Posted: 6/30/2012 12:10:14 PM EDT
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so the boss comes out to me on thursday and asks if i want to drive my car on the racetrack! Are you kidding? of corse i do! so next sunday i will be at the track driving my daily driver at speed. i have done a car control class there before and that was fun but kinda boring and slow. im really hoping that this is on the main track at speed. and most of all i want to learn more and refresh myself. with all these idiots on the road i have been doing alot of advoidence moves lately.
does anybody have any tips or done this before? i cant wait!!! 
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That sounds like fun!
My daily driver is a E350 van. Turn off the traction control and try drifting it through corners!  "Mr. T" and the "A-Team" keep coming to mind.
You need protective equipment? Any safety gear that is required? Just wondering. Sounds like a great track day! |
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Summit was my "home track" beginning in 1991. Are you racing on the "big track" or the newer Jefferson circuit?
Back in 1991, there was only one track there (Jefferson came later). Track is about 2 miles long; the fronmt straight is .75 miles long and allows for REALLY high top speeds (on bikes anyway). I probably got to about 160 MPH on the 750s I eventually raced; we taped-over or dis-connenected the speedometers back then - plus, you were RACING - so top speed was irrelevant; only 1st place mattered. Track's been re-paved multiple times since then; its a lot faster. I have no idea about the small track. They hold 3 gun there now; my buddy Alan helped organize that when he was head of A8. It is a quality match. OP you will have a BLAST. Enjoy it. Push your personal limits (but don't crash). Post AAR. |
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my daily driver is a VW. traction control will most defintly be off. i dont know how well drifting will be happing with it. but im certinly going to try!!
i hope we are on the main circut. i have driven around Jefferson befor. thats where i took the previous class. there is actuly 3 tracks now. the main track, i dont know its name right now, then Jefferson and most recently Shenandoah. i have shot a uspsa match up there. Alan is a very nice guy. i had a blast with that. its another thing i want to do more of. and try 3 gun. a co-worker of mine is letting me barrow a helmet and an iphone mount so i can shoot video! i will try my best to get that up here. someone my need to help with that. 
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| Summit Point Main is probably my favorite track. Not as "glamorous" (lol) as VIR, but a lot of fun, especially now that they seem to have the paving under control. I work with NASA-MA, so I'm up there all the time. I like Shenandoah, it's just like a big autocross, but the racers hate it so we never run over there. :( |
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I'm doing the "Drive a Lamborghini or Ferrari" Track Day July 14th there, when are you going? Also planning on doing some sport bike track days up there once I can afford it and new tires i wish you wouldnt have posted this lol PLEASE DESCRIBE? Because I really want to do this |
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I'm doing the "Drive a Lamborghini or Ferrari" Track Day July 14th there, when are you going? Also planning on doing some sport bike track days up there once I can afford it and new tires i wish you wouldnt have posted this lol PLEASE DESCRIBE? Because I really want to do this It's only two laps, and I am sure both cars aren't manuals but rather paddle shifters. Wow I really shouldn't be complaining haha. Either a Gallardo or F430. It was a deal on Travelzoo, I think I paid $150 for two laps. 
If anyone does track days on sportbikes, let me know |
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sorry it has taken me so long to get the AAR to you all.
first off it was awsome! i finaly got my car over highway speeds. the fastest i saw was about 120mph and i didnt ride a tow truck home. the day started with me waking up at 6:00 and driving to winchester to meet some co-workers. filled up with gas and loaded the cooler with 24 bottles of water and lunch. got to the track right at 7:00 and through tech inspection at 7:20 ish. then we were off to a class room to learn the hand signals and the flags and a basic layout of the track. then we ran to the cars put on helmets and we were sitting on pit road. talk about nervious and gitty . the first couple of laps were kinda slow to warm up the tires and find "the line". on lap 4 5 or 6 i was up to speed and had a good handle on it and starting to get cumffy and i see a big cloud of dust and by buddy sitting sideways on the track. he hasnt lived it down yet. after the first session i got out of the car covered in sweet and ready to go again. we spent the next couple of hours trash talking and drinking water.
the second session was way better than the first as i was picking up lots of speed and was holding the line, for the most part anyway. i had found my turn in points on most of the turns and since i dont have alot of power it was almost all wide open throttle. about half way through i had caught and passed my buddy 1 and was working on him again. he was way faster on the straight than me but on the turns he was just plain old slowing me down no ifs ands or butts about it. i slowed down on the straight so he could get away again and we would start all over. at lunch we were talking and i told him that he was all over the track and didnt stay on any sort of line. so we found a map of the track and i was pointing out some places on the track where he wasnt looking good from my point of view. i still regret showing him cause on the third and final time out he started behind me, he passed me and i didnt see him again. he was hauling some serious tail!  the instructor told him that they were doing well over 140 on the straight. i turned some of my best laps and had the instuctor yelling GO GO GO GO! i sadly told him that it was to the floor and putted my down the straight at 120.
it was incredable to be able to push my car and myself to the edge. right where you can feel the car getting ready to do something other than what you want it to do. the competition between us that day will stick with me for a very long time. the instructor i had was awsome, the whole program was outstanding. it has changed the way i drive on my day to day basis. for the better that is. i know im not on the track since it has been a couple weeks since i was there my buddy and i have still been planing his next track day. and i am planing on my next shooting match or class.
i think everybody should try this at some point. there are way too many valuable skills that most people lack that can be learned in 1 day at the track. sorry my grammer and spelling suck. |
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If anyone does track days on sportbikes, let me know Some of the guys on dcsportbikes.net do them. I don't ride well enough yet to even attempt it. they prob have a beginner class, you will advance a lot in two days there just putting around the track You ride at all up in the DC/NOVA area? |
