HPDE at NCCAR????

clinehall · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:03 am

I saw on our facebook page, which I hate the thought that we stoop to communicating on facebook but I digress, that Nasa is having an HPDE and race weekend at NCCAR. I really think that is not a race track, anybody going?

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:33 pm

clinehall wrote:

I saw on our facebook page, which I hate the thought that we stoop to communicating on facebook but I digress, that Nasa is having an HPDE and race weekend at NCCAR. I really think that is not a race track, anybody going?

It must be a nightmare to instruct a Green group student there. No apex curbs, no braking markers, no visual cues at all. It's good for testing a car as both of our Lemons teams have used it for that purpose, but as an actual race track for an HPDE...count me out.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 2:15 pm

I know other clubs do HPDEs there quite a bit, I think they do have braking markers on the straight though don't they? Normally for the autocross we're running backwards, but pretty sure there are some on the other end.

You are right about the curbing though, there is none.

RickyBeam · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 2:31 pm

Vincent Keene wrote:

It must be a nightmare to instruct a Green group student there.

"This is not a race track. Put the car in the center of the road, and keep it there"

They do have brake markers. (or did years ago when I was there with MBCA) But yes, as VK has said in the past, "it's like driving around an interstate on-ramp for an hour." If you need to test a (race) car, that's the place to go. If you want to learn to drive a race car, this is not the place to go.

Matthew Ryan · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 9:11 pm

I am going, hope I dont need a snorkel on the mini

I did NOT want to do VIR as my first track day, CMP will be next

RobLupella · **Posted:** Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:06 pm

Matthew Ryan wrote:

I am going, hope I dont need a snorkel on the mini

I did NOT want to do VIR as my first track day, CMP will be next

Matt:

VIR is not a bad track to do first. As long as you do it with a club that has good instruction. There is decent run off room and a good mix of track. I did Roebling Road for my first track day. I think it is a great track to learn on. It's fun, fairly short so you don't have to remember 40 turns and the price is reasonable. I agree with the consensus that NCCAR is a bit too full of constant radius turns to be that interesting.

Matthew Ryan · **Posted:** Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:50 am

I'm running with nasa until I get my race license hopefully by this time next year then maybe spec e30 or 944, I might rent seat time first to see if I wanna stay in hpde-4 or TT vs racing

I'm not concerned about run off I just did not want to go that fast on a big track on my first event, VIR south would have been perfect too

nasa was much easier to get a spot too, every other club I tried would sell out of hpde-1/novice right away

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Our green group doesn't fill up that fast and we'll usually squeeze one or two people in if you want to go.

VIR North is a perfect first timer's track. CMP is also really good and has a bunch of runoff in most areas.

Matthew Ryan · **Posted:** Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:49 am

I probably will for the feb event, September is year end so after this weekend I'm on call or working

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:16 pm

The only places i've ever done HPDEs was VIR, I didn't have any issues with my first time being on a track being at VIR.

Matthew Ryan · **Posted:** Fri Sep 02, 2016 3:05 pm

I personally don't want to go on that big a track yet, I have done charity laps there and I did a skip barber race school at road atlanta. I am not sure yet if I want to go all the way to racing GTS or Spec e30/944 I might have to get a formula ford and stick to hpde events. those things were a ton of fun and cheap to drive.

My plan is shakedown 1st hpde nccar this weekend, then on to cmp if they do any more track night america events, if not probably vir in feb unless I can pull something else off sooner

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Fri Sep 02, 2016 7:31 pm

I did my first two ever HPDE events at NCCAR this year. The great thing about NCCAR is that it is more affordable. I can't drop $400 to go to VIR, but I can afford $175 to go to NCCAR occasionally. Obviously the road surface there is rougher which give you lots of grip, but it can be rough on tires and wheel bearings. They did mark the apex with a temporary sign and both ends of the long straight stretch have braking markers. Most of the runoff areas are good with a few exceptions. Since there are not a ridiculous number of corners, you can focus on doing them well for beginners. I would love to do VIR for something other than Charity Laps, but for now I will settle doing two NCCAR events rather than one VIR event.

Chad Culbertson · **Posted:** Sat Sep 03, 2016 2:14 pm

Chris Halweg wrote:

I did my first two ever HPDE events at NCCAR this year. The great thing about NCCAR is that it is more affordable. I can't drop $400 to go to VIR, but I can afford $175 to go to NCCAR occasionally. Obviously the road surface that is rougher which give you lots of grip, but it can be rough on tires and wheel bearings. They did mark the apex with a temporary sign and both ends of the long straight stretch have braking markers. Most of the runoff areas are good with a few exceptions. Since there are not a ridiculous number of corners, you can focus on doing them well for beginners. I would love to do VIR for something other than Charity Laps, but for now I will settle doing two NCCAR events rather than one VIR event.

It is certainly cheaper to do, i've been wanting to do a motorcycle track day there sometime, but leathers are really expensive lol.

I'll probably try a DE there sometime just for the heck of it.

Matthew Ryan · **Posted:** Sat Sep 03, 2016 7:53 pm

5 20 min sessions today I'm wiped out, and 5 more tomorrow, the giant center turn goes on forever I bet it's fun on a bike

JamesMilko · **Posted:** Sat Sep 03, 2016 10:22 pm

If you want to race, run with NASA. If you want to learn run with THSCC/TrackDaze. I say this as a NASA racer. Everything you need to know about racing with NASA you'll be told in Comp School or will be in the CCR.

Spec 944 is a dead class locally. Run SE30 (or PTE).

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