Drive Willow Springs with Speed Ventures Saturday December 8

[ViperX]

Hey Sidewinders and those wanting to become Sidewinders,

Join us driving the "Big Track" at Willow Springs Saturday December 8 while some of our other VCA members are learning to "drift" their Vipers on another patch of asphalt also at Willow Springs.

Attendance at this track event will qualify you for membership in the So Cal Viper Club "Sidewinders" Group which includes a Sidewinders hat.  You can't buy this hat, but you can EARN it!

Price for this Saturday event is only $150.00 for the day and is open to drivers of all experience levels.  Instruction is available for novices.

This one day event will be a great way to learn the track and "warm up" for our Jan 5 Willow Springs event sponsored by Dan Cragin and Gary Wong of Specialty Performance Team.  

SRT is rumored to be bringing a couple of Gen V Vipers out to drive on the track.  There may be some "press" invited and some other neat stuff going on too.....you don't want to miss this one.  Driver numbers will be limited.  Details to follow shortly.

For more info and to sign up go to:  http://www.speedventures.com/events/eventdetail.aspx?id=397

We can set up a dinner afterwards if you guys are interested.

See you at the track,

Dan  <2

[Jay M]

Hi Dan,

I'm a bit confused about the rules between Speed Ventures, and Willow Springs.  Can I take my 2004 convertible on the big track for this event?

thanks,
~Jay

[Derek]

i have not seen any threads about the willow springs event in january 2013. the one that DC performance is hosting.
whats the word on this event? Me and my dad need to make plans for it as we plan to stay for the 2nd day as well.

[PCH VIPER]

We met with Dan Cragin on Friday.
Details of the event are shaping up.  The track portion of this event is being hosted by Specialty Performance Team. They are promoting the grand opening of their new business and will be filling the driving spots from their customer base by invitation only.   

The So Cal Club is working with them to make this an open event for all Viper owners to come out, spectate and enjoy in some of the other activities that will be taking place out there.

Since space for Saturday is limited and not in the Club's hands, we are looking into the possibility of renting the track on Sunday for everyone.   We will need to see how many guys are willing to pay for the Sunday track day.
Those details are being worked on now and will be posted shortly.

[ViperX]

Hi Dan,

I'm a bit confused about the rules between Speed Ventures, and Willow Springs.  Can I take my 2004 convertible on the big track for this event?

thanks,
~Jay

Hi Jay,

Speed Ventures has always allowed Vipers to run in the lower groups without a roll bar.  They recognize the OE "roll hoops" of many types of cars as some type of roll over protection, so they allow them to run.

I'd call Speed Ventures to be sure, but my guess is that you'll be OK to run at Willow Springs in their novice group.

See you at the track,

Dan

[Magnus]

I don't have any tires to spend drifting so this is a nice alternative. Are there many walls to hit on the big track?

[Jay M]

hi Magnus,

Willow Springs is great, there are very few walls.  You should should do it.  I think I'll try to as well.  For me the catch is that there is no beginner group that day.  They might let me run in the intermediate group if I hire one of their instructors, or if I attend their event this Saturday.

~Jay

[ViperX]

Guys,

You should both be fine running in the intermediate group at WS.  You will want an instructor.

On the subject of walls, while you could hit a wall there, you'd almost have to try to hit one.  This track is very open.

I've never seen anyone hit a wall there while I've been at the track, which is several times a year for the last 8 years.

See you at the track,

Dan  <2

[Doc]

I just joined the VCA this week. Hope to meet some of you at Big Willow next weekend.

I may bring the 2009 Viper. But I will primarily be testing a new (to me) race car in preparation for the 2013 NASA racing season.

"Doc"

[Doc]

Guys,

You should both be fine running in the intermediate group at WS.  You will want an instructor.

On the subject of walls, while you could hit a wall there, you'd almost have to try to hit one.  This track is very open.

I've never seen anyone hit a wall there while I've been at the track, which is several times a year for the last 8 years.

