Seattle International Raceway

[RLJ]

The Pac West guys! Found this link to the rework at SIR.


http://www.adrenalinefreaks.com/pacificraceways.htm

Randy Jones
1971 911

[pwd72s]

Cool. Remember the '75 Pea-Raid? The auto-x chairman decided to run parts of the course backwards, to eliminate local knowledge. Oh-oh....

[Doug Zielke]

Huge thanks for this, Randy!
I've been wondering what has been going on down there over the winter. Looks like they have done a lot of logging.
What's your take on these "improvements"?
I hope they are not spoiling a classic track I have loved since the late '60s.

[Randy W]

I have not seen the new layout personally, but from the pictures I have seen and from talking to those who have already driven it, it is very nice. Safer, with more run off room - a sharper turn 9, but the transition from where the hot pits were back onto the old straight is fast with just a lift. It does not appear that the essential character of the track has changed from being a technical road course with elevation changes. I will know more after attending the PCANWR driving instructor's meeting day after tomorrow.

[Doug Zielke]

Thanks to Randy and Randy!
I think if it stops snowing before the Historic races in July, I'll take a little field trip to check it out.

[RLJ]

To answer your question Doug, it's about time.

I have only been there twice, once in 1969 for the Dan Gurney 250 USAC champ car race and last summer for the SOVREN Historic Races were the R Gruppe had a corral.

Received the normal lap of the track a lunch. It was bad, big bumps, places were you get get unloaded easy, to not know the track very very well and go fast there is spooky man spooky. The whole place except were the drag racers have there starting line not much has changed, same old potties and junky buildings in the infield. Ugly pits. The brush and TREES growing up close to the track are un-nerving, remember the condition of the racing surface is bad and leaving the track there could hurt.

Randy W will have the hot scoop after his meeting.

Randy Jones
1971 911

[Randy W]

Hey Guys,

Here's an update on what I learned at the PCANWR DE Driving Instructors meeting two days ago. We were given a synopsis of the newly revised Seattle track by Don Kitch of ProFormance Race School and Jim Selders, DE chair. We also viewed stills and an in-car video of three laps around the new course. In a nutshell, there are four major changes to the track formerly known as SIR, now called Pacific Raceway International (PRI):

1. New Front Straight - At turn 9, there is a wall that blocks the old straight and now forms the left hand wall of a narrow entrance that leads onto a newly paved straight where the old hot pits were. At the end of this new straight is an un-numbered turn referred to as "the kink". It is a fairly open and fast left hander that leads back onto the old straight about at the old start/finish line and 100 yards past the VHT. After your exit from the kink, you begin a gradual right hand arc that leads you to the apex of turn 1. Note: turn 8 has to be taken entirely differently now and apexed much later. You must be far enough over to the left after apexing 8 to set up for the much tighter right hand turn 9 that has a blind apex following a narrow entrance with walls on both sides. You must not early apex 9 or you will end up in the left hand wall.

2. Run off areas are improved almost everywhere - there is much safer smoothed out grass seeded run off that has been enlarged, most notably at turns 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6-7. There is flat run-off and a jersey barrier on the right side of turn 5a-5b, and a cut back bank on the left side of 5b.

3. There are no hot pits yet - This may be done by April. Entrance and exit from the track will vary by club, but will likely be in turn 8-9 area.

4. New bathrooms - modern and clean. The gals will be most appreciative, I'm sure.

Please understand that this is the track in its current state. PRI will continue to evolve over at least the next two to three years, and may be quite different in its final form. There are also plans to build a 20 acre go-kart track between the road course and Hwy 18. This area will incorporate a 1000x800 foot skid pad that can double as an autocross course.

Be safe, learn the new line first and then work up speed. See you guys out there on the 30th,