PanoBlog

The 2009 SCCA Run-Offs at Rd. America.

Thursday 09-24-09, Turns 6, 7 & 8 shot from Driver’s Right, beneath the huge leader board.

This is a great viewing location. Cars are prone to end up in the sand traps at Turn 6 (Driver’s right), Turn 7 (Driver’s Left), if they make it thru those turns, Turn 8 has a great wide run-off area that leads into an unforgiving sand trap (Driver’s Right).

This complex of turns will definitely get one’s attention.

** Click on the Mirrorball to see a 360 x 180 Pano of the turn **

This was shot in the dark, from the rear of my camper. The “Covered Grid” is on the right. Drivers waiting to be released to the track are gridded beneath the “roof” (good in the sun or rain!).

The “Grid Barn” is the structure on the left. This building is a restroom with showers attached to the outside wall. This was the first “Flag Shack” the SCCA and the track workers used to store and dispense equipment from (radios and flags) to the Flaggers. As all the other structures at VIR, the Grid Barn is built in a rustic style with exposed beams and naturally finished lumber and timbers. The upper floor is now “living quarters” for VIPs … sweet …

Drivers paddock (park their cars & “rigs”) in the area this is shot from and to the right.  Turn 17 (the final Turn) is just over the hill and the front straight is to the far right.

Roebling Road Raceways Turn 4. Friday of the July 2009 Double National.

** Click on the Mirrorball to see a 360 x 180 Pano of the turn **

A 360° x 180° panorama of the flag station at Oak Tree (Turn 11) at VIR. The Oak Tree is the “signature image” of VIR. With their back to the front right fender of the cars rounding the turn, the Flagger watches incoming traffic from Turn 10 on the right and outgoing traffic to Turn 12 on the left, past the South Paddock. A great place to watch the racin’. The stands outside the fencing, is a favorite of spectators and many photographers lurk inside the fencing. This pic was taken the weekend of the April 2009 Rolex race.

<Click on the pic to open a new window with the interactive pano>

VIR Lodge “Motel 5 & 6 “. Early January view from the 3rd floor balcony of VIR’s Lodge overlooking Turns 5 & 6. A wonderful place to stay at VIR. Normally my view is back this way from the flag station at Turn 6.

St Pete 07 GP Turn 5. The St Pete Grand Prix is a super race event held early in the year in a WARM local … just in time for all us northern types who NEED to up their vitiam D intake. A lot of fun.

Roebling Road Turn 6. The flagging oasis of Roebling Road Race … one of two flag stations that has shade. Drivers … DO NOT launch yoursevles Driver’s Left around this turn … it ain’t purty.

Roebling Road’s Front Straight. Early Saturday am Flag Meeting is going on. This was one of the SeDiv’s July 4th Double Nationals. This evevt is one of the most fun gotta do events. Worker break every day at 3pm for thunderstorms!

Summit Point Turn 10. The “other” gravel trap. Get this turn right and you can take a nap getting down the front straight to Turn 1. Get it wrong and the best thing that could happen is you get “fished” out of the gravel … the worst …. do you remember the “junkyard”?

Summit Point Turn 5. About as fun as a flagger can have without takin’ their clothes off. After drivers open their eyes after going thru Turn 4 without planting themselves in the tire wall, it’s STAND ON THE BRAKES they may still have and jerk it left! A great turn ….

Summit Point Turn 3. YEE HA!!! A lot of stuff happens here … sometimes even on purpose! The gravel trap captures many cars on errant paths, others use it as the “Showroom Line” … those may be greeted at Turn 4 with a Black Flag. The guys and gals of EV know the gravel trap as well as the drivers.

Summit Point Turn 7 from the stands across from the station. Turns 5, 6 7, and Turn 8 can be seen. A great place to watch racin’ from.

Summit Point Turn 2. This station is a GREAT place to blue flag from … if the bushes are trimmed. The flags can be shown “intimately” to drivers who reward good flagging with their waves.  The “action” here can be very hetic at times, then other times …. “Car number ## pulled off in the first access road”.

Summit Point Turn 8  … from the “Tub”. This shot is for all the Summit Point SCCA flaggers … who never get to use the tub. All the flagging “work” is done from ground level, it’s easier to chase cars from the ground!

Summit Point Turn 8 from the infield side. The stands from which Summit Point T8 Pano 01 was shot can be seen across track. Saturday lunch time … the free lunches tend to clear all the flaggers from the turn.

Summit Point Turn 8. A pano from the stands showing from Turn 5, 7, 8 and up the hill thru Turn 9. A fall Friday afternoon before the race wars break out.

Summit Point’s Turn 1 … the big ~170° with two access roads. The Captain and Communicator staffed the “Tub. Flagging is done from DR upstream to the Tub. Safety folk person the “Pump house” access road, inside DR point, outside DL point when available.

Summit Point … the front stretch – from Start/Finish into Turn 1 … the breaking zone from Heck!!!

VIR Turn 3. Viewing the front straight, Turn 2 to Turn 5 makes up for being in view of the Control Tower. Flags are hard to see from the track, but CAN be seen if the drivers “want” to. Off courses downstream of Turn 3, into the tire walls give the Pagoda folk a treat.

VIR Turn 17. “Hog Pen” … and it will appear so if cars go off DL in the wet! The flag station provives a good view from Turn 14 to Pit-In.

VIR Turn 14 … in the early evening … HOT! …  the drivers will find the flaggers lurking in the  minimal shadows offered, but we’ll jump out when needed.

VIR Turn 14 … in the early afternoon … cool …  the flags are highlighted in the sun. Drivers are warned of trouble downstream, around the blind turn.

VIR Turn 14. This is the second roller coaster complex. When I first saw it I said Laguna Seca!!! … but then VIR has an advantage over Laguna Seca … it’s only 65 miles from my house! A blind turn coming off the lonnggg backstretch. YeeHa!!!!

VIR Turn 12. This Station provides the opportunity to watch cars go into Turn 11 and make the long trip to the Station, where the driveers ALWAYS wave.

Turn 12 at VIR. VERY, VERY high speeds here, the crest of the backstretch where the front end lifts just before the back end does. Entrance to the South Paddock Course “infield” portion.