CarolinaViper
02-12-2016, 08:42 PM
Carolinas VOA Members,
Here is the information I promised regarding the High Performance Driver’s Education (HPDE) course we are trying to schedule for us. The track is located at the Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP) in Kershaw, SC. That’s a little over an hour drive south of Charlotte, NC and north of Columbia, SC.
Here is a link to their track and facilities: http://www.carolinamotorsportspark.com/de---drivers-education.html
Several of our members are very familiar with this track and told me it’s a very safe and controlled environment for us to hold this event. The track offers a challenge for both the novice and the experienced drivers to learn and/or enhance their driving skills. We will identify two sets of drivers – those who require an instructor and those who don’t. Each non-certified driver on the track will have a qualified instructor in the right seat providing instructions and feedback on their performance.
Passing vehicles on the track is strictly controlled and will be allowed only after the car in front acknowledges and initiates a “point-by” to the passing car. The speeds you will be driving are determined by your instructor as you demonstrate your driving ability.
Now for the “ifs” that I referred to in the 2016 Event Calendar letter. CMP expects to rent their track on both days during a weekend. We are only scheduling our event for Sunday, April 24th. By March 15th, we will have to contact CMP to determine if any other group wants the track both days. If so, we get bumped. If not, or another club wants just the Saturday slot, then CMP will commit the track to us for Sunday.
Another “if” is that we must have enough members willing to commit to attending. To make it affordable we would need 20-30 members who would obligate to go at individual costs between $250.00 and $350.00.
The last “if” is that we need enough qualified instructors for those of us who are non-certified to drive the track alone. We have a couple of members who are National Auto Sport Association (NASA) and who are very familiar with this track. John Hammer (Carolinas VOA member) is going to assist with finding instructors. The instructors aren’t paid in cash, but receive free track time while we’re not on the track.
Our own Tom Sessions, one of the best Viper Techs in the country, will be available for free minor maintenance (parts aren’t free – labor is) and will lend a helping hand in the unlikely event our Vipers have any mechanical issues.
We will have three “Run Groups” - Groups #1 and #2 will be non-certified drivers, requiring a driving instructor. Group #3 will be our certified drivers and the instructors.
We have access to the track from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. As a note of interest, there will also be a “Karting Race” event being held that same day, so we will not have the entire CMP “facility” to ourselves. This karting event is pretty cool to watch as these kids zoom around a course (separate from the track we’ll be using) at a fairly high rate of speed.
For those who are interested in attending please respond to this email by March 7th so we can determine if we proceed with the HSDE event.
Attached is the link to the CMP’s vehicle inspection form necessary to participate in the event:
http://www.carolinamotorsportspark.com/uploads/1/8/1/0/18101653/turn1_car_tech_form.pdf
Here is a quick outline of the day’s events (times may vary):
Sunday April 24, 2016
7:00 am Arrive and check in with CMP official at the registration building.
7:00 - 8:00 Have your Viper go through inspection (see above website)
8:00 - 8:15 Quick drivers meeting
8:30 - 9:00 Classroom participation for all non-certified drivers
9:00 - 9:25 First 20-minute track session (Group #1)
9:30 - 9:55 Second 20-minute track session (Group #2)
10:00 - 10:25 Certified drivers and instructor track time (Group #3)
10:30 - 1100 Classroom participation for all non-certified drivers
1100 - 12:00 Mandatory “Quiet Time,” lunch, and re-inspection of vehicles
12:30 - 1250 Group #1 track time (2nd session)
12:55 - 1:15 Group #2 track time (2nd session)
1:20 - 1:40 Group #3 track time (2nd session)
1:50 - 2:10 Group #1 track time (3rd session)
2:15 - 2:35 Group #2 track time (3rd session)
2:40 - 3:00 Group #3 track time (3rd session)
3:05 - 3:25 Group #1 track time (4th session)
3:30 - 3:50 Group #2 track time (4th session)
3:55 - 4:15 Group #3 track time (4th session)
Your Carolina VOA Team
Jeff, Mike, Craig and Dave
Here is the information I promised regarding the High Performance Driver’s Education (HPDE) course we are trying to schedule for us. The track is located at the Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP) in Kershaw, SC. That’s a little over an hour drive south of Charlotte, NC and north of Columbia, SC.
