First SCCA event at Atlanta Motorsports Park (AMP)

We had our first event at AMP this past weekend. This was a PDX and Track Trial event where we ran a short 1.6 mile course on Saturday and the full 1.83 mile course on Sunday. The track was completed just a few months ago and opened to members for “controlled” laps at that time. However, the use of slicks and un-controlled (no pace car) laps started only a week or two ago. I say this to put some perspective on the overall facility and the track itself. IT’S VERY NEW!

This is a long “Denny” type post, so for a quick summary skip to the end!

The short track we ran on Saturday was most of the long course with a short access road over to the front straight cutting out the FUN right hander (T11) and the entire sweeper. This track was not as fun as the longer one and was too slow. The standard course was MUCH better and therefore is all I will talk about as I would not race on the short track. The only reason we used it on Saturday was to have a Solo on the other section at the same time. (Region $$)

The track has a very tough sound rule. MUCH different than the typical SCCA sound. AMP has sound stations all over and you have to stay below sound or they will black flag you on the spot. Some tried to argue this but it’s a track rule based on their compliance to the ordinance they were given to operate. If you don’t like it go home. How tough are they? I popped a 106 on one of their meters in session one running the short course and had to come in. (The infield meter had me at a 98 and the straight away meter a 106) Yes, 106 in an SRF! This was most likely at high RPM in 3rd gear before the shift to 4th on the front straight with the wand feet from the car. We managed to use a sound damping device inside the stinger that shut it up, but also killed HP. It was like stuffing a banana with some offset holes inside your pipe. (It was a “no modification” to the car insert. Just slipped in the top of the stinger and with a small hammer falls back out) Better to run then go home. For me this place is 35 minutes from my house so finding a way to pass their rules is a no brainer. At this point the jury is still out on if its worth any drive knowing the strict sound rules. One of the other SRF’s had a super trap on the end of his stinger and that seemed to work much better and was tunable. None of us had the Enterprises muffler for the car. A complaint was the method used to measure was not always consistent. SCCA using their approved track setup was often overruled with track sound that was much different. They do need to get on the same page but that will come in time.

So how was the track?? Well in a word…..TIGHT with blind corners and lots of transition! (Sometimes in the direction that makes the car lighter!) Overall it’s a slow track with the obvious exception of the sweeping turn onto the front straight. This straight was billed as having a higher top speed then Road Atlanta. I don’t see that happening. The turn that leads onto this sweeper is tighter then T7 at RA and the turn 1 at the end of AMP’s front straight is much slower the 10A. (by 20-30 MPH) For the SRF this sweeper will be flat and a good spot to draft and pass into turn 1. (In the rain on the new tires this was flat; the turn back to the right after the sweeper was a lift but could have been flat if the driver was confident he could always find the blind apex! A PDX BMW missed this went wide started to run out of track, hooked back and SMACKED the pit wall, OUCH)

AMP turn by turn: Turn one has a level braking zone that falls away the deeper you go. As you brake for this turn you cannot see the apex or the track out. The turn is slightly off camber and downhill. It’s a fast 2nd gear corner. Fun and is a good spot for passing! Decent run off here too.

The next set of turns, 2 and 3, leads to the uphill carousel turn 4. Turns 3 and 4 are fast and either 3rd wound out or 4th, then down to third and HARD on the brakes for T4. This is a turn that reminds me of Savannah. It’s a never ending carousel that opens up as you go deeper into it. It starts as about a 45 MPH turn. Because it opens up your pick up speed and use all of the track out to T5. Even though it’s similar to Savannah it’s much more fun because of what is next.

After the uphill carousel there is a short section with a shift to 4th and then hard on the brakes again for T6, the tightest and perhaps most challenging corner on the track. This one has an easy uphill braking zone, but as you turn in and cross the apex the track falls back away and lightens up the car making this turn very tricky to get a good launch off of. In the dry using 2nd, wheel spin was the norm if you were not carful! The next two turns, 7 and 8 are non-issues for the SRF, just figure out where you want to be for turn 10!

Turn 10 is FAST. I never got to run this in the dry where we did not have to nail the brakes before the exit for the short course T11 back to the left.(As I said, that track sucked, see track map) It may be 4th or a fast 3rd gear corner when running the full course. Either way it is a fun turn for sure!

Turn 11 (the full course T11) perhaps makes the track for me. (or the combo 10/11) It’s a right hand turn after the fast left T10 so you have to get back to track left and on the brakes for this fast 3rd gear downhill to uphill transition turn. (It reminds me of an inverse of T5 at Atlanta.) It’s has a very wide exit that is uphill so it’s faster than it looks! The runoff room is minimal at this point so mistakes are also similar to T5 at Atlanta.

Next is Turn 12. This turn is very deceptive as you approach if from below and its apex and track out are blind. It’s slow, and if you tried to make it faster you may end up way off line for the entry into the carousel which is much more important. In the rain it was definitely 2nd gear, but may not be in the dry, but it would be a slow 3rd gear turn either way.

Next is the carousel that covers turns 13, 14, and 15 on the track map. The first part of this is a bit downhill and fun! Once you’re into this its flat in the SRF.

Last but not least is T16 onto the front straight. This seems like a no brainer but at this point I was around 95+ in the wet (new rains). In the dry we may be pushing 110? I doubt it will be even close to the hair raiser like the Kink at Road America, but it will still require some thought especially if there are cars in your wake or beside you. It’s challenging because you can’t see where you’re going as much as you would like. You come over a rise and it’s hard to pick out the apex and track out location. The uphill esses at VIR are similar in terms of the speed and potential G’s, but it’s all visible. This one will be on the order of the same speed, but more blind.

