Who's going to the WC race in a couple of weeks at Road Atlanta? I'll be there to root on Seth Thomas, hopefully he'll snag a podium with his extensive knowledge of this track. Click the links...

Here (http://roadatlanta.com/index.lasso?-database=road_events&-layout=ev_2&-response=eventdetail.lasso&-recordID=31&-search)

and here (http://world-challenge.com/2005/roadatlanta.html)

Who's going to the WC race in a couple of weeks at Road Atlanta? I'll be there to root on Seth Thomas, hopefully he'll snag a podium with his extensive knowledge of this track. Click the links...

Here (http://roadatlanta.com/index.lasso?-database=road_events&-layout=ev_2&-response=eventdetail.lasso&-recordID=31&-search)

and here (http://world-challenge.com/2005/roadatlanta.html)

Yeah I should be there Thursday through Saturday. :alright

Any bumps or bruises from your little mishap?

Are you getting geeked up for this race?

C'mon guys...LUFTY and Slvr_98M are in. And feel free to bring the kids...I'll be bringing my 6yo race fanatic.

Anyone want to sponsor me?

Matt

I'd be there if I didn't have 35 tennis and make-up soccer matches to play that weekend.

We shall see...

Carter

I've still got to get you that monitor.

Yeah I should be there Thursday through Saturday. :alright
So does this mean that the TC race is the one on Sat? The schedule doesn't say. Just WC race #1 on Sat and #2 on Sunday. I can't make it on Sat so could you get them to switch it to Sun so I don't miss out on TC? Thanks!

So does this mean that the TC race is the one on Sat? The schedule doesn't say. Just WC race #1 on Sat and #2 on Sunday. I can't make it on Sat so could you get them to switch it to Sun so I don't miss out on TC? Thanks!

I will talk to the Speed and SCCA Pro Racing guys to see what I can get done. They probably will ignore my request but since it is you asking they might just switch them. And for what it is worth they are going to be on Speed Channel live for both races. 4:00 Saturday for the TC and sometime on Sunday for GT.

I'll be there for sure with a friend...

-Prince

hopefully he'll snag a podium with his extensive knowledge of this track.

lol brown nose.


*btw, just teasing :stickoutt

Of course I'll be there.

There are also other locals that will be there that weekend besides Seth. Nic Jonsson and Randy Pobst also in speed touring for example. :D

Should be a fun weekend.

I'll be out there watching all three days!

Seth, what frequency are you guys on so I can tune ya in with my scanner?

Don't make me search! argh! :cool

lol brown nose.


*btw, just teasing :stickoutt

You were right the first time...I'm kissing his ass so he'll co-drive a race with me in July.

We should excange cellys or something...I'll be there with Ahmed and Kendal. My name is Chris, 770-235-4854.

1. Randy (and guest)
2. Chris
3. Ahmed
4. Kendal

Keep it going....

-Prince

1. Randy (and guest)
2. Chris
3. Ahmed
4. Kendal
5. Karl
6. Nicole

I will talk to the Speed and SCCA Pro Racing guys to see what I can get done. They probably will ignore my request but since it is you asking they might just switch them. And for what it is worth they are going to be on Speed Channel live for both races. 4:00 Saturday for the TC and sometime on Sunday for GT.
Thanks Seth! I really appreciate the effort. Good luck in the race and keep the shiny side up...unlike your boss. :D

1. Randy (and guest)
2. Chris
3. Ahmed
4. Kendal
5. Karl
6. Nicole
7. Keith

We need a place and a time inside RA to meet up. Smaller bunches can caravan up together too.

I've never been to a pro race at RA, is it bedlam like a NASCAR race or fairly well organized? Where do peeps want to watch the touring race? I'm thinking the hill at T5...high enough and you can see T6 and T7 too (bring a blanket or something).

I'll be out there watching all three days!

Seth, what frequency are you guys on so I can tune ya in with my scanner?

Don't make me search! argh! :cool

Stop by the rig and I will get you our frequencies. I don't know them by heart.

Of course I'll be there.

There are also other locals that will be there that weekend besides Seth. Nic Jonsson and Randy Pobst also in speed touring for example. :D

Should be a fun weekend.

And your point is..........

I've never been to this kind of race before. I am tempted to go :stickoutt

I've never been to this kind of race before. I am tempted to go :stickoutt

You definitely should as this is the best racing out there. It beats watching a Nascar race as the excitement lasts the whole time. It is not 4 hours of watching a car go in a circle. There is bumping and banging going on all while the cars are being driven to the edge of its limits.

You definitely should as this is the best racing out there.

Yeah, I'm stoked...this'll be my third WC race. I'm a little concerned about WC though. Usually any 10 cars can win a race but now any 10 can win as long as their Mazdas. SCCA's got to reel those cars back, put in factory trannys or something to make the playing field level.

They seem to be proactive in keeping GT competitive, why don't they care to keep the touring races close?

And your point is..........
You're not the only one that knows the track. ;)
Its not just about knowing the track either. Most of it is knowing how to set up the car for the track. Chances are you've got that part figured out by now too. ;) Should be a fun weekend.

I'll be there... wednesday through sunday?

