Hallett Raceway Near Tulsa Track Day?

[Feffman]

Hi All:

I've got an itch to get back to Hallett (near Tulsa) and am thinking we could do this very inexpensively with around 25-30 drivers on Monday, October 29th. No instructors, just lapping.

Essentially we show up, drive all day stopping only for new brake pads, bathroom breaks, food and fuel. Cost no more then $200 per driver. Plan on seven(7) twenty-five minute run sessions per group.

If you have interest, drop me an e-mail at Feffman@MVPTrackTime.com or call (314) 249-3770 so I can add you to the list. There's a very short time frame of 3-4 weeks to pull this together.

Happy Lotusing!

Mark Pfeffer
www.MVPTrackTime.com
Feffman@MVPTrackTime.com
(314) 249-3770

[MikeRoberts44]

Mark,

I am disappointed not to see any replies as yet. Are you getting any emails? I have been thinking about going down myself as I have heard it is a great track.

I'm sure you are aware that they run High Speed Touring days the last weekends of September and October and November 10 and 11. They say five sessions (at least on Saturday) for $95.

Mike

[turbophil]

i'm interested...can't know for sure just yet, but keep me on your maybe list...

Best,

Phil

[RichS]

I might be able to do something like this.

[Feffman]

Originally Posted by MikeRoberts44

Mark,

I am disappointed not to see any replies as yet. Are you getting any emails? I have been thinking about going down myself as I have heard it is a great track.

Mike

Mike:

No worries as we are receiving e-mails to develop a list for Hallett. Little different then MVP's normal track day as Hallett is very last minute and we are strictly doing lapping with no instructors.

As I noted, once the "List" is done, we will garner registrations and entry fees.

Feff

[Toad]

I'm penciled in as well

[rugger1345]

I'd love to do it, but I normally work 7:30-5:15 M-F and I need to save up my vacation days, otherwise I would be all over it.

[Feffman]

Hi All:

Registration is open for MVP Track Time's Monday, October 29th track day at Hallett. We have scheduled seven, 25-minute run sessions for each of the two run groups.


Registration and payment via credit card or Pay Pal are at:
http://www.MVPTrackTime.com/id47.html


Please follow the Pay Pal link to make your payment and once completed, fill in the blue outlined box to finalize your spot at Hallett. Upon completion of both parts, I will send a confirmation e-mail.

If you have any quesitons feel free to contact me at (314) 249-3770.

Mark "Feff" Pfeffer
Feffman@MVPTrackTime.com
(314) 249-3770

[gospot]

I'm curious as to why my question about track experience was removed from this thread as well as other peoples responses to my question. I admitted to my inexperience on the track (although I've run many autocrosses) and now I have a feeling that anyone willing to admit they don't have track experience may not be welcome to this event. It would be great to see a response that tells me otherwise.

[Feffman]

Originally Posted by gospot

I'm curious as to why my question about track experience was removed from this thread as well as other peoples responses to my question.

GOSPOT:

Your post was not removed, but it's over in another section at:

http://www.elisetalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45460

I dropped you a private message regarding Novice drivers for our Hallett track day. We are limiting the number of novice drivers because we have a limited number of instructors.

Feel free to call me at (314) 249-3770!

Feff

[RichS]

I'm in. I'm also going to do the HST event the previous two days.

[Feffman]

Good Day KC:

We are down to our last few spots for the October 29th track day at Hallett. Registration and payment via credit card or Pay Pal (you don't need a Pay Pal account) are at:

http://www.MVPTrackTime.com/id47.html

If you have any quesitons don't hesitate to call me at (314) 249-3770 or
e-mail Feffman@MVPTrackTime.com.

Happy Motoring and I hope to see you at the track!

Feff

[Alphonse]

Feff, and all those going to Hallett. The write up below is from one of my fellow Formula Ford drivers who along with another 40 crazies had the pleasure of driving Hallett a couple of weeks ago at the vintage races celebrating the 40th anniversary of FF.
First timers might want to read it to get an idea of what they will be getting in to.
Enjoy the ride! Long read.

Al "phonse" B.
Team LOST

Hello Again from Raceland.
We're home from Hallett. WOW!!! What a weekend. I've broken the story down into the 'before and after' and the races themselves. To combine it all would have amounted to a small book. As it is, your still only getting the "Readers Digest" version. Four days of tracktime and three days of racing.... when CVAR says they believe in 'track time' that ain't hype.... they mean it! For the first time in my racing career; on Sunday afternoon I didn't make the final 'group race' for Monoposto Formula Fords..... I was too damn tired!

