Austin F1 track day possible


ByeEnzo

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Dec 10, 2005
2,283
Fort Worth, TX
Just got an email that it's back on!? COTA was worried about the number of cars on track at a time. I'm sure MVP will modify run groupings to satisfy them.
 

topshot

GT Owner
Feb 6, 2012
280
Metro Detroit, MIchigan
just got the good news, I got in off the wait list,,,,,,,bad news, my GT is apart and waiting for the headers to be built........so I have to take my ZR1,,,, would much rather be in the GT, but can't wait for this event....
 

Thugboat

GT Owner
Jan 20, 2009
851
Humble Texas
Topshot / Byeenzo

Hope to see ya'll there! I will be there with the 2013 Shelby and a friends FR500. Dave Rowan (Texas Mongrel) is working out the details to bring the McClaren and his GT. Ben Bekertt will be there with his Radical and Aerial plus maybe some others. We need to make sure to meet up sometime that weekend and have an after race beverage.

Larry Boatner
Thugboat
 

steved57

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 29, 2008
1,941
kilgore tx
Wwabbit (John and Jenine) and I are signed up and will be there with our GT's
 

Thugboat

GT Owner
Jan 20, 2009
851
Humble Texas
Steve,

Great! I think Tony is coming and helping Dave with his McClaren/GT. Timing of becoming a grandpaw is the big un-forseen. haha Lots of people we know will be there so lets all get together!

BTW-Did you sign up for BBORR????

Larry
 

steved57

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 29, 2008
1,941
kilgore tx
Hi Larry

Look forward to seeing you guys and I hope Tony can make it ! We are staying Sunday night too so we can party a little with knowing we wont be getting on the track the next day so you might give that some thought. I have not signed up for BBOR so is it too late ? I didnt realize it sign up was time already.

Steve
 

Thugboat

GT Owner
Jan 20, 2009
851
Humble Texas
Steve,

Yep it maybe full but check it out at www.bborr.com. Would love it if ya'll could make that with us this year also.

Larry
 

steved57

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 29, 2008
1,941
kilgore tx
i'll check it out
 

topshot

GT Owner
Feb 6, 2012
280
Metro Detroit, MIchigan
I agree, lets get together for a dinner one night...
 

steved57

GT Owner
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Mar 29, 2008
1,941
kilgore tx
I agree, lets get together for a dinner one night...

By all means and if everyones schedule will allow Sunday night would be best since we wont be on track next day
 

ByeEnzo

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Dec 10, 2005
2,283
Fort Worth, TX
Topshot / Byeenzo

Hope to see ya'll there! I will be there with the 2013 Shelby and a friends FR500. Dave Rowan (Texas Mongrel) is working out the details to bring the McClaren and his GT. Ben Bekertt will be there with his Radical and Aerial plus maybe some others. We need to make sure to meet up sometime that weekend and have an after race beverage.

Larry Boatner
Thugboat

I'm bringing my Caterham R500, unless it looks like rain. The Caterham is a pure track machine....most fun you can have with your clothes on! If the weather looks bad...then either my Spec Miata racecar (all 106 rwhp) or the GT on street tires. Not interested in getting wet in an open racecar :)
 

ByeEnzo

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Dec 10, 2005
2,283
Fort Worth, TX
First day was a blast. Perfect weather. The track surface is smooth with tons of grip. Only damper is that a Porsche got pretty mangled hitting the wall at turn 4. Wonder if MVP or any other groups will get to come back again.
 

dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
First day was a blast. Perfect weather. The track surface is smooth with tons of grip. Only damper is that a Porsche got pretty mangled hitting the wall at turn 4. Wonder if MVP or any other groups will get to come back again.

Was the Porsche wreck a product of some crazy driving or slightly unforgiving track layout? Verdict on the runoff/safety in general?

Jealous of anyone that gets to run on it! How's the ride going up the mega hill into the blind turn?
 

