What are some your times?

[Jasil]

What are some of your times on VIR Grand course? Just wondering what a average track prepped NSX is able to turn with a average driver.

I've been reading up on various cars a the Porsche GT3 seems to be the God under 150K. I've seen times in the 2:05 range, Z06's in the 2:14 range, Rx-7's in the 2:18-2:20 range. I have not seen anything from a mildly prepped NSX.

 

[VBNSX]

you sure you're looking at the times for the Grande course.. or the Full course?

big difference.. especially since this year is the first year the Grande has been open to clubs.

x

 

[Brian Bailey]

I'm pretty sure you are looking at times for the full course at VIR as I'm not sure a lot of data is available for the extended course (grand) at this time.

I turned a 2:10.7 in the DAL NSX in 2003 in qualifying for the VIR 250 that year. Thats with a stock engine in a 1991 NSX with suspension work while on track tires. Faster than that should be easy given we had to run at 2730 lbs which required us to run a ton of ballast in the car and the suspension was largely unsorted. I'm positive their car, as currently prepped, could go faster still. I'd consider that car mildly prepped as the engine was a bone stock 40k mile street car engine at the time.

For comparison to a bone stock NSX on street tires, I turned laps in the 2:15 to 2:17 range in my bone stock 1991 back in 2000 though she could only do that for a lap or two before the tires felt like you'd driven through an oil slick and the brakes were non-existant.

Note that Porsche 996's prepped similar to the modified NSX above (not a GT3) will turn laps in the mid 2:05 to 2:06 range at 3050 lbs with a good driver. A GT3 would be much faster than that as it makes another 60 hp minimum at the wheels and has better suspension geometry (assuming similar shocks/springs).

If you are asking because you are heading there for a drivers ed event, I'd suggest you pay less attention to what kinds of laptimes others have turned and simply focus on your laptimes from lap to lap, session to session, day to day. Focus on being smooth and learning the track, and above all else, listening to your instructor. You'll go much faster with that line of thinking than if you go to the event thinking you're going to turn anything close to 2:20's your first time there.

Good luck and have fun. VIR is a great facility.

 

[NSX 3.0]

I'm pretty sure you are looking at times for the full course at VIR as I'm not sure a lot of data is available for the extended course (grand) at this time.

I turned a 2:10.7 in the DAL NSX in 2003 in qualifying for the VIR 250 that year. Thats with a stock engine in a 1991 NSX with suspension work while on track tires. Faster than that should be easy given we had to run at 2730 lbs which required us to run a ton of ballast in the car and the suspension was largely unsorted. I'm positive their car, as currently prepped, could go faster still. I'd consider that car mildly prepped as the engine was a bone stock 40k mile street car engine at the time.

For comparison to a bone stock NSX on street tires, I turned laps in the 2:15 to 2:17 range in my bone stock 1991 back in 2000 though she could only do that for a lap or two before the tires felt like you'd driven through an oil slick and the brakes were non-existant.

Note that Porsche 996's prepped similar to the modified NSX above (not a GT3) will turn laps in the mid 2:05 to 2:06 range at 3050 lbs with a good driver. A GT3 would be much faster than that as it makes another 60 hp minimum at the wheels and has better suspension geometry (assuming similar shocks/springs).

If you are asking because you are heading there for a drivers ed event, I'd suggest you pay less attention to what kinds of laptimes others have turned and simply focus on your laptimes from lap to lap, session to session, day to day. Focus on being smooth and learning the track, and above all else, listening to your instructor. You'll go much faster with that line of thinking than if you go to the event thinking you're going to turn anything close to 2:20's your first time there.

Good luck and have fun. VIR is a great facility.

Brian,
Just curious if you have been to Road America with the Porsche? if so what kind of times did you post there.

 

[Brian Bailey]

Brian,
Just curious if you have been to Road America with the Porsche? if so what kind of times did you post there.

Unfortunately, Road America isn't a track I've been too yet, though it is one thats high on my list to get too. With any luck, Grand-Am will schedule a race there next season and I'll get a chance to head up there.

 

[Chris F]

If you are asking because you are heading there for a drivers ed event, I'd suggest you pay less attention to what kinds of laptimes others have turned and simply focus on your laptimes from lap to lap, session to session, day to day.

VIR is indeed a great track, with superior facilities. I just got back from my first HPDE there, it is a tough track to learn to drive well, and there's a few places that one could make up a lot of time that might start to get a little dangerous (uphill esses and 17/17a come to mind).

It's more 'fun' than Road America, in that it's a lot harder to learn to drive fast, and there's more challenges with connected corners. I'd compare VIR with Mid-Ohio in that regards. I still like Road America a lot too, and it's a lot closer (2 hours, but not as close as it is from Neenah!)

I had a couple of laps <2:30, one 2:27, on a Integra Type R (turbo, 8 PSI) running on 3 cylinders. Toyo RA1's and 12K front, 10K rear springs.

