wch

A triumph of hope over experience: I have signed up for a September event at this track. Organizers say the date is a done deal, I say "thanks, but I'll take the bridge and Florida land." Anyone know whether the track really is near completion?

Mike Buck

Will be out there this weekend Bill, so I'll give it a look. Last I was there(mid-May) things still looked pretty rough. I too am hoping to run that track in '04

Dbltime

I was at Summit last week. I did not inspect the new track progress but did notice lots of heavy equipment, (graders, dump tracks...) working.

jford

I too am looking forward to a Sept. event at the new track. Along the same lines can anyone offer any cons (not that I am a pesimist by nature) to running a new track...i.e. surface possibly slippery with new paving etc. I was at Summit last week and if the track is indeed ready for Sept., it will be just ready. That is to say I don't think there will be time to test it, if they do such a thing. Just thinking out loud here. Thanks.

Jamie

pcsanady

If you look at the Summit Point schedule all of the events scheduled for the Shenendoah track have been cancelled. I just hope it's finished before the Potomac event at the end of October ...

DGaunt

I guess the biggest problem at new tracks is the lack of black marks to show you the line and where to spin.....

Seriously, if it is hot, green pavement can get pretty torn up and put lost of gravel just off line. This happened when Mosport was re-paved shortly before a very hot Club Race Weekend. turn 1 had a trench in it and just driver's left of the line looked like a gravel parking lot. This, in spite of them sweeping it several times during the day.

jford

Dave,
Thats the type of issue I am concerned about. Some guys at a DE were saying once that they ran Limerock after it had just been repaved and it was very slick. Wondering if there is some type of break in procedure they run on a new (or repaved) track.

Jamie

Mike Buck

The best thing to do would be to pave it and let it sit . . . for a year. But with all the anticipation building for the completion of this track, I doubt BS will elect to do that. I believe VIR sat for a year before they reopenned in 2000. That surface has held up pretty well, but it too is starting to crack and crumble a bit. Noticed this during a track walk in the fall of '03

Jim Michaels

I agree with Mike. New tracks, or repaved tracks, that aren't allowed to "cure" for a few months seem to start crumbling early. The decision to postpone the opening of VIR seems to have been a good one, as it has held up well so far. Some may remember that parts of Summit Point were repaved several years ago and we went right at it soon afterward. The newly paved parts started breaking up (especially near apexes) so badly that they placed apex cones out into the track. There was so much loose stuff flying around that some (including me) just pulled in and packed up. I'm looking foward to Shenandoah, but I'm willing to wait for proper curing.

DAR951

Actually that's not entirely accurate.

All Shenandoah events through August have been canceled... September on remains.

However even those could be a stretch... was there last night and while work continues (Jersey walls all, or pretty much all, seem to be in place and the soft tire walls in front of them are going up) there are still track sections remaining to be paved... got a ways to go...

jen993

As much as I would like to drive Shenandoah this fall, I agree that the best thing they can do is let the track sit over the winter.

pcsanady

You're right; I was thinking one thing and typing something else:<(

Alan G.

Yeah that really s**ks. VIR is a favorite NASCAR Test Track so it was only a matter of time!

DGaunt

A few more comments on brand new pavement.

All tracks in the north east have concrete patches in the high lateral force corners. Most southern ones don't. The reason is that any asphalt that will survive winters (frost) will not tolerate the side loads a modern slick-shod race car can generate.

The newness of the pavement and ambient temperatures exacerbate this.

As far as 'slick' new pavement is concerned, I am certain that new asphalt 'sweats' oily fractions from the tar in the mix. My evidence of this is the oil/water mix you can see on fresh asphalt when it rains. That, and a lack of rubber makes new tracks pretty slick.

Interesting thread.

jford

Dave,
I have heard the same thing from other drivers. This is an interesting thread and will be very relevent for those of us trying to get some time on the new track (or any new track for that matter). The subject has deviated from the initial topic of the post however which is limiting the feedback for a very important topic. Might be a good idea to start a new thread driectly relating to driving a new or repaved track.

Jamie