dp35

Last weekend I was the lucky “guest driver” for rounds 3 & 4 of the first season of the Spec Race Atom series at VIR. Besides being an Ariel Atom owner & fan, I have no other affiliation.

For those that aren’t aware, these are race/track versions of the Atom that were built for this spec series. The SRA cars are NA Honda powered with approx. 220 hp, and have upgraded safety items, bespoke dampers, and run on spec Hoosier R6 tires. Minimum weight with driver is 1,515 lbs. For this year, all of the races are on various versions of VIR, which is also where the cars are built. TMI builds the cars, runs the race series, and also stores & maintains most of the cars.

I was there to help test & develop this new car. We made numerous setup changes over the weekend, and between that & me learning the track better, I was able to get down to a 2:07.0 on VIR’s full course. I assume that’s a decent time, but I know that a driver with more skills and/or experience at VIR could do a second or two better.

TMI has a long background in racing, so they know how to run a race & pamper drivers. Everything they’ve done is first class, from the build & prep of the cars, to the new purpose built semi trailer & massive awning that are used by all of the drivers on race weekends.

Considering that race licenses are not required for this series, I was pleasantly surprised at the speed & awareness of most of the drivers in the field. I also got some stiff competition from local driver Aaron Elsner, who aced me out of pole for the first race of the weekend. In the race we had a blast running close together and trading the lead, until he followed me off the track & spun. For a guy with no real race experience, this kid is impressive. I had to leave for the airport before Sunday’s 2nd race, but did manage to qualify P1. Although I have to admit that Aaron nailed the fastest lap of the weekend at 2:06.6.

I’ve owned my Ariel Atom for five years now, and have dreamed the whole time of battling with another quick driver in an identical Atom. I normally race Spec Miata, so I know all about close racing in equal cars. But doing it in something this fast is a thrill on another level. Hopefully the video linked below demonstrates how much fun we had. Speaking of the video, all of the Spec Race Atoms have the same data acquisition and dual in car camera setup, as well as a dedicated support person to troubleshoot this if needed and help analyze driver’s data if not (another example of a first class operation).
Had this series been started two years ago, when I was participating in threads on this forum contemplating “should I go racing or keep doing track days…”, I would’ve been the first to sign up. IMO this is the perfect transition from track days to racing, with fast cars, great support, and a top notch track at a very reasonable price.

VIR: This is my new favorite track! I’ve been to a lot of tracks, including most on the west coast, and nothing I’ve seen compares to this. Not only is the track super fast, technical, and challenging, but the grounds are the most beautiful & well kept I’ve ever seen. If you haven’t been there, put driving VIR on your bucket list & find an excuse to experience it. When you do make sure to stay & eat at the track too, because those parts are also excellent.

dp35

This is the Spec Race Atom I drove:

333pg333

Very cool. Looks like a heap of fun and great for racecraft!

Veloce Raptor

2:07 is very respectable!

Hal

I came in with the PCA group Sunday afternoon. I watched a good bit of the final race. It looked like a lot of fun. Very nice!

ProCoach

Darin, It was a delight to have you drive in the series and thanks for sharing!

The video/data integration and support for the series is provided by my company. I'm proud to be associated with TMI's effort.

When this program was hatched by Dave Goadby, Mark Swain and Brent Gates last winter, I think we all thought we'd be fortunate to have eight to ten cars on the grid.

Now, we're approaching double that, with three additional cars sold this past weekend!

Many of the guys are starting out their wheel-to-wheel racing in this series. With the tight oversight and communal approach, it offers the ideal blend between competition and camaraderie.

Thanks for your post, Darin.

Potomac-Greg

I hope it's a success. I assume that if enough of the spec cars get sold, the series will expand to other tracks and regions. The video does a good job of showing the dynamics of the car.

Greg Smith

What's a weekend run?

TRT41

the atom in your avatar has front and rear wings, but the spec car has neither. What did you think about the difference in them?
Looks like a blast to drive.

A.Wayne

Sweet ... nothing like splitting an Atom ....................

356wannabe

Spec cars but your competitor seemed to pull away on even short straights. Cars really seem twitchy and eager to swap ends? It was amazing to see how fast these cars turned in and how strong they accelerate. My track day car is a Caterham and the Atom is sort of a space-age version of it.

Sean F

what was the deal with that correction at 2:36?

Circuit Motorsports

On throttle oversteer. While the engine is in the back it's still really easy to overload the rear wheels in the Atom with heavy throttle application. The plus is they are relatively easy to catch in that situation.

TRT41

engine in the rear? WTF, who would do such a crazy thing?

Circuit Motorsports

Well it could be considered mid engine but the way it all sits as a FWD engine/gearbox it's sorta hybrid like.