Driving Virginia International Raceway in a '97 Tahoe.

"Because Race Kart" (theresidentracer) 08/07/2014 at 11:21 • Filed to: None

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What do you do when your race gets postponed due to a wet track? Simple, you call upon the racers to bring out their vehicles they used to drive to the track, and then have them dry the track.

Last week me and my father went down to Danville to road race on the !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . This was on Saturday.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Sunday came, and as we knew ahead of time, there was a 30% chance of rain. More like 100%, the lying weather.com bastards, because the sky would dump it's load, wait for everything to settle down an hour later, and then dump more rain on the track. While a select few kart classes can run in the rain with wet tires, the downpour was torrential, and they stayed in. After a break in the weather, an announcement came on the track's loudspeaker system, inviting all racers to take their vehicles out to soak up the water on the track. We accepted the invite. Drive around at no more than 45MPH, no passing others, etc. etc. The result was a hilarious and very memorable Sunday at the track. I'd say we were accompanied on the track by at least 20 other cars. And after we got off, many of them stayed out for another half hour.

Sadly enough the efforts were in vain, the rain came back with a vengeance before a kart could be sent out. Shortly after that the race was cancelled, and everyone pretty much knew that would happen, as they cleared out quick.

Still, being able to experience this is something that probably won't happen again. VIR is a wonderful place and the fact they allowed us to do this is something I'll never forget.

Conan > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 12:27

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Looks like an absolute hoot. Like taking a sled on a ski slope.

Chaparral2F > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 17:52

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Just make sure that all that hooning stays out of Rappahannock County. Pretty soon, reckless driving tickets will be cited at Danville.

Blondude > Conan 08/07/2014 at 17:52

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Don't give me these ideas...

Josh Gordon's pot dealer > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 18:31

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I just inspected the water tower at VIR today. That track is beautiful from 150ft in the air!

SnowBallin > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 18:36

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what a complete waste of my time Jalopnik. Not even a powerslide? No tire spinning?

eastman069 > Chaparral2F 08/07/2014 at 18:38

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What's a 97-foot Tahoe?

Chaparral2F > eastman069 08/07/2014 at 18:42

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It was the stretched model produced for limo services. Or, it could be how long Lake Tahoe is today after the severe drought and water depletion of the lake.

KSEGGFTW > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 19:05

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3 days in jail.

Because Race Kart > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 19:07

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Shit, shared to the front page? Now everyone has to hear my voice. Haha thanks Travis!

Dar > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 19:22

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"My father and I"

whoarder is tellurium > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 19:39

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No mighty Vortec 350 roar? I am disappoint.

JK. If I somehow ended up at VIR and the only vehicle available to drive was a Tahoe, I'd still do it. Because racecar track.

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 19:46

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My local short track uses the track trucks dragging tires and asks racers to drive their RACE cars on track. It doesn't work very well. It still surprises me that a NASCAR sanctioned track doesn't have a more efficient way to dry the track.

rdev44 > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 20:03

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I've wanted to drive my truck on the race track for so long. jealous

lonestranger > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 20:50

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Obviously that's a 1997 Tahoe, not one that's ninety-seven feet. Still, you might want to correct that title.

Mike > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 20:50

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Years back I was vehicle test coordinator for Ford's SVT group and as part of the 2003 Cobra/Terminatot program we rented Road Atlanta for an 8 hour vehicle race durability test. We had got to the track a day before for set up and preliminary testing but on the morning we were set to begin testing I had run to the airport to retrieve my boss and Terminator program manager Tom Bochenek. As we got to the track he looked at me as said "your only objective is to keep the assholes (vehicle development engineers) off the track with the rental cars.

No sooner than we got out of the car and looked to the empty pits did we hear the screetching of tires and saw the entire VD team (Tom Chapman, Dean Martin, Mark Dipko, and two mechanics) coming down the big hill in their mini van nearly rolling it at the bottom of the hill at 100+ mph drifting half on the track and half in the grass.

My boss looked at me and said "You failed!"

Vehicle development trips that include race tracks and rental cars were some of my fondest memories from my days at Ford.

truebeliever > whoarder is tellurium 08/07/2014 at 20:51

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blurb, blurb, blurb, blurb.

Remember dialing "popcorn" for the time? > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 21:10

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Awesome! I have one of those! What was your lap time?

Because Race Kart > Mike 08/07/2014 at 21:14

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Awesome story, hilarious just thinking about the minivan drifting.

RVAScott > Because Race Kart 08/07/2014 at 23:58

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This 4th of July Weekend, they allowed bicycles on the track in the evening. It was a blast, the uphill esses were a bear, but the roller coaster was incredible. I did 3 laps, and would have done more, but my son was getting fatigued.

