Summit Point July 12, 13

[leicaguy]

I'm signed up for this TrackDaze event in July at Summit Point (main course). I have relatives 3 miles from the track so no hotel expenses! \:D/

[blitzcat]

On a weekday too! Sure beats work.

[leicaguy]

On a weekday too! Sure beats work.

Yeah, maybe being during the week will mean a few less participants. More track for me! :laugh:

[blitzcat]

I went to a Monday-Tuesday Trackdaze. It was still fairly well attended, and in June I would expect it to be sold out.

The pace/red mist did seem to be less than some other events.

[leicaguy]

Report: The 2 day event went very well. We had 4 runs each day, 30 min each. TrackDaze did a great job. All sessions were spot on time. I was assigned an instructor who drives a Miada and MINI so he was giving outstanding and very car specific instruction. Seven runs were on a dry track and one was in the rain. The rain was a great equalizer to my benefit. After about 15 minutes of getting acclimated to the wet surface I was running 90-95% of what I had been doing on the dry track. The Vets, Porches, and Mustangs that had been passing me were suddenly at a bigger disadvantage. I was not passed the entire 30 minutes.

Summit Point Main Circuit is a very nice track. They have a few places where surface issues are a problem but overall it is a great course. It is MINI friendly and would be VERY nice for an S. By the end of day 2 I was attacking the course way harder than I had ever though I could. At the end of the long straight I was carrying 105 mph to a point between the 1 and 2 brake markers, into a hairpin turn. I now have an even higher regard for MINI handling. They are amazing.

My instructor recommended that I move from green to blue run group. Woot!

I can highly recommend TrackDaze and Summit Point Main.

[BThayer23]

Sweet! Sounds like you had a good time.

How does Summit Point compare to VIR?

[leicaguy]

Sweet! Sounds like you had a good time.

How does Summit Point compare to VIR?

See map
(http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4&Itemid=21)
For my money I like it just as well as VIR. The straights are shorter and there are plenty of technical stretches. There are plenty of elevation changes as well. The most challenging part is turn 4 through 9. Turn 4 is at the end of a short straight. That straight is downhill for the last half so you are carrying plenty of speed as you approach. If positioned just right, cars like MINI and Miata can take #4 without braking at all or just a tap to set the front wheels for the turn-in. The short stretch between 4 and 5 is also downhill. So as you approach #5 you are really flying. This is where it gets good. Turn 5 is very sharp and there is a knoll on the inside so you can't really look ahead (around) to #6. It is very difficult to hit just right and if you don't you have potentially messed up the next 3 turns. From 5 to 9 the MINI can complete without braking. Leaving #6 I would apply about 1/2 throttle and slowly incease little by little until I was at full throttle leaving #8 and through 9. It's a wild ride, for sure. I highly recommend it for a MINI.

I have a few videos that I took with GoPro HD. But being HD and the 30 min sessions means the files are 3 GB. I'll have to find a way to edit them down considerably before I can post them. I'll try to get that done soon.

[Nascar Mini]

Glad to here someone has been to or has relatives in my old neck of the woods! I'm originally from just down the road from Winchester,Va. and we raced with the DC Region for several years in an GT-3 Rx 3 Mazda and a Showroom Stock Rx 4.How many people (except the old timers) even remember those cars?Where are your relatives from? Always liked the track especially the carousel then up the hill but struggled with turn one.Anyway, i'm glad you had a good time and enjoyed my old stomping ground.
Bill

[leicaguy]

Glad to here someone has been to or has relatives in my old neck of the woods! I'm originally from just down the road from Winchester,Va. and we raced with the DC Region for several years in an GT-3 Rx 3 Mazda and a Showroom Stock Rx 4.How many people (except the old timers) even remember those cars?Where are your relatives from? Always liked the track especially the carousel then up the hill but struggled with turn one.Anyway, i'm glad you had a good time and enjoyed my old stomping ground.
Bill

Most of my family is in No. VA. My sister lives in Charles Town though. Very convenient. I'm sure I'll see a lot more of SP.

You struggle with turn 1 is shared by many, including myself. My trouble with turn 1 was this: if I carried too much speed into it I couldn't downshift to 2nd, I had to go with 3rd gear. With a justacooper this meant a slow exit. If I reduced my turn-in by about 5 mph I could then go to 2nd which meant a much faster track out but starting from a slower speed and more shifting. In the end I chose to use 2nd. There were at least 3 cars that found turn 1 very difficult. They ended up in the gravel.

[Nascar Mini]

Ah,Charlestown, used to go to the races there (horse) with my dad,now i hear they have casino's.Pretty country up 340 and also Rt 51 thru Inwood,Wva.
Thanks for the memories.
Bill

[onefastmini]

Here is an in-car from one of my dads customers. I think it gives a good feel for what to expect. I don't think you can compare SP to VIR, its just different. I think that overall its easier and not as fast, but just as much fun.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9WKtERYw10