Operation Touring Car: Part 2
A few weeks back we announced that VRPerformance is going racing in SPEED World Challenge Touring Car. It is a daunting exercise that we are nonetheless excited to start. The first step was picking the car.
A few weeks back we announced that VRPerformance is going racing in SPEED World Challenge Touring Car. It is a daunting exercise that we are nonetheless excited to start. The first step was picking the car.
Time to go racing! Welcome to the first of many entries documenting our entry into the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Championship. As our busy summer season winds down, we’ve taken on the task of building a race car with the goal of competing in the Touring Car category of the SPEED World Challenge. Call it a stretch goal. We’re under no delusions as to how expensive and challenging this endeavor will be, but we have the car, the enthusiasm, and hopefully the stamina to see it through to a worthwhile conclusion.
Lawyers want to argue in front of the Supreme Court, soap stars want to appear in a summer blockbuster and race car drivers want to win for Ferrari—every discipline has its ne plus ultra that those toiling in the trenches aspire to. For an automotive performance shop it is building race cars. Which makes sense, since a race car is the ultimate expression of the performance automobile and a real test (and testament) for its builder. You’re putting your ideas, engineering and craftsmanship up against others in an open competitive arena. What works and what doesn’t is immediately showcased for all to see. Here’s our first attempt at building a race car for the NASA GTS series.
As you know we at VRPerformance always preach balanced performance. High horsepower or sticky tires by themselves do not make a great car. It's how all the bits work in concert that separates the merely fast cars from the really great performance cars. And when you think about upgrading your car, it's important that you think about balanced performance-- incremental change to the system instead of lopsided focus on one component or another. Do it right, and you can fetch a new Nürburgring record (video after jump).
A participant in last month's [VRPerformance Open Track Day at Grattan Raceway] just sent us some video (after the jump). If you've never been to Grattan before, the videos give you a good, outside of car, perspective. Check it out.
What a great way to spend a day— at the race track in the company of great cars and like minded people. Better still, you’re driving those cars at their limit on the track without a care for police or drivers on cell phones or little children suddenly running out in front of you. And with sunny skies and temperatures in the mid 70s, the day was darn near perfect.
Continue reading "VRPerformance Open Track Day at Grattan Raceway" »
When it comes to wrestling a car around a track, nobody seems to do it more effortlessly and competently than Tiff Needell of the British car show, Fifth Gear. In the video following the jump you'll ride along with him in a new 911 GT3 RS as well as a 911 Cup race car.
The 75th 24 Hours of Le Mans will be running this weekend. Dominated by Audi the past few years, this year's race has a new Peugeot team ready to bring the overall winner title back to France.