Esmeralda Fitzmonster, CPLC > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 00:15

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For some reason I read the headline as:

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Lawyer_Applegate > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 01:59

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*My father and I.

Echo51 > Josh Gordon's pot dealer 08/08/2014 at 03:14

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No pics when on the job?

ToastedTires > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 03:57

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that XJ would be fun. There should be a spec XJ racing series. Final lap includes rock crawling to the off track finish line.

PartyPooper2012 > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 06:50

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Quick. We must warn the guy with the checkered flag the bridge is out

'Wägen, EPA LOL > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 09:19

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MINI COOPER POWAH! > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 09:37

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Hey look, an asshole in a green mini cooper, now who might that be.....

Because Race Kart > MINI COOPER POWAH! 08/08/2014 at 10:16

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Haha I knew you'd be one of the ones out there too! I think that Buick was the leader of the pack.

MINI COOPER POWAH! > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 10:18

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there was a silver dodge in front of me for a bit, i had my brother riding with me with a radio,(he worked tow truck all weekend) so i was like willie, tell tower i'm gonna amp it up a bit for a few laps, i hit it pretty good for 2-3. the mini is such a blast to drive. Mach Snell!!

Because Race Kart > MINI COOPER POWAH! 08/08/2014 at 10:26

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That's awesome, I was joking around saying we should call the guys over from the south course to help out too. Put those Ariel Atoms to good use.

MINI COOPER POWAH! > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 10:27

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Yeah, there track was dry because of the heat they were putting in to it, sucks to miss a race day though

Because Race Kart > MINI COOPER POWAH! 08/08/2014 at 10:50

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Indeed it does. After our engine failure during the Saturday race we were ready to head back out there, with a colder spark plug and correct settings on the high speed carb needle. We were ready to register for the race when the weather came in. Saved us $125 right there. I feel bad for the ones who pre-registered though.

MINI COOPER POWAH! > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 11:02

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Yep, i nearly always pre reg (i like starting "on pole") but it is what it is. what plugs are you running? i haven't ran yamahas in a few years, but i still know some tricks

Because Race Kart > MINI COOPER POWAH! 08/08/2014 at 11:17

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The one that melted on us was an NGK BR8EG. Supposedly ideal for Yamaha two strokes. The heat level was an 8 or so. Someone recommended the Denso W27ES-ZU so that's what we'll be running next.

MINI COOPER POWAH! > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 11:41

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I always ran autolite racing AR-51's

TylerLinner > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 11:51

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How could they resist drifting it?

Because Race Kart > MINI COOPER POWAH! 08/08/2014 at 12:50

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Hmm, well we have an Autolite AR-2592 also, might try it for a session. Thanks for the tip.

typhoon5000 > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 14:09

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Been there, done that, in my old 2008 F-350 Super duty Crew Cab Long Bed Diesel haha. It was during parade laps at the 2011 SHO Convention and my SHO was broken, per the usual LOL.

MINI COOPER POWAH! > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 15:28

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what kinda clutch/pipe are you using on your sprint enduro?

Because Race Kart > MINI COOPER POWAH! 08/08/2014 at 17:06

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SMC Gold Axle Clutch (Wet). Pipe is an RLV L4. This will be our first race with it, as I've been running a CIK kart the past 2 races.

MINI COOPER POWAH! > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 17:31

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Cool, ive had more luck (and better knowledge) with the horstman but the SMC's are good for yamaha

Monty Totten > Because Race Kart 08/08/2014 at 23:58

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My 97 Tahoe 350Li, aka Suburban, doing a little rain dance of it's own.

jdrgoat - Ponticrack? > Because Race Kart 08/11/2014 at 02:39

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The first HPDE I went to, well and every one since but my story if from the first... Ahem, the first HPDE I went to, all the novices had to attend an instructional short classroom basics of driving on a race track. After that, you had to ride the track with an instructor. After that, you were recommended to ride in your car on the track with an instructor. After that you were recommended to have an instructor ride with you in your car. Then you could participate freely with your group (novice or advanced).

My story is from the "ride with an instructor on the track" part. We had four or five people in the vehicle, including the instructor. The vehicle was an early-2000's Explorer V8. He drove the track to actually show us how to drive the track. Hitting apexes, using proper (safe) brake points, and going wide-open when on straights. I think it hit 105 on the front stretch.

It was pretty awesome.

MINI COOPER POWAH! > MINI COOPER POWAH! 08/12/2014 at 10:51

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Did you get in saturday?

Because Race Kart > MINI COOPER POWAH! 10/21/2014 at 19:59

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It's odd reviving an old comment but I have a question for you AJ. Hopefully you'll see the notification. I'm seriously considering running a full laydown next year and might run a Parilla Reedjet. In the end I'll probably stick with the grenade (KT100) but what are the costs and upkeep with a reedjet? Also where were you 2 weeks ago haha.