ByeEnzo

GT
Mark IV Lifetime
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Dec 10, 2005
2,283
Fort Worth, TX
The Porsche wrecked in a spot on the track where the Armco is closest. If you get turn 3 wrong, you can push off right at 4. He went straight into the right hand barriers at 4. Probably ran out of track and talent at the same time. Generally the track feels very safe with lots of runoff areas, especially at the ends of the high speed straights (turn 10 to 11, 11 to 12, and the front straight).

The uphill run to #1 is fun. The braking zone is steep so you can brake a lot later than you think. The entry to 1 is wide but it funnels down at the apex. Turn in early and you risk going off at track out. The SCCA has a race here in March. Most classes are full at 85 cars. I want to watch the mob of spec Miata's go 5 wide into #1. It's going to be a crashfest.
 
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beckertb

GT Owner
Nov 29, 2006
509
Beaumont, TX
Here is a run from 1 of my run groups on Sunday morning. Great track. Lots of fun. Enjoyed the weekend thoroughly with dear friends!


[video=youtube_share;aiIoi7jmiKE]http://youtu.be/aiIoi7jmiKE?t=1s[/video]
 

dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
Awesome. Looks fast. There are definitely some opportunities to reach out and touch something.
 

topshot

GT Owner
Feb 6, 2012
280
Metro Detroit, MIchigan
The track was great, long, 20 turns took a day and a half before I kinda figured it out.. What a blast.. John and Steve had there GTs and were nice enough to let me share a garage with them even though I didn't bring my GT,, thanks.... I will say that the GT are Rock Stars, every body (it seamed like anyway) came up and admired there cars.. great week end really enjoyed it..
Kurt
 

Thugboat

GT Owner
Jan 20, 2009
851
Humble Texas
Ben doesn't brag but turned a 2:20 in the Radical. He was flying. Except for the small trail of oil he left once back to the pits it was a successful weekend. They told him they would mail him the bill! I have a small wager it maybe a small fortune.
Dave (Texas Mongrel) did a 2:35 in the McClaren, Tony turned a 2:40 in Daves GT. (Now thats a friend) I turned a 2:39 in the GT500.
The facility is "INCREDIBLE". We compiled over 8 hours of GoPro video on 4 cameras and are trying to sort it now. I also have 100's of pictures and as soon as I catch up on sleep (Drinking wine till almost midnight and drivers meeting at 7 am) I will get them up. Never been on a track that was absolutely smooth and sticky.

It was very interesting feeling attached to this facility. The people running the track seemed to enjoy our presence, but, they also insinuated the owners couldn't care less if they rented it or not. They told us they were trying to promote tracks days to the owners.

Larry
 

Wwabbit

GT Owner
Mar 21, 2012
1,259
Knoxville, TN
Yep, it was a pretty awesome three days. Janine and I were there with Steve(57) and Kurt(Topshot). Steve had his GT, Kurt brought his ZR1 and Janine had her 911. Weather was superb! We had a garage for all the cars and that was one of the coolest parts, sitting around in the areas where the F1 teams were bumping and grinding. The track is an interesting one, certainly purpose built for F1. Lot's of blind apex and hills to deal with. There were a handful of crashes, all single car no injury stuff into the walls or armco. The track had a practice of red flagging any incident, holding traffic for 4-5 min then throwing a black and wheeling us around to the grid to sit it out. 5 red flags for a single weekend is unusual. They later modified that to a black only unless is was something really serious. Time will tell if COTA managment thinks amateur events like ours are in their future. I'd sure go back. I finished the weekend running 2:34 and I was creeping around the corners, so there is plenty more fun there.

The group..
COTAgroup.jpg

A lap chasing Steve.. turn up you're sound..
[video=youtube;_SCHjzd1_pU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SCHjzd1_pU&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
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dbk

The Favor Factory™
Staff member
Le Mans 2010 Supporter
Jul 30, 2005
15,187
Metro Detroit
Very cool! Nice data acquisition.

The laps look awesome just by virtue of the curbing and grandstands.