Nov 1st & 2nd Summit Point Shenandoah HPDE Review Part 1
As some of you know, I signed up for the Mazda Driving Associates LLC HPDE class at Summit Point's Shenandoah 2.2 mile circuit.
From what I know this event is held annually. I've kinda hinted at the track moding I've done in preparation for the event. Taking a
stock MazdaSpeed6 there, in my opinion, is just wasting good money to snow plow or dirt plow. You pick either way your going to front
end plow with a stock car. So, to offset the understeer typically associated with the MS6, my thoughts included BC coilovers (review
to follow), WhiteLine rear sway bar (firm setting), Tanabe upper strut brace, Advan Racing RZ's and Hanook RS-2 extreme summer
tires. Likewise my other business partner Charles insisted on me using his ETS TMIC. After the parts were successfully installed and
coilovers set, the car was taken to Curry's Automotive Service in Falls Church were it was aligned and camber set to -1.6 degrees all
the way around.
My buddy and business partner Jason Voss (also planning to attend the event) convinced his very good friend in Leesburg to open up
their home to me and my stuff for the weekend. BONUS! However, a early smooth move on my part as I showed up a little late....like
11pm ish on Friday evening for the introduction and get to know each other....For some dumb reason, I thought this house was going
to be a former frat buddy or something because JVOSS likes to party and drink! (double kegerator at his home) Yah, not the case, this
house is a pure CEO level home in a beautiful subdivision on 3 acres in Leesburg, VA. I found Jason and friend "Dave" chillin on the
couch with a couple of beers watching Mixed Martial Arts. Turns out Dave is married and the rest of the family has retired for the
evening. I would soon follow suit as our morning would begin at 5am.
5am arrives...and its 38 degrees outside (great TURBO weather for some; fuel cut for others) JVOSS and myself begin to strip our
cars of everything that is not permanently attached to the car. Coin tray emptied check; floor mats removed check, both glove boxes
emptied check, windows cleaned check. With nothing but the HPDE registration and release paperwork, a ID, a few dollars, a watch
and helmet, we stir the earlier morning calm with our MazdaSpeed exhaust. On the road we settled into a 65mph cruise for the 1 hour
commute north to Summit Point only later to find out that we were probably the only two that didn't speed there.
We pulled into the last gas station before the track and its a full on Porsche and BMW hardware display....Flanked on both sides by a
early 90's 911 Turbo to my left and a late model 911 Carrera covered in blue tape to my right; it becomes quickly apparent to me that
we have arrived....and the excitement level that I've successfully held in check for the many weeks prior is starting to come uncorked.
A quick top off of Premium fuel, a oil level check and we blow out of the last service station at part to full throttle. The final roads to the
track are a twisty two-lane lane blacktop that, at the time, were completely lit up with HID beams cutting across the early morning dew.
We teed onto the last road and its nothing but Porsches, STI's and EVO's completing the final stretch to the track.
We get to the track and there is an obvious "I've never been here before" mistake of turning in at the wrong track gate. No worries, we
pull the big U and head back to the Shenandoah circuit's main gate. Greeted by a middle aged gentlemen with a soft voice and a
baseball cap. He kindly hands me the track release form and says "Print and sign your name" I quickly hammer out my chicken
scratch, hand the clipboard back and slip the clutch to begin rolling to tech inspection.......when it happens..........I get my first view of
the track to my right dimly lit by the Saturday morning sunrise. Failing completely at trying to hold it together, I get really nervous
people were going to notice and say "look!, look at the rookie!". I slowly and nervously creep towards tech inspection, hoping to God
nothing is going to break on my car between there and the last ten feet of smooth pavement where the smiling HPDE inspector awaits.
To my surprise I get the "WOW I've read about these cars but I've never seen one in person before"...Hum...I was kinda taken back
by that comment but nevertheless hurried off to sign yet another release, receive the golden ticket arm band and get the days
schedule. The White Knight passes.