See you at the track,

Dan  <2

If anyone needs an instructor I can do it. I somethimes instruct w Speed Ventures (and others). i just wasn't planning to volunteer this time because I figured the demand would be low. But it would probably be a good way to meet one or two club members if there is a need.

P.S. FWIW, i was never comcenred about walls at WSIR until earlier this year a car went off in my race group and found a wall i didn't think could be hit. The reason this one concerns me (as an instructor) is that, if you find yourself heading that direction, you won't actually know there's a wall there until its too late.'the problem is that your view of the wLl is obscured by a large dirt birm. I will post a link to a a few videos of what to do and what not to do in that area (just after the braking/turn in area for turn 9, heading toward the birm).

[Banzai Ben]

I just joined the VCA this week. Hope to meet some of you at Big Willow next weekend.

I may bring the 2009 Viper. But I will primarily be testing a new (to me) race car in preparation for the 2013 NASA racing season.

"Doc"

Welcome to the club Doc!
Looking forward to seeing your Viper or race car. What kind of car is the race car?
I just got a '99 Viper GTS race car recently that I'm learning how to drive.
This Saturday I'll be at the Balcony in the drift clinic with my street Viper but I'll try to come down to meet you.
See you there,
Ben

[Doc]

Welcome to the club Doc!
Looking forward to seeing your Viper or race car. What kind of car is the race car?
I just got a '99 Viper GTS race car recently that I'm learning how to drive.
This Saturday I'll be at the Balcony in the drift clinic with my street Viper but I'll try to come down to meet you.
See you there,
Ben

Thanks Ben. I've got three race cars at the moment, two vintage and one modern. The modern car, inbound this week, is a 2009 Mustang that was prepared for NASA American Iron/ST2. But my plan is to run it in the new ST3 or STR3 class. Before that I raced everything from Spec RX7 (90s) to BMWs to Porsche Cup cars. The vintage cars are both snakes of a slightly different kind, a 1964 Shelby King Cobra (1 of 6) and a 1966 Shelby GT350. Hope to see you on Saturday.

[Doc]

Here's the video of "what not to do" if you go off at the braking area for Turn 9. I never would have thought you could find a wall off of 9, but there is one there. This incident happened about 1/3 of a lap behind me this past May. http://www.autoweek.com/article/20120705/carnews01/120709949

Ironically I went off at almost exactly the same place about a month earlier testing a Spec Boxster. The main difference between my off and the first off (the crash) is that I CHOSE to go off when the car threatened to spin--allowing me to slow the car some before leaving the track--whereas the first driver tried to save it. (Also of note i had an oversteer condition whereas he had understeer and pushed off the edge.) Whatever the case another thing that helped me was that I bucked traditional wisdom a bit by braking then turning, while still in the dirt, so I didn't go over the birm. While I never would have imagined that you could fly all the way over to that wall over there, I still didn't think it would be a good idea to go over a birm at speed. Funny thing, my video doesn't look scary at all, but as I was going off initially, I honestly wasn't sure I would be able to slow enough to turn and avoid the birm. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIFEYY_0jt4

[Banzai Ben]

Hey Doc,

Wow! That Mustang crash was gnarly, I always wondered what was out there off of turn 8.
Maybe they should flatten out those berms or are those supposed to prevent you from hitting the wall?

Nice race car collection you have there! Looking forward to seeing them, I had a 1970 Boss 302 Mustang so I appreciate the Fords too!  <1

Thanks for posting the videos.

Ben

[Doc]

Hey Doc,

Wow! That Mustang crash was gnarly, I always wondered what was out there off of turn 8.
Maybe they should flatten out those berms or are those supposed to prevent you from hitting the wall?

Nice race car collection you have there! Looking forward to seeing them, I had a 1970 Boss 302 Mustang so I appreciate the Fords too!  <1

Thanks for posting the videos.

Ben

That sure was a crazy crash. I wish they'd put in a gravel trap and some tire walls before the green monster. And get rid of the dirt mound.

Love the old Boss 302. What a cool car!