SiberianDVM

Can someone give me a quick run-down on the shelter and amenities that will be available at Road Atlanta August 11-12? It will be our first time there and and I want to keep the GF happy.

She will put up with a lot of things, but sitting out in the rain and no bathrooms or food/drink are not on the list.

TIA

todinlaw

I do not know anything about this event but I have raced RA many times. I love that track my favorite. Bring your *********, as this is a fast track and intimidating. there are two paddocks one on the inside of the track one on the outside. the have lots of bathrooms but there the port o pot type and one every 50 fee when I was there. they have some covered shelter area to observe the track and hang out. all the paddock is paved and in good shape. Lots of parking in your group is using both paddocks.

An absolute blast to drive in my opinion. The first time I ever raced there, i never stepped foot on the track jumped into an unknown race car to do the third stint in an 8 hr enduro. It was a trip as there are a few blind apexes.

there is video on Utube, study it before you go.

SiberianDVM

Thanks, Frank. Do you know if there are grassy areas near the paddocks where you can pitch a tent?

P.S. I'm sure I'll be scared ****less on my 1st laps.

GuyIncognito

well if you really want to keep the GF happy, there's an outlet mall a few miles up I-85, and/or there's a spa at Chateau Elan (Don Panoz's hotel/resort/winery)

SiberianDVM

She'll have to walk, 'cuz I'm gonna be trackin' the car.

GuyIncognito

SiberianDVM

Yep. And she'll look like this , and I'll be doing this

facelvega

For DE, it is unlikely that they will open the infield. Looking at the track map on their site, you will probably enter gate 2 or 3 , clear security, and go left to the support paddock area and the RV area. The first area (support paddock) has some flat grass off the tarmac where you could put up a canopy. There is a lot of terrain here (great on track, but...), so off the edge of the tarmac is usually down a cliff.... Most tents were put on the tarmac with weights holding the legs.

The "Paddock Grill" is typical track burgers and fries. The control tower/media center is probably where you will have drivers meetings/classroom. For the GF: this has real bathrooms! There is also a large public bathroom building near the paddock, and porta-potties scattered around. The "Hospitality Chalet" is a big metal roof area with a great view of turn 12, the straight, and turn 1. Provides shade and protection from rain, just bring your own chair and binoculars.



Road Atlanta is also being hit with noise abatement BS.... Sunday morning (until 1PM?) no loud cars are allowed (church). IF you have run sessions Sunday morning, you will typically need a street exhaust, or you may get black flagged.


Sattelite view of turns and beginners turn-by-turn guide attached.

CCA

Dude, that bites! What's the noise level? Would an SM be disallowed during that time? I was looking to go there with Chin Motorsports at the end of Sept. Would be my first time there too.

Lemming

I've never been to a DE or race at Road Atlanta were you could not go into the infield to watch. It will be open for business as usual.

Quiet hours are from 10 to 12, not 1 pm. Sound control is almost always at or near the black flag station, if you have a loud car lift down the back straight and you might not get black flagged.

Lemming

Chin has lunch hour from 11-12 to help deal with the quiet hour. Red or advanced group runs from 9 to 9:40, then blue (intermediate till 10:20) and green from 10:20 to 11. So, 1/2 of the blue session and all of the green morning session will be during quiet hours.

CCA

Thanks! That is similar to how they do it at VIR, with no unmufflered cars during the quiet hour. Earlier post made me believe I'd be missing half of Sunday, which would make me less inclined to do that event.

facelvega

Thanks for the good info - I was supplying what I remembered from my one DE there - did not want to alarm, but did not want the OP to have bad surprises either...

MarkM

RA is a great track, but the paddock is tough in August. You will be in the outside paddock, standing on hot pavement all weekend. There is no shade as they have closed of the parking next to the tower.

There is a full flushy bathroom between the tower and the gas pumps. More importantly for your girlfriend there is air conditioning in the bottom of the tower, so when there is no class, people congregate in there to cool off.

You can drive just about anywhere within the infield, but if Skippy has a driving class, access to turns 6 and 7 may me closed.

Where are you staying? If you are going cheap, then don't let your girlfriend know about Chateau Elan. It has a full spa where she can hang out and is less than 10 minutes away.

Paddock Grill is OK, but there is plenty of good good just west of the track.

The big question is are you taking the proper car this time?

SiberianDVM

Hee-hee. NO!! The BMW was registered, prepped with new tires ($1800, ouch) and teched, so it's going. Completely stock, other than the Power Pack 1 chip, so noise will not be a problem. I want to see how the vaunted all wheel drive system performs. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. We will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express (money saved by not being at Chateau Elan can be spent on Porsche parts) and I hope to meet some of you there.

Good news is that the 911 is getting closer to making it's track debut: September at Carolinas. It now has a Euro pre-muffler, new tires (which cost 1/4 of the BMWs), new brakes, new shocks, new tie rods, and now just needs a good alignment and tech. The bad news is that I still don't have a trailer and the asshats I work for will not let me off the Friday before or Monday after the September DE, so I have no idea how I will work the logistics, unless I call in sick. Oh, well, I'll figure it out.

Thanks to everyone for all the great info. You will have made the GF happy, which as we all know, is our primary purpose in life.