Here is a link to their track and facilities: http://www.carolinamotorsportspark.com/de---drivers-education.html
Several of our members are very familiar with this track and told me it’s a very safe and controlled environment for us to hold this event. The track offers a challenge for both the novice and the experienced drivers to learn and/or enhance their driving skills. We will identify two sets of drivers – those who require an instructor and those who don’t. Each non-certified driver on the track will have a qualified instructor in the right seat providing instructions and feedback on their performance.
Passing vehicles on the track is strictly controlled and will be allowed only after the car in front acknowledges and initiates a “point-by” to the passing car. The speeds you will be driving are determined by your instructor as you demonstrate your driving ability.
Now for the “ifs” that I referred to in the 2016 Event Calendar letter. CMP expects to rent their track on both days during a weekend. We are only scheduling our event for Sunday, April 24th. By March 15th, we will have to contact CMP to determine if any other group wants the track both days. If so, we get bumped. If not, or another club wants just the Saturday slot, then CMP will commit the track to us for Sunday.
Another “if” is that we must have enough members willing to commit to attending. To make it affordable we would need 20-30 members who would obligate to go at individual costs between $250.00 and $350.00.
The last “if” is that we need enough qualified instructors for those of us who are non-certified to drive the track alone. We have a couple of members who are National Auto Sport Association (NASA) and who are very familiar with this track. John Hammer (Carolinas VOA member) is going to assist with finding instructors. The instructors aren’t paid in cash, but receive free track time while we’re not on the track.
Our own Tom Sessions, one of the best Viper Techs in the country, will be available for free minor maintenance (parts aren’t free – labor is) and will lend a helping hand in the unlikely event our Vipers have any mechanical issues.
We will have three “Run Groups” - Groups #1 and #2 will be non-certified drivers, requiring a driving instructor. Group #3 will be our certified drivers and the instructors.
We have access to the track from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm. As a note of interest, there will also be a “Karting Race” event being held that same day, so we will not have the entire CMP “facility” to ourselves. This karting event is pretty cool to watch as these kids zoom around a course (separate from the track we’ll be using) at a fairly high rate of speed.
For those who are interested in attending please respond to this email by March 7th so we can determine if we proceed with the HSDE event.
Attached is the link to the CMP’s vehicle inspection form necessary to participate in the event:
http://www.carolinamotorsportspark.com/uploads/1/8/1/0/18101653/turn1_car_tech_form.pdf
Here is a quick outline of the day’s events (times may vary):
Sunday April 24, 2016
7:00 am Arrive and check in with CMP official at the registration building.
7:00 - 8:00 Have your Viper go through inspection (see above website)
8:00 - 8:15 Quick drivers meeting
8:30 - 9:00 Classroom participation for all non-certified drivers
9:00 - 9:25 First 20-minute track session (Group #1)
9:30 - 9:55 Second 20-minute track session (Group #2)
10:00 - 10:25 Certified drivers and instructor track time (Group #3)
10:30 - 1100 Classroom participation for all non-certified drivers
1100 - 12:00 Mandatory “Quiet Time,” lunch, and re-inspection of vehicles
12:30 - 1250 Group #1 track time (2nd session)
12:55 - 1:15 Group #2 track time (2nd session)
1:20 - 1:40 Group #3 track time (2nd session)
1:50 - 2:10 Group #1 track time (3rd session)
2:15 - 2:35 Group #2 track time (3rd session)
2:40 - 3:00 Group #3 track time (3rd session)
3:05 - 3:25 Group #1 track time (4th session)
3:30 - 3:50 Group #2 track time (4th session)
3:55 - 4:15 Group #3 track time (4th session)
Your Carolina VOA Team
Jeff, Mike, Craig and Dave