First, a very brief description of the track. It's 1.8 miles in length with ten numbered corners. This place "defines" the term 'drivers track'. At virtually no time anywhere on course do you have the opportunity to relax, catch your breath or simply collect your thoughts. Elevation changes are occurring constantly and blind corners (from the perspective of a formula car) are the norm. Couple that with a marked lack of natural landmarks and you'll begin to see just how difficult this track is. Anybody who would consider this a "autocross course on steroids", well, to each his own. Maybe when you put upwards of 30 cars on a SOLO course at once.. Until then, I consider it a racing facility when your 'road racing', not driving from one 'corner group' to the next. SO........

Down the front straight and over a rise at start/finish. I'm briefly into 4th, then brake and 3rd for a very fast slightly off-camber left. Flat, up over a hill and into 4th again... just hitting 6500revs when it's hard braking and down to 1st for a left 180. Stay about 1/2 car width off the geometric apex and hard on the throttle; hooking up and aimed at the slight right hander in front of you. Well up into 3rd and up a hill and into a very fast and blind right hander. Apex it at the very end to set up for the (5500 revs in 3rd) downhill off-camber left. 'Over rev it' for a moment then back down to 1st for another left. Late late apex and try and get hooked up. Up the hill and redline it in 3rd before a blind left/right which brings you into the corner aptly named "The Bitch!". A slight bend to the right really upsets the cars balance, but your aiming at the outside curbing and braking hard down to 1st. Turn in, both feet on the throttle and run it out to the outside curbing..... over-rev it in 3rd before braking back down to 1st for turn 10; the 180 at the end of the back straight. A very technical corner and deceptive. You can slide the car a lot and go faster, but if your siding your not accelerating. This is a track where traction is all-important. Get the power down and your going places. Slide around a lot and while looking spectacular, your lap times will suffer.

Unlike most west coast facilities, Hallett is all green and pretty. It really gives the feeling of racing on roads rather than a 'sterile surface'. Don't get me wrong, it's as safe a facility as you could want. The entire track is lined with tire walls and smooth wide runoffs. While easy to "FUBAR" yourself, it's relatively difficult to get into a situation where your in serious peril. I might add that they use AMB transponders for timing and scoring, and everything is timed; even open practice (although they don't print those times, you have to ask for them).

Thursday morning I head out onto the track... slow and easy.... need to learn the track. First problem is I don't have 3rd gear! Self impose a 4500rpm redline and concentrate on the track. After a 20 minute session its back into the pits. I pull the gearbox apart and after turning the 3rd gear around on the pinion shaft (so it'll engage the dogrings) I have 4 speeds again! A second session and I'm feeling more comfortable with the track, but I'm still giving it a lot of respect.... Like Sears Point, it's VERY technical and ready to reach out and bite you if your not up to speed with the car. By afternoon I'm lapping around 1:35 with a hot lap of 1:32.2.... I set a goal of breaking 1:30 by Sunday.


Thursday afternoon I'm down at the office and the photographer is there, playing with his computer. He's building a collage of sorts; cutting and pasting multiple photo's into one; to use for a display. Well, I notice that its my car he's manipulating, so he gets even more artistic..... He ultimately prints an 8 1/2 by 11 of it, then realizes it won't fit his 8 by 10 frame; so with a promise not to divulge where it came from he gave it to me!

Although Friday is listed as a practice day, there is also a qualifying race and first race for the featured formula Fords. Of note: the Monoposto Fords raced separately from the Club Fords (group 6A and group 6 respectively), but for the 'featured events' all the Fords ran together. 35-40 cars on this track was a "pleasure and treasure", not to mention a challenge!! First qualifying race I start 18th and finished 15th, with a fast lap of 1:29.322. (Well, time to reset the weekend's goal...). And last thing Friday (before our FF group party) was our first "FF Feature Race". I start 15th and finish 11th; so I'm learning and improving. I also had a race long duel with a new friend; Jim "Steiny" Steinmetz, driving a Merlyn Mk10. Funny in a way, I was faster in every corner except turn 10, where Steiny made up everything I gained on him on the rest of the course. (He and I later discussed that corner and he suggested a suspension change. The change worked fabulously on that corner but made my car oversteer everwhere else. I ultimately changed it back to the way I originally had it and compensated with sway bars.) Also, this was a 20 minute race, and the 'main event' scheduled for Sunday was to be a 30 minute race! With a combination of Oklahoma heat and humidity (which I'm TOTALLY unoccustomed to), after that 20 minute race I was completely exhausted!