With tech inspection over, JVOSS and myself settle onto a nice patch of grass just south of the Skid Pad were we park to finish
removing the final items from our cars. With the spare tires and jacks out, I start to notice some of the other drivers and begin to
introduce myself. What's funny to me is, while this is a Mazda event, the cars directly around us are all BMW's. In fact, before the Sun
was fully up one was hard pressed to see another Mazda in the immediate area. After a couple of trips up the hill to the bathroom the
full drivers meeting was called.
After a public welcome message, the drivers were separated and aligned with their Instructors. "Dave" was an astute quick talking
man I had to listen in close to understand. Maybe he was trying to work out the jitters of first meeting someone, but honestly, it didn't
matter if he had spoken German; at that point, I was completely commited to understanding and applying everything he said. Each
instructor was assigned two drivers. The other driver in our mini meeting was "Frank", an experienced HPDE dude driving a heavily
modded Laser Blue STI which I recognized from the drive in. When questioned about what he hope to learn by the end of the day,
Frank set off into a long winded technical explanation of turn set up with corner apexing and rpm matching....I kinda listened but was
more focused on the cold standing in barely 40 degree temps. When the same question was asked of me, I looked for something
smooth and unrookie like to say, but was only able to muster "Duh, I just want to have fun and explore the limits of my car" I think I
scared Dave because there was a long awkward pause.
A full drivers class was called and we all packed into a small room on the south side of the building directly in front of pitroad. A broad
overview of the track was shared along with proper passing edict. The schedule dictated the Instructors would run the first 20
minute session, followed by the Advanced, Intermediate and Basic groups. This routine would be repeated 4 times during the day with
a break in between the 2nd and 3rd sessions for lunch. Somewhere in between the Instructors' 1st session and the Advanced groups
first session the Basic or "Blue" group would receive official track training. Top of the list in class were flags and flag stations. Flag
stations are very important when out of the track to get the heads up on track conditions and this was explained in great detail. I kinda
listened again but was day dreaming about being the days hero. "Any questions, no....well class dismissed."
A couple more trips to the bathroom and I was just about ready to hit the track for the first session. Dave and I agreed that he would
drive the first lap of the track in my car so I could get a feel and see the line. Helmet in place Dave offers up a very cool mic and ear
piece that you can just slip into your helmet next to your ear, turn on a PA system and bingo, normal communication is possible at high
speeds with the windows down. Very cool. I think there were 13 cars in the Blue group. Couple a STI's, a older RX-7, GT Mustang,
couple Miata's, Lexus IS300, BMW 3 series, a white and black MS3 and our MS6 cars. So, one line of 7 and one line of 6 was the
Blue groups starting grid for the 1st session. I, Dave rather, got the outside Pole position for the start. It didn't matter though because
the starter emptied the Pole line before he started on ours. So rolling out we were in eighth place...
The session starts with Dave leaving pit road and dropping into Cave Esses (Turn 1). The car is very smooth and the speed is
likewise. I'm fully focused on Dave's words when I occurs to me that I'm experiencing g-forces on my body but it doesn't seem that we
are moving fast. Thur the Hammer (Turn 2) and down the Stone House Straight we are following a solid line of cars but I'm not focused
on them. As we turn into the Hook, my favorite part of the course as the day progressed, (turns 3,4,5) I start to hear the tires strain,
no squeal though. Really feeling the car now. Down the Range Straight, hard brakes into Turn 8 and up the Bridge Straight...past Turn
9 full 2.3L power now...WEE! Under the bridge and over the top of the hill and down approaching the Karussel, hard brakes and we
drop into the 22 degrees of banked concrete built to mimic "The Ring". WOW! "Check your Flags" I hear, touch Turn 11, 12, 13,,,hard
brakes into the Corkscrew, sharp turn. Touch 14, feather the power, touch 15, 3/4 power late turn in on Turn 16, full power down the
Back Straight ...I see 120mph setting up for the Loop Turn 17..Hard brakes....I'm getting instructions the whole time, but I'm more
focused on the feel. I finally process "Cross the turns center apex here! touch the inside apex here...full power" to the downhill hard left
turn, hard right.....We pull into the pits...Ok, Scott repeat."
