der Bayerische March/April 2020 - 6

Join Us at the May HPDE at

Summit Point's Jefferson Circuit
By Fraser Dachille

Y

ou (yes, you) are cordially
invited to come drive with us
(or spectate, if you prefer) at
NCC's HPDE event on Summit Point
Raceway's Jefferson Circuit, May 1-3,
2020. Sign up at ncc.motorsportreg.
com.
For those unfamiliar with
the NCC HPDE program, HPDE
stands for "High-Performance Driver
Education". NCC runs three (3)
HPDE events a year, all held at
Summit Point Motorsports Park in
West Virginia (about 90 Miles
from Baltimore, 70 Miles from
Washington, D.C.). HPDE, also
known colloquially as "track day", is
not racing. HPDE is an opportunity
for you to learn how your car
behaves, and how to manage it, in a
controlled environment, at speed,
with a qualified instructor accompanying you in your car.
What can you expect? Each
day you will have four (4) sessions
on track with an instructor in your
vehicle. One (1) of the sessions
each day will be an exercise to
improve your skills as a driver and
can include "no brakes" (driving the
track without using your brakes),

6

"off line" (driving the track off of the
optimal position / line), or "passing" (where we work on passing as
many vehicles during a lap as
possible, one at a time). In addition
to the time on track, classroom
instruction is also provided. We
have three goals at HPDE: have fun,
be safe, and learn something during
the weekend.
Why should you attend? The
Jefferson is a great track for
first-timers to learn on as well as an
excellent track for experienced
drivers to continue to build their skills.

The Jefferson Circuit opened
in 1996 as a 1.1-mile track that
could be driven clockwise or
counterclockwise. The track was
expanded to 1.7 miles in 2014 and
can now be driven using either the
new full / extended layout or
the original 'short' course. The
Jefferson features challenges that
reward smooth driving inputs; it
offers students a chance to see a
number of varying track elements in
one weekend: elevation changes,
increasing-radius corners, decreasing-radius corners and blind

(Above) You don't need a race car to bring it to the track, daily drivers will
work just fine. (Below) Even for experienced racers, Jefferson offers a
chance to hone skills.

apexes. The track now includes a
skid pad and a total of 14 turns; the
full length, 14-turn version of the
Jefferson is driven counterclockwise during NCC's HPDE. We will
be driving the Jefferson in its full /
extended format all weekend. The
Jefferson Circuit is more intimate in
terms of facilities and grid area than
Summit Point Raceway's other two
tracks, but it offers a variety of track
elements in a single course.
This is an excellent event for
experienced drivers to "knock the
rust off" and a great track for firsttimers as well. This is our first
event of the year, and our only event
on the Jefferson Circuit this year.
As an added bonus, the club
has secured a block of hotel rooms
at the Holiday Inn Express,
142 Fox Ridge Lane, Winchester,
VA. 22601, 540-667-7050 at the
rate of $72/night (which includes
a breakfast at the hotel). NOTE: this
May 1-3 HPDE is the same weekend as the local Apple Blossom
Festival. We expect that the hotel
will become sold out, so make your
hotel reservation early.

derBayerische
http://ncc.motorsportreg.com/ http://ncc.motorsportreg.com/
der Bayerische March/April 2020

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