NASA Vette/Viper Challenge, EMRA Time Trials & other places relatively stock C5's Can Play?

[KenRahaim]

Hi,

Its been a long time since I've had any interaction with the NVCC so I'm not sure if any of the names I knew back in the mid to late 90s are still around, but I figure I should start by introducing myself. My name is Ken Rahaim and I used to be heavily involved with the Mid-Atlantic F-Body (MAFB) group. For several years I helped organize the VVF (Vette/Viper/F-body) series of drag race events, I think we even did a few VVF club days at Summit point and we did what MAFB called the Y/F-body challenge at ODS with your club's event there.

Anyway, I've been researching race series and wanted to see if anyone was familiar with NASA's new Vette Viper Challenge series and if they knew if it would be coming to the Virginia region or not? I've also been considering EMRA's time trial program and was wondering if anyone here had any experience running a C4 or C5 there. I'm open to any other local/regional series (wheel to wheel, time trials... as long as its on a circuit and as long as they have a class that supports relatively stock cars) that folks might be able to suggest. Thanks for any help.

[urtoslo]

I remember you. Are you interested in autoxing? There are several threads on this forum on the subject of autoxing and HPDE. Do you have a Vette now?

[C5inWV]

The Vette/Viper challenge was mentioned in our general topics/news forum a while back. Last week I posted a link to the home page with all the information on July's event.

It sounds like it will be a fun event, but I will run at Summit Pint the week before with NASA. It might be hard to justify racing every weekend (and letting the grass grow.) I'd have to find a sponsor.[:D]

[KenRahaim]

I remember you. Are you interested in autoxing? There are several threads on this forum on the subject of autoxing and HPDE. Do you have a Vette now?Hi Andrej,

I remember you too. Nice to see a familiar name.

To answer your question, I've just purchased a '99 FRC for 100% use as a track car. I may do an autox here or there but I'm more interested in road course events. For the near term I'll probably do HPDE's and Time Trial events, but will eventually get back into some wheel 2 wheel competition. When exactly I'm not sure as its dependant on when the budget recovers from "racing" in the Belgian MINI Cooper Challenge (http://www.desmethracers.be) last season (linked website covers pre-season training and testing; after that, things got too busy to update the webpage - my car was #11).

Anyway, that's why I'm interested in things like EMRA's time trials (or something like it if anyone has any other suggestions) for now. It'll be a good way to get my competitive fix without having to spend a small fortune in wheel to wheel racing for now :).

[KenRahaim]

The Vette/Viper challenge was mentioned in our general topics/news forum a while back. Last week I posted a link to the home page with all the information on July's event. Thanks for the tip David. I looked in and searched for the terms "Viper" and "Challenge" but could not find the post in either the News section or general topics. Perhaps you could point me to the thread title? I would appreciate it.

Also, is the race in July with the Virginia region or the Ohio region of NASA? Thanks!

[KenRahaim]

On second thought, I found most of what I was looking for on NASA's forum here:

http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=1368

Seems as though VVC posts are few and far between as this series seems to be just getting started up. Thanks anyway.

[C5inWV]

Hi Ken.
Here is the Viper link. I was operating on (remote) memory, and didn't find the link myself until I looked under the Reese Cox driving school thread.

Here it is: http://www.viperdays.com/detailsmcsvir.html

It looks like you found the NASA home page. I am in the VA region, but I attended my last event with the Ohio region. I think I will see BeaveRun in June, again with the OH region, and then do Summit Point in July with the VA region.

It sounds like you are no stranger to road racing, so you might want to look at the thread I posted a few weeks ago about Pocono. It is a Vette + exotics day on Memorial Day. The track will be part of the NASCAR course. I've heard that some Vettes have hit the 160's[:O]. It isn't too expensive for this opportunity.

See you at the track![:D]

[urtoslo]

Ken,

Check this out:

http://www.pahillclimb.org/Schedule.htm

Looks interesting without the wheel to wheel trauma. Tree trauma, cliff trauma?

Andrej

[Black396]

Andrej,

Looks like more fun than a barrell of monkeys [:D]

Do you want to give it a try?

[Black396]

Forget that. It looks like you have to have a SCCA competition license. [:(]

[urtoslo]

Andrej,

Looks like more fun than a barrell of monkeys [:D]

Do you want to give it a try?


Yeah, I'll probably make one of these. You need to get your SCCA competition license!

[C5inWV]

Hey Mike,
NASA-SE hosts the Snowshoe hillclimb in August. I can't find any details yet, but we may qualify without the SCCA license.
[B-)]

[Black396]

Andrej,

Looks like more fun than a barrell of monkeys [:D]

Do you want to give it a try?


Yeah, I'll probably make one of these. You need to get your SCCA competition license!

Don't you have to compete in a minimum number of competition events each year to keep it valid?

[urtoslo]

Don't you have to compete in a minimum number of competition events each year to keep it valid?

Yeah, two events.

[KenRahaim]

Ken,

Check this out:

http://www.pahillclimb.org/Schedule.htm

Looks interesting without the wheel to wheel trauma. Tree trauma, cliff trauma?Heh, heh... tree trauma [:)]

Thanks for the tip Andrej. I also have the "no SCCA license" problem with this series. I had an FIA competition license but it expired on 12/31/03. I'll be getting a new competition license when I move back to the U.S. permanently (I'm living in Belgium now and will be back off and on this year and permanently at the beginning of next year), but for now I discovered NASA is running time trials:

http://www.nasaproracing.com/hpde/tt.html

...sorta. Although their national website promotes it and I can find a few mentions of it in the Virginia region website from last year, I can't find anything about this year.

[Black396]

Ken,

Check out the Ohio-Indiana Mid-Ohio Region of NASA http://www.racenasa.com/events.htm

I believe they have Time Trials at everyone of the events on their schedule.