Yeah, I'm stoked...this'll be my third WC race. I'm a little concerned about WC though. Usually any 10 cars can win a race but now any 10 can win as long as their Mazdas. SCCA's got to reel those cars back, put in factory trannys or something to make the playing field level.

They seem to be proactive in keeping GT competitive, why don't they care to keep the touring races close?

Races seem pretty close to me. Acura, BMW, and Mazda are relatively close. The mazdas do have a some extra bits on them that may not have been necessary, but they aren't dominating...

Top 5 for the first race was Acura, BMW, Mazda, BMW, BMW. Second race ended up Mazda, Acura, Acura, BMW, Mazda.

So who's dominating? Looks like nobody to me. :dunno

You definitely should as this is the best racing out there. It beats watching a Nascar race as the excitement lasts the whole time. It is not 4 hours of watching a car go in a circle. There is bumping and banging going on all while the cars are being driven to the edge of its limits.

Nascar is not my kinda thing either. I do enjoy watching WRC and Superbike on tv though.

Yeah, I'm stoked...this'll be my third WC race. I'm a little concerned about WC though. Usually any 10 cars can win a race but now any 10 can win as long as their Mazdas. SCCA's got to reel those cars back, put in factory trannys or something to make the playing field level.

They seem to be proactive in keeping GT competitive, why don't they care to keep the touring races close?

They will be keeping the Mazdas closer in check now. They released a bulletin today announcing added weight and restrictor plate size to the Mazdas. It should help keep them in check a little bit for a HP track like RA.

Also the SCCA does do a really good job of staying on top of keeping the cars in check during the season. Sometimes it might now be as soon as some people thing they should but they know there stuff.

You're not the only one that knows the track. ;)
Its not just about knowing the track either. Most of it is knowing how to set up the car for the track. Chances are you've got that part figured out by now too. ;) Should be a fun weekend.

I'll be there... wednesday through sunday?

Thank you for spelling all this out for me. I am always glad that somebody can point me in the right direction and keep me from thinking I am the only one who has imtimate track knowledge of RA. I think that in trying to be fully technical in your post you missed the whole point of Krisko posting about cheering me on. He wasn't saying I was the only local guy there. He was stating that he was going to the track to cheer me on to kiss my ass so I will co drive with him in July at RA :D . He also was stating it because I am the only one of the guys mentioned who will be racing that weekend that posts on BF and the BimmerWorld Team is the only team that is sponsored by BF. You know show your support for the local (geographical and BimmerForums posting) guy.

Races seem pretty close to me. Acura, BMW, and Mazda are relatively close. The mazdas do have a some extra bits on them that may not have been necessary, but they aren't dominating...

Top 5 for the first race was Acura, BMW, Mazda, BMW, BMW. Second race ended up Mazda, Acura, Acura, BMW, Mazda.

So who's dominating? Looks like nobody to me. :dunno

Good info from someone looking from the outside in. You have pointed out the results but that is not the only piece of the puzzle and that is why we have SCCA officials to look at the whole mess. If you will look at the results, qualifying, and practice times you will see that the Mazdas and Acuras have a slight advantage over the BMWs. Then look at the data pulled from teh cars in these sessions, which SCCA does, you will learn there are more than meets the eye. And then look at how the results could have been at the races if certain cars had not crasshed out, had mechanical difficulties, or stop and gos.

Sebring is a prime example. If the race had gone without any of the three problems listed, the results would have been more like Mazda, Acura, Acura, Mazda, BMW, Mazda, Acura, Ford, BMW, BMW. A similar situation would have been for St. Pete too. And from an outsider looking in it is hard to just look at the results because you don't see how the cars are on track. It is a totally different ballgame as some of the drivers sandbag in sessions and other stuff goes on that you would never know about from looking at race results. This of course is my $.02 though.

This of course is my $.02 though.

Don't sell yourself short, Seth. It's at least $0.05!

There are a few reasons that I'm pulling for Seth next weekend.

First, I'm a homer for bimmerworld and James has helped me on a bunch of stuff. I'm pulling for Seth particularly because he had some rough luck two weeks ago and I'd like to see him do well on his home track. If I'm not mistaken, Seth holds the TC road atlanta record too. As Seth stated, he's on here quite a bit and has instructed guys on this board. I'm a big fan of Pobst too and met him a few times but Seth's in here growing interest in racing.

Re: the Mazda thing. At Sebring, Jeff Altenberg suffered a crash that would put most cars on a flatbed. He was near the back of the pack, yet he came back to grab a podium. THAT is a duminating performance. And like Seth said, duminance is more about lap times than finishing places. The Mazdas are between 1.5 to 2.5 seconds faster than everything else out there...some people think they are sandbagging too. Also, SCCA has allowed the Mazdas and Acuras to use a race-only transmission. How does a racing tranny fit into the spirit of touring class racing, especially when BMW and Ford can't use it?

