TowDawg
Enthusiast
Yeah, but if I have to pass somebody on the isinde and bounce off their car a little or give them a quick bump from behind, I would prefer to have the safety equipment.
Road racing a Gen III?
- Thread starter TowDawg
- Start date
Yeah, but if I have to pass somebody on the isinde and bounce off their car a little or give them a quick bump from behind, I would prefer to have the safety equipment.
SoCal Rebell
Enthusiast
"Going Faster" is a great book, I read it when I started road racing my Gen 2 10 years ago. Another tip is to take a set of channel locks and over tighten the power steering cap.
TrackAire
Enthusiast
Yes to the answer of the Grand Prix road racing course (just to make sure, it had 3 days of Grand Sport Corvettes and 1 day of Formula Mazda).
I too had to fly to Arizona, but the rates are pretty cheap because of the South West hub. I stayed right across the road from Bondurant at the Wild Horse Pass Casino/Hotel.
It is less than a year old and was much nicer than anything up in the Lake Tahoe area. There are about 5 restaurants in the facility and about 5 minutes up the hiway are multiple malls with just about any type of food you could imagine.
Since it's Arizona, the summer rates are much less than the winter rates at the hotels. Two weeks ago, the rates were $79 a night for a very nice room.....probably even less in the dead of summer.
Cheers,
George
EXHLR8N
Enthusiast
Hi Scott - I would recommend you call Dan Cragen at DC Performance (310) 841-6996. He is the one of the top 3 most knowledgeable about Vipers. However from my experience (I have been tracking a few times each year since 2003):
BRAKING: Very important (you can better your times at the track simply by breaking later and hard). Pads, racing fluid (so fluid doesn't boil as easily), stainless steel brake lines (huge) ---- Vipers are all about braking and accelerating in straight lines. Braking very important!!!
SHIFTING: Light weight fly wheel and Hurst shifter (Gen 3's are difficult sometimes downshifting and finding the right gear)
HANDLING: "aggressive street" alignment (still can drive on the street) and tire pressure (if you are using PS2's, on normal day start at 29 lbs .... take pressure readings when you get off the track each time ... don't let over 35 lbs hot).
ENGINE: Comp coupe oil pan or Gen IV (issues on oil starvation on hard right turns ... you can actually see the oil pressure drop ... some people have lost engines; oil level - check before each session (I would put 1/2 quart+ over the "FULL" position).
SAFETY: Minimum must have roll bar and harness (I have 5 pt ... most people like 6 pt); Driving Shoes (easier to "heel-toe" and navigate the pedals); Consider driving suit and Hans device (more advanced)
INSTRUCTION: I try to get an instructor to ride with me at least one session each time. They help you will lines and apexes, braking points, and, more importantly, being smooth and aggressive (getting on the gas earlier and braking later). After a session with an instructor, you can easily improve times by 6 plus seconds.
If you are near a track that is going to have "Viper Days" ... now NARRA, this is a great program, offers instruction, and is all about Vipers.
These are a couple of quick thoughts. Have fun!
BRAKING: Very important (you can better your times at the track simply by breaking later and hard). Pads, racing fluid (so fluid doesn't boil as easily), stainless steel brake lines (huge) ---- Vipers are all about braking and accelerating in straight lines. Braking very important!!!
SHIFTING: Light weight fly wheel and Hurst shifter (Gen 3's are difficult sometimes downshifting and finding the right gear)
HANDLING: "aggressive street" alignment (still can drive on the street) and tire pressure (if you are using PS2's, on normal day start at 29 lbs .... take pressure readings when you get off the track each time ... don't let over 35 lbs hot).
ENGINE: Comp coupe oil pan or Gen IV (issues on oil starvation on hard right turns ... you can actually see the oil pressure drop ... some people have lost engines; oil level - check before each session (I would put 1/2 quart+ over the "FULL" position).
SAFETY: Minimum must have roll bar and harness (I have 5 pt ... most people like 6 pt); Driving Shoes (easier to "heel-toe" and navigate the pedals); Consider driving suit and Hans device (more advanced)
INSTRUCTION: I try to get an instructor to ride with me at least one session each time. They help you will lines and apexes, braking points, and, more importantly, being smooth and aggressive (getting on the gas earlier and braking later). After a session with an instructor, you can easily improve times by 6 plus seconds.
If you are near a track that is going to have "Viper Days" ... now NARRA, this is a great program, offers instruction, and is all about Vipers.
These are a couple of quick thoughts. Have fun!
Shandon
Enthusiast
Since most have already said what needs to be said I won't repeat it. I have been to Bondurants in Arizona and I have been to Viper days and Mid-Ohio' School etc. To ME (IMO) the Viper is just boring on the street, pretty to look and hear but unless your breaking laws and running from cops it's just a beautiful show car (nothing worng with that).... For myself however, taking my Viper to the track is second only to the hottest sex you will ever have! Your hearts racing your adrenaline is pumping and the car just loves it and wants more. I don't think it matters what level of driving experience you are at it's a blast to do and what these cars are made for. Im not and probably never will be the fastest guy on the track, I just love being out there. The sound of that V-10 screaming out those side pipes while the tires sing as they try to hold for that apex, the smell of brakes and spent fuel. Yea it's just AWESOME! You add that with some other Viper/track folk and its just a downright good time! If your in TN you should PM me and Ill get you some dates when we go out with the PCA. Als Mid Ohio's school is a great place and there last day of the school is a full day all day open track. I go up once a month to do that. More track time than my body can handle but love every minute of it. Take your time, ask questions, have fun and NEVER skimp on brakes, tires or safety
!
