A group on Wed and that was a DREAM. A 10 car train broke up in 2 passing zones, with heads up drivers giving points bys to not only the cars behind them, but the cars pointed by the cars behind them. It was the most fun I had in a DE, because it wasn't frustrating.

I am having to go to brake cooling ducts sinceeven with a nice drive from Oak Tree through the paddock and out ot the gate and back, without touching the brakes (or hardly at all) I still got a long pedal after 2 - 3 sessions.

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