HST at Hallett

[yelojkt]

This last weekend I took Yelojkt to the race track to see what it is like to go fast (real fast) in close proximity to other drivers and their cars. Let me just say if you have driven fast on twistie back country roads and you enjoy that kind of driving then this is a must for you, don't let another year go by without putting up the hundred and a half it takes to run laps. Here is a little breakdown of how things go.

HST stands for High Speed Touring, and that is what we were doing we were not racing each other (yeah right). In HST there is no passing in the turns only on the straights. The execption to this rule is after you run three events you get bumped up to advanced HST where you can pass in certain turns that have been designated as passing zones(I could have done alot of passing in this area) But alas I have two more events to race first. You are running against the clock trying to bring down your lap times. While at the same time other drivers in Porsche 911's, Audi TT's , Corvettes, Mustangs, lots and lots of Miata's, and an Arial Atom.

Some of my personal experiences were passing a Miata to come up behind a Jetta VR6 with a younger kid driving (he is a member of WetDub.com our VW Audi club. I could not pass him in the turns (that's the rules no matter how bad it sucks) and did not have the power to pass him on the straights. By the end of the long straights (two of them) he had pulled about two car lenghts on me. But as soon as we hit the braking zone I was all over him, all through the twisties and back out to the straights. So next session out I made sure I was in hot pit in front of him. Needless to say I never saw him for the whole 15 minute session. My lap times following the Jetta were in the 1.53 area and my lap times with him behind me were around 1.46. All in all it was a great day. I took a different passenger each time I went out on track and they all had a blast, one of the riders even said that I had made his year! We took our lunch and a several people in our club came out ane watched also. All in all it was a geat day. I am now thinking of how we can make this an official VW drivers day event and have a big cookout and camp out for the VW owners in this region.

I did get a little bit of brake fade but nothing to fret about. My last session I was still braking later than most of the people I was on track with my pedal just felt a little more spoungy. I ran with Hawk low dust pads (not race pads) and did not notice much wear on them. I drove to Hallett from Wichita KS about 150 miles and got to the track with a little over a half tank. About halfway through my forth session my fuel light came on and I had to buy fuel at the track ($5.75@ gallon) to run my last session and get to a nearby gas station to fillup for the drive home.

Well I should go to work so I better log off for now. Some of the WetDub guys took pictures and video so I'll see if I can get my hands on those and post them here.

[yellow1.8T]

this is cool too bad im in california but maybe I can do a road trip next year...

[noR]

Most awesome. I'm glad you got some road course time in Very sick. I bet you're getting better and better at handling that bug.

Very cool man, thanks for the informative post.

[Mad Mike]

Originally Posted by yelojkt

This last weekend I took Yelojkt to the race track to see what it is like to go fast (real fast) in close proximity to other drivers and their cars ...

Dude! I can't beleive you didn't call me! I only live 45 minutes from Hallett Motor Racing Circuit (www.hallettracing.com), was caretaker there the first two full seasons the place was open ('76 - '77), have been an instructor there since the 1980s, ran the StudBug there in a six-hour road race enduro a couple years ago -
http://www.realautosport.com/pics/Beetle/six-hour.html -



and staged a series of RallyeSprints around the outside of the track there too!

Oh wait, I was in New Hampshiore last weekend, Stewarding a stage rally set up by Team O'Neil ... Never mind ...

Anyway, glad you enjoyed Hallett! Once you've perfected the right way round HMRC you can race anywhere!