Soooooo....who's idea was it to go racing in early April in New Hampshire...?
Soooooo....who's idea was it to go racing in early April in New Hampshire...?
Word from the track yesterday is that the event is still on and they are going to work on proactive snow removal, not just 'see if it melts'.
Good news.
I was hoping to crew for a friend during the school and run on Sunday. Looks like neither are happening. Friend isn't attending the school, and I have "plans" on Sunday.
COMSCC is running at NHMS on the Mon-Tue of the school week. Word on the street is that there is still considerable snow on the track, and that the south garages suffered some roof cave-in. The track is working diligently to clear the snow from the track. We'll know tomorrow if the event is go/no-go.
Anyone looking for some seat time at NHMS, WGI, Mosport, Tremblant, Calabogie, etc., with not-your-average type of car club, COMSCC.ORG goes highly recommended. Lots of SCCA guys there already.
Anyway, my goal was to shake out the car with COM and run the SCCA event. Thought I'd spread the love.
Will
# 72 Miata ITA
1.6 liters of furious power!
I have always pictured doing the schools at LRP since that is the track I am most familiar with. I have never been to NHIS. I seem to be getting a bit uptight about not knowing the track. Should I be uptight about it or should I take my skirt off and put my pants back on?
Would I be allowed on the track on Thursday?
Chris Raffaelli
NER 24FP
Actually, I STRONGLY RECOMMEND against your attending the Thursday test day. Several good reasons:
1) You're new. You will be dropped into groups with drivers that aren't, and who have testing purposes there, and expect everyone around them to be reasonably experienced. This is not an HPDE-point-by-let's-go-figure-out-how-to-drive day, it's a go-fast-and-get-the-car-dialed-in-for-the-race day. Bluntly put, new drivers/students will flat-out be in the way.
2) You don't know the track. See #3.
3) You're new and you don't know the track; why would you want to go out there and flop around, and possibly (probably) learn things incorrectly, which you're going to have to un-learn the next day?
4) You NEED to save your car/tires/gas/money/attitude/mindset for two WHOLE days of CONSTANT driving, WITH people properly showing you the way around.
Trust me, you WILL get more than enough track time during the school (as much as 6-7 hours of direct track time ), and you WILL be ready to go home after lunch on the second day. I know: I'm going to be an on-track instructor, plus I'm doing the test day, and *I* will be ready to call it quits during the school.
I encourage you to show up, hang out, and learn. But I STRONGLY discourage any school participant to enter the track day.
Greg
Don’t worry, be happy.
The school environment is the perfect way to learn a track. Actually there is an advantage because you don’t have unlearn stuff you thing you know. After drive arounds in vans the first on track session is at about 5/10ths following on track instructors.
Now if you want to hear about the wrong way to do it I will tell you about going to the Glen for my first race there. I had been there as a flagger about 20 years earlier. It a pretty good two beer story.
dick patullo
ner scca IT7 Rx7
I agree with Greg here. Unless you are uncertain about something on the car that you need to test be a spectator on Thursday.
dick patullo
ner scca IT7 Rx7
We just woke up to 4-5 ins of snow here. 1 hr north of Albany NY. dave--Dick I will look for 2 beers I too have a sad but true WCI story.
Correction-- WGI story
This doesn't bode well; "GeorgeTheFierce" just posted the following on RR-AX. Any confirmation?
"...for the second year in a row, our opening event has been cancelled... Apparently NHMS has about 4 feet of snow in the oval and will not be ready for the April 7th/8th opening event..."
GA
Jake Gulick
CarriageHouse Motorsports
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EVERYBODY gets a little nervous going to a new track. You'll probably surprise yourself. But I would look up videos on Youtube. I would spend a few hours watching. Although not as good as driving it, it will give you an idea of where the track goes.
I couldn't find any video rom the current ITA record holder, but there is some out there. I would also watch race video, not HPDE stuff. It will be a little closer to what you are going to experience.
As Greg said, come up and watch. Anybody will be willing to talk about driving NHIS.
Jeff L
ITA Miata
2010 NARRC Champion
2007 NERRC Championship, 2nd place
2008 NARRC Championship, 2nd place
2009 NARRC Championship, 2nd place
Hey Joe, got any video for him? :eek:
Just remember you're there for a school and it's not a race. While learning the basic lines, remember to stay focused on flags (they will be thown including a red flag) & corner stations, and your surroundings. You'll do just fine and this will be a fantastic way for you to learn the track.
Dave Gran
Real Roads, Real Car Guys – Real World Road Tests
Go Ahead - Take the Wheel's Free Guide to Racing
That's a good point.
You WILL see at least two red flags over the weekend. If you blow off both of them, plan on going to another school. You'll see at least one black flag, one slow moving vehicle on track and MANY yellow flags.
Don't miss the class room sessions to work on your car. Nothing pisses of an instructor more than a student not showing up for class. It makes them look bad!!
And watch for instructors out on the track. They WILL be messin' with you. Execept for one roll over, the worst contact I have seen is between student and instructor. The instructors turn into dumb asses when they get out on the track.
Jeff L
ITA Miata
2010 NARRC Champion
2007 NERRC Championship, 2nd place
2008 NARRC Championship, 2nd place
2009 NARRC Championship, 2nd place
[quote=gran racing;262734]Hey Joe, got any video for him? :eek:
quote]
Will this work Dave?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2ZkVQs-TYo
Crazy Joe
#01 ITA
Nissan Sentra SE-R
www.kakashiracing.com
[email protected]
www.kesslerengineering.com (Matt's the man)
First non CRX at IT Fest 2009 2nd place overall
2008 ITA NARRC & NYSRRC Champion
Ah, spectate it is.
How do I rent a garage?
Chris Raffaelli
NER 24FP
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