Video of Rob Robinette Yellow 2001 Honda S2000 – very smooth and very fast. | Video of Brian Schindler red Ford Focus. | Pictures by Brad Blase.
We had it all – dry, pleasant, hot, wet, .... In other words, a great learning opportunity. And, since turnout was a little light, everyone got lots of quality track time.
Saturday started out with perfect weather - not too hot, not too cold, and a pleasant breeze. The tech crew, Jim Smith, Steve Walters, and Steve Spector worked hard to get everyone through tech in plenty of time to attend the drivers meeting at which Chief Instructor Tom Newman briefed everyone on what was expected of them on and off the track. No surprises, and the track layout used was the same as last year's event – with Old Ram used to bypass the hot pit lane and take drivers into the Cave Esses. One difference this year was that due to the smaller groups, the Stone House straight was open for passing in all run groups.
After the drivers meeting, the red run group (mostly instructors) headed out for their first run session of the day. Except for a few misplaced cones, the track was ready and in good shape. The red group let the track team know about some cones that were blocking the concrete strip in the Karussel, and those got removed before the white group went out with their instructors to get their first taste of driving on a very technical course. After white group, it was blue group's turn. A couple of drivers in this more advanced group managed to find their way into the Range Esses which prompted a brief shutdown while cones were placed to block them off. After that, it was back to the fun. After blue group came one of the smallest green (beginner) groups seen at a GWS track event. Then the cycle started over – red, white, blue, geen until it was time for lunch.
The Shenandoah facilities are a bit nicer than Summit Main. The snack bar is a bit smaller and doesn't have the ambiance of Chez Summit Point, but the food is about the same. The lunch break flew by and first call for the red group came right at 1 PM. An invitation from Rob Robinette saw me squeezing into the passenger seat of his bright yellow modified Honda S2000 for a fast few laps around the track. Man, that car is fast and Rob is very good at making it perform.
Several of the white group students were cleared for solo in time for their first afternoon run session so some instructors got a bit of a break while the newly "liberated" drivers went out to practice the things they learned during the morning. The day got a little hotter and we were eventally allowed to go with short sleeves for the later afternoon sessions. By about 4:30 it was time to wrap things up – and just in time as a heavy rainstorm moved through. All in all, day one was a great day for everyone there. Well... almost everyone. The fan blade on GWS VP John Heflin's 500SEC somehow got into the radiator (and he left a wide stripe of coolant down the center of the concrete strip in the Karussel). No apparent damage except for the trashed radiator and fan blade. Instructor Jim Smith also had some bad luck as the power steering pump on his 1992 190E 2.6 started leaking heavily forcing him to retire early.
Those of us who stayed overnight in Winchester enjoyed a good time at the Union Jack on Winchester's walking mall. Henry and Laurie Harrell got a little (ok, a LOT) wet as the rain started back up while they were walking to the pub. The rain had stopped by the time the group was ready to head back to the hotel for some sleep.
Wet and rainy – that's what greeted us Sunday morning. That didn't stop John Heflin who had gone home to get a replacement radiator and fan and was hard at work when people started showing up for Sunday's sessions. Remarkably, John had his car back on the track in time for his first Sunday session – guess it helps that he's a Mercedes-Benz tech.
The track crew had the sweeper and drying truck out on the track, but it didn't help all that much. Given the wet conditions, Chief Instructor Tom Newman opted to put instructors back into the cars of the students who had been cleared for solo on Saturday. As it turned out, the track was drying rapidly due to some sun and a nice breeze, and Saturday's solos were back to solo status after their first runs of the day. By the beginning of the 11:00 am - 12:00 pm quiet hour, the track was once again dry. A long lunch and it was back out for more fun, but as is typical, most of the students who were there for both days were tired by the time the later afternoon sessions came around, and the run groups were very small. Another line of thunderstorms moved in a little after 3PM and with only one car from the white group on the track, lightning led to the decision to shut the track down for the day.
This was another great event planned and executed by GWS Driving Events chair Joe Wozney. The whole group of volunteers who helped, the instructors, and the Summit Point track crew made this a safe and fun event. With the exception of a small number of off course excursions (aka "going agricultural") there were no incidents involving bent sheet metal. Just a lot of fun, leaving those of us who are hooked on this activity waiting for September and our trip to New Jersey to drive the Lightning course at the New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville. If you're ready to have some fun, be sure to join us – event information is posted on the web site.