We had a great, fun party Friday and I got to meet a whole slew of FF drivers. Of interest, I had not previously raced with any of these guys (and gals), so that was fun too. And another first....... Nine, count'em, NINE... Lotus 51's and 61's; and seven Merlyn FF's!!

Another neat photo.. unusual angle, looking down. At first I wondered where on the track it was taken, then noticed my visor is up so it must have been entering the hot pit. (See MA! Proof that I really do fit in the car!!)


Saturday I started 11th and finished 12th after another great battle with Steiny. I also traded lead several times with Andrew Fawcett (Lotus 51A), Steiny beat me again, but I held off Andrew to the finish. Also of interest; I don't think I met a single FF driver who was using an Ivey engine. Interesting!

Right after lunch we had our second race. I started 12th and finished 9th. Steiny pulled in early with a problem and I beat Andrew again. I also bested my previous laptime to 1:28.148: less than 3 seconds slower than the winners best lap time.

And next to last for the day was one more heat race, where I started and finished 9th and held off Andrew one more time. Steiny was back in the fold, finishing right behind Andrew. I bested my lap time to 1:28.063.....

Andrew and I side-by-side entering a corner with Steiny's nose just poking into the picture.


Saturday night was a banquet truly fit for a king!! A great slab of prime rib and all the trimmings. WOW!!

Sunday morning it was a little cooler but still humid as hell. Kind of like being in a "slow cooker" instead of a "pressure cooker". When we started the morning (group) race the track was still cool. I started 9th and got a good start but.......... Turn one at the start of lap 2 and I had a wild, 4 off then back on spin! This moved me to the very back of the pack, and after my obligatory stop-n-go at Black Flag I couldn't even see the next car in front of me! I must'a been rattled some by that spin, my best lap was a 1:29.7. At any rate, here's a photo of first lap traffic. (This photo is also posted on the CVAR web page.) (Talk about traffic!! Hoo-Wee!!!! This is F U N!!!!!)


Another photo of first lap traffic! This is great!!!


My final race of the day right after lunch. I'm not certain how many started. There were 24 classified, but I'm pretty sure there were cars starting behind me. Anyway, the green was thrown before I was out of turn 10 and onto the front straight. LOTS and LOTS of cars in sight in front of me though, so lots of fun racing ahead!! I started picking my way through until I reached a silver Merlyn. Try as I might he was either blocking or simply didn't know I was there. I finally, FINALLY did him under braking in the 180 (shown above) and never saw him again. And guess who I had in front of me..... Steiny!! He and I 'picked up where we left off' and we were cornering side-by-side! Yep.... next to last lap and I passed him for good.... in "his corner" (10)!!. But let me tell you...... I was one tired dog by the time they threw the checkered!! I was tired, and happy, and simply had a ball all weekend!!



So there you have it. When they said in drivers meeting that CVAR's goal was racing and tracktime; they meant it!! Aside from the expense of such a long tow it was a fun filled, action packed weekend! I'm hoping we can afford to repeat the trip next year. Time will tell on that point, but in the meantime, to CVAR I say "Thanks!"..... It was worth it. And to the folks who own and operate Hallett Speedway, they made our stay and our weekend great in every way imaginable.

And lastly, to Andy (Walker)....... thanks for all your efforts this weekend. I appreciate it, and am now awaiting your first racing trip out west!
Carl

[Feffman]

Thanks Al!

By the way, we are running Hallett counter-clockwise October 29th!

Feff

[Toad]

Thanks for the writeup, no landmarks? corner worker stations? telephone polls or powerlines? a rock? McDonalds or Exxon signs anywere? Yikes.

[Alphonse]

If you suddenly find yourself in deep water, you missed the turn.
But at least you'll be able to get the car clean.

[Toad]

Ha ha! Mark/Garth took care of that yesterday for the tech inspection for Cresson. I had difficulty finding my car it was so clean

[RichS]

http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/en/hp/h...tyhocn=TUSSSHX

Staying here for the weekend on the advice of Tim.

[Feffman]

October 29th Hallett track day weather report!

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/forecast/Map...ield2=-96.5686

Only four spots remaining!

Registration at http://www.MVPTrackTime.com/id47.html

Feff

[Toad]

New pads/rotors/brake flush done,as well as tech inspection done by the dealer...should be good to go.