Up to this point all my racing experience had been illegal or in a straight line. Never thought about how this day was going to feel until I
released the clutch. More importantly, how I was going to translate what verbal instruction I was about to receive into the White night.
Of course I missed the first apex and the second..I did get the straight correct. :0) Luckily, I was paying attention on the visuals for the
Hook set up via Dave's original instruction. I was strangely able to feel what locking the steering wheel into one position on the Hook
and steering with the gas pedal felt like by pure dumb luck. A feeling I would not forget all day as that was my turn. Down the straight
into Turn 9, totally blew the line and jumped the apex, downshift to 2nd gear (normally a high rpm 3rd gear turn) nail it, shift, nail it, shift.
Over the top of the hill just a tad bit of steering input causes the car to get weird over the top. "Probably need to be more left and
straight over that. We'll work on it" Dropped into the Karussel way to low...and about 35 mph too slow...11,12,13, into the corkscrew
14, 15, WAY EARLY on 16...down the back straight...slam on the brakes..for the Loop on turn 17 curve. blew that turn early...and
under braked...Way off line..Yah, I suck....Downhill thru the pit straight...1 lap down.
First lap: I never looked in my mirrors. I never looked at a flag or a flag station. Got passed twice and basically didn't hit a single turn
outside of the Hook. Towards the end I started to catch the IS 300....Dave was like "Do you know why your catching him?" "Because
I'm getting better?" "No..you really don't know?" "No WHY?" "Look at that flag station, what do you see?" The checker flag was grim
marker that my first session went by WAY to fast. We got back to the pit and Dave bolted off to his 2002 tii BMW race car which had
a full cage, fuel cell, 5 point harness and race tires. "Check with you later, BTW I want you to ride in this but not now" His car exploded
to life...and idles away.
I'll finish this up tomorrow.
As some of you know, I signed up for the Mazda Driving Associates LLC HPDE class at Summit Point's Shenandoah 2.2 mile circuit.
From what I know this event is held annually. I've kinda hinted at the track moding I've done in preparation for the event. Taking a
stock MazdaSpeed6 there, in my opinion, is just wasting good money to snow plow or dirt plow. You pick either way your going to front
end plow with a stock car. So, to offset the understeer typically associated with the MS6, my thoughts included BC coilovers (review
to follow), WhiteLine rear sway bar (firm setting), Tanabe upper strut brace, Advan Racing RZ's and Hanook RS-2 extreme summer
tires. Likewise my other business partner Charles insisted on me using his ETS TMIC. After the parts were successfully installed and
coilovers set, the car was taken to Curry's Automotive Service in Falls Church were it was aligned and camber set to -1.6 degrees all
the way around.
My buddy and business partner Jason Voss (also planning to attend the event) convinced his very good friend in Leesburg to open up
their home to me and my stuff for the weekend. BONUS! However, a early smooth move on my part as I showed up a little late....like
11pm ish on Friday evening for the introduction and get to know each other....For some dumb reason, I thought this house was going
to be a former frat buddy or something because JVOSS likes to party and drink! (double kegerator at his home) Yah, not the case, this
house is a pure CEO level home in a beautiful subdivision on 3 acres in Leesburg, VA. I found Jason and friend "Dave" chillin on the
couch with a couple of beers watching Mixed Martial Arts. Turns out Dave is married and the rest of the family has retired for the
evening. I would soon follow suit as our morning would begin at 5am.
5am arrives...and its 38 degrees outside (great TURBO weather for some; fuel cut for others) JVOSS and myself begin to strip our
cars of everything that is not permanently attached to the car. Coin tray emptied check; floor mats removed check, both glove boxes
emptied check, windows cleaned check. With nothing but the HPDE registration and release paperwork, a ID, a few dollars, a watch
and helmet, we stir the earlier morning calm with our MazdaSpeed exhaust. On the road we settled into a 65mph cruise for the 1 hour
commute north to Summit Point only later to find out that we were probably the only two that didn't speed there.
