Al Fairer Double SARRC at VIR this weekend

[aged racer]

VIR is getting all my money these days. Coming up this weekend is the annual Al Fairer Double SARRC weekend at VIR. Looks like the BRR racers are coming out in force this weekend (the usual suspects plus a few new faces). I'll be running in SM on Saturday but not Sunday, looks like everyone else is in for both days.

Lot's of racing action, so bring Mom out for a fun day....

Steve

[Scott]

I am planning on being there Sat to watch

[tac911t]

For Saturday’s race Steve and I drove down to make it a day trip. Felt just like towing to an Autocross, arrive early in the morning, run, then go home.

Weather was great, track was slow, the ITB cars had slower qualifying times than prior weekends. For my group with ITA, ITB, ITC, SSB, SSC, and the RX7’s, I was on pole for ITB (7th overall), besting the 2nd place E30 BMW by 9 thousands, the third place Golf was a few positions further back. This pole position was with 1 1/2 year old Hoosiers, and a weak motor. During the qualifying session I was stuck behind a RX7, that could out pull me on the straights, and I was then all over his back in the twisties. After a few laps like this, and being that there was no one behind me, I backed way off of him, so I could have some open track, it was that lap (the last lap), that I got the pole.

For the race, I was on the inside of row 7, the BMW was on the outside, and the Golf was a couple of rows back on the inside. Got a good start and it was me and the BMW side by side into turn 1, with the Golf moving in on the side with 2 wheels in the grass. We all got through turn 1, and then I got pushed out after turn 3 and was in the dirt to turn 4 losing a few positions. Then I was behind another of the RX7, that I could just not get around. With the BMW and the Golf a few cars ahead, I was trying to get around that RX7. I did get by at turn 1, then was passed back. One time when I tried to pass the car again at turn 1, I locked up the brakes and spun. This put me several more cars back. At this point, the car just did not feel right, so I backed off, and ensured that I could finish the race, and salvage 3rd place. When I saw the 4th and 5th place cars a couple of turns back, I started to pick up the pace, and did finish in 3rd.

Steve’s race was right after mine, so I was not able to see his, but he did finish 4th.

[aged racer]

Good recap by Tod. My race in SM was the usual 12 laps of hell/ fun. Got the benefit of clean track for qualifying and started 6th. Decent start, got passed by one, then repassed him two laps later plus one more for 5th. Raced pretty hard with the 4th place car mid-race, bump drafting away from the pack. Then got 4th when my drafting partner got sideways out of Oak Tree. With no draft the pack was closing up again, so the last few laps were an exercise in concentration, hitting the marks and driving tidy. Got close to the 3rd place car, but just could not get there (damn podium is hard to find in Spec Miata). Overall a good run, driving the National three weeks earlier had me dialed in.

Other BRR results for Saturday: Greg Hastings grabbed a thrilling win at the flag in FV, with Gary Best close behind in 3rd. Tom Guthrie was 2nd in FF in his new Van Deiman (a very pretty ride, Tom's standard workmanship). Bill Bradley had an unfortunate DNF in F500, and Larry Overstreet recovered from an off in the morning to get 1st in GT3.

For Sunday, Greg won again in FV, with Gary 2nd. Tom was 2nd again in FF. Doesn't look like Bill or Larry were able to run? The weather was snarky, rain off and on and much colder, so these open wheel guys deserve an extra round of mountain cojones for sticking it out.

Eric ran F&C like a pro (as usual); I'm sure I missed some other BRR folks working the event or driving, so please add to the post!

Next up for me is the Double SARRC at Kershaw this coming weekend, in search of more points and an invite to the season ending SARRC Run-off's. It's about time some other track got my money...

Steve