forklift

http://www.tubas.net/video/Track/sh...ah_cleanlap.wmv , edit: try right click save as, if not try another link on the link below.....

taken from this thread with write up: http://forums.corner-carvers.com/showthread.php?t=20000

I am looking forward to '05!

Mike Buck

OMG!

I can hear the metal crunching now! . . . not going to stop me though

forklift

I have watched it about five times now and can't wait to drive it! The discussion on corner-carvers is a good one, and is best summed up by, "this track would give you movement. You would absolutely love it and never want to leave," and "If you go out there and try to drive *****-to-the-wall your first session on track and f**k up, then maybe you might hit something. But get some seat time on it, and its really not such a bad place if you have your head out of your ***."

DJF1

What a shame, a brand new track full of concrete....It seems to me that it would be more exiting if it was not turning that much. On some instances it reminded me of an overgrown autocross track. Still I would love to drive it even one time!
Tks for the video link!

BrianKeithSmith

I'll bet that track will chew up tires. Holy cow, its nothing but turns.

It definitely wouldn't be suited for my car. My car would be surging in and out of boost the entire lap it would seem.

Brian

Z-man

That launch vid scares me more than the scrape clip!

Quite a busy track.
-Z-man.

John H

Reminds me of the Williams/Budweiser commercial where the driver (his name escapes me) gets out of the car and complains he has no time to rest. The course was laid out like the Budweiser crown.

Bob Woodman could set up a permanent shop on this circuit.

Larry Herman

Nice video of the track. I rode around Shenandoah in a pickup truck in the fall. Besides seeming very twisty and tight, I could not help but notice that all the grass sloped away from the track, towards the barriers. I also felt that there were a lot of poor transitions that would have the car very unstable, if not airborne. Especially at the carrousel. Seems like a combination for carnage. There are plenty of other tracks with little runoff, but usually you have straight forward turns and the car is solidly planted on the track. I hope that the track proves safer than it looks.

Carrera51

I drove the track last month when some Potomac Region instructors evaluated it in its current configuration. I drove the track in my dad's 964 C2 which is set up for track use (ie: Cup suspension) Here are my thoughts:

1) Great track for a 914 or 944 N/A. HP is not the key
2) Monster HP cars are overkill and would be better off elsewhere
3) The track keeps you on your toes.
4) Yes, you could possibly catch air at the crest of the hill under the bridge running the track counter clockwise. My head bumped the headliner, even with a 6-point harnesses.
5) Definately needs more tire walls in some places. There are definately places where a little extra runoff room would be appreciated.
6) A challenging DE track. Personally, I won't be racing on it. To many places where going side by side will result in NASCAR donuts on your doors.
7) A wide variety of corner configurations (ie: on camber, off camber, decreasing radius, high speed, low speed, etc.) It will be challenging, even for the very experienced driver.
8) Instructors who get motion sickness will have a hard time in the right seat. (Fortunately I am not one of them)
9) The carousel is really set up to run counter clockwise. We ran it both ways and the transition coming out of it running clockwise really upset the car.
10) The track can be run in both directions, in several configurations. Counter clockwise is more fun and challenging, clockwise without the carousel flows a little better and will be easier for drivers with less experience. I'll drive and instruct on it next year.

Z-man

Regarding This Video (The Launch out of the Carousel)

If you pop out of the carousel top side, try to save it, get on the grass and then 'hook it' won't you be diving back into the carousel at a very undesireable angle?

-Z-man.

forklift

You guys are killing my enthusiasm quickly! Since I only DE, I am looking forward to it and the challenge. I will stay on the Toyo’s which seem to last forever, so hopefully a few events. Mark, I have thought about the car sickness and have never had a problem w/ that until NNJR for some reason and I wasn’t even instructing. I think it was the food from Biscuitville, yuck.

Of course I would rather have more runoff room and I can’t really understand why all tracks don’t have a minimum standard for this. Such as all tire walls shall be XX yards from the edge of the track. If not there should be foam blocks or maybe even plastic trash cans filled with water etc. The link to the video earlier today is of a track in TX that has nothing but run off. That is the way they all should be. It’s not like they are running out of land in WV. With all of the money put into R&D for car safety, there is next to nothing for track safety (from what I can gather). I would rather pay the track to replace a foam block than to replace the left side of my car.

I will be at the last FATT on Friday and will try to make it over there to walk and maybe drive it if they will let me. For now I am positive about it especially after reading the comments on corner-carvers where most who drove it had reservations, but now really like it (although it still needs some safety modifications). I will just be extra cautious when I do drive it.

Carrera51

Hey Jim:
I actually enjoyed driving the Shenendoah at speed. I didn't mean to kill your enthusiasm. Just wanted to list my person observations. It is definately a track that will take a large bite out of the behind and checkbook of those who do not respect it.

I agree about the foam blocks. They are cheaper than Porsche body panels.

BrianKeithSmith

I thought those foam blocks were like $1500. That is what Lee at VIR told me.

Brian

Carrera51

I think Watkins Glen charges $400 per (so I have heard). No I have not had to purchase any, not yet anyway.

forklift

Hey Mark,

No problem, I will approach the track with the same way I do the others, have fun, but remember this can be dangerous and (very) expensive quickly.