We pulled into the last gas station before the track and its a full on Porsche and BMW hardware display....Flanked on both sides by a
early 90's 911 Turbo to my left and a late model 911 Carrera covered in blue tape to my right; it becomes quickly apparent to me that
we have arrived....and the excitement level that I've successfully held in check for the many weeks prior is starting to come uncorked.
A quick top off of Premium fuel, a oil level check and we blow out of the last service station at part to full throttle. The final roads to the
track are a twisty two-lane lane blacktop that, at the time, were completely lit up with HID beams cutting across the early morning dew.
We teed onto the last road and its nothing but Porsches, STI's and EVO's completing the final stretch to the track.
We get to the track and there is an obvious "I've never been here before" mistake of turning in at the wrong track gate. No worries, we
pull the big U and head back to the Shenandoah circuit's main gate. Greeted by a middle aged gentlemen with a soft voice and a
baseball cap. He kindly hands me the track release form and says "Print and sign your name" I quickly hammer out my chicken
scratch, hand the clipboard back and slip the clutch to begin rolling to tech inspection.......when it happens..........I get my first view of
the track to my right dimly lit by the Saturday morning sunrise. Failing completely at trying to hold it together, I get really nervous
people were going to notice and say "look!, look at the rookie!". I slowly and nervously creep towards tech inspection, hoping to God
nothing is going to break on my car between there and the last ten feet of smooth pavement where the smiling HPDE inspector awaits.
To my surprise I get the "WOW I've read about these cars but I've never seen one in person before"...Hum...I was kinda taken back
by that comment but nevertheless hurried off to sign yet another release, receive the golden ticket arm band and get the days
schedule. The White Knight passes.
With tech inspection over, JVOSS and myself settle onto a nice patch of grass just south of the Skid Pad were we park to finish
removing the final items from our cars. With the spare tires and jacks out, I start to notice some of the other drivers and begin to
introduce myself. What's funny to me is, while this is a Mazda event, the cars directly around us are all BMW's. In fact, before the Sun
was fully up one was hard pressed to see another Mazda in the immediate area. After a couple of trips up the hill to the bathroom the
full drivers meeting was called.
After a public welcome message, the drivers were separated and aligned with their Instructors. "Dave" was an astute quick talking
man I had to listen in close to understand. Maybe he was trying to work out the jitters of first meeting someone, but honestly, it didn't
matter if he had spoken German; at that point, I was completely commited to understanding and applying everything he said. Each
instructor was assigned two drivers. The other driver in our mini meeting was "Frank", an experienced HPDE dude driving a heavily
modded Laser Blue STI which I recognized from the drive in. When questioned about what he hope to learn by the end of the day,
Frank set off into a long winded technical explanation of turn set up with corner apexing and rpm matching....I kinda listened but was
more focused on the cold standing in barely 40 degree temps. When the same question was asked of me, I looked for something
smooth and unrookie like to say, but was only able to muster "Duh, I just want to have fun and explore the limits of my car" I think I
scared Dave because there was a long awkward pause.
A full drivers class was called and we all packed into a small room on the south side of the building directly in front of pitroad. A broad
overview of the track was shared along with proper passing edict. The schedule dictated the Instructors would run the first 20
minute session, followed by the Advanced, Intermediate and Basic groups. This routine would be repeated 4 times during the day with
a break in between the 2nd and 3rd sessions for lunch. Somewhere in between the Instructors' 1st session and the Advanced groups
first session the Basic or "Blue" group would receive official track training. Top of the list in class were flags and flag stations. Flag
stations are very important when out of the track to get the heads up on track conditions and this was explained in great detail. I kinda
listened again but was day dreaming about being the days hero. "Any questions, no....well class dismissed."
