We’ve referred to the first NASA Mid-Atlantic event of the season as “March Madness” for years, but this one really lived up to the name. After a few months of … Read more
Our 2017 season ended a few weeks ago, culminating with the East Coast Championships at Sebring. Although I’m heading to Summit Point this weekend to help run the NASA Mid-Atlantic “Fall Finale,” there’s no wheel-to-wheel racing as part of the event and thus, the M3 is staying at home.
Though we are barely into the off-season, it’s never too early to start evaluating how 2017 went, and make a plan for both myself and the car that can be addressed this winter.
I usually try to write up race weekends a few days after getting home, but NASA’s East Coast Championships left me exhausted both physically and mentally, and I’m only now finding some time to review the week of debauchery.
The event ran from Thursday to Sunday, but I left Tuesday morning as Sebring, Florida is nearly 900 miles from home. My first stop was in Charleston, South Carolina to see some friends on Tuesday evening.
NASA Mid-Atlantic wrapped up the 2017 season last weekend at VIR, with their annual “Oktoberfast” event – always a favorite. Three of us piled into my newly-acquired 2010 Range Rover, hooked the trailer to the hitch, and set off south down I-95 on Friday afternoon.
Track weekends in the fall are some of my favorite – the weather tends to be ideal for a weekend outside, which means drivers and engines alike are a bit more perky. This past weekend at Summit Point was no exception, with crisp 50* mornings and highs in the mid-70s both days.
It’s always fun wondering which of your track friends you’ll run into on the journey out of town – this time, I shared the Dulles Greenway and Route 7 with Navin, Will, and Jon at various points. We all made it to the track around 6:30 PM and unloading was quick.
The late Chief of Instruction, Dan Unkefer, had a saying he’d frequently utter to his HPDE students in the classroom. “If you need a straight, make a straight.” We lost Dan a few years ago, but our August event at VIR is named in his memory.
All of us who have ended up with racing licenses started off in Dan’s HPDE program and taken that phrase to heart over and over.
My trip to VIR started on a good note, though traffic quickly became unbearable. College move-ins, beach travelers and the upcoming solar eclipse meant everyone felt the need to be on I-95 on Friday afternoon. Thankfully, things eased up once I got past Richmond.
It’s officially summertime and the weather at Summit Point was a constant reminder. It was H-O-T all weekend.
Saturday’s qualifying was cut very short by a Spec E46 who dropped a wheel around T8ish, spun and stuffed it nose-first into the tires on driver’s right. The car looked mostly fixable but the track was put under full-course red and every tow truck, ambulance and fire truck was sent out.
Hyperfest is one of my favorite events of the year, and this year was no different. I was excited to be back at VIR with full aero and the upgraded differential, plus I had my parents, some family friends, and friends from DC all coming to watch the racing on Saturday.
Second race weekend of the year and my second provisional weekend! I kicked it off on Friday afternoon with a little jaunt down I-95 (only two hours to go 50 miles, wow!), unpacked and headed to the Holiday Inn where Jeff was giving the Instructor Clinic. I passed and now have my red hat, and can hop in the right seat to yell at all you students who come out and do Hyperdrives/HPDE 1.
My driving progressed over the last year or so to the point where I (and others) felt that I was ready for wheel to wheel competition. I decided back in November that 2017 was the year I’d finish the car and do Comp School, and that I’d want to do it at a track where I was very comfortable, so that I could focus on the school as much as possible. I got the car prepped (ish) and headed to VIR on Thursday afternoon.