CMP on 24+25 regristration

[manny]

hey all, any one know where to reg for the thanksgiving weekend at CMP?

[Cobrar05]

Is that race still on the schedule? I think they are reconfiguring CMP and paving.

[manny]

i did see it in the ccr-scca site and in my sports car mag but no where else. thanks for the info, i guess they're working on the track then.

[Parrish57]

The schedule on SEDIVracing.org shows that event as having been cancelled. Otherwise I'd be right there with you. I've grown fond of CMP. What's this about reconfiguring? I have'nt heard about that...

Steve

[Cobrar05]

CMP is by passing the tight little "autocross" section to provide more straight away and less wear on equipment.

Taking the Alan Wilson speed restrictions out of the track in simple terms.

[JeffYoung]

I have heard two things on teh reconfigure (all prompted by the change over to a country club and th eneed to compete with High Rock):

1. A complete redo of the autocross section after turn 11-12, to make 13 and 14 into long sweepers that dump out onto the front straight.

2. A dual configuration where the track has a "take off" for a new section that runs out into the field to the left of the kink/backstraight.

Steve E has some information on it. Website doesn't say anything yet (I think).

[Cobrar05]

Reports that I have read are that the track will be changed and ready to go by the start of the February schedule.

The website says nothing about it and a viewing of a youtube upload recorded October 27, 2007 doesn't show any obvious work being done at least thru the windshield of a race car.

From the description I heard the change will be both of your options together. running the backstraight on past the kink down to turn 13 and then rounding 13 and 14 into sweepers. That might be the best use of the availabel acreage and also be the shortest time budget for being back up and running.

You are right that High Rock is a real threat for them and they need to reduce the negatives that they have in order to improve their marketability.

[JeffYoung]

I've got mixed emotions on this. I've actually liked CMP from the first time I went there. It is kind of like that under appreciated girl in high school who maybe isn't as pretty as the others, but is way cooler...and fun to play with....(whoops!).

I even like the autocross section, because we RACE back there. Door to door, outbraking, outaccelerating. Yeah, it is tight and slow but it is also a lot of fun to be back there with 3-4 other ITS cars.

The split for me is that it is the autox section that is SO hard on brakes. I'm probably one of the worst "victims" of this, but all of us have brake trouble there. This may fix that.

But the bottom line is we as SCCA guys have no real say in this. The track will have to do something to keep its bread and butter - testing and track days driven by folks and industry (yes, I am avoiding using the N word -- NASCAR) in Charlotte. High Rock is going to be a threat for this.

[Cobrar05]

Jeff,

I think the other thing to keep in mind is that the money cars/clubs are the cars that are hurt the most by CMP design. The bigger and faster the cars, the harder they are on brakes and the more they need time off the brakes to cool them down.
CMP just doesn't allow for that. The attendance for some car clubs that cater to bigger/faster cars like Corvettes, Ferraris, Porsches, Mustangs has been dropping off because of that.

A look at the high rock course design shows they will not have those kinds of problems.

Barber Motorsports Park is also making very similar changes to its configuration right now for the same reasons and that they are trying to keep Grand Am happy and attract the IRL.

[Butch Kummer]

I'm sure they will have press releases before long, but the CMP Board of Directors has approved a Five Year Plan for facitilty upgrades. This from Joe Hooker (who's amazed at all he's heard on what HE plans to do) about what to expect by February 2008:

. No changes to the Kink (Turn 10) or the Hairpin (Turn 11). Bypassing the Kink would have the ground-pounders running 180+ when arriving at a 45 mph right-hander - and you think CMP is hard on brakes now!

. 12, 13, & 14 are the trio of right-handers that make up what some people call "Disney World". What they plan to do is extend the track outside (left) of the existing pavement on the exit of 12, make an increasing radius sweeper that comes back inside the existing 13 and joins up with the short chute up to 14. They also will add pavement to the inside radius of 14 to make it less abrupt and increase the speed carried through there. The changes are designed to allow you to run both configurations as you choose. Apparently many of the Pro teams use CMP to test for street circuits and don't WANT the changes to 12-14.

. They are also paving additional parts of the paddock roads (I think he said 1500 linear feet) plus building "day garages" and clubhouse structures, but none of that affects the actual track layout. They're eventually going to build a second pit road between the current T-1 & T-3 to allow two independent tracks, plus the long-range plans call for extending parts of the East course to make the entire track in the neighborhood of three miles in length.

I don't know anyone at Barber to call, but removing the chicane after the Museum turn would change the whole character of that track for Big Noise cars. If that rumor is indeed true, I'll have to re-think my vow to never run my taxi-cab there again!