Who's tracked at Hallett?

[bpeery]

I've never tracked before and I am considering Hallett since it is the closest track to me. What was your experience there and what would a decent time be. One of my employees tracks a bike there and turns a 1:36 pretty consistently. Is an Elise capable of similar times?

[Twebb]

Hallett is one of the best tracks in the country for a number of reasons;

a.) It is very technical. Most of the corners are off camber or have blind apexes. If you can learn to get around Hallett quickly, then you can drive anywhere. The track is set up well for lower hp cars.

b.) There is nothing to hit if you should go off. If you do go off, there are long runoff areas before the tire walls. There are no concrete walls anywhere.

c.) The family that runs the track, The Stephens family, are as nice as you can get. They are racers themselves.

d.) Cost to play with a street car is minimal. Join the track, approximately $30 per year, and then $90 per day. You generally get 5 to six on track sessions per day.

e.) It's close to you.

f.) Great instructors.

As far as lap times go, my quick time in an Ariel Atom is a high 1:22 to low 1:23. Most street cars with street rubber will not go below 1:30. If you put on R compound rubber and have a well set up and driven car I see sub 1:30 laps.

If you have question, give me a call. I run the High Speed Touring class at Hallett (DE type of experience). I'm at the track during each COMMA weekend inlcuding this coming weekend. I'll be there with 2 Ariel Atoms. Come take a look.

Tim Webb
479-973-9138

[JimK]

also try trackpedia.com, there are some videos there.

[Twebb]

Try www.atomfest.net to see looks of on-track video of Hallett.

Good luck.

Hope to see you out there.

Tim

[babak]

Don't forget
www.hpt.com
they do 'touring club' days on wed p.m. for a few hours, not a bad way of getting your jollies off without a weekend commitment. Also, it has a fairly busy HPDE calendar with BMWCCA, PCA etc.

[Mattr762]

Originally Posted by bpeery

One of my employees tracks a bike there and turns a 1:36 pretty consistently. Is an Elise capable of similar times?

1:36 is very slow for a bike. One of my ex-coworkers use to get 1:24 consistantly. As Twebb said, the Atom runs low 1:20's, I ran a very conservatively slow 1:39 in my brothers Corvette ZR-1 the first time around the track. If I'm not mistaken an Elise did it in 1:29.

[bpeery]

Thanks for the input everyone.

Tim, I am trying to rearrange my schedule to allow me to visit the track on Sunday. I haven't seen an Atom in person yet, so that sounds like fun.

[Alphonse]

I ran the Lotus type 61 FF there with CVAR, (vintage auto racing), back in March.
Excellent fun factor and since they have recently repaved, or so I've heard, some of the scarry spots may have gone away. Not all, just some.
The track is a roller coaster of a ride with not more than a hundred feet of level straight track anywhere. Most turns are off camber and you better have a real good set of pads, prefferably new ones, when you start. There won't be a whole lot left when you're done.
Watch out for turn two, minimal run-off and a tire wall to greet you.
The turn known as the "bitch" will take a bit of getting used to. As you come up over the rise watch for the old billboard posts in the distance, they will be your turn in guide.
The main thing is to BE SMOOTH!!!!!!!!!!!
Do that and you will do well.
Times we experienced ranged from low 1:20's to mid 1:30's but then that was with Formula Fords.
If the track is wet be prepared to be looking out your side windows as you slide through the turns. Again, be smooth. Smooth on the GAS, SMOOTH ON THE BRAKES, AND SMOOTH ON THE STEERING INPUT.
Have fun and enjoy the ride.

Al "phonse" B.
Team L.O.S.T. #31

[Twebb]

I will be at Hallett on both Saturday and Sunday. The Atoms should be there both days, but I'm not in control there.

If you can make it one day try and get there on Saturday. If Sunday is the only day give me a call on Saturday afternoon. I'll know by late Saturday whether the Atoms will be at the track for Sunday.

We will be running the test mule on Saturday to get final setup numbers for the car. Next week we head to VIR to run in the Ultimate Track Car Challenge.

I'll be driving the test mule on Saturday and Randy, owner of test mule and the new Atom, will be running the new Atom.

You can reach me at 479-236-7606.

Tim

[KLM]

When I still had my Elise, we ran Hallett three times. 1:32 was my best (on A048's and base suspension), but there is much more out there. I just didn't have the stones to go through T1 as fast as I could have.

Brakes hold up very well there, never a fade and wear was good.

You will outbrake most everyone except Randy's Atom.

Have fun!

[DNA Doc]

Originally Posted by bpeery

I've never tracked before and I am considering Hallett since it is the closest track to me. What was your experience there and what would a decent time be. One of my employees tracks a bike there and turns a 1:36 pretty consistently. Is an Elise capable of similar times?

My younger brother tracked Hallett in his modified WRX when he lived in Oklahoma. He enjoyed that track very much. He used to do 1:31s. I'm still disappointed I was never able to get out there with him as I hear it's really a fun track. I would think an Elise is easily capable of times better than the 1:36 you mentioned.