GT Live/MazdaDays 07 at VIR
10-08-07 | 05:51 AM
#26
Thread Starter
The gimpy juggernaut
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 439
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
Well, that was fun. I just got back at around 9:30 my time, and I left at around 12...
The guy is giving me a refund for the Lap Battle seeing as how I only got three laps (compared to some people who got four), due to some idiot spinning out in the first lap and taking like 20 minutes to get towed off course...
On the other hand, the karting was literally two or three times as much fun as the crap at Andrettis... not only were the karts in better condition, they also head adjustable seats, hydraulic brakes (WTF is up with andretti's karts having kiddy kart wire brakes?), and much better tires, but the course itself is a legitimate kart track, not something they stuck inside of an old warehouse.
If I had any complain about the whole event was the really bad handling of timing... they were far too concerned with ending every event at the exactly scheduled time (or before it), which ruined damn near everything you could do that you had to wait in line for.
For one, only about 20 people actually got to do the sim race during the 40 minutes or so they actually ran it, and the drift rides were nearly as bad (about half the line got cut off each session). And I could have got a third karting session in had the guys running the track not arbitrarily decided to cut the line for the last run group 15 minutes before the free rides were scheduled to end...
Also, Tarzan's name is definitely appropriate, as he is one elusive motherfudger (although perhaps Ninja would be more appropriate...). He didn't show up at, well, any event that didn't involve him driving something (that I know of), and even then he never stuck around longer than it took to get on a golf kart and bug the hell out back to his RV.
Then again, I'd probably do the same thing if I was in his situation... haha
I also find it ironic that a fixed-back bucket seat with inch-thick padding is more comfortable on a 9-hour drive than the stock FC seat.
The guy is giving me a refund for the Lap Battle seeing as how I only got three laps (compared to some people who got four), due to some idiot spinning out in the first lap and taking like 20 minutes to get towed off course...
On the other hand, the karting was literally two or three times as much fun as the crap at Andrettis... not only were the karts in better condition, they also head adjustable seats, hydraulic brakes (WTF is up with andretti's karts having kiddy kart wire brakes?), and much better tires, but the course itself is a legitimate kart track, not something they stuck inside of an old warehouse.
If I had any complain about the whole event was the really bad handling of timing... they were far too concerned with ending every event at the exactly scheduled time (or before it), which ruined damn near everything you could do that you had to wait in line for.
For one, only about 20 people actually got to do the sim race during the 40 minutes or so they actually ran it, and the drift rides were nearly as bad (about half the line got cut off each session). And I could have got a third karting session in had the guys running the track not arbitrarily decided to cut the line for the last run group 15 minutes before the free rides were scheduled to end...
Also, Tarzan's name is definitely appropriate, as he is one elusive motherfudger (although perhaps Ninja would be more appropriate...). He didn't show up at, well, any event that didn't involve him driving something (that I know of), and even then he never stuck around longer than it took to get on a golf kart and bug the hell out back to his RV.
Then again, I'd probably do the same thing if I was in his situation... haha
I also find it ironic that a fixed-back bucket seat with inch-thick padding is more comfortable on a 9-hour drive than the stock FC seat.
.I'm going to send Steve an email with everyones thoughts on the event.
Other than that, it was great. The karting was excellent
. That was really the highlight of the 'interactive' events for me (considering all I only rode on the line ride for the others).
10-08-07 | 07:31 AM
#27
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,897
Likes: 115
From: Japanabama
And if there was anything else to add to the event, it would be one:
1. letting people onto the full course without having to pay 200+ dollars
and
2. Have an organized kart race for people who post good times (...I was 1.2 seconds away from the course record, which doesn't seem terrible considering I weigh 50 more pounds than the guy who set it, and he works there).
1. letting people onto the full course without having to pay 200+ dollars
and
2. Have an organized kart race for people who post good times (...I was 1.2 seconds away from the course record, which doesn't seem terrible considering I weigh 50 more pounds than the guy who set it, and he works there).
10-08-07 | 09:44 AM
#29
Eats, Sleeps, Dreams Rotary
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 4,897
Likes: 115
From: Japanabama
90% of the staff (basically everyone but the pros incharge of the event) didn't know WTF they were doing.
And the VIR staff didn't know nearly enough about the event.
On another note, I got a glow in the dark Longacre tire pressure gauge at the pro shop (what an inventory!!! you could just about build a race car in there), and man, the difference between a 27 dollar gauge and a 7-dollar gauge is so huge it's not even funny.