Anyhow, have fun there if you're going! It was worth the 880 mile drive (for me) and the umpteen quarts of oil I burned :|

-Chris

 

[RP-Motorsports]

Chris F, I know too about toasted ringlands!!!!! I was very very impatient with my Greddy Turbo Integra GSR. I started beating on it with out a dyno run, and walla all 4 ring lands were toast! I ended up doing what I should have done from the start, and added an ACT 2600, JE pistons, JE rings, Eagle Rods, Turbo XS Boost Controller, full guages, etc. With a little timing retard and about 9psi, it would run high 12's!!!! I could actually gain on a Z06 with slicks @ Gingerman!!!! At Road America, I could run in the mid to high 2:40's if alone, and everything was working right <-----That is why I sold it for an NSX. I had problems with the g loads in the corners going over 1.0, and the oil pump getting an air pocket, causing a CEL and an artificial 5k rpm limit (not good when doing triple digits through the kink with Ferrari's, Z06's, and 911's on your tail!!! I would even add an extra qt of oil etc. I could have looked into an accusump, or baffled pan, but I had the car for 5 years, and something just told me it was time to get the NSX! :biggrin:
It is in Cleveland now, and still running. Supersonic Blue w/white RH CP035's...you may have seen me @ RA.

 

[Chris F]

Chris F, I know too about toasted ringlands!!!!! I was very very impatient with my Greddy Turbo Integra GSR.

Yeah, RA is a blast in a turblow integra. I was passing 911 Turbos with track tires last time out there, and anything with a Roundel on it.

I've got mine Hondata tuned, but this was probably my third weekend on cracked ringlands, I think they bit the dust at RA running 10 PSI and then starving the fuel coming out of the carousel (1900+ EGT, 17:1 AF, full boost. ). I fill up between EVERY session now, no exceptions.

Per chance, were you the blue GSR at RA with BMWCCA (Windy City) Octoberfast 2002? Ken Sax was there with his Yellow R. You were f***ing fast then. I had to meet you to see what that blue streak with street tires was kicking the crap out of my R. You had cracked your rotors, and I snickered to myself "serves you right you cheating turbo bastard!"

hehehe... times change

-Chris

 

[RP-Motorsports]

Yep that was me! There is NOT a brake system made on the planet that can stand my abuse! :biggrin:

I am doing Windy City in the NSX (first time with the NSX at RA) this spring. Hope to see you there!

 

[Chris F]

Yep that was me! There is NOT a brake system made on the planet that can stand my abuse! :biggrin:

I am doing Windy City in the NSX (first time with the NSX at RA) this spring. Hope to see you there!

We'll see.... I was thinking about going out with NASA April 9/10.. or NASA Mid Ohio the prior weekend.

My dad will be out there with BMWCCA, I might just have to go there again! I've got the ITR Expo later in May too... hopefully the fresh motor will last, getting rebuilt 9:1 compression JE Pistons, eagle rods, stock sleeves.

Wife is gonna kill me if I have multiple 4-figure maintenance bills on my caR this year... dozens of three-figure ones she tends to miss (tires, brakes, misc.)

I'm wondering if you'll be as fast in the NSX as you were with the Integra... I gotta imagine you won't be (mostly stock still?) as RA has a lot of straight line acceleration.

Whoops, I think I just jacked this thread. Sorry! Here's a link to the results of some NASA races on the full course from last weekend. Best lap times included. A little more practice, and I'll be keeping up with the Spec Miatas

http://www.nasaracing.net/VIR_Feb_05/event_results.htm

-Chris

 

[nsxtasy]

I was thinking about going out with NASA April 9/10.. or NASA Mid Ohio the prior weekend.

My dad will be out there with BMWCCA, I might just have to go there again!

Or, you could do it the other way around - going to Mid-Ohio April 9-10! For details, see the Midwest forum.

 

[Chris F]

Or, you could do it the other way around - going to Mid-Ohio April 9-10! For details, see the Midwest forum.

Mah Head Asplode

I'm a member of 3 BMWCCA regions already... I guess, what's another? *shrug* Maybe if I run with BMWCCA, I can convince my dad to caravan out with me.

I'm starting to get annoyed with the whole races-and-HPDE on the same day, is BMWCCA doing a club race at the same time? I'd rather get the track time for myself than watch races. Oh well, what're ya gonna do....

Nice thing about NASA is you see more FWD's, and I really kinda wanted to run that whole Time Trial thing. Nice thing about BMW is that they're all driving the same (slow) speed and my white blur sticks out to the cornerworkers

Mid Ohio was too cool... I have a feeling that with my new suspension I'll be less likely to pee myself in a couple of places (MAYBE 2, Hopefully 10B).

I guess it depends, on who's going where, and if I decide TTB is for me. One bad thing about actual competition, I'll have to work harder to keep my finger off of the boost controller

(If you hand't noticed, my head just exploded, and a bunch of random thoughts landed on my keyboard)

Edit, another random thought: Open passing in HPDE3 with NASA sounds like fun... or maybe not...)

 

[DCNSX]

We've got some NSX's and Elises headed to VIR March 26-27. I'll try to post up some times afterwards.

ncdogdoc has a lightened NSX, stock engine, w/ suspension mods that he "campaigns" at VIR regularly. I might have even timed him last year. He was pretty quick as I recall (at least compared with many of the higher-horsepower cars there). I'll try to dig some info out of my archives.