Holy schnikes. What an awesome track. I couldn't believe how fast and how smooth it is. I flew up for an arrive and drive in a 2003 Accord for the Champcar Double 7s, stayed at the Seneca Lodge, and did the whole state park and winery thing too. Such a beautiful location and great little village.
We were def in the slower car category. Took a bit to get super comfortable in the car, especially with the speed delta, once I settled in I was pumping out the fastest lap times in that car for the weekend. The co-owner of my car took the trek with me and was in the same car, we both agreed we were coming back next year with our own car.
One thing that happens with every arrive and drive, and this isn't a knock at the car we drove, is that every time I think my team is a disfunctional circus, I realize that we actually have our sheet together.
The big thing that sucks about WGI is that they don't do ANY hot pulls. It feels like every 2 or 3 laps there is fcy /purple 35. Makes it difficult to get in a rhythm.
That track also has armco scary close for how fast it is.
That being said, going full send at that track is glorious! I do like racing there!
Seneca lodge bar is the E36 M3. I was there with some Canadians and we had about 20 Irish car bombs lined up at one time. I finished mine, went to the bathroom, came back to the bar and the Canadians ordered another round. It was about that time I knew we were in trouble.
Last summer I stopped by the Glen on my way from Connecticut to New Mexico and saw that they had drive your own car track tours so I unhooked the trailer and did the tour in my pickup truck. We were going speeds that I could have done with the trailer attached but I could tell that it would be a fast, smooth flowing track. The big thing that stuck out to me however, was how narrow the esses are. That doesn't come through on TV.
After seeing the track up close I really want to race there. I'm looking into possibly running the Lime Rock and Watkins Glen events with SVRA next year.
I've raced almost 20 tracks within the four corners of Florida to Texas to Wisconsin to New York, and Watkins Glen is my absolute favorite. If I ever get out to the West coast, Laguna Seca might challenge it, but until then...
VIR and Hallett (yes, middle of nowhere Oklahoma) are in a tie for second.
I ran in a NASA event there - in a Saturn no less - I loved the track and would go back in a heartbeat!
imgon
HalfDork
5/28/24 11:24 a.m.
The Glen is my favorite track, it has such an amazing flow to it. There are a few "pucker up" places but the fun parts more than make up for it. I have done a couple of track walks there and it is crazy how much elevation change there is. The climb from turn 2 all the way to the bus stop and then the drop from the carousel is huge. Definitely a place to choose carefully where you take risks, there are many places you don't want to have an off.
It's the first track I saw in person and the first track I took a car out on (with a bone-stock base 01 Neon I used for college). The Glen definitely rewards drivers who aren't timid - and for those who aren't it is thrilling.
J.A. Ackley said:
It's the first track I saw in person and the first track I took a car out on (with a bone-stock base 01 Neon I used for college). The Glen definitely rewards drivers who aren't timid - and for those who aren't it is thrilling.
Yea! Once I got the feel for the cars limits I started pushing it to 80-90%. Being in someone elses car with a signed liability waiver and the damages fees that WGI charges, I wasn't going to go all 100% like I do in my own car. I have no regard for self-preservation because YOLO but I do respect others property and don't wanna leave anyone with a huge bill and a wadded up race car.
I love the boot, even if going through the laces can be a little scary.
Turn 9, definitely the scariest turn on any track I have ever been on. Otherwise, WGI is an awesome track. I have run there with HSR and SVRA. The SVRA fall race where you they take a group of race cars down to the village and run the old course is the bomb. I was fortunate enough to be able to participate in that event a couple of years ago when Mustangs were the marque.
I've run there, in heavy rain, hit the tire wall, then got my first Top 5.
Would absolutely go back!
I managed a couple of laps at the Glen in the spring of 1972........in a 1957 Dodge.......in the dark........chasing a high school kid in a 1964 Cadillac. The fun ended when a 3rd set of headlights appeared in our rear view mirrors and we hightailed it out of there.
Such a fun track that as repeated many times, flows and grips.