And the VIR staff didn't know nearly enough about the event.
On another note, I got a glow in the dark Longacre tire pressure gauge at the pro shop (what an inventory!!! you could just about build a race car in there), and man, the difference between a 27 dollar gauge and a 7-dollar gauge is so huge it's not even funny.
10-08-07 | 02:34 PM
#30
Most of the VIR staff there were special event only staff, ie they work there maybe twice a year.
I was helping a friend of mine run the timing gear at the Patriot course Sunday for the lap battle and time attack stuff and we got harassed by some old codger because we went over the fence to
a) set up the gear
b) replace broken sensors when 2 dipshits ran them over at the start
c) breakdown said gear
It was when we were breaking down the gear the guy came over asking for our "credentials" - we're standing in the midst of all the timing gear as we're packing it up at this point.
What I would have like to have seen at the North Paddock would have been some more participation on Mazda's end. I'm really not too interested in brochures I can get at any Mazda dealership. If there had been t-shirts, hats, keyfobs mugs, etc... I would have bought some. Now everyone who I met up ther was great and look forward to meeting y'all again. Hopefully it'll be easier to get the paddock pass next year, there were several people I know would have parked up there but they couldn't because they didn't know to pre-register (which you didn't have to do last year).
I was helping a friend of mine run the timing gear at the Patriot course Sunday for the lap battle and time attack stuff and we got harassed by some old codger because we went over the fence to
a) set up the gear
b) replace broken sensors when 2 dipshits ran them over at the start
c) breakdown said gear
It was when we were breaking down the gear the guy came over asking for our "credentials" - we're standing in the midst of all the timing gear as we're packing it up at this point.
What I would have like to have seen at the North Paddock would have been some more participation on Mazda's end. I'm really not too interested in brochures I can get at any Mazda dealership. If there had been t-shirts, hats, keyfobs mugs, etc... I would have bought some. Now everyone who I met up ther was great and look forward to meeting y'all again. Hopefully it'll be easier to get the paddock pass next year, there were several people I know would have parked up there but they couldn't because they didn't know to pre-register (which you didn't have to do last year).
10-08-07 | 03:29 PM
#32
I got sent several places before I could get my paddock parking pass, basically most of GT-Live staff alot of whom were volunteers that were thrown in to the mix with no idea of what they were supposed to do so they didn't know what was going on either.
10-08-07 | 07:48 PM
#33
Thread Starter
The gimpy juggernaut
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 439
Likes: 0
From: Raleigh, NC
What I would have like to have seen at the North Paddock would have been some more participation on Mazda's end. I'm really not too interested in brochures I can get at any Mazda dealership. If there had been t-shirts, hats, keyfobs mugs, etc... I would have bought some. Now everyone who I met up ther was great and look forward to meeting y'all again.
. We had hats and tshirts from Speedsource, keychains (rx8 and mazdaspeed) from Mazda USA, a travel coffee set from Mazda, and posters from Speedsource. We just couldn't get a time where everyone was together at once so we didn't hand anything out (except for the group photo, and then everyone was itching to get to the drift show). Next year, we'll be more organized with that and schedule some times for giveaways. We didn't want to just leave it on the table like we did with the brouchers.
Originally Posted by Valkyrie
Next time I hope they get us at least one private karting session.
10-09-07 | 07:39 AM
#34
well thank you mrthundercleese for addressing all that, I plan on being back next year and believe it was the GT-Live staff and not you that was registration issues.
From what i understand and heard a vast portion of the GT-Live staff were volunteers for the event in order to get free weekend passes and were just dumped off at stations cold with very little foreknowledge of what they were to do. Alot those people were really interested in 1 or 2 events so there knowledge of what was going with the rest of event was very limited. For me I cam to see everything the weekend had to offer and I look forward to some more karting with y'all next year
(hope I didn't cut anyone off too bad)
And by next year the car should be much further along - so much to put in, so little time and money....
From what i understand and heard a vast portion of the GT-Live staff were volunteers for the event in order to get free weekend passes and were just dumped off at stations cold with very little foreknowledge of what they were to do. Alot those people were really interested in 1 or 2 events so there knowledge of what was going with the rest of event was very limited. For me I cam to see everything the weekend had to offer and I look forward to some more karting with y'all next year
(hope I didn't cut anyone off too bad)And by next year the car should be much further along - so much to put in, so little time and money....
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