Pomona DE

[AGill]

What a fun day this was yesterday! It's my third time there and Aside from a couple bumpy sections this track is a blast. I'll take the bumps over constant broken pavement/potholes anyday. We had a decent SDR contingent with Bill Behun, Russell Shon, Don Middleton, Monte "the lotus" Griffin and John and Michael Ma rounding it out as our 2 first-time DE'ers. I know they both learned a great deal on what has to be the best transitioning track from AX to DE around.

Nothing better than clocking 80 miles of track time and making it home by 6:30 to have an ice cold beer and nice dinner with your wife by 7!

[Bill]

In additon to the 'One Day Wonders' mentoned above there were other SDR members who were there for both days, Saturday and Sunday. While Sunday was billed as an autocross, it really was much more than that. It basically was a slightly shortened DE from Saturday with high speed straights, sweepers, and challenging linked turns - it was a much longer track than the usual AX. We had two practice sessions of seven runs each. Because the number of cars in each group was not that many the runs were almost continuous with little waiting. Better yet, they had excellent, experienced paid corner workers. The GPX has a great group of people with several of them coming up to introduce themselves. We got a lot of driving in over the two days, made new friends, and it was well worth spending the weekend up there.

"Double Time AX" Bill
1978 911SC

[Cajundaddy]

Hey,
Glad you came out to play with us and had a good time. Yes Pomona Fairplex has a few racing surface rollers that qualify it as Sebring West. Fortunately no potholes or flying asphalt chunks. All the cones are now stored and the driving team is suitably fed and watered. We met a lot of new DE drivers this weekend who had never done continuous lapping before and left with smiles all around. Adam is now legendary among corner workers as the "drift king" in the big 270 sweeper. Russell made an excellent demonstration model at the drivers meeting don't you think? Good times! See you out there again in November.

[ttweed]

(and or video!)

TT

[gulf911]

Tom, that pic is killing me
The event was very cool. $120 with paid corner workers, 4 run groups, 5 - 20minute sessions. Pretty fast track , hit 97mph a couple spots, and a couple fast spots were bumpy but manageable. I loved the tunnel , except when I went by after the sprinklers were on.. I may have some video , battery died, so I'll post if I do. There were several people taking pictures but I dont know who or where they would post? I could not find a GPX region forum. Would be a great place for an SDR DE or TT for that matter, POC is doing 2 days a Sat & Sun separate Short track series. Nice meeting you in person Cajundaddy!

[Blue Max]

Pomona lived up to your billing, fast, safe, wide open and no debris. Learned a great deal Saturday and earned a new nickname for tagging both sides of the car on the tire stacks!! I know the meaning of the term "respect" from this point forward.

Michael limped home to Irvine with only one stop to replenish leaking coolant from his Audi. Went to a fun place for dinner at 6:00 PM. I know Lana and beer comes first, too bad you couldn't join us 'cause I was buying.

[rshon]

Hey Dave –
Do you know who was taking all the pictures at the track, and if so, do they post them somewhere afterwards?

Here is a map of the track we ran on Saturday:



Here is a hastily uploaded video of a couple of laps from the last Red session for Tom. It took me a while to figure out how to negotiate the bumps without losing too much speed, and it may have been the only session where I remembered to turn on both the video camera and the data acquisition system:

http://youtu.be/kFW_3WIdeTE

[Cajundaddy]

Nice video with very light traffic in Red group. There were several photographers on scene and some pro video shooting as well. We should receive some links via email in a few days. I'll post em when I get em.

[gulf911]

Anybody get any times for your laps? Got down to 1:42 and change in traffic.

[genikz]

Here's a decent lap and a half or so in my 944-SPEC car...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7BE1zioWzY

[JB987]

I have several pictures of the yellow run group on course, and I have in-car video of all runs in the yellow group.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/60850680@N ... 886617853/


JB
06 White Cayman S
#157

[gulf911]

Thanks! Nice pics. Where do you have the video?

Thanks again,
Dan

[JB987]

Videos added to same link. Playback at flickr is limited to 1:30. Just download the video to get the full duration of about 11 minutes +.

Got a lot of the gulf blue and some of the lotus as well.

Black flag period in the middle was edited out, along with leadin/trailout stuff.

edit:// looks like only the part before my hot pit visit landed in the vid, I will try to get the whole thing posted up laster today. BIG file does not upload from the office, have to wait until I get back home tonight.

JB

[Mmagus]

It looks like a very fun course and I hope to come run it someday! But one thing surprises me quite a bit. The first right turn after the tunnel has a telephone pole about 2ft off the right side of the marked course. (find it at 1:16 in the spec car vid) There is no way I would get that one past my saftety chair when setting a track...nor would I try. Though, if I could it sure would open up a lot of new design options.

Cheers!

Mark

[rshon]

Yes, well, there seems to be at least four or five vintages of asphalt at Pomona (some of it relaid, some of it just sealed). You can see them on the satellite photo:



The newest asphalt is on the DE course, even though there are a couple of fairly deep dips, one coming out of the first corner behind the dragstrip grandstands, on one right before the telephone pole you mentioned. (The guys with lowered suspensions and stiff springs really didn't like the big dips, especially with 150-200 lbs of balast in the right seat). There are some course options off this asphalt, but they are mostly near the big sweeper at the north end, and a few in the middle part where the L/R/R/L chicane is. This is mostly second to newest asphalt, and it is slightly lighter in color (and is starting to break up, at least coming out of the chicane). The north end of the parking lot where we pitted looks like the third newest, with a lot of cracks everywhere. The oldest of the asphalt (in various spots, including the inside of the DE course) is really old and crunchy and very light-colored, like all the tar is gone; it's like driving on the moon, only with slightly less dust. I guess every old venue has its issues...