VIR - breakdown of corners and proper line?
11-07-2007, 12:09 AM
#1
Three Wheelin'
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VIR - breakdown of corners and proper line?
hi guys,
Can anyone point me to a link or thread is a corner by corner guide to VIR and explains the best line (i did a search, but didnt find anything too great).
thanks
=r
Can anyone point me to a link or thread is a corner by corner guide to VIR and explains the best line (i did a search, but didnt find anything too great).
thanks
=r
11-07-2007, 08:35 AM
#6
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Rob,
You're going to really like VIR, it flows well , elevation changes, varying corners and lots of runoff. Whenever you go to a new track it is always good to find out where must of the mistakes or incidents occur and why , they are not always obvious ( I.E. turn 7 at Tremblant) . Have fun .
You're going to really like VIR, it flows well , elevation changes, varying corners and lots of runoff. Whenever you go to a new track it is always good to find out where must of the mistakes or incidents occur and why , they are not always obvious ( I.E. turn 7 at Tremblant) . Have fun .
11-07-2007, 10:03 AM
#7
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im looking for something like the corner-by-corner breakdown of the Glen that is on the Zone1 website.
I have seen a few videos, but its always hard when the video quality is not great and you dont really know whos driving.
Mike - hey, how are you?.. Yes, ive heard VIR is similar to LCMT and im excited.
I have seen a few videos, but its always hard when the video quality is not great and you dont really know whos driving.
Mike - hey, how are you?.. Yes, ive heard VIR is similar to LCMT and im excited.
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11-07-2007, 10:04 AM
#8
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This is what a friend sent me before I went there & raced for the first time:
Dave,
Turns 1 - 3 are relatively straightforward.
Turn 4 is a slow speed left hander that requires quite a bit of rotation to get the car turned with minimal understeer. Like many corners if you get 4 wrong 5 is blown and so is most of your straightaway speed up the esses (5a through 10).
As for 6-9 don't let the curbs (rumble strips, gator strips whatever you call them) scare you. Use them! If you are carrying enough speed through there in a streetcar (anything over 2000 pounds without a big wing) you'll automatically drift towards them. Some people (with big attachments) even go a bit into the grass but I don't. Some people stay off the curbs but this slows you down.
Turn 9 and 10 are very high speed flat out corners. Turn 9 is more like a kink but 10 is taken quite fast into 11-11a, which is famously referred to as Oak Tree.
Turns 11 and 11a are very important to getting good exit speed out of oak tree onto the back straight. You will likely do at least two downshifts here, either one right before 11 and then another at 11 or both at 11a before coming out of 11a onto the straight.
Smoothness and quick gear changes as well as perfect braking are a must here or you get bogged down and lose momentum out of Oak Tree onto the main straight.
For my BMW Oak Tree is a second gear corner in the SRF it's a third gear corner.
Back straight is pretty simply just nail it!
Turn 14 and 14a can be taken with two different lines so do what instructors tell you to.
Turns 15 - 17c are to me the most technical and hardest. You have to take 17c (down hill right-hander) nearly flat out, which takes some ***** and a perfect setup so you don't get any understeer.
As will said it's not the most technical track overall but I feel there are some good technical sections like 15 -17c and getting turn 4 and 5 right.
Last thing, VIR has tons of run off room which is good if you go off, but for some reason the worst wrecked cars I have seen are usually at VIR. My personal theory is that because the abundance of run off room exists people aren't as careful.
Good luck and have fun.
Dave,
Turns 1 - 3 are relatively straightforward.
Turn 4 is a slow speed left hander that requires quite a bit of rotation to get the car turned with minimal understeer. Like many corners if you get 4 wrong 5 is blown and so is most of your straightaway speed up the esses (5a through 10).
As for 6-9 don't let the curbs (rumble strips, gator strips whatever you call them) scare you. Use them! If you are carrying enough speed through there in a streetcar (anything over 2000 pounds without a big wing) you'll automatically drift towards them. Some people (with big attachments) even go a bit into the grass but I don't. Some people stay off the curbs but this slows you down.
Turn 9 and 10 are very high speed flat out corners. Turn 9 is more like a kink but 10 is taken quite fast into 11-11a, which is famously referred to as Oak Tree.
Turns 11 and 11a are very important to getting good exit speed out of oak tree onto the back straight. You will likely do at least two downshifts here, either one right before 11 and then another at 11 or both at 11a before coming out of 11a onto the straight.
