Well I just rolled in from VIR Viperdays and I have to say it was an amazing event - I never knew what I was missing. There were about 100+ cars registered which made for a slightly crowded track at times, but it was far better than any street experience I ever had. I loved the laid-back feel of the paddock and grid. The lack of peer pressure made getting on the track and actually learning something a thousand times easier than any drag strip I've been to. No one there judges anything, there's simply a "you screwed up and this is how you fix it" mentality, then you go back out and fix it. The heat and humidity was intense - there were a lot of people getting ill from it (myself included) - if you plan to go make sure you dress and hydrate appropriately - unlike me who wore my only light fabric long sleeve shirt - which was black.
One of the cool things about this event was that on the ride home I noticed I had retained a lot of the track style in my street driving. My shifting depended more on power-band than tach position. The car was much easier to hold between the lines. Narrow passages weren't as difficult. Probably the most important thing was that my desire to stay ahead of other cars completely ebbed away. Through Norfolk I had a Camaro SS try to goad me into a little speed exhibition and as he took off all I kept thinking was "Its all good bowtie boy. I'll own you at the offramp and won't even have to shift to do it."
Here are a few of the many things I learned on the track: (individual results may vary.)
- Skip will show you a new seating position - it'll be uncomfortable at first, but my 400mile drive home was ache-free just like he said it would be.
- The new ZO6s aren't as amusing when wearing Hoosiers.
- Tom Sessions doesn't like to be referred to as that "Sweaty Tech Guy."
- Dr. Phillip is the real Dr. Phil, just not the one on TV.
- The transmission is part of the braking system.
- Pilot sports and Brakemans actually need to be warmed up - never noticed before.
- A hottie 18yo girl in a black RT is not only serious competition, but has at least a 150lbs weight advantage over the rest of us.
- Woodchucks are not as cute and fuzzy as "Wild America" made them out to be.
- Skip Thomas once earned money as a stripper, but REALLY doesn't want to talk about it.
- Don't do what Eddie does.... ever.
- Bring lots cash to the Saturday night buffet.
- A comp coupe would be VERY difficult to live with on the street.
If you are a newbie to the road racing and want to have some fun, or just want to come learn your car a little better, then here are a few of my observations of what me and the other "Green Group" drivers experienced. (For those who have already attended a Viperdays can skip this next part.)
- Don't pack heavy
You won't have time to do anything but learn to drive so don't pack anything that takes away from this goal. Everyone in my group brought tons of stuff to either clean the car between runs or maybe occupy time between sessions. You won't have time for either. The track sessions are designed to get you on the track and then directly into the classroom to discuss then cool off before your next run. Unless you're willing to give up your bathroom visits you won't have much time to accomplish anything else.
- Find an instructor you're in tune with
I went through 5 instructors this weekend. I didn't work well with either instructor I started out with on either day, but had a great time with all three instructors I ended the days with. Its very important that you and your instructor are compatible. If you don't completely trust them (for whatever reason) and/or they do not completely trust you, approaching a 90 degree turn at 135mph isn't fun - its terrifying. For the both of you. Two of my instructors were great to be with because they saw the line I was comfortable with and re-enforced my confidence in pushing the limit. Instructors swap all day long - it no big deal to them and shouldn't be for you. Also, when I swapped instructors the first day I took 18 seconds off my lap time - that's what good student/teach combos get. It turns out that that a fellow member here had a great time with the instructor I dropped so it ended up being a benefit to two people.
- Don't be afraid to question the instructors instruction
At least three times during my experience I had an instructor tell me to do exactly the opposite of what Skip was teaching in the classroom. I found out this was mainly because of the experience of the instructor. A neon racer has a completely different line than a comp coupe driver. Its just natural that they would teach you the line they are most comfortable with. If this happens just say "Well Skip told me to stay to the right here" and if your still not comfortable bring it in an discuss with Skip directly. Getting two different instructions is not only frustrating, but can be very, very dangerous at speed. If the instructor is worth anything they will not be offended in the least either.
- Take your time on the course
One thing I noticed some of the other rookie drivers doing was trying to push the car way too soon. Just because you're on a really fast course and others are passing you at 100mph+ doesn't mean you have to try to keep up. Don't fall into that hole. If you want your first trip around the track to be at 50mph then so be it - if you allow others to pass you can drive 50mph all day long if thats what you're comfortable with. I watched the numbers all weekend - the fastest person in the green group was at least ten seconds behind the slowest person in the white group. You're not going to break any records so make the most of your time on the track.
- Do not engage the ebrake as soon as you come off the track!
I did this myself and knew better - I counted at least four other drivers who did the same thing. The rotors are about 900 degrees when you pull off the track - maybe more. That's enough heat to melt your brakepads to the rotors - permanently. Not a fun or cheap fix.
- Know your passing Zones
One of the most annoying things on the track is when you cannot pass a slower driver. Same goes here. When you have a faster driver behind you, don't try to outrun them on the straight-aways (which are the only legal passing zones on the track.) As you come out of the corners take your line and point the other guy by immediately so they can take advantage of the passing zone and be out of your hair. I had several people try to out accelerate me on the straights only to realize 10ft before the no passing zone that they weren't going to do it. That's simply not enough time to pass.
