Road Atlanta Vipers Vs Z06 Vettes

[toddt]

NUMBERS, man! You must post NUMBERS!!!

 

[pdmracing]

The georgia region was out in force this weekend @ Panoz track day @ Road Atlanta this weekend. We had a large number of rookies as well as the usual suspects. I was on hand to give in car instruction & everyone did great. I was concerned when I showed up at the track , there was 20 or so new shiny Z06 vettes. With all our rookies, I wasnt too hopeful on our chances, with the Vettes traction control & stability whatever they call those Drivers aids. But our guys made us proud. The only problem I had was keeping em in check! Everyone was a great student, learning the proper line & such, then they would see one of those pesky vettes out in front & all hell would brake loose! It was like a pack of dogs chasing a cat! Needless to say they caught the cat & I lost a few more hairs! Thank to all that attended & thank you all for doing such a great job.
Pete Mansolillo

 

[RockyTop]

Sorry you weren't out there Sunday. Ryan Rouleau, when he wasn't suffering from overheating or running out of gas, was schooling a number of them. Or maybe they were schooling him and, suddenly and completely coincidentally, the car overheated or the gas ran low ! ;^)

 

[ChrisGTS]

Ditto to what Pete said. I came out to the track to take a couple of Viper owners up on a generous offer for a ride, so I could satisfy myself that a Viper WILL be my next car. I wasn't disappointed and the rides were great.
However, in the interest of total disclosure, there was at least one Z06 out there driving fast enough to keep up with the vipers in the intermediate B group. A yellow one from North Carolina, I rode with him and he was doing a great job.
The MOST fun I had all day was riding in a '00 gray RT/10. We caught up with a 993 turbo by going faster through the turns, then were behind him on the back straight for two totally wide-open runs. The 993 was modified (don't know how much) and VERY fast in a straight line. We were able to draw up on him slowly, and he eventually let us by. I think we were going 150+mph!
Anyway, this was my first experience with some VCA folks and my first Viper rides, and I wanted to thank everyone for their hospitality. I can't wait to get my Viper later this year.

 

[SoCal Rebell]

Sounds like you guys had a great time! The hairs on the back of my neck always stand up when I see Z06s at the track. I had the pleasure of going head to head last weekend at Buttonwillow with a 427 (520 RWHP) Z06 with a good driver. It's fun to "play" with a worthy opponant, I was still 5 sec. a lap quicker though.

 

[ChrisGTS]

5 seconds a lap? Worthy? That sounds like an awfully big gap! I'm surprised you could still even see him in your mirrors after a lap!
At Road Atlanta track days the overtaking is a little more difficult because they only allow passing on designated straight spots -- no passing in turns allowed. So if you have cars with roughly equal straight line speed, the faster one can't pass unless they get a much better launch out of the turn or the slow car lets you by. Luckily, they are not shy about blue-flagging people.

 

[pdmracing]

I have acess to a private test day @ Road atlanta Monday 6/24 @ 4pm to 7 anything goes. E mail me for info

 

[SoCal Rebell]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by ChrisZ06:
5 seconds a lap? Worthy? That sounds like an awfully big gap! I'm surprised you could still even see him in your mirrors after a lap!
At Road Atlanta track days the overtaking is a little more difficult because they only allow passing on designated straight spots -- no passing in turns allowed. So if you have cars with roughly equal straight line speed, the faster one can't pass unless they get a much better launch out of the turn or the slow car lets you by. Luckily, they are not shy about blue-flagging people.


<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Chris, I was on Hoosiers and the Z06 was on street tires (F1s). If I were on the Pilots or him on Hoosiers I think it would of been a draw. It was still fun, I'm not used to a Vette pulling me in the straights.

 

[RockyTop]

Purely for my own curiosity and NOT for comparative or competitive purposes, I was running in the 1:41-1:45 range. I usually run 1:40-41 consistently with an occasional 1:39s and one 1:38. Why I was slower than my usual I have no firm idea. Perhaps just rust from not driving on the track (at least on dry pavement) since Nov.

I was running rich so that may have had something to do with it and it was like 95-100 degrees there. That didn't help the HP.

The yellow ZO6 mentioned in an earlier post came up into the A group and was promptly schooled. He didn't come back. The three fastest cars were a Porsche 911 model big Speedvision banner on its front windshield), a Ferrari 355 Challenge car and my old Dodge. I usually end up passing the the Ferrari 355s (Challenge or not) and some of the the Porsches (unles they are of the 2600 lb. variety), but only because RoadAtlanta favors hp. Again, there was no racing or bragging rights, just everyone out having an enjoyable drive.

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