Smoothness and quick gear changes as well as perfect braking are a must here or you get bogged down and lose momentum out of Oak Tree onto the main straight.
For my BMW Oak Tree is a second gear corner in the SRF it's a third gear corner.
Back straight is pretty simply just nail it!
Turn 14 and 14a can be taken with two different lines so do what instructors tell you to.
Turns 15 - 17c are to me the most technical and hardest. You have to take 17c (down hill right-hander) nearly flat out, which takes some ***** and a perfect setup so you don't get any understeer.
As will said it's not the most technical track overall but I feel there are some good technical sections like 15 -17c and getting turn 4 and 5 right.
Last thing, VIR has tons of run off room which is good if you go off, but for some reason the worst wrecked cars I have seen are usually at VIR. My personal theory is that because the abundance of run off room exists people aren't as careful.
Good luck and have fun.
11-07-2007, 10:11 AM
#9
Rob,
You're going to really like VIR, it flows well , elevation changes, varying corners and lots of runoff. Whenever you go to a new track it is always good to find out where must of the mistakes or incidents occur and why , they are not always obvious ( I.E. turn 7 at Tremblant) . Have fun .
You're going to really like VIR, it flows well , elevation changes, varying corners and lots of runoff. Whenever you go to a new track it is always good to find out where must of the mistakes or incidents occur and why , they are not always obvious ( I.E. turn 7 at Tremblant) . Have fun .
That is an outstanding tip about learning where most incidents occur and why. I do that as well, and no, it is not always all that intuitive. The places that seem rather benign at first can be very dangerous. Southbend comes to mind. It doesn't seem all that scary, particularly when you have just exited the climbing esses, but when you stop to think about how many cars have died there it is worth treating with a lot of respect. You might not realize that the wall on the left is the main culprit or that there are some drainage obstacles and "bumps" on the right that must be avoided if you do the right thing and drive off straight if you get into trouble.
Same thing with T3, and to a much lesser extent, T4. T3 seems like a pretty standard left-hander, but the walls are closer than they initially appear, and a relatively minor off can end with bodywork damage pretty easily, so it pays to be on your toes there. T4 can do the same, but usually speeds are low enough to catch. Snake can be nasty as the walls are closer than you think as well.
Finally, the big thing to watch with VIR is that even in the places where there appears to be plenty of runoff, the elevation changes and grass mean that you will sometimes accelerate if you go off track if the grass is wet at all (including in the morning dew).
So, you will love VIR, but, unlike the blue armco at Watkins Glen that demand your respect from very first glance, the dangers of VIR are disguised with all the charm of a Southern Country Club. As with a Southern Country Club, the charm will dissolve rapidly if you disrespect the locale, or locals for that matter . . .
11-07-2007, 10:21 AM
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The entire section between 2-5a can bite you. Because its all slightly elevated. So if you go off track, in just the right manner, you're gonna pick up some speed before you stop. Where you stop is sometimes out of your control 
(T3 - twice for me)
(T3 - twice for me)
11-07-2007, 10:22 AM
#11
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Last thing, VIR has tons of run off room which is good if you go off, but for some reason the worst wrecked cars I have seen are usually at VIR. My personal theory is that because the abundance of run off room exists people aren't as careful.
Good luck and have fun.
Good luck and have fun.
My fave track. I get killed on it but it has some of everything.
So, you will love VIR, but, unlike the blue armco at Watkins Glen that demand your respect from very first glance, the dangers of VIR are disguised with all the charm of a Southern Country Club. As with a Southern Country Club, the charm will dissolve rapidly if you disrespect the locale, or locals for that matter . . .
11-07-2007, 10:37 AM
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Rob, for a good description of a "hot lap" follow this:
go to www.na-motorsports.com
click on "road courses", then "Southeast, "Virginia", "road courses active", then finally "Virginia International Raceway" and scroll down to "Hot Lap".
You can find videos at tracktapes.com
Bob
go to www.na-motorsports.com
click on "road courses", then "Southeast, "Virginia", "road courses active", then finally "Virginia International Raceway" and scroll down to "Hot Lap".
You can find videos at tracktapes.com
Bob
11-07-2007, 11:34 AM
#14
The wall and the condo's are on the left side...