A couple more trips to the bathroom and I was just about ready to hit the track for the first session. Dave and I agreed that he would
drive the first lap of the track in my car so I could get a feel and see the line. Helmet in place Dave offers up a very cool mic and ear
piece that you can just slip into your helmet next to your ear, turn on a PA system and bingo, normal communication is possible at high
speeds with the windows down. Very cool. I think there were 13 cars in the Blue group. Couple a STI's, a older RX-7, GT Mustang,
couple Miata's, Lexus IS300, BMW 3 series, a white and black MS3 and our MS6 cars. So, one line of 7 and one line of 6 was the
Blue groups starting grid for the 1st session. I, Dave rather, got the outside Pole position for the start. It didn't matter though because
the starter emptied the Pole line before he started on ours. So rolling out we were in eighth place...
The session starts with Dave leaving pit road and dropping into Cave Esses (Turn 1). The car is very smooth and the speed is
likewise. I'm fully focused on Dave's words when I occurs to me that I'm experiencing g-forces on my body but it doesn't seem that we
are moving fast. Thur the Hammer (Turn 2) and down the Stone House Straight we are following a solid line of cars but I'm not focused
on them. As we turn into the Hook, my favorite part of the course as the day progressed, (turns 3,4,5) I start to hear the tires strain,
no squeal though. Really feeling the car now. Down the Range Straight, hard brakes into Turn 8 and up the Bridge Straight...past Turn
9 full 2.3L power now...WEE! Under the bridge and over the top of the hill and down approaching the Karussel, hard brakes and we
drop into the 22 degrees of banked concrete built to mimic "The Ring". WOW! "Check your Flags" I hear, touch Turn 11, 12, 13,,,hard
brakes into the Corkscrew, sharp turn. Touch 14, feather the power, touch 15, 3/4 power late turn in on Turn 16, full power down the
Back Straight ...I see 120mph setting up for the Loop Turn 17..Hard brakes....I'm getting instructions the whole time, but I'm more
focused on the feel. I finally process "Cross the turns center apex here! touch the inside apex here...full power" to the downhill hard left
turn, hard right.....We pull into the pits...Ok, Scott repeat."
Up to this point all my racing experience had been illegal or in a straight line. Never thought about how this day was going to feel until I
released the clutch. More importantly, how I was going to translate what verbal instruction I was about to receive into the White night.
Of course I missed the first apex and the second..I did get the straight correct. :0) Luckily, I was paying attention on the visuals for the
Hook set up via Dave's original instruction. I was strangely able to feel what locking the steering wheel into one position on the Hook
and steering with the gas pedal felt like by pure dumb luck. A feeling I would not forget all day as that was my turn. Down the straight
into Turn 9, totally blew the line and jumped the apex, downshift to 2nd gear (normally a high rpm 3rd gear turn) nail it, shift, nail it, shift.
Over the top of the hill just a tad bit of steering input causes the car to get weird over the top. "Probably need to be more left and
straight over that. We'll work on it" Dropped into the Karussel way to low...and about 35 mph too slow...11,12,13, into the corkscrew
14, 15, WAY EARLY on 16...down the back straight...slam on the brakes..for the Loop on turn 17 curve. blew that turn early...and
under braked...Way off line..Yah, I suck....Downhill thru the pit straight...1 lap down.
First lap: I never looked in my mirrors. I never looked at a flag or a flag station. Got passed twice and basically didn't hit a single turn
outside of the Hook. Towards the end I started to catch the IS 300....Dave was like "Do you know why your catching him?" "Because
I'm getting better?" "No..you really don't know?" "No WHY?" "Look at that flag station, what do you see?" The checker flag was grim
marker that my first session went by WAY to fast. We got back to the pit and Dave bolted off to his 2002 tii BMW race car which had
a full cage, fuel cell, 5 point harness and race tires. "Check with you later, BTW I want you to ride in this but not now" His car exploded
to life...and idles away.
I'll finish this up tomorrow.