Definitely a great time at Seneca Lodge, super cool bartender that was originally from Florida around Sebring area. Great people around bar, met a couple that were Flaggers and a guy that was from FLorida with his sons that would do safety steward gigs at some pretty big events around the country. Hope to do the double seven next year.
I did 7 laps in a Chrysler Sebring convertible rental car during the lunch track time at a BMWCCA event in the late 90s. It was a blast even in that car.
I love WGI too! Like Deadskunk, my first experience was...on the sly. I live in CT and In the early '70's I was at Ithaca College about 18 mi from WGI. My wealthy roommate came back to school in the fall with a new '74 Porsche 911 and was not timid about sharing it. One day after classes we decided to drive over to The Glen to see what was going on. Well, nothing was going on and the gates to the track between turns 3 & 4 were wide open!! We looked at each other, looked around, waited a few minutes and said WTF, let's do it! I think we did 2 or 3 laps and no one noticed! We didn't push the car hard, but I did learn that I loved the 911 and the track!
Since then I've been back to the Grand Prix Festival in September nearly every year since it began. My 36 year old son first went in a backpack carrier on my back! Each year the county sheriff officially closes the state roads so that the SVRA racecars can come downtown from the track and do laps of the original course on public roads. Having a real GT40 blast by you going up the hill out of the village has to be experienced!
For Christmas 2017 I gave my kids, (son, daughter and son-in-law) and me an HPDE day with NASA at WGI. I'd done track days at Lime Rock, but the WGI track is a whole different animal. 4.5 miles around I found that for the first few laps my mind was getting lost; I couldn't remember what was coming next so that I could get set up for it!
My instructor from NASA was a russian (I think) and didn't speak english very well. As we screamed toward braking markers he would say into the headset "Use 300". Unfortunately I heard "Use 200" and braked 100 ft too late! I was in my BMW 135i and discovered that it can hit the 165 mph speed limiter. Lots of brake smoke! This instructor was very competitive and had me flying over the curbing at the Bus Stop. I think I was beyond my skill set, and finally slid wide at the entrance to the boot and was treated with taking home some souvenir armco blue paint... LOL.
If I'd damaged the car backing into a light pole, I would have been pissed, but this was a badge of honor from WGI!!
Hit a battery just before the braking point going in to the bus stop. Ya don't do that. Destroyed the entire driveline in the 924s.
One thing that happens with every arrive and drive, and this isn't a knock at the car we drove, is that every time I think my team is a disfunctional circus, I realize that we actually have our sheet together.
Being the old, slow guy, I resemble that remark. 😄 I get it, you get used to having your stuff prepped a certain way and not everyone does it the same. It was a good car, just wish I had more time it it to be more comfortable.
Tested there with Marcos Ambrose in a NASCAB stock car (back in the day). Got to make about 10 laps in a rental car, (without the damage waver), so it was not at 19 /10ths.
Real memories of a great track.
Enjoy
drock25too said:
One thing that happens with every arrive and drive, and this isn't a knock at the car we drove, is that every time I think my team is a disfunctional circus, I realize that we actually have our sheet together.
Being the old, slow guy, I resemble that remark. 😄 I get it, you get used to having your stuff prepped a certain way and not everyone does it the same. It was a good car, just wish I had more time it it to be more comfortable.
I had a blast and zero complaints with how our weekend went. Car has a lot of potential and Andy was a great car host. Took my notes for how we can make our team better too!
drock25too said:
One thing that happens with every arrive and drive, and this isn't a knock at the car we drove, is that every time I think my team is a disfunctional circus, I realize that we actually have our sheet together.
Being the old, slow guy, I resemble that remark. 😄 I get it, you get used to having your stuff prepped a certain way and not everyone does it the same. It was a good car, just wish I had more time it it to be more comfortable.
I had a blast and zero complaints with how our weekend went. Car has a lot of potential and Andy was a great car host. Took my notes for how we can make our team better too!
Andy's a good guy. Willing to listen to suggestions. Had a great time.
In reply to APEowner :
Not sure if you are still in NM, but have you been to Suika/Sandia Speedway/Arroyo Seco?