!Cobraken
Enthusiast
And if you don't think you are getting enough opinions here, wait until you get to the track!!!
Having been a worker / instructor at hundreds and hundreds of schools, I am not likley to ever again get in a car on track over 120 mph unless it has harnesses of 5 or 6 pt. And for the piddly 25-$40 extra, 6pts hold you down and back in the car much better, esp if the seat breaks off its tracks./
In order of why:
Driver Errors,
Mechanical failures
Other driver errors
The OE belts, and airbag 1997+, is designed to help you in 70 mph frontals. Above that you are going to be very sore, or worse.
Personal note: I am still coughing up a dose of ABC-Dry-Chem, from a car-fire I was able to extinguish yesterday at PIR. Luckily the driver had excellent safety equipment and was able to extricate himself. He Stayed conscious, unhurt, etc. It was only my 4th car-fire where I was the solo responder, but I was able to save the car, because the driver was able to save himself! If he had been hurt or unaware, Id' have to extricate him FIRST....and let the car burn a while longer...
Be Safe....Have Fun. In that order......
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Simple -- roll bar or Autoform top ( approved by SCCA as noted prior), and belts. First two items I would get for the track as the stock brakes and other items are so superior to the Gen IIs. I would like get a better oil pan third and as some have suggested maybe the best item prior to all of this would be a racing school. Having been to over 10 schools, the very best , in my estimation , is at Miller Motorsports Park. There is tons of run off, the course was actually designed for Vipers ( direct from the course designers lips ), Cindi Lux is a regular instructor and though they run Mustangs , it is a well balanced coupe with decent torque , so the school car time translates well over to the Viper.
Not a big fan of Bondurant, as though the training is top notch, the track is extremely strange and unlike any you will drive anywhere else --essentially a ribbon with wrinkles and just up and back with little, real track similarities , in my opinion.
Not a big fan of Bondurant, as though the training is top notch, the track is extremely strange and unlike any you will drive anywhere else --essentially a ribbon with wrinkles and just up and back with little, real track similarities , in my opinion.
Shandon
Enthusiast
Im with Bill on Bondurants track. The experience and learning was seriously awesome but the track realy is not that similar to others and honestly not in all that good of shape. Only school I have been to that really focused on trail braking. Mid-Ohio's School is almost as good and that track is freaking AWESOME! I had more fun in the Acura cars at Mid-Ohio than I ever did in those yellow Vettes Bondurants uses
I have heard only wonderful things about Miller Motorsports School plus if you can get Lux as an istructor well thats just an awesome bonus. 
I have heard only wonderful things about Miller Motorsports School plus if you can get Lux as an istructor well thats just an awesome bonus. TrackAire
Enthusiast
Now that I've done a formal driving school I'm going to make it a point to do at least one school per year, trying different schools at different tracks.
What suprised me was the amount of Navy Seals and other goverment agencies that get to come to the Bondurant school via our tax dollar. I had a group of 10 Navy Seals there while I was attending. They had them drive G8's, Caddys, police package Tahoes and lifted Jeep Cherokees. Since they do not pay to replace any cars they wreck (like us), they were not allowed to drive the Vettes due to past wrecks/destruction.
Apparently Bondurant is not the only school the Seals get to attend...many in the group had been to O'Neil Rally school in New Hamsphire plus some other 4wd driving schools.
I wouldn't call the Bondurant track a race track compared to an Infineon, Laguna Seca or Thunderhill for example. But for learning car control it really is based on precision driving.....one tire widths difference on apex placement can screw up your next two or three corners. Other than the front straightaway (not very long in race track terms), you're constantly steering, braking, shifting, etc. Although the Vettes were fun, the Formula Mazdas were a freaking kick to drive.
Cheers,
George
What suprised me was the amount of Navy Seals and other goverment agencies that get to come to the Bondurant school via our tax dollar. I had a group of 10 Navy Seals there while I was attending. They had them drive G8's, Caddys, police package Tahoes and lifted Jeep Cherokees. Since they do not pay to replace any cars they wreck (like us), they were not allowed to drive the Vettes due to past wrecks/destruction.
Apparently Bondurant is not the only school the Seals get to attend...many in the group had been to O'Neil Rally school in New Hamsphire plus some other 4wd driving schools.
I wouldn't call the Bondurant track a race track compared to an Infineon, Laguna Seca or Thunderhill for example. But for learning car control it really is based on precision driving.....one tire widths difference on apex placement can screw up your next two or three corners. Other than the front straightaway (not very long in race track terms), you're constantly steering, braking, shifting, etc. Although the Vettes were fun, the Formula Mazdas were a freaking kick to drive.
Cheers,
George
