The dash reads 20 degrees. The Racing Analytics drivers used the winter driving tips we talked about in last week’s blog entry!
I was scheduled to coach during an SCCA regional event at VIR this past weekend, but the threat of ensuing weather left us unsure if we’d even be able to get on track. (After all, the track did get nine inches of snow a week earlier!) However, despite freezing rain on Thursday, the wind dried the track overnight and we got a full day of driving in on Friday.
Racing Analytics had four Spec Miata racers at the track, and I was working with them for all three days of the event. We had Ashton Harrison and Rob Trollinger returning following their last outing at Sebring, and Ben Rooke and Jonathan Czarny also joined us for the weekend.
We had a great test day on Friday, although it was very cold: the high was in the upper 30s! We were able to tackle all of our test day goals, getting experience for everyone there, including Ben, who was making his first visit to the famed track. I was also able to help with setup by driving the cars and establishing reference laps.
In the paddock for VIR’s first race of the 2015 season!
The weekend was really busy with all of the racing and on-track activity. Each morning started really cold, but the forecast for warm afternoons gave us something to look forward to! Progress throughout the event was fantastic for all four drivers, and by the end of the weekend, all four of the Racing Analytics drivers came home with clean cars and new personal best lap times at VIR. Jonathan even won the Spec Miata race on Sunday, and Ben took home a top five – a great finish for his first visit to the track!
In all, it was really a proud weekend for me, and everyone was happy with how well the cars ran. The team put in a lot of hard work to help everyone get great results.