Top speed on the back straight has a lot to do with when the braking zone starts. In the M5 (in which I have reeled in many a 996TT on that straight), I typically saw up to 163 mph (speedo, not GPS), but my braking zone started much earlier than Dell's and most others' here. I can see a TT using the additional few hundred feet to push well into the 160s.

Now that the M5 is retired from the track, in my E36 M3 track car I am braking past the 1, but only from around 135.

 

Data shows that despite having a speed that was equal to or better than Dell's on track out of Oaktree ( ), I was only able to reach a whopping 107 mph before braking at the "0" in my SP2 944.

I will remind you all that lag is infinite on a normally aspirated 944.

 

ya, that definitely makes sense, cause I go in pretty deep before I start braking and those 2-300 feet def equal a mph or two



DAYUM that 944 sounds fast...

 

And don't forget the time you blew by me on the bridge straight

 

In a momentum car, the back straight is like a rubber band. You can be all over the cars in front of you entering, and exiting, oak tree . . . and then you watch them pull away . . . and then you watch them rush back up towards you as they brake so much sooner and so much more than you have to . . . and often you are right back on their bumpers by the top of the hill . . . with appropriate gestures at that point if they had pointed you by and failed to lift

 

136 for me w/ 250 hp. http://members.rennlist.com/forklift/VIR9.07.2.11.wmv

I have hit 140 before, but that is when it is cooler out, it was around 85F for that lap.

I feel really bad for you guys w/ 380+ hp and crappy gearing. Try 250hp w/ crappy gearing. Usually I don't even see 5th gear...but then I guess it is all relative as TD had what, 160hp?

Trackvision is cool because I can run my vid next to another trackvision vid to check out min speeds through corners. I did this w/ the Plymouth video and found the *min* speeds were fairly similar at the apexes at most corners (he was usually 0-5 more, iirc) except he crushed me at the bend at the end of the back straight (+20iirc) and the entry into hogpen (+15iirc). Exit speeds were meaningless as I think that thing had 800 hp (and slicks and a huge wing). Still it was cool to see what the differences were. From that I think I can also stay on the throttle longer going into the Esses also.....maybe.

 

Just recently have I been able to hit 5th gear on the back stretch. I didn't start hitting 5th until I was consistently breaking 2:10. It all depends on my exit speed from Oak Tree, the wind on the back stretch, and more importantly, the brass ones I need to go deeper in that braking zone each and every time. I found my limit once and trailbraking coming down from 150+ for a quick L/R into the roller coaster is what I live to call a "come to Jesus" moment

 

Grand total of 147 hp my friend. That's it.


It really is interesting to me that many of the production cars have similar "minimum" speeds in the various corners. I would have thought that the different tire patches and suspension geometries etc. . . . would have had a much larger impact on the minimum speed necessary to navigate a corner successfullly.

 

I have never driven a REALLY fast car at VIR...but I did drive Seth's GT3 at Road Atlanta, pre-repave. Saw an indicated (digital display) 157 mph coming down into 10a. W00t!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I was close, I almost wrote 150.

My published hp is 247, w/ the cat and primary bypass I can probably add 10-12, but then (maybe) take that back out since it has the original 95k miles on it. Not sure what it has really, doubt it will see a dyno anytime soon either.

 

Yeah, I need to look up your thread w/ the Cervelli Summit data again and compare to this past weekend...esp T6 that was the big stand out last time I compared. You made big progress on that corner if I recall correctly (in addition to the others).

 

HOLY CRAP!!!! That some serious speed. A 157 on the speedo with proper diameter tires has shown to be roughly 152 on the Traqmate.

 

They were RA1's.

 

End of August, TrackDaze event. Went four wheels off, hit the drainage ditch, got airborne, spun it, backed into the vacant flag stand (backward). It looked pretty bad, and that pricey Euro body kit was demolished, but he's getting it back from the shop today.

You'll recall the "Progressive coverage for on-track incident" thread? The answer is "yes".

 

Word brother. My tach stops moving on the back straight hill. combo of air resistance and hill use 100% of the screaming 90 HP. Even so I have almost punched cars as we shuffle into the down hill.