Go-kart racing at Allsports GP?

[alxtheoreo]

Autobahn Speedway in Manassas opens this Wednesday. Who's going? I'll be rolling there on Wednesday for info & then hit it up on Saturday to race.

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[mdm]

I was thinking of taking a day off on Wednesday and speding the day on the track .

But have an important meeting scheduled. On Saturday I'll be in Boston for another meeting (though I'm going to try out their indoor tracks too). So I'd go either the following weekend, or even the weekend after.

Please post your impressions here. And your lap times (or your racer name so I can look them up myself )

In the meantime, I heard that new indoor Summit Point facility in eastern Md is going to be huge, with 4 tracks. Maybe it's good it's so far away from me, I'd probably burn far to much money there

[mdm]

I went to Manassas tonight for a few races... the track diagram on the website is wrong, the actual track has more turns and fewer shorts straights. Passing is hard. The track is very slippery so driving is quite challenging especially when marshalls enable high speed. I think I was too aggressive, best time just above 23 seconds, 0.5 seconds slower than the best time of the day. I raced with that guy and he was very smooth.

The marshals are too cautious with speed control and a bit too inattentive with flags. I hope they are sill learning and will get better.


There was a Nascar moment when lights went off during the last race of the day .

[JoeCFRS]

I have an appointment at Ptuning on Saturday at 3:30 so i might go before or after. Hopefully it wont be too crowded. the one in Jessup is really busy on Saturdays unless you go as soon as they open.

[murdoc]

I'll have to get my fat ass out to karting one of these days. See how slow I can be, haha.

[mdm]

One more thought about that Manassas track. I think that it is different from Jessup tracks in that a big part of the track consists of relatively long turns. They are too tight to take them full speed (at least with that slippery surface, it may change a bit once more rubber from tires is on the track), but too gentle and too long to just brake hard and late, touch the apex and immediately go full throttle. I think one really has to carefully modulate gas there.

Not sure though, will have to figure it out next time. Maybe what I said above is just a pathetic attempt to explain why I was slow. Half a second worse than the best time of the day. In Jessup/LeMans I am half a second worse than the best time ever.


By the way, I found a great road to drive there from Burke/Springfield etc. I drove to the track via FFX County Pkwy and I-66, fast and boring. Going back I took Yates Ford Rd/Henderson Rd. It's all hills and corners, had a blast in my corolla, in a twin it must be orgasmic .

[JoeCFRS]

Ill be there tomorrow at 10 am with another twin owner if anyone wants to join.

[mdm]

Tomorrow I'll be in Boston (racing indoor gas karts, among other things). Another time!

[mdm]

Boston (Braintree) was good, both tracks are fun to drive, even if not particularly chalenging. Expecially track 1. You only need to brake before the "corkscrew", and then tap the brakes just before the pit straight, the rest is full throttle if you are careful and precise about your line.

In my 2nd race I was within 0.25 s from the track record. By the way, that "corkscrew" is a hairpin on a downhill leading to a tunnel (yes, there is a tunnel!), and they have braking signes there: SLOW, 3, 2, 1. In the safety video, they tell you to lift-off at SLOW, brake through 3 and 2, and turn in at 1. I went full throttle almost to 1, braked, turned, and was fine every time. It's all about good racing line !

Karts are new and well maintained, suits and neck collars are dirty and worn. Good I had my own neck collar. The facility is spacious and shiny, with a restaurant, bar, billiard room etc. But the rooms where pre-race briefing are held and where you put suit and helmet on are cramped and borderline disgusting. So a mixture of good and not-so-good, but racing was fun.


Anyway, this is Mid-Atlantic section, and what I was actually going to say that Dominion Raceway in Thornburg VA (on I-95 in Spotsylvania County) is going to open a kart track with rental karts. In July .

[alxtheoreo]

Originally Posted by mdm

Boston (Braintree) was good, both tracks are fun to drive, even if not particularly chalenging. Expecially track 1. You only need to brake before the "corkscrew", and then tap the brakes just before the pit straight, the rest is full throttle if you are careful and precise about your line.

In my 2nd race I was within 0.25 s from the track record. By the way, that "corkscrew" is a hairpin on a downhill leading to a tunnel (yes, there is a tunnel!), and they have braking signes there: SLOW, 3, 2, 1. In the safety video, they tell you to lift-off at SLOW, brake through 3 and 2, and turn in at 1. I went full throttle almost to 1, braked, turned, and was fine every time. It's all about good racing line !

Karts are new and well maintained, suits and neck collars are dirty and worn. Good I had my own neck collar. The facility is spacious and shiny, with a restaurant, bar, billiard room etc. But the rooms where pre-race briefing are held and where you put suit and helmet on are cramped and borderline disgusting. So a mixture of good and not-so-good, but racing was fun.


Anyway, this is Mid-Atlantic section, and what I was actually going to say that Dominion Raceway in Thornburg VA (on I-95 in Spotsylvania County) is going to open a kart track with rental karts. In July .

Mybad, I forgot to login this app a while ago. I went the opening Saturday to Manassas & it was packed. 2hr+ wait times. :mad:

The track is super small, slick & the lap times are too close. I have my three races reserved as I didn't feel like waiting. Plus, the crowd of racers were shoddy at best.

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[mdm]

Originally Posted by alxtheoreo

I have my three races reserved as I didn't feel like waiting.

You know you should be able to use them in Jessup or another Autobahn location, if you want to?


I'll give Manassas another try (I went there on opening Saturday evening), but I am seriously considering racing more at Jessup, despite longer drive there. Especially that they changed the layout to faster (at least on LeMans) and may track record of 18.444 seems very slow now.

[alxtheoreo]

Originally Posted by mdm

You know you should be able to use them in Jessup or another Autobahn location, if you want to?


I'll give Manassas another try (I went there on opening Saturday evening), but I am seriously considering racing more at Jessup, despite longer drive there. Especially that they changed the layout to faster (at least on LeMans) and may track record of 18.444 seems very slow now.

I'll give Jessup a shot, IF it's not crazy crowded. It's closer to me than Richmond or Portsmouth for G-Force karts. Lol.

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[mdm]

Originally Posted by alxtheoreo

I'll give Jessup a shot, IF it's not crazy crowded.

It often is. Especially on weekend evenings. Except Superbowl night

[alxtheoreo]

Originally Posted by mdm

It often is. Especially on weekend evenings. Except Superbowl night

Excellent. I guess I'll be there with a hangover.

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