The Mazdas are as duminant now as the Caddy's were in GT at the beginning of last year. They Caddy got slapped hard, didn't win again until the last race of 2004. I'm glad to hear SCCA is doing something about the Mazdas. While I'm a homer for BMW, I don't mind if a Mazda or Acura wins every other race. :D

(u=o in the word 'duminant'...for some reason BF filters that word)

Is there any way to get a ticket just for Saturday? The Sat/Sun ticket is somewhat expensive considering I only plan on being there half the day Saturday.

Pick up a ticket outside maybe?

Jump in a trunk outside the gate maybe?

Print a orange sqaure with SCCA on it in black and just drive thru the gate like you know your supposed to just drive thru? lol, have seen that work in the past and typically the gate worker is not going to give chase.

Bring hot girls for flagging duties? has worked in the past for me

Mike

I'll be there! Coming down from Chattanooga on Saturday. I rarely miss a race as long as it's in the south. I drove 10 hours by myself to check out Sebring this year! And it was definetly worth it. Tried to go to St.Pete but it didn't work out. Atlanta is the home race though. Hey Seth... I can't wait till Jim Osbourne gets out in the new GTO and competes in GT so they'll not give me hell about the Bimmerworld T-shirt I'll be wearing. haha! I've got me a Chili Pepper shirt too though. He's done really well at the last 2 races though. I saw him at the red light here at the hospital when we were both pulling into work yesterday.... he got a new Z8!! :eek:

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. SCCA SPEED Touring Car Round Three Race (27 laps or 50 minutes), LIVE ON SPEED

I highlighted this for those who can't make it.

I'll be there! Coming down from Chattanooga on Saturday. I rarely miss a race as long as it's in the south. I drove 10 hours by myself to check out Sebring this year! And it was definetly worth it. Tried to go to St.Pete but it didn't work out. Atlanta is the home race though. Hey Seth... I can't wait till Jim Osbourne gets out in the new GTO and competes in GT so they'll not give me hell about the Bimmerworld T-shirt I'll be wearing. haha! I've got me a Chili Pepper shirt too though. He's done really well at the last 2 races though. I saw him at the red light here at the hospital when we were both pulling into work yesterday.... he got a new Z8!! :eek:

Just tell Osbourne you know a real team when you see one. ;) He has been doing really well in Touring. It will be interesting to see how GT goes for him especially if he keeps driving touring too. I think he will do really well.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. SCCA SPEED Touring Car Round Three Race (27 laps or 50 minutes), LIVE ON SPEED

I highlighted this for those who can't make it.


You entering?

You entering?

Yup, I'll be entering the track around 8:30 am. Oh...you mean entering the race??? Either you're a smart ass or you simply don't realize that I'm a lowly amateur club racer. :D

Yup, I'll be entering the track around 8:30 am. Oh...you mean entering the race??? Either you're a smart ass or you simply don't realize that I'm a lowly amateur club racer. :D

Well, to be a "race car driver", you either need skill, or money. (Having both is a bonus.) Plenty of gentleman racers out there. (actually, thats what an extremely large number of them are these days it seems.) So perhaps he just thought you had lots-o-money. :)

Yeah, I thought you had spent 100 grand on that M3. Am I wrong?

But in all seriousness, I thought I had seen you say in a different thread you were racing this weekend. Everything's a blur reading the forum past midnight

It feels like a 100 grand on my car at this point and I was going to race at VIR this weekend but my engine is apart.

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. SCCA SPEED Touring Car Round Three Race (27 laps or 50 minutes), LIVE ON SPEED

I highlighted this for those who can't make it.

Sweet I'll be tuned in for this.


Go Seth!

So who will be there tomorrow (friday)?

Not me unfortunately...I'll be there saturday all day and sunday til about 2pm. I just watched the WC GT race at St Pete...what a freakin' hoot! I swear it was like bumper cars out there, probably 8 cars were gone halfway through. The GT race will be Sunday at 8:30 am and broadcast on speedTV at 1pm.

Where is the best place to watch the WC races? I'm thinking either in the front straight grandstand or preferably near turn 1 somewhere. A standing start has got to be exciting as hell and there's sure to be contact at T1. I think I'll try to watch the start from the infield at T1 then scoot over to the hill at T5 for the rest of the race.

I like 10 a/b after the long back straight, LOTS of seating there. And late passes and cars in gravel traps. yay! :redspot

I'll be in the pits though, cya there. ;)

For the start, inside turn 1 up the hill a bit is a good spot. If you go up far enough torwards 2, you can usually see most/all of 1 and beyond 3 as well. The esses will also likely be interesting on lap 1, and there should be some good passing heading down to turn 5. 10a is another location with a good potential for passing. Though its a tough call between watching in the stands at 10a, or just past the black flag station on the back straight.

I think 10a would be a great spot for the ALMS race. With 4 classes of cars we'll see some overtakes and someone's bound to end up in the kitty litter.

It is hard to say which is the best spot. 10a has plenty of passing, but gets old since it is such a slow corner. 5 will have several spins, bumps, pushes etc. It will have the most action for a tight group like SpeedT.

We typically watch the standing start, first lap on the pit wall, then move over to turn 3 for a few laps, then 5, a few mins at 7 then a few at 10a/b before going back to pit wall. The replay will be much better anyway.

Mike

Will be there with some Ferrari buddies...will be in the Hellrot 328is.