So, who was the yellow car?

[cendiv37]

Didn't you guys see the interview with Hearn afterward?
"If you aint first you're last"

Charlie sure seemed pleased to be second when I talked to him in impound. His smile was ear to ear. Sure he' liked to have won, wouldn't we all.

What I don't think you guys understand is how incredible the draft is at RA, 3 times per lap. It is especially significant when there is a whole "pack" ahead of you. Even 2 guys ahead pulls you along noticably more than one. When that becomes 5 - 6 or more it's like a reverse wind tunnel and you just fly up into the back of the pack. OF COURSE you then try to take advantage of that momentum and improve your position somehow, some way. I had a couple people come up to me afterwords and say "I tried to follow you Bruce, but I just got passed by everybody else. So the next time I had to pass you." For a whole train to go fast, would take a conscious effort by ALL of the drivers to "line it up" and put in good laps and NOT try to improve their position for a while. But on every straight, the guys at the back would be at half throttle a good part of the time. Their lap times would be good but they wouldn't be "racing". Not likely to happen...

A fast lap at RA still requires that you get through the corners fast. Going 2 -3 wide on the straights and into all the corners isn't going to deliver a good time no matter how fast the pack goes on the straights. Many of us used third gear through one as often as not. Not the fast way around...

If you want something different, somehow you need to change it so the formation of the huge pack is less likely. As it is, there is a kind of positive feedback that just makes the pack grow until there is a wreck or big off by someone that breaks it up.

[Speedsport]

When I was told that RA would be hosting the runoffs, my first thought was crap, this is going to be ugly. RA is just not a good track for FV's to be racing at. I was lucky this year to get away from the mess. I will be working hard this winter to try and make that happen again next year. I don't want to be caught up in the mess.

But if you really want to reduce the chances of this happening again, start lobbying to run the chicane before the kink. That would really reduce the pack effect, as it is largest on the run from 8 to 12. After all the issues they had at the kink this year, they might be open to that.

[cendiv37]

Great idea Mike. That might improve things considerably. We need to really look into it.

[hardingfv32-1]

Has the kink ever been used by SCCA, Reg or Nat races?

Did any of the other classes have the same problems with large packs this year? Seems like a hard sell if FV is the only class wanting to use the kink. Why would GT1, FA, or CSR want to ruin that wonderful back straight?

Brian

[cendiv37]

I don't think "The Bend" has been used at SCCA events. I may be wrong.

Technically, the kink is turn 11 on the normal track layout. Mike's suggestion would to add what they call "The Bend" into the layout, slowing everybody down before re-entering the track at turn 11.

Map here: http://www.roadamerica.com/userfiles/fi ... 202009.pdf

"The Bend" is a real chicane and would likely force a slower single file re-entry to the main track. It might actually add another passing zone, it's hard to say.

Mike is not the only one who felt that RA was "not a suitable track" for an FV national championship race. I heard it from a number of people who's opinion's I respect. They felt it would be a "crap shoot" as Mike described it or just plain "dangerous". I can attest that it was both in the battle for 2nd.

Mike also seems to be suggesting that other classes had problems specifically at the kink and that SCCA might consider adding "the bend" to alleviate these problems as much as to make for a better FV race. Considering how small a change adding the bend would be, it might even be possible to add it for just some classes. I don't know if the corner station staffing would need to be changed, but functionally it would just mean moving some cones around. We would have to implement some "short-circuiting the chicane" rules, but that's not that difficult. What I don't know is whether it has ever been run by cars. I assume so, but I only know they use it for motorcycles. It's probably wide enough for Vee's, but there may be problems with bigger, wider cars.

Another "advantage" to adding the bend only for the runoffs would be that it would level the playing field a bit between the locals and everyone else. It won't help me personally, but I can deal with that.

[Matt King]

I've ridden the Bend on a motorcycle. Didn't like it and would hate to see it used for cars. The Kink is the track's signature turn and arguably one of the most famous (and feared) corners on any track in North America. It would be a shame to neuter RA like that.

[cendiv37]

Matt,

I partly agree. The kink is special though much less so in a Vee than for faster, more powerful cars.

BUT, having experienced what I just did, for FV National Championship racing, the track needs to be neutered or someone is going got get hurt. It has happened before. It is bound to happen again.

[problemchild]

What was anybody expecting? RA in a vee is like Talledaga in a Cup car? That the fastest car actually won this year is amazing! The atmosphere and excitement of the Runoffs is back after a 3 year break but let's not confuse this event with a "good" race. Most years, the winner will be determined as 2nd place was this year. Like our Pocono event in NEDIV, anybody has a chance!

Mid-Ohio was, is, and will be the best track to determine the best FV package out there. We will have to wait atleast two more years for that to happen!

[cendiv37]

Hey Greg,

Were you at RA for the Runoff's? If so why didn't you stop by and say hi!
Maybe next year.

[problemchild]

Bruce,
Yes.
It was a great event. I was really glad that I stayed for the FF race. Everybody seemed to be having a great time and I enjoyed it .... much like I enjoy being a spectator at the Pocono races. It is just not an appropriate place to have a championship FV race although it seemed to work well for most of the 27 (or ?) classes and in this case, the deserving FV team won. I was not the one complaining. I think everybody got exactly what they should have expected. Unless we add 3 bus-stops, I don't see that anything will change.

[cendiv37]

Greg,

Glad you enjoyed the place and the event. Everyone I talked to was of similar mind. EXCEPT for how it worked for the FV race, I think it was a successful event. As you say, we really shouldn't have expected anything else. I've partaken before in the 70-car Birthday party, National, Pro-Vee race in 2003. It is the only previous race that comes close to this latest in the level of intensity and near insanity that ensued.

Maybe just one bus-stop would make enough difference to help. Worth a try I think.

[FV80]

...Mike also seems to be suggesting that other classes had problems specifically at the kink and that SCCA might consider adding "the bend" to alleviate these problems as much as to make for a better FV race. Considering how small a change adding the bend would be, it might even be possible to add it for just some classes. I don't know if the corner station staffing would need to be changed, but functionally it would just mean moving some cones around. We would have to implement some "short-circuiting the chicane" rules, but that's not that difficult. What I don't know is whether it has ever been run by cars. ...

I believe that it was run by the Ferrari Challenge cars this year. I ran across that on YouTube somewhere along the way... There's probably other videos of it too.
Steve