I just finished my gearbox and have it setup for the shorter tracks we have here in Colorado. Ideally it is setup to top out at 137 mph but if I push the red line a little and use bigger tires it gets me a LITTLE more. I am planning a road trip to the PCA club race at Watkins Glenn. Looking at the track map it seems that if you count a couple 90mph+ turns (3-6 I think) there is nearly a mile long full out section. Does anyone know how fast the top GT 3 or GT 4 cars are going there?

 

I dont know how fast the gt3&4 cars are going, but the fastest part of the glen is the back straight entering the bus stop. Try the pca website and look at some of the lap times for previous club races, you could get a ball park of tops speed from that I guess.

oh yea, you might want to think about making your room reservations soon


<img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />

 

You probably want to gear for something around 145. I get up to 129-130 in my street car there.

 

Dave,

I take my 1995 Ferrari 355 Challenge car to the Glen and on the back straight I can hit 150 mph before braking and shifting down.

My car has the same Brmebo 14 inch system that many GT3 cars use but my car weighs about 300 pounds more (HP is similar).

I would think that the GT3 Race cars could hit closer to 160 given their weight and the people who race them.

Jon P. Kofod
1995 F355 Challenge #23

 

 

Thanks for the input. Average lap time for the #4 finisher (the website does not list 1-3 for some reason)was 102mph. The next few spots were pretty close. If anyone knows Michael Bavaro, Keith Peare, Christopher Musante or David Coleman they were the top finishers last year in GT 3&4.

As this PCA race coincides with a family/friends vist we already have a couch to surf.

 

Dave,
I consider Watkins Glen my home track. I would not even try to match the times of Bavaro and Keith Peare..it is down near 2:00 flat. Keith runs a 914-6 in GT-4. Chris Musante and Dave Coleman are below 2:10. I run a GT-4 type 914-6 and run in the 2:15s. The back straight for me is near 145 mph...so if you plan to go below 2:15 you better have a taller fifth.
Pete

 

That's the kind of information I was looking for. I didn't really figure I would be at the top but I figured those guys would be running the absolute maximum possible top speed for such a car so that would be safe. I might be able to get to 145 by using a little taller tires and push that red line a little, although 5th gear would not be hard to change. I am surprised that is 15 seconds difference between the top guys and the regular guys.

Thanks a Lot for your info, I will try to look you up when I get out there. I will be in the orange 73 RSR clone #73

 

Dave,
The difference is horsepower, tire patch, light car and..*****.I keep my footdown almost all the way around ..shifting 22 times a lap to keep my little 2.7 spun up. The 2:15 gives a small safety margin. The key is carring momentum onto the front straight and foot to the floor up the esses to the back straight and how much nerve you have going thru turn 5 ( old numbering system) which is the down hill sweeper after the inner loop. Great track..has a great rhythm to it.Lots of fun ..lots of terrain change.
Pete

 

So do the esses you are refering to start right after the sharp right hand turn after the Start/Finish? It looked to me like radii 3-7 on the map posted at The Glenn website were all out turns, the way I figured it radius 3 was the slowest at 88 mph (figuring 1G corning force and driving the middle of the track). If you can take those turns with your foot to the floor I figure that makes almost a mile of full acceleration.

Do they run it with that kink at the end of the staright, radius 19, I think I heard it refered to as the bus stop?

 

The esses start the second turn past start/finish, or the first right hander after pit-out. Both rights after start/finish are pretty fast turns, then it is the long climb up the esses, then the track flattens and its about flat out run to the bus stop. Depending on your car and your "*****" you can take the esses flat out. Take a look at the map on the glens website that shows the elevation changes, it helps give an idea about what the glen is all about. Ive never run at the glen without the bus stop, I hear there were some horrific crashes, cars running straight off the outer loop, so they put the kink in to slow things down a bit..
I think either the metro NY group, or the reisentoter gruop have a drivers-ed the two days before the club race so you might want to think about registering for them

<img src="graemlins/drink.gif" border="0" alt="[cherrsagai]" />

 

If you really really have *****, you won't lift on turn 10 (the fast left before the right onto the front straight), right Pete?
I come close to not lifting, but lift slightly every time. Too much of a pucker factor there.
Pete, will I see you there in May with Trackmasters? They will be running an exclusive Top Gun group all weekend. I'll let you pass me on the sweeper if you can. Ha ha.
Mike Allahverdi

 

Mike, I will be at the Trackmasters event May 11-12. Look me up, I will be driving a white C2 club racer #15.

Charlie

 

Charlie, OK I'll look for you. I'm the one with the very green 951, #71.
Mike

 

Mike,
I will be there and I lift for ten in order to carry better entry and exit from 11..for that is the important turn for it leads to the front straight. I will ready for "top gun".
Pete