Sean F

Gary and I had a lot of fun at SP this weekend with Potomac despite track conditions that were just awful. The organizers from the region did a great job. Nice relaxed event, great people and getting to hang with the vets from Walter Reed and have dinner with them on Saturday was a really rewarding experience - thanks for making that happen. Great to meet a bunch of rennlisters in person. Thanks to Alan for suggesting we run in white. There were very few cars and Gary and I got to run nose to tail the entire three days. We were a little nervous about running in white given the mix of experience, but the group was very good with passing signals for the most part.

[Rant on] The track conditions were appalling. T1, T5, T6, T7 basically had very deep rumble strips all through the line from missing pavement. It was downright dangerous as the lack of grip just throws the car to the outside. We spent the three days trying every possible line through there trying to find grip. Even basic maintenance seems to be ignored. The amount of klag/rubber off line and on the main straight is obscene. And, it never changed from day to day. We were the first run group out each day and it's clear to me they don't even bother to sweep the track. Then there's the corner workers. Just for fun, I counted how many laps the corner worker after T9 was not looking at the track when I passed. I counted 5 laps in one session. It was truly amazing. The owner/management of the track should be embarrassed and ashamed. I don't care what business you're in, you have an obligation to deliver a quality product to your customers. This concept is being completed ignored at Summit.[Rant off]

Gary R.

Kudos to Alan, Tony, and all the Potomac people for a great event made even better by having the vets there. Seeing the smiles on their faces when they got out of our cars was priceless.

Streak

Dudes! After you left on Sunday I went off track! Twice! That's right, me! I've never been off. In 49 days on track. I was due. I know what your thinking, "if it can happen to a guy with skills like his then I better just stay home." You shouldn't think that way though. Here's what happened:

Off 1: I blame Rmag in his supercar. The vortex as he passed me pushed me off the track. End of story. Really I was trying to accelerate too hard in turn six and understeered right off the track. Once the front tires got into the crap paving and marbles at the edge I was unable to get it back. I was actually pretty happy with the way I dealt with it since I always wondered if I would panic or make it worse. In the driver's meetings we are always told to "drive off, don't fight it" and just as I realized I was about to put the left front tire in the dirt I started to wrestle the wheel back onto the pavement but only for an instant then I remembered "don't fight it" so I straightened the wheel and "controlled" the off, drove to the access road and waited to get back on. This is a testament to the education part of DE. I wasn't scared or panicked or frozen. I didn't make it worse, hurt myself, someone else or the car. All because in every single driver's meeting they say, "drive off, don't fight it."

Off 2: I was trying a slightly different line through T4. Previously, I had been turning in for a late apex and accelerating through the chute ending up mid-track for the brake zone/turn in for T5. the adjustment I made was turning in a little earlier for T4. The result is that I end up track left in the brake zone carrying more speed thereby shortening the brake zone considerably I had managed this new line for one session and a few laps just fine until my right rear brake locked up. Suddenly I'm hard on the brakes with diminished stopping capacity and slid right off the end of T5, turned around and got waved back on. My biggest frustration with that situation was that I didn't ease off the brake to unlock it like a PRO DRIVER. I have done that when the fronts have locked in T5 but I had shortened the brake zone to the point that I couldn't/didn't react fast enough. Live and learn. No one got hurt except my ego

The track condition absolutely sucks. I found it impossible to get back on the gas in T1 until after the triple hole at the apex. It just sucks. It's destroying tires as well. Thought you had a few weekends left on your Toyos? Not after SP Main.

It was good to see everyone as always. It's better than mowing the lawn (except when I mow it with my 911 )

Thanks to Gary and Sean for helping me adjust my set up and tire pressure advice. Big improvement (regardless of track condition).

One last thing, Scott kicked my *** all weekend, every session, every lap. It's just embarrassing!

Veloce Raptor

So sorry to hear Summit has degraded so much, especially after an expensive repave...

Sean F

Hunt, any offs on SP don't count. Not with those track conditions. I went two off and almost looped it in one, then almost looped it five. There just isn't any grip. One small mistake gets magnified x10. The track conditions suck @ss.

By the way, if you want to smoke Scott you'll have to do something about "bent" and "tire not round"

Gary R.

Nice job Hunt, it isn't IF you go off, it's WHEN.. and what you do when it happens is the important part. Funny about the T5 lockups, both Sean and I were locking up there Sunday also.

Gary R.

It was worth getting dirty just to see that!!

Sean F

I've got some video evidence of Gary almost looping it between 5 and 6 but I won't be posting it since he has some evidence of me coming even closer to looping it in one. It was amazing there weren't more offs during the three days.

Mikelly

With the conditions of the track, and the wildlife at full song, No truer words have been typed about the event this past weekend.

It was a great time and the Potomac gang did their usual GREAT JOB!!!

Mike

Gary R.

That was because the precise balance of my finely tuned car was offset by Mark and his belly full of brats and BBQ!!

BTW, thanks to Mark for enduring a session with me, I greatly appreciate the inputs!

sechsgang

ah crap, I m at summit on thurs...thats a damn shame. Rennlist track takeover anyone?

-Drew

Mikelly

Won't have my parts in until Friday (thankfully) and can use that as the excuse until I have none and fess up to the fact that I won't be back on Summit Main until they fix that... It was like driving in South East DC.

Mike

chrisp

did I read somewhere that they have plans to repave the bad spots? Was there any news about this flying around the paddock?

Gary R.

Yes, but the paver hit the bumps in T1 and broke down..

Actually the rumor is that they will repave T1 and the T5-T7 complex before the PCA Club Race (and the paver really did break down last week from what I heard). Problem is, I don't trust that to happen and won't sign up for the race until it has. I think that means I will be at Watkins Glen that same weekend with NASA.

Streak

Thanks for the kind words. It could have been worse. track condition was definitely a huge factor. I would say 99% track 1% driver

Thanks to Mark for riding with me as well. BTW Gary he said I was a MUCH better driver than you and went into excruciating detail about where I could exploit your weaknesses on the track. He just couldn't believe what I could do with a bent wheel and a square tire!