Summary:
- The sound rules at this track stink. It will hurt any club racing event because many if not all will have to do something to quiet their cars down. (However, as some have pointed out, the sound rules are coming to many tracks, so figure out how to deal with them now)
- The main course is fun and should provide some good racing in this class. Most of if it is tight with blind corners and interesting transitions. We have an August event that will help tell the tail if enough show up even with the sound rule!
- The grounds needs work, but as I said they are new and give them some time

Track Map: http://www.atlantascca.org/documents/Ra ... %20Map.pdf

Wet SRF lap of AMP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIKVgDliadQ

Tray wrote:The only reason we used it on Saturday was to have a Solo on the other section at the same time. (Region $$)

Yes, the Solo helped defray costs but it's not the ONLY reason we ran the short course on Saturday.

1. We felt that having concurrent Club Race (which TT/PDX falls under) and Solo events at the same location would help remove some of the (real or perceived) rift between these two segments of the club.

2. We also thought we'd have better attendance at the Saturday evening cook-out/membership party since both sides of the club had a reason to be there.

Unfortunately I was too fried mentally Saturday evening to remember to ask everyone to introduce themselves to someone that didn't know. Who knows, they might actually find out someone from the other camp was really a racer, too!

We have challenges to overcome, but I was sufficiently encouraged by this past weekend's event to continue planning for our Aug 4 Drivers' School/Test Day followed by a one-day SARRC on Aug 5.

Butch Kummer
Competition Director
Atlanta Region SCCA

I agree with Trey. One thing I would add is that I think the track would be quite an aventure for the first lap or two with a full field. Because of the numerous tight corners and blind apexes.

Butch - is cancellation of the SAARC event a short tem thing for them to get thier act together, or a long term we don't want to play there (or they don't want us) issue.

For the SRF comunity, what happens if the legal Spec muffler does not meet sound (very possible if they keep checking sound by having a meter sticking through the fence 12" from the car rather than using the standard SCCA methodogy)? I don't think any of the SRF's were technically legal with our inserts or add ons (but none of us had the spec muffler). If the spec muffler by itself is not enough, can we then legally further modify the exhaust to meet an events/tracks sound limits? Eric? Maybe the event sups should have some sort of exhaust modification clause that allows this to meet sound limits even if it would normally violate the class GCR requirments?

Bruce,

With the insert I was below the sound limit. I checked with them several times.

I have both "legal" muffler options and will be testing them soon. I'll let you know what I find.

Tray

BFun wrote:Butch - is cancellation of the SAARC event a short tem thing for them to get thier act together, or a long term we don't want to play there (or they don't want us) issue.

Bruce - At this time we (the AR Board) have chosen to let other organizations be the guinea pigs as the track sorts out their sound issues with the neighbors. Once that's settled down we'll look at running events there again.

Thanks for the response Butch. That is pretty much the conclusion I had come to for myself, especially as the August event was only going to be a single race.

Trey - I though you got a black flag in your first session with the insert (2nd session of the day)? I was checking the board, but I didn't see the sound stuff posted after the first session. All I know is that I was at 92-93 in the first session, then suddenly I was at 98-99 and black flagged in the second. I think this is when the guy started taking readings from the edge of the straight. This led me to take out half the plates in the Super Trap and swing off line & short shift in the vicinity of the fence meter for the rest of the event. I would have like to see the readings to see if I could put a few more plates back in or stop my avoidance maneuvers.

I guess you have proven that a good driver with the new rains CAN beat a so-so driver with the old rains (it may have helped that my old rains were extra old).

Bruce
I had nothing on the car in the first session. Ran 98 on infield gage and 106 on the front straight wand. (makes sense as the one on front straight was close to car. Much closer then 50 feet!

2nd session I put the "insert" they sold. I never saw what it ran on infield gage but I asked and was told it was around 98 on front straight gage. (about 8 less)

3rd session I tried a turndown that pointed it away from the infield meter. (no insert) it was only 100 on front straight but still too high on infield gage and the pulled me in.

I went back to the insert on rain day.

I'm optimistic that the simple "stinger" muffler will work since the infield gage had me right at limit.

Well see...

Sounds like you Southeast guys will have the joyous experience of using a "Laguna" type muffler. We have to make an 90 dB sound window first session in the morning and last session fo the day. I think Dave posted a picture of the "Laguna" set up. Yes, it is legal and can be obtained through your CSR.

Yes, but do they stick the meter at Laguna 2 feet off the racing line? That's where the "track" meter was (not the SCCA meter), and that's what got folks confused and upset. And if that continues, I am not sure even the Laguna muffler will meet the sound limit. Meeting the limits with the meter 50' from the car is not a problem with the proper (or most improper) muffler.

Bob,

I doubt most will bother to mess with AMP because of this sound rule. In the tracks view they are worth the effort, but reality is there are lots of other options in the area some better then AMP.

The track sound limit is 98 db. Period.... That is what they are allowed to operate up to. They face being shut down beyond that. They have many sound measuring locations on each side of the track out of and into corners. (unlike SCCA) You truly have to be below there levels everywhere or they pull you. They will not allow "turn downs" either. Sound readings are taken 50 feet away from any angle.

They did not have all of there sound stations setup when we were there. They usesd a front straight hand held meter to identify cars that may be beyond the sound rule. Yes it was closer then 50' but they were also allowing more then 98 on that meter. But they were not consistent at all. Prob because they had to error on side of pull him in vs shutdown. They will be better, they have to be even for the members.

I hope the can stinger muffler (Portland style) will work for us. Without it we were just over the limit on the meter 50' from track. This was coming out of a 2nd gear corner where RPM's were very high. So I'm hopeful.... I know the "Laguna" style will work!