Lime Rock Park. 11/16-17/2007

[tju-vette]

1) Track opens at 7 AM Friday and Saturday.
2) Track closes at 6:30 PM Friday and Saturday.

If we're only doing Day 2 and we get there prior to 6:30 is it OK to head in and drop off equipment for Saturday?

[Mark Swinehart]

Yes

[Subw00er]

The track seemed to warm up nicely as well. Weather was nice (for early Nov anyway).

Any words of advice for someone that has never run LRP, or a cold-weather (sub 50deg) event? I assume the tires take longer to heat up.. if at all?! I've also heard to keep the wheels straight over the hill!

[rajito]

The track seemed to warm up nicely as well. Weather was nice (for early Nov anyway).

Any words of advice for someone that has never run LRP, or a cold-weather (sub 50deg) event? I assume the tires take longer to heat up.. if at all?! I've also heard to keep the wheels straight over the hill!

Go fast, take chances.

Raj

[enjoythemusic]

Any words of advice for someone that has never run LRP, or a cold-weather (sub 50deg) event? I assume the tires take longer to heat up.. if at all?! I've also heard to keep the wheels straight over the hill!

Get an instructor for the first run group or two. As you have never run a cold event, and i assume you do not have super sticky tires specifically geared for cold weather, take your time to understand the grip levels at various parts of the track. Set your suspension to be a bit softer/more forgiving to be on the safe side plus LRP is a bumpy motherf----.

Add to that, you have mixes of tarmac in many places and then large concrete patches, so grip levels at various sections combined with the bumps and transitions make for an interesting (and exciting depending on your outlook) set of circumstances.

Be safe, get an instructor. LRP is not a 'hard' track per se, but it does have some mean teeth that can bite back.

-------------------

RAJ, can i drive your car at LRP and drive fast and take chances? Please i can show up Saturday only as need get back home for flight to Hawaii for Sunday.

[offcamber09]

The track seemed to warm up nicely as well. Weather was nice (for early Nov anyway).

Any words of advice for someone that has never run LRP, or a cold-weather (sub 50deg) event? I assume the tires take longer to heat up.. if at all?! I've also heard to keep the wheels straight over the hill!

As you crest the uphill (after no name straight- which isn't very straight) you must have your wheel straight. You benefit from the front tires gaining lots of grip as the car plows into the hill- so it makes sense to use that grip to turn the car. Conversely, the car lightens up considerably as you crest the hill- a little like cresting the hill at the tree house at NHIS- but more dangerous.
The other "scary" places are west bend and the downhill- but only if you are off line. Nail your apexes and you will find the track to be a fast NHIS and very rewarding. You get to make lots of laps in a session and learn the track very quickly

[tju-vette]

Any words of advice for someone that has never run LRP, or a cold-weather (sub 50deg) event? I assume the tires take longer to heat up.. if at all?! I've also heard to keep the wheels straight over the hill!

What Steven & Scott said. I took an instructor during my first session and solo'd my other 3. I got pretty comfortable pretty quickly as it is a track that's easy to get familiar with quickly. I do agree that there are some spots that can be tricky but keep your brain turned on during the first couple sessions and take an instructor and all will be well.

My favorite part was from the late apex of Big Bend through the left hander to the apex of the esses going onto no-name. Don't know why but I like the feel of the the back-n-forth with the acceleration onto no-name.

Not the most memorable track, but a fun drive.

[Mark Swinehart]

http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/Turn_by_ ... Rock_track

[WillM]

Everything that Scott, Tom, and Steven said is true, or at least I find it to be correct.

The single most important thing you can do at Lime Rock is look ahead. While true at all tracks, looking ahead at Lime Rock can help to keep you out of trouble. Lap times are fast - about a minute - and most of the key turns are fast-in, fast-out. As you are bombing down the down-hill at 90+MPH, give quick glances to the brake/"lift" point, apex, and trackout, but keep your eyes up and spend most of your time looking down track - way down. Same with the up-hill, same with west-bend, same for the right-hander onto No-Name, etc.

That said, approach the track slowly. Give it some respect. Find a line that works for you, and add speed as you feel comfortable. Lime Rock is pretty. Lots of trees, stone walls, etc., but not a lot of run-off. COM has been to LRP many times, and our instructors many more. The instructors are a great resource, get in your car or go for a ride-along early, if you can. Understand that he or she may be quite busy, so ask around to others as well.

Don't forget your thermal undies.

[brucesallen]

The track seemed to warm up nicely as well. Weather was nice (for early Nov anyway).

Any words of advice for someone that has never run LRP, or a cold-weather (sub 50deg) event? I assume the tires take longer to heat up.. if at all?! I've also heard to keep the wheels straight over the hill!

In addition to wheels straight, don't hold the gas to the floor when cresting the uphill if you are going fast enough to have wheelspin because you are airborne. I went full throttle a couple of years ago and the car shot to the left, crashing into Armco when the right rear wheel touched ground first.

Also, as always at Lime Rock, in the downhill, turn in late and late apex because there is good camber at the turn-in and bad camber at track-out.

[StephanAlfa]

quote]
Also, as always at Lime Rock, in the downhill, turn in late and late apex because there is good camber at the turn-in and bad camber at track-out.[/quote]

Yeah, and make sure you DON'T lift whiel approaching the apex after you are committed. Mark B. can attest that in his white BMW as the side panels don't look straight anymore .

[kfoote]

http://www.trackpedia.com/wiki/Turn_by_ ... Rock_track

I like mine better.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=860058

Post #3

[enjoythemusic]

subw00fer,

Some videos. First up is in the Ferrari. Frankly, i was really bored by this run session and was using Mich Pilot Sport PS2, so braked way too early for T1... and DO NOT let off the gas like i did on the downhill as had plenty of grip yet did not know what the guy in front of me was going to do and did not want to rear end him (even though he was in a much faster car but going much slower).

http://www.enjoythetrack.com/video/ferr ... 072106.wmv


Not a fast lap, but an ok one in the FC. Faster lap time, more grip, etc. versus the Ferrari. Took the uphill carefully as was passing a guy and not on my usual line so caution was best.

http://www.enjoythetrack.com/video/lrp0 ... 092407.wmv


Am sure the guys here will tear me a new one and comment how bad these laps are, but at least you get some visual idea.

Speaking of bad laps... and now a video during qualification session 1 of the NARRC SCCA finals where i was trying a new tire configuration, aero changes, etc... and it went a bit badly.

http://www.enjoythetrack.com/video/lrp0907/snap.wmv

[skid vicious]

Yeah, and make sure you DON'T lift whiel approaching the apex after you are committed. Mark B. can attest that in his white BMW as the side panels don't look straight anymore Shocked

In my defense I'm not the first person to end up in that wall. I think I was the third person in that event alone.

Experience tells me you don't want to get way off line in that corner. A lot of marbles tend to build up there.

[Subw00er]

Thanks for all the great replies.

Steven, what broke?