- Watch where you park.
I fully admit even I didn't notice this until the second day. When you run your session and pull into the paddock, don't drive your car onto the sand to let it cool. All that dirt covers your VERY sticky tires and takes time from your next session to scrub them off. Also it means you'll be taking dirt out onto the track with you. Worst imaginable case would be pulling out onto the track and discovering only then you have zero traction.
- Once moving VIR requires only two gears
3rd and 4th. Took me forever to learn this - the viper has more than enough power to compensate for the slow turns. Don't let the little corners intimidate you into shifting down which will take away attention from the track.
- Pre-tech early Friday
Try to get through pre-tech as early as possible. There was a huge line Saturday morning and some people missed their first run because they were waiting for either pre-tech or upgrades.
- Do your upgrades before you get there
I spent almost $1500 in track parts because some of my equipment wasn't race-ready. I can't tell you how disappointed I would have been if I gotten there and couldn't afford to upgrade, or Archer didn't have the parts or time. Both me and the guy I drove up with needed work and I missed most of my first session because I was stuck in the shop. As a rookie you will not have time for repairs during your day so come prepared.
- Don't sleep and Drive
As the day wore on you could see how sloppy people were becoming in their driving. Heat and humidity steal energy so if you feel a little bit tired or dizzy you're probably approaching exhaustion. It happens quicker than you think. I didn't even realize heat stress was on me until I noticed I had stopped sweating - I was in a car at that point. Had I continued the session I probably would have been taken to the ER or worse. I still ended up violently ill for the rest of the night.
- Do drink then drive
On Saturday I drank 25 bottles of water during the course of the day and still went to sleep thirsty. I lost twelve pounds in a twelve hour period. If its 95 degrees on the track you will need to keep hydrated.
Don't let the hype of the VRL race or the witty banter of the seasoned drivers shy you away from this weekend. We had two young girls in our class just learning how to seriously drive - one of them was only 16. We also had a much older woman there learning to control her husbands SRT. There were at least two cars on track that may never have broken 100mph even on the straight-aways. It is a learning class, and it's a lot of fun. At the very least you'll go home a better driver.
Lastly - after my run around the track with Tom Atherton I became acutely aware of sheer bravery of the instructors. Here I was riding in a professionally prepped racecar, with a full safety cage, being driven by a semi-professional driver and I thought I was going to die at least 30 times. These guys (and gals) get into a similarly fast car, with no major safety devices, driven by someone who probably gets tense running through construction zones, with no experience at high speeds. And like Skip said during the meeting - they probably don't even know your last name. I have a newfound respect for the instructors. The must have balls of cast iron to do this for fun.
Rich, Eric, Steve, Phil, and Skip - Thank you all for taking the time to teach me the track. I'm confident now that next year I can find another ten seconds on my own.
One of the cool things about this event was that on the ride home I noticed I had retained a lot of the track style in my street driving. My shifting depended more on power-band than tach position. The car was much easier to hold between the lines. Narrow passages weren't as difficult. Probably the most important thing was that my desire to stay ahead of other cars completely ebbed away. Through Norfolk I had a Camaro SS try to goad me into a little speed exhibition and as he took off all I kept thinking was "Its all good bowtie boy. I'll own you at the offramp and won't even have to shift to do it."
Here are a few of the many things I learned on the track: (individual results may vary.)
- Skip will show you a new seating position - it'll be uncomfortable at first, but my 400mile drive home was ache-free just like he said it would be.
- The new ZO6s aren't as amusing when wearing Hoosiers.
- Tom Sessions doesn't like to be referred to as that "Sweaty Tech Guy."
- Dr. Phillip is the real Dr. Phil, just not the one on TV.
- The transmission is part of the braking system.
- Pilot sports and Brakemans actually need to be warmed up - never noticed before.
- A hottie 18yo girl in a black RT is not only serious competition, but has at least a 150lbs weight advantage over the rest of us.
- Woodchucks are not as cute and fuzzy as "Wild America" made them out to be.
- Skip Thomas once earned money as a stripper, but REALLY doesn't want to talk about it.
- Don't do what Eddie does.... ever.
- Bring lots cash to the Saturday night buffet.
- A comp coupe would be VERY difficult to live with on the street.
If you are a newbie to the road racing and want to have some fun, or just want to come learn your car a little better, then here are a few of my observations of what me and the other "Green Group" drivers experienced. (For those who have already attended a Viperdays can skip this next part.)
- Don't pack heavy
You won't have time to do anything but learn to drive so don't pack anything that takes away from this goal. Everyone in my group brought tons of stuff to either clean the car between runs or maybe occupy time between sessions. You won't have time for either. The track sessions are designed to get you on the track and then directly into the classroom to discuss then cool off before your next run. Unless you're willing to give up your bathroom visits you won't have much time to accomplish anything else.