T10 is where you see most pros go off in races (and maybe T3 NASCAR)
Most beginers and intermediate drivers will tap the brakes to set the front end. Advanced drivers will just lift for a split second and pros will take it w/o lifting. You need to get back on the gas well before the apex to keep the rear end planted over this blind corner. It is CRITICAL to kiss the gators taking the corner as a late apex and use all the track.
If you do go off DRIVE OFF STRAIGHT to the right and don't try to save it as you will hook a tire and shoot across the track into the armco. Just avoid the drainage cavity at the bottom of the hill (usually has cones near it)
Just my $.02 having seen alot of carnage there.
11-07-2007, 11:57 AM
#15
Nordschleife Master
This is what a friend sent me before I went there & raced for the first time:
Dave,
Turns 1 - 3 are relatively straightforward.
Turn 4 is a slow speed left hander that requires quite a bit of rotation to get the car turned with minimal understeer. Like many corners if you get 4 wrong 5 is blown and so is most of your straightaway speed up the esses (5a through 10).
As for 6-9 don't let the curbs (rumble strips, gator strips whatever you call them) scare you. Use them! If you are carrying enough speed through there in a streetcar (anything over 2000 pounds without a big wing) you'll automatically drift towards them. Some people (with big attachments) even go a bit into the grass but I don't. Some people stay off the curbs but this slows you down.
Turn 9 and 10 are very high speed flat out corners. Turn 9 is more like a kink but 10 is taken quite fast into 11-11a, which is famously referred to as Oak Tree.
Turns 11 and 11a are very important to getting good exit speed out of oak tree onto the back straight. You will likely do at least two downshifts here, either one right before 11 and then another at 11 or both at 11a before coming out of 11a onto the straight.
Smoothness and quick gear changes as well as perfect braking are a must here or you get bogged down and lose momentum out of Oak Tree onto the main straight.
For my BMW Oak Tree is a second gear corner in the SRF it's a third gear corner.
Back straight is pretty simply just nail it!
Turn 14 and 14a can be taken with two different lines so do what instructors tell you to.
Turns 15 - 17c are to me the most technical and hardest. You have to take 17c (down hill right-hander) nearly flat out, which takes some ***** and a perfect setup so you don't get any understeer.
As will said it's not the most technical track overall but I feel there are some good technical sections like 15 -17c and getting turn 4 and 5 right.
Last thing, VIR has tons of run off room which is good if you go off, but for some reason the worst wrecked cars I have seen are usually at VIR. My personal theory is that because the abundance of run off room exists people aren't as careful.
Good luck and have fun.
Dave,
Turns 1 - 3 are relatively straightforward.
Turn 4 is a slow speed left hander that requires quite a bit of rotation to get the car turned with minimal understeer. Like many corners if you get 4 wrong 5 is blown and so is most of your straightaway speed up the esses (5a through 10).
As for 6-9 don't let the curbs (rumble strips, gator strips whatever you call them) scare you. Use them! If you are carrying enough speed through there in a streetcar (anything over 2000 pounds without a big wing) you'll automatically drift towards them. Some people (with big attachments) even go a bit into the grass but I don't. Some people stay off the curbs but this slows you down.
Turn 9 and 10 are very high speed flat out corners. Turn 9 is more like a kink but 10 is taken quite fast into 11-11a, which is famously referred to as Oak Tree.
Turns 11 and 11a are very important to getting good exit speed out of oak tree onto the back straight. You will likely do at least two downshifts here, either one right before 11 and then another at 11 or both at 11a before coming out of 11a onto the straight.
Smoothness and quick gear changes as well as perfect braking are a must here or you get bogged down and lose momentum out of Oak Tree onto the main straight.
For my BMW Oak Tree is a second gear corner in the SRF it's a third gear corner.
Back straight is pretty simply just nail it!
Turn 14 and 14a can be taken with two different lines so do what instructors tell you to.
Turns 15 - 17c are to me the most technical and hardest. You have to take 17c (down hill right-hander) nearly flat out, which takes some ***** and a perfect setup so you don't get any understeer.
As will said it's not the most technical track overall but I feel there are some good technical sections like 15 -17c and getting turn 4 and 5 right.
Last thing, VIR has tons of run off room which is good if you go off, but for some reason the worst wrecked cars I have seen are usually at VIR. My personal theory is that because the abundance of run off room exists people aren't as careful.
Good luck and have fun.