Coco_951

All,
I believe we have an opportunity to impact the timing of the races at this event. According to the email sent from registrar all 3 races will be held on Sunday. I'm not a fan of that, seems like a very late day at the track and Saturday becomes a lot to do about nothing. I'd like to see Saturday evening enduro, may be difficult with daylight, or Satuday evening sprint then Sunday morning Enduro then final sprint in the afternoon. I like finishing racing 3 or 4 pm Sunday not 6pm.

Spec944 #143

Agreed, all three races on Sunday makes for a tired tow home.

I did not sign up for the enduro because I remember they had it Sunday last year. If it was held saturday evening or sunday morning I would probably sign up for it.

Horus2000

I'm more disturbed by the fact that you guys got the email and I didn't. I've been signed up since day one.

Toby Pennycuff

I'll see Bill Miller, our Club Race chair, this weekend at our DE at MSR. Will ask him about planned schedule and let you know.

And frankly, I wish we would alternate between MSR's 3.1 course and Eagles Canyon. I admit a bias because I keep my car at MSR, but honestly, the facilities and infrastructure, not to mention the track surface itself, are MUCH better at MSR.

Horus2000

Agreed on MSR. I would probably prefer the 1.7 config, but the 3.1 would make for a more interesting race. I like MSR much better for all of the reasons you mention, plus just more fun with a few fast sweepers.

Spec944 #143

I did not receive an email- I am just resonding to the original post.

as for the site of the race I have no problem MSR as long as it is the 3.1.
I have raced on the 1.7 and between ECR and the 1.7, I would prefer ECR.

jakermc

ECR's track surface is an absolute mess. With a softly sprung car, like a Spec 944 perhaps, the track is tolerable but its no fun to drive a stiffer car out there. At last year's NASA race I struggled to find a suspension setting that worked on my 996 and didn't send my car into black ice mode in the braking zones. I'm sure with lots of testing I could find an ECR-specific set-up that would make me feel better about the track, but I don't have the time or intelligence to figure that out. The track surface is so different than eveything else we drive that IMO it would take a very good race engineer to figure it out. Then we have the issue that there isn't a single 4th gear turn on the entire track ....

I am hoping my air cooled 911 is ready for the PCA race as I really don't look forward to another race at ECR in my 996. If the 911 and its softer torsion bars are ready, I'll do back to back weekends with NASA and PCA this year. Otherwise, I might skip it altogether.

Very few people I know prefer ECR over MSR. I can only think of two reasons why PCA stays at MSR:

1) It is more economical, i.e. maybe ECR charges less than MSR?
2) A certain national PCA official has close ties to ECR

(I love ya Bryan, that's not a personal attack. I know I would be heavily biased if I were in the same position so perhaps I am just projecting)

As suggested, I would love to see the PCA alternate back and forth between the two tracks. Especially if MSR were on the 3.1!

Olcha911

Next Year's race is confirmed for MSR, FYI...

Coco_951

Olcha - stink fast and full of information! That will be a great change to go back to MSR! I'm surprised everyone pushing for the 3.1 as I've only driven the new section once and was highly unimpressed. I haven't been to ECR since last club race(I'm a member too) and hoped to hear the surface issues were resolved.

jakermc

Woo hoo!

The new section at MSR has a few areas that are unique and fun. The run down the hill through the S curves followed by the quick left hander, the rise up the hill and down into the toilet bowl, and the speed that is carried into Ricochet which is complicated by the slight rise in what should be a braking zone. Each of these areas become exponentially more fun and challenging the faster you get. If you don't like it now, give it more time and a few more laps ...

My next challenge on the 3.1 is to get Ricochet right. When running the 1.7 I am very fast here, data shows my min speed from turn-in to track out is 91 mph. But when I run the 3.1 I am much slower as I am having trouble negotiating the rise and braking zone to reach my targeted turn in speed, I over slow every time.

Ricochet is actually one of my favorite turns on any track I have been to. Its hard to compare anything to the Kink at RA, but like the former, my hair stands on end everytime I get this turn perfectly right.

TRT41

I've never met a track I didn't like, of course some more than others. Part of the appeal of racing is the challenge of learning new tracks in a short period of time. I wish I was a faster learner!
I don't think Bryan has a bias, other than the PCA CR being safe and successful. I do think alternating is a good idea, in order to support both tracks and let us race both locations.

Toby Pennycuff

GREAT NEWS Keith! Thanks for the update.

BigKraut

We are required to have 3 practice sessions and the practice starts/fun race before any sprints or enduros. They can schedule one of the sprints for Saturday afternoon following the practice starts/fun race but we would have a compressed schedule with less time between sessions. If the racers are willing to endure a quick turn around between the fun race and the sprint then management is willing to entertain the idea. My understanding is that they were attempting not to upset anyone who felt they didn't have enough time between sessions to prepare for the next one.

Olcha911

Even more information- We will probably run the 1.7 at MSR, because we did have a well-attended club race several years ago on the 3.1, and the back section got terrible reviews from the racers because you can only pass in three places over the entire back section. Also, it is easier to learn the 1.7 for first-timers since you make so many laps in each practice session.

We have lots of flexibility in refining the club race schedule for next month at ECR. I'm sure we can make everyone happy...

-Keith

Coco_951

The fun race certainly has it's place in PCA's rookie program but for the rest of us it's not very "fun". I would actually combine race groups and have 1 fun race then yes short turn around time and into combined enduro (depending on number of racers). That way the rooks get screwed a little bit on having to hustle but the rest of us who wouldn't do fun race anyways get 3 practices then enduro. If you dont like the enduro then do fun race.... Sunday I'd do warmup, qualifying, 2 sprints, and home for dinner. If I had my own club race that's how I'd do it :-)