VIR, 5th November

Malcolm

Supporter
Ron Earp has kindly invited Jools and I to join him and another Ron to share their car in the Charge of the Headlight Brigade race on 5th November at Virginia International Raceway. This 13 hour endurance race will be our first race, so nothing like starting small and working up, just jump in the deep end and start driving! And keep driving....

Ron and his team have entered 3 cars with 10 drivers, and we will be driving car 43, a Spec Miata (mazda MX5 to UK guys). Ron has prepped this car over the summer with its final testing this weekend. Don't wreck it Ron, I booked the flights last night! I will try and insert a picture below.

Any forum member who lives in the vicinity of VIR, please come and support our corner. Jools and I will be the lost looking Brits amongst about 200 US drivers. Last year there were 70 cars on the starting grid.

Jools and I are really looking forward to this adventure as VIR is a 4 plus mile long circuit with both long fast straights and twisty bits where precision is key. So Ron tells us! Not like the 40 second run hill climbs and sprints we are used to then. Hmmm.

What should be interesting is that practice is at 6.30 pm with qualifying at 9.30 pm in the dark on Friday with the race on Saturday starting at 9 am, finishing at 10 pm.

So as long as we don't forget to take our race licenses with us we shall be having a ball at VIR on 5th November and would like to see the faces behind some of the names on this forum.

Hope you can make it too
 

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Ron Earp

Admin
If anyone would be willing to come up and lend a pit hand I'll get you free passes to get in VIR. If you've not been to VIR, you need to go. It is a wonderful race complex and country club with an awesome track that is seriously up and coming in the racing world since it re-opened a few years ago.

Here are a couple of pictures of the 43 and 39 Miata at Rockingham, both our team cars, and one picture of 43 with the newly installed electroluminescent lights for nighttime marker use. Also in the picture is Jeff, my partner and teammate, in his TR8 at Rockingham. Banked ovals are quite fun!

TR8and43.jpg


43and39atRocklargesmall.jpg


light2small.jpg
 

Ron Earp

Admin
If you'd like to head up Bill let Malcolm or me know, we'll set up some tickets etc. Jim I'll need to put you down on the roster as well, it'd be nice to see some www.gt40s.com people there but it will be hectic, it was last year!
 

Malcolm

Supporter
Wow, it is really happening as Jools and I head off for the airport.

You guys ought to try something like this even just to get the reaction of telling freinds in a cool way..."Oh yeah you know I am off to USA to race next weekend". As you do!

This is going to be a hoot.
 
Did the boys make into town? Did Malc remember his oily rag?Good luck at the track on Saturday guys. We'll catch up with you next time.

Brian
 

Malcolm

Supporter
We're back!

I have never done anything in a car that can compete with the fun Jools and I just had at VIR. Wow and wow again!

Got back this morning and am a bit tired so will write something more fully later this week.

Thanks to Ron and chums for prepping a great car that ran faultlessly all 13 hours even with me at the wheel for 5 hours 15 minutes!

We came 7th out of 17 in class and 25th out of 60 starters overall. 922 miles in 13 hours at an average speed of 71 mph.

What an amazing adventure.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I have never done anything in a car that can compete with the fun Jools and I just had at VIR. Wow and wow again!

[/ QUOTE ]

Malc, you may want to rephrase that!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Nevertheless, I'm glad to hear you, Jules and the car are still all in one piece! Can't wait to hear about it.

Charles
 
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
G

Guest

Guest
Malcolm,
You must be back by now, if the aboveis you and Co. at the VIR. How did it go?

And please tell me - you just had to take your MSA race licences? Do you have Speed or Race versions? Not that it matters but read on.

I ask, because a US friend who races the same type of car as I do in the UK was to be on holiday in the UK and wanted a race or two in my series. A car was arranged and the series secretaries were happy, but the MSA raised unbelieveable obstacles (eg "He must surrender his US licence and take the ARDS course"!!! These made the project impossible without subterfuge and the risk of the MSA's severe displeasure, which we did not wish to inflict on our colleagues. So US friend didn't race. How did you get on, and how did Ron enable you to race in the US, just with a UK licence?

John
 

Malcolm

Supporter
John

I beleive the SCCA have discretionary powers to allow who they like to race. Our UK race licences only showed a level of competence (!!!) and with other documents to prove we were who we said we were they gave us waivers for their licensing requirements. They seemed more keen for proof of who we were as we had to take passports and UK driving licences plus a personal reference too. I don't really get the reason why they allowed us to race but they did, for which we are grateful. We did not rely on our UK race license as an FIA international race licence.

We had to have pre driving breifings from the chief steward who held the final decision on all matters. We also had to become members of SCCA but for foreigners visiting that is a free temporary membership done at trackside.

Reading the GCR, there are different rules again for Canadians!

I can see the MSA not doing the same for US citizens. Clearly a totally different approach and one that is inflexible at our level. I see no reason why your US freinds can't take the ARDS test as that would then allow them to apply for a UK National B licence. Maybe they would need a UK address to apply from? I have never seen a rule in any rule book that says if you hold a race licence in one country that prevents you from having a race licence in another country if applying under each country's rules correctly. So SCCA licence is useless in this country, get your guys to leave it in USA. To do ARDS from start to finish and buy first licence is about £350. MSA processed it all quickly so you could do ARDS on Monday and race following Saturday albeit in Nat B events!

Hope this helps
 
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