DA40 PLT BECOMES DISORIENTED ENTERING VGT RWY 12R FROM THE SW. MANEUVERING WITHOUT ATC CLRNC IN THE PATTERN AND LNDG. PLT NOT ABLE TO RECOGNIZE RWY NUMBERING.

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I WAS FLYING SOLO FROM SNA TO VGT. I FLEW INTO VGT ONLY 1 OTHER TIME ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO WITH ANOTHER PLT WHO IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH VGT AND I WOULD CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE RELATIVELY UNFAMILIAR WITH THE AREA. I HAD CURRENT CHARTS WITH ME AND REVIEWED THEM BEFORE THE FLT. I WAS VISUALLY APCHING VGT FROM THE SW WITH INSTRUCTIONS NOT TO DSND BELOW 3500 FT MSL. WHEN I WAS HANDED OFF TO VGT TWR; I WAS GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE R TFC FOR RWY 12R. I COULD NOT SEE A CLR RWY MARKING FOR RWY 12R AND GOT MOMENTARILY DISORIENTED. I MADE A QUICK 270 DEG TURN TO BRING MYSELF INTO A R DOWNWIND AND IN DOING SO; WAS ABLE TO SEE THE MARKING AT THE OPPOSITE END FOR RWY 30L. THIS ENABLED ME TO BE CERTAIN THAT I WAS SETTING UP FOR THE CORRECT RWY. HOWEVER; I FAILED TO ASK PERMISSION BEFORE DOING SO AND THE CTLR PROMPTLY REMINDED ME OF THAT. I ENTERED THE R PATTERN AND LANDED NORMALLY. LATER THE SAME DAY; I RETURNED HOME WITH MY FRIEND AS THE PF. WE TOOK OFF FROM RWY 12R. I WAS ABLE TO GET A GOOD LOOK AT THE RWY NUMBERS FROM A SIMILAR PERSPECTIVE AS WE TURNED TO OUR 220 DEG DEP HDG. THE '1' AND THE 'R' ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY OBSCURED BY BLACK TIRE SKID MARKS. I FEEL THAT THIS CONDITION POSES A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD FOR AN UNFAMILIAR PLT TO BE ABLE TO QUICKLY AND CORRECTLY IDENT THE RWY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR QUESTIONED ARPT AND FAA OFFICIALS ABOUT RWY SURFACE CONDITIONS AND WAS TOLD THAT A RESURFACING PROJECT WAS BEING COSTED OUT AND BID.