- Find an instructor you're in tune with
I went through 5 instructors this weekend. I didn't work well with either instructor I started out with on either day, but had a great time with all three instructors I ended the days with. Its very important that you and your instructor are compatible. If you don't completely trust them (for whatever reason) and/or they do not completely trust you, approaching a 90 degree turn at 135mph isn't fun - its terrifying. For the both of you. Two of my instructors were great to be with because they saw the line I was comfortable with and re-enforced my confidence in pushing the limit. Instructors swap all day long - it no big deal to them and shouldn't be for you. Also, when I swapped instructors the first day I took 18 seconds off my lap time - that's what good student/teach combos get. It turns out that that a fellow member here had a great time with the instructor I dropped so it ended up being a benefit to two people.
- Don't be afraid to question the instructors instruction
At least three times during my experience I had an instructor tell me to do exactly the opposite of what Skip was teaching in the classroom. I found out this was mainly because of the experience of the instructor. A neon racer has a completely different line than a comp coupe driver. Its just natural that they would teach you the line they are most comfortable with. If this happens just say "Well Skip told me to stay to the right here" and if your still not comfortable bring it in an discuss with Skip directly. Getting two different instructions is not only frustrating, but can be very, very dangerous at speed. If the instructor is worth anything they will not be offended in the least either.
- Take your time on the course
One thing I noticed some of the other rookie drivers doing was trying to push the car way too soon. Just because you're on a really fast course and others are passing you at 100mph+ doesn't mean you have to try to keep up. Don't fall into that hole. If you want your first trip around the track to be at 50mph then so be it - if you allow others to pass you can drive 50mph all day long if thats what you're comfortable with. I watched the numbers all weekend - the fastest person in the green group was at least ten seconds behind the slowest person in the white group. You're not going to break any records so make the most of your time on the track.
- Do not engage the ebrake as soon as you come off the track!
I did this myself and knew better - I counted at least four other drivers who did the same thing. The rotors are about 900 degrees when you pull off the track - maybe more. That's enough heat to melt your brakepads to the rotors - permanently. Not a fun or cheap fix.
- Know your passing Zones
One of the most annoying things on the track is when you cannot pass a slower driver. Same goes here. When you have a faster driver behind you, don't try to outrun them on the straight-aways (which are the only legal passing zones on the track.) As you come out of the corners take your line and point the other guy by immediately so they can take advantage of the passing zone and be out of your hair. I had several people try to out accelerate me on the straights only to realize 10ft before the no passing zone that they weren't going to do it. That's simply not enough time to pass.
- Watch where you park.
I fully admit even I didn't notice this until the second day. When you run your session and pull into the paddock, don't drive your car onto the sand to let it cool. All that dirt covers your VERY sticky tires and takes time from your next session to scrub them off. Also it means you'll be taking dirt out onto the track with you. Worst imaginable case would be pulling out onto the track and discovering only then you have zero traction.
- Once moving VIR requires only two gears
3rd and 4th. Took me forever to learn this - the viper has more than enough power to compensate for the slow turns. Don't let the little corners intimidate you into shifting down which will take away attention from the track.
- Pre-tech early Friday
Try to get through pre-tech as early as possible. There was a huge line Saturday morning and some people missed their first run because they were waiting for either pre-tech or upgrades.
- Do your upgrades before you get there
I spent almost $1500 in track parts because some of my equipment wasn't race-ready. I can't tell you how disappointed I would have been if I gotten there and couldn't afford to upgrade, or Archer didn't have the parts or time. Both me and the guy I drove up with needed work and I missed most of my first session because I was stuck in the shop. As a rookie you will not have time for repairs during your day so come prepared.
- Don't sleep and Drive
As the day wore on you could see how sloppy people were becoming in their driving. Heat and humidity steal energy so if you feel a little bit tired or dizzy you're probably approaching exhaustion. It happens quicker than you think. I didn't even realize heat stress was on me until I noticed I had stopped sweating - I was in a car at that point. Had I continued the session I probably would have been taken to the ER or worse. I still ended up violently ill for the rest of the night.
- Do drink then drive
On Saturday I drank 25 bottles of water during the course of the day and still went to sleep thirsty. I lost twelve pounds in a twelve hour period. If its 95 degrees on the track you will need to keep hydrated.
Don't let the hype of the VRL race or the witty banter of the seasoned drivers shy you away from this weekend. We had two young girls in our class just learning how to seriously drive - one of them was only 16. We also had a much older woman there learning to control her husbands SRT. There were at least two cars on track that may never have broken 100mph even on the straight-aways. It is a learning class, and it's a lot of fun. At the very least you'll go home a better driver.
Lastly - after my run around the track with Tom Atherton I became acutely aware of sheer bravery of the instructors. Here I was riding in a professionally prepped racecar, with a full safety cage, being driven by a semi-professional driver and I thought I was going to die at least 30 times. These guys (and gals) get into a similarly fast car, with no major safety devices, driven by someone who probably gets tense running through construction zones, with no experience at high speeds. And like Skip said during the meeting - they probably don't even know your last name. I have a newfound respect for the instructors. The must have balls of cast iron to do this for fun.
Rich, Eric, Steve, Phil, and Skip - Thank you all for taking the time to teach me the track. I'm confident now that next year I can find another ten seconds on my own.
