Dedicated GT1 series??

[aromocki]

Just wondering who would be interested in running in a dedicated GT1 series. Us Transam cars are having a hard time finding a place to run. We would prefer to run where the speed differentials with the other cars are less than the 95 mph we are currently experiencing. This will likely be safer for all involved.

Currently the split GT Sprints on Sundays make sense but I was wondering if anyone else would run if we had a dedicated series. I see a trend of people getting into GT1, going sub 1:24 and then doing pro or semi pro series. I think it would be nice to run some fast cars in a dedicated series but I know that Marco, Rob, Randy as well as Blaise, Allan, Ian and I are all sourcing outside series to run in so that we can continue developing as drivers. It would be nice to be able to do that at our home track!

Thoughts??

Andrew

[Bunnie]

Dedicated GT1 at Glen this weekend! TransAm!

[impz06]

Originally Posted by Bunnie

Dedicated GT1 at Glen this weekend! TransAm!

Andrew and Blaise are already on their way there, and Allan and I are heading down tomorrow!

[impz06]

The split GT123 Sprint races aren't bad, due to reduced numbers and less of a speed differential, but I will never run another Challenge race like the one on Saturday. I've never had so many oh-sxyz!!! moments like I did in that race from cars that would "twitch" when they suddenly saw me coming, or flat out pull off line to let me go by when I had already committed to that off line trajectory... I've asked for people to just hold their lines, pretend we're not there, but I'm guessing that the out-of-nowhere appearance would probably make me jump as well.

My apologies to the guy in the red BMW that I passed on the outside of Turn 2, I don't think it was Rob Lauder, but I didn't take the time to check the car out because I got pushed WAY wide out there... Apparently he didn't see me, but did see Nigel peeking on the inside, and moved wide to give him the line. Please don't ever do that, not just because I want you to block Nigel (he he!!) but because he may have already decided to take the line I took. No contact with me or Nigel, but I think I saw him running out in the grass after that... I hope there was no damage!

[camaroguy]

not cause of the spin at 5?

flames looked cool tho!

[DEK]

Andrew, look on MYLAPS at the Sunday race lap times for the GT1/2/3 races. Not the low 120s you would like to see but for the dozen or so finishers in each race not much of a spread. I wonder what the speed difference is between a 1:22 car and a 1:36 car ?

If you and the other T/A cars can live with that, petition BARC to really try to give the 1/2/3's (SPRINTS only)sepaparate practice, qualifying and races at the next Race. The 1/2/3 field was certainly big enough to have a case. (I know Paul E will "hate" me for this) as length of day is a BIG concern. I think there is an appeal to 25+ really fast cars.

DAVE KING

[Lude]

I get what you’re looking for Andrew a separate GT1 level series would be great, but, and it’s a big BUT, two things need to be in place first, car counts of 18 or so and an empty slot in the weekends. Assuming we are talking regional series. I think the clubs are struggling with space on weekends as it is in trying to accommodate the current series that are running. Think the old CCC type series would be a good revival if it could be pulled off. We’d be into that.

Personally I haven’t had the issues that the rest of the GT1 field seems to be having with the slower cars. I usually run my high beams in the car and most of them know I’m coming way in advance. I’m rarely surprising slower cars when I pass. I have a hard time seeing Ian’s car as well and am not surprised that the BMW in corner 2 saw me and didn’t see Ian. (I’ve been using that as an advantage every time racing against Ian ) In that particular instance I had lined the BMW up so that as he drifted out at the bottom of 2, I could tighten my line and take him on the inside. I plan most of my passes that way in advance of approaching the slower cars. Outside of corner 2 at the bottom is pretty risky.

I must say I really like the added strategy that comes into play in traffic. That comes with experience, both from driving a slow car and a faster car. If a slower does something unexpected during any sessions I’d recommend making it a point to find them and talk to them about their actions on the track. The majority of the time they were just trying to be nice to us and changing their lines, once they realise what we were thinking out there they become more conscious and make things easier on themselves and us.

Split fields with the Sprint races may help with the closing speed issue but for us a 20 minute race is too short a race, you’re barely warmed up! I know they have tried 2 30 minute races in the past but I’m not sure why that didn’t catch on. Two 30’s would probably allow the clubs to run split fields for both races and provided the speed issue is a big one, attract more of the faster GT1 cars to run for championship.

Just some of my thoughts.

[abrracing]

Originally Posted by DEK

Andrew, look on MYLAPS at the Sunday race lap times for the GT1/2/3 races. Not the low 120s you would like to see but for the dozen or so finishers in each race not much of a spread. I wonder what the speed difference is between a 1:22 car and a 1:36 car ?

If you and the other T/A cars can live with that, petition BARC to really try to give the 1/2/3's (SPRINTS only)sepaparate practice, qualifying and races at the next Race. The 1/2/3 field was certainly big enough to have a case. (I know Paul E will "hate" me for this) as length of day is a BIG concern. I think there is an appeal to 25+ really fast cars.

