Q1 is in the books at VIR, here is the news you need to know today…

Hurricane Ian Update from the Race Director

As you can imagine, the Race Director’s office has been flooded with questions and concerns about Hurricane Ian.  Right now, it looks like the rain will arrive at the end of the day Friday.  Dark Sky predicts 1.25” across the day on Saturday and another 1.5” on Sunday.

That’s pretty typical for the remnants of a hurricane as it dissipates up here.  Yes, we expect it to be wet, but no, we don’t expect anything torrential all day and the winds are not currently predicted to be high.

We’ve had several suggestions to drop Thursday qualifying and start the races early. Experience tells us that we have more than a few drivers who will qualify, return home to work for a few days, and return for their race day.  We don’t want to leave anyone behind with a schedule change unless there is no alternative.

For the moment we are not planning any aggressive reorganization of the schedule. Rest assured, that we have a constant eye on the situation as it evolves.

Paddock

Fire lanes are not just recommendations, please follow them. We have vehicles parked in the fire lanes, vehicles hanging over into the fire lanes, trailer doors open all day in the fire lane, etc. Can we do a little better in this area on Wednesday? It may not be completely obvious, but in the Main paddock, we have widened the fire lanes to 25’, meaning the north (Pit lane) side of each row uses a thin yellow line rather than the permanent paved one.

At Tech, all support vehicles must be parked in the grass/gravel area on the South side (track side) of the building.  Do not park around the tents.  You will be in a fire lane.  

The Roundabout/Traffic Circle

If you were here before the roundabout was put in, you know what a major congestion point that was, and the roundabout really expedites the flow of traffic. However, not everyone is using this properly. Roundabouts only work if everyone goes counter-clockwise. We realize some racecars may have difficulty with this turning radius, so please plan your entrance to it accordingly. If you’re coming from the infield (skidpad, grass) to go to grid, the exit has open space to help with your turning radius. Please do not drive the other way. We’ve had several near head-on collisions because of people driving the wrong way in their racecars. Thanks!

BFAC (Big Fun Acceleration Cone), part 2

The restart acceleration point is noted on the pit guard rail, drivers right, by a green cone. Look for it during qualifying. Here’s a picture taken by a really tall person

Party Time!

3^rd Annual Charity Golf Cart Parade

It’s not too late to register for the 3rd annual charity golf cart parade, which is Wednesday and leads into another favorite, the SCCA Block Party. This year, proceeds from the Golf Cart Parade will benefit Lemons of Love, an organization with deep motorsports ties that provides care packages to people affected by cancer.  The parade will step-off from grid at approximately 6:15 pm.  We will make a pass by victory circle where our expert cart announcers will make the parade call.  We will then make our way around the paddock ending up at a block party stop.  So, it’s time to start planning, get out those arts and crafts supplies and let those creative juices flow!  Your goal is to raise money for your cart.  Drivers, workers, crews, friends and family will “vote” with their dollars and the cart that raises the most money will be crowned the 2022 Golf Cart National Champion and win a major award!  Teams can register by stopping by the SCCA staff office, on the 2^nd floor of the Pagoda overlooking the fuel pumps.

Block Party

The Block Party returns tomorrow! It’s the opportunity to chill amongst race cars with hundreds of your closest SCCA friends. Not being “official,” start times will vary, but these parties are likely to kick off shortly after Wednesday’s final checkered flag. Who’s throwing the parties? We’re estimating five to 10 parties spread across the Runoffs paddock, with separate gatherings hosted by Hagerty, SCCA Women on Track, New England Region, the Prod racers and more!

The best part of the Runoffs Block Party is there’s no obligation to stay put – cruise the paddock and chat with drivers, teams, workers and fans. From party-to-party, you’ll meet up with old friends and make new ones.

Runoffs Report Archive
An archive of previous Runoffs Reports is available in the Event Page menu under “Event Information” or directly here: https://www.scca.com/pages/2022-runoffs-report-archive

Let’s do this again tomorrow. Have a great evening!
The Runoffs Team