NJMP Lightning

Had a blast at NJMP Lightning. I hope EMRA can give us 2 events there again next year.

While on this topic, I hope that we could have a trackday at Pocono East next year, in the absence of Watkins Glen and Beaver Run. I know someone mentioned that there was no timing system there, but couldn't Pocono track management be persuaded to install one?"

It would be nice to make more left turns than right for a change, like at Pocono South, and East. I'd love to even out my tire wear.

EMRA is going to give its members what they ask for.
We are already looking into 2013.

We appreciate all the input to track dates.

Generally the only way we know where people want to go is when they
show up or do not show up. Not a great strategy but its all we got.

For that reason we have a few locations on our "probably not going there"
list:
Watkins Glen
Beaverun (aka Pitt international)
Shanandoah

The only way we could make any of these is by partnering with a few clubs
to help offset the costs of the event.

People have voted by not attending these events in the past.
We cannot afford to purchase track time, etc when people do
not attend. Board members Loved the Glen & even Beaverun, but
our members voted no by not attending. Location/distance/economy ?
We have no idea - just that not enough people attended.

FYI we are attempting to work with NJMP to still do 2 events there,
HOWEVER, we are trying to do weekends with both tracks -
Thunderbolt one day, Lightning another. This might make the
weekends more attractive to both racers and Time Trialers.
Both days would be points/trophy events.

Pocono is re-configuring all 3 tracks and EMRA is looking to
have events there on all three. north/south/east.
EMRA owns a portable track wire if needed.

Lime Rock has been the most consistent popular event so we
will respond with 3 events there again. GET THE MUFFLERS ON !

There is also a new track in Northeast Connecticut @ Thompson
speedway that we are checking out. Other venues still have not been
viable.

Summit Point is also a returning event with the 4 hour enduro.

Formats that have been popular: if the Points TT event is on Sunday
(or only on Saturday ie Lime Rock) we will start the on-track event after lunch -
saving everyone from needing a prior night hotel room.
Saturday Practice should be for those that want the extra time -
without competition/points/trophies. Racers get to leave early during Time Trial event
on day 2.

2 events to go in 2012 - already looking to set up 2013.

Tom M
EMRA Chairman

I must say, the half day TT schedule starting at 1 pm is growing on me. Or maybe it's because I was at Pocono the night before and later start allowed me to get 4 hours of sleep instead of 1

Unfortunately the TT day began poorly as someone oiled the track on the first lap of the blue session. A white Civic (?) went off on the downhill of turn 5 a car or two in front of me. I was on the bumper of another Honda cresting the hill and braked to back off a little bit, going very sideways for a moment. Luckily I had the right line and kept it on blacktop. The BMW behind me made it through but in my rearview I saw a red Probe (?) spinning, going off and hitting the parked Civic rear to rear and third car driving on the outside of that whole mess. I believe the Civic driver had to be taken to a hospital which meant everyone was chilling for an hour it took to get the ambulance back. All TT groups lost the first session.

The next session was blue again, and it wasn't trouble free either as a black Civic (?) ran out of something important in the drivetrain and came to a stop on the track out of the lightbulb. I guess the track didn't want to black flag our second session so they kept it going under local yellow, but obviously no lap records would be set in that situation.

At that point I kind of guesstimated the day would not get better and changed to scratch tires. Good call as in the next blue session the black Civic parked in the lightbulb again except he got off pavement into the grass this time. And then the GT-2 Miata parked on the other side of the track.

Tom must have added time to the last session as it felt at least 25 minutes long. I had my student in the passenger seat and (still on scratch tires) couldn't do anything crazy, nor did I want to after an encounter with the guard rail at Pocono the day before. Thus I ran the same exact line every lap for 25+ minutes - maybe not the most exciting thing to do on a race day but a fine ending for a rocky weekend.

The last two (or was it three?) sessions were free for all as a result of earlier misfortunes. All solo drivers who were aware of this could therefore have gotten their full 4 sessions worth of track time that day.

My best time was a 1:20.4 in the first session before the yellows on 225 NT-01s. 1:24 in the last session on scratch tires with a passenger driving 8/10. Chris Chemidlin did a 1:24 in MC Street. The slowest MC time was a 1:35. Good MC turnout this event - there were 4 or 5 entries in MC Street. FTD was 1:14 or 1:11 - I think it was the GT-2 Miata that did it.

On to Pocono!

Watkins Glen...Weekday schedule makes it impossible to attend.
Beaver Run... 2 overnights, too many meals, too long a distance, too many tolls, = too expensive.
Shanandoah...After 2 near misses with the deer, I have surrendered. They don't seem to make it over to Summit Point Main. (Better fencing)?

Count me in for Pocono, NJMP, and Summit Point Main next year. Can't make that one on November 11th because of other commitments. For LRP, the noise requirements make it difficult and expensive for myself and at least 6 other EMRA regulars I know to attend. PLEASE make it only 2 meets there next year. 3 dropped LRP events make it impossible to make the min requirement towards the championship.

Wildlife DOES make it over to Summit Point Main. I think it was early this year or late last year that a Lotus took out such a "moving chicane" at an event I attended.

As far as Lime Rock noise limit, when my stock muffler fell off the car I requested a quiet exhaust specifically to run at Lime Rock, and was given one. The muffler unbolts from the rest of the car with 2 bolts should I feel the need to run without it. The earliest I plan on taking that muffler off is when I have the car on a dyno.

How many positions do you figure a Lime Rock exhaust is going to cost you?

Oleg P wrote:Wildlife DOES make it over to Summit Point Main. I think it was early this year or late last year that a Lotus took out such a "moving chicane" at an event I attended.

As far as Lime Rock noise limit, when my stock muffler fell off the car I requested a quiet exhaust specifically to run at Lime Rock, and was given one. The muffler unbolts from the rest of the car with 2 bolts should I feel the need to run without it. The earliest I plan on taking that muffler off is when I have the car on a dyno.

How many positions do you figure a Lime Rock exhaust is going to cost you?

If I requested a quiet exhaust and was "given one" (that works for 89db), maybe I'd consider running at LRP. Unfortunately it's an exhaust system that's needed, and not just a muffler. It's certainly not about positions but about dollars and SENSE. I've tried this nonsense before and I'm not about to waste any more time, effort, tolls and money. EMRA gets the lowest noise requirement of any club I've ever run with at LRP. By contrast SCCA gets a more realistic 102 db.

"As far as Lime Rock noise limit, when my stock muffler fell off the car I requested a quiet exhaust specifically to run at Lime Rock, and was given one. The muffler unbolts from the rest of the car with 2 bolts should I feel the need to run without it."

Dude. This doesn't always work for the higher hp cars and rotaries. It's expensive to "hang" an exhaust system on a car just to run at LRP, with no guarantees that it will make the noise requirement. Substitute one of the 3 meets at LRP with an event at Thomopson Speedway, or an extra event at one of the Pocono tracks.

I guess what I was trying to say was I knew Lime Rock had a noise limit, I knew I wanted to run it and I knew that EMRA ran it, therefore I built the car to work with this. From what I understand the DB limits have been the same since 1959, they just started being enforced more recently because people were routinely exceeding them.

If you've never run Lime Rock and higher entry fee is not an issue, you are missing out. Lime Rock is a great track.

Sorry to back track the post thread and not to scare off anyone from Summit Point--a track I love---but yes, we have had deer at Summit main circuit and if we're lucky, Cally Kruger, our wonderful lifetime corner worker (who was there flagging when NASCAR ran Bridgehampton in the early 60's -- sorry Cally--had to get that in) will bring the "COW" flag she made after one wandered onto the track a few years ago. -- Dave