DAVE KING

Just to give you an idea on straight line speed, running 1:36-1:37 our top speed at the end of the straight is about 135 mph, the Trans-am cars are about 180 mph. Entering turn 2 we are about 90-100mph they are about 140+mph...............huge speed differences

[Bill Lobban]

Originally Posted by Lude

I get what you’re looking for Andrew a separate GT1 level series would be great, but, and it’s a big BUT, two things need to be in place first, car counts of 18 or so and an empty slot in the weekends. Assuming we are talking regional series. I think the clubs are struggling with space on weekends as it is in trying to accommodate the current series that are running. Think the old CCC type series would be a good revival if it could be pulled off. We’d be into that.

Personally I haven’t had the issues that the rest of the GT1 field seems to be having with the slower cars. I usually run my high beams in the car and most of them know I’m coming way in advance. I’m rarely surprising slower cars when I pass. I have a hard time seeing Ian’s car as well and am not surprised that the BMW in corner 2 saw me and didn’t see Ian. (I’ve been using that as an advantage every time racing against Ian ) In that particular instance I had lined the BMW up so that as he drifted out at the bottom of 2, I could tighten my line and take him on the inside. I plan most of my passes that way in advance of approaching the slower cars. Outside of corner 2 at the bottom is pretty risky.

I must say I really like the added strategy that comes into play in traffic. That comes with experience, both from driving a slow car and a faster car. If a slower does something unexpected during any sessions I’d recommend making it a point to find them and talk to them about their actions on the track. The majority of the time they were just trying to be nice to us and changing their lines, once they realise what we were thinking out there they become more conscious and make things easier on themselves and us.

Split fields with the Sprint races may help with the closing speed issue but for us a 20 minute race is too short a race, you’re barely warmed up! I know they have tried 2 30 minute races in the past but I’m not sure why that didn’t catch on. Two 30’s would probably allow the clubs to run split fields for both races and provided the speed issue is a big one, attract more of the faster GT1 cars to run for championship.

Just some of my thoughts.

As Nigel states, organisers are reacting to worker requests for shorter days. On most regional events additional time for an additional series cannot be found. Much as I love to see TransAm cars at our events these are really professional level cars and there is, as my friend Greg points out, a TransAm series to compete in, albeit in the USA.

[SlotMotorsports]

I would agree with Nigel in that some education will go a long way . We try very hard to be predictable as traffic approaches . In time it makes us all better drivers , slow and fast . There is a great deal of usable race craft that can be utilized by all drivers . While I also like split fields I think I can speak for Steve and I when I say that the Challenge series is a great deal of fun and runs well .
Bart

[Bunnie]

Originally Posted by Bunnie

Dedicated GT1 at Glen this weekend! TransAm!

Putting together good race groups is so tough.

Watched some of the TransAm at the Glen. I don't know who is who, but there seemed to be a lot more cars behind the Gateway decaled cars than in front.

Hope some one posts a report

PS .... there was massive speed deferentials in play there too. Over 25secs in the one practice session I watched. Tony Ave was doing 1.49s while other cars were in the 2.1?s. I did not bother timing the real slow cars.

[impz06]

Originally Posted by Bunnie

Putting together good race groups is so tough.

Watched some of the TransAm at the Glen. I don't know who is who, but there seemed to be a lot more cars behind the Gateway decaled cars than in front.

Hope some one posts a report

PS .... there was massive speed deferentials in play there too. Over 25secs in the one practice session I watched. Tony Ave was doing 1.49s while other cars were in the 2.1?s. I did not bother timing the real slow cars.

Ha ha, well on Friday I was definitely one of the "really slow cars", fighting cobwebs, running a TA car for the first time at the Glen, and an extremely spongy brake pedal that needed to be pumped up 5 - 6 times just to make T1, the busstop, and T6... it was pretty scary. Fortunately Rob and John got them fixed up for the race, and I was able to get to the mid 1:55's despite what felt like a failing P/S pump. Turned out I was actually in the process of breaking an upper control arm, which ended my race about 10 laps early. Fun just the same, and I was really glad to "break out" of the TA2 laptimes in the race. I know I was leaving a lot on the table, so next time should be a blast... Nothing like pounding up the esses in these cars!

Blaise was off to a great start, as expected, but on the second lap his old motor grenaded into the busstop right in front of me, so his day was done. He had gotten down to a 1:51 on our one-pass-of-the-checker scuff session, which included his exit to pit lane, so he would have been right up there with the leaders, I have little doubt.

Allan suffered another water & P/S belt failure, which ended his race at the busstop as well shortly after we went back to green. He too was poised to run very well, his practice times out of the box were fantastic, this being his first run at the Glen in a TA car too.

Andrew finished his race spectacularly, having his brakes fail into the busstop on the last lap. After a bit of farming to clog his rad, he made his way to the finish with a well roasted motor to take 7th place in TA. Congratulations Andrew! (please correct if I got your facts wrong, as I missed the finish while limping back to the trailer... I just saw it towed back to the trailer still smoldering)

[rburgess]

I'm not sure that we'll ever get enough cars to have a race just for GT1's but I really like the split GT Sprint races.

[gianpaolo]

Im happy with split classes

[impz06]

I like the split classes as well, but we only get those on some weekends, and only on Sunday. Hard to plan for unless we can see the schedules well in advance (beginning of season), at least wrt whether or not a weekend has Sunday split fields.