Join Bill and I for HPDE and UTCC

[Steve Chryssos]

Bill Howell and me, Steve Chryssos, will be attending NASA High Performance Driver Education at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, VA. Dates are July 23 and 24th. I, for one, am so excited to FINALLY learn how to drive the right way. It'd be way cool if some more pro-touring enthusiasts signed up for the HPDE program as well. It's a chance to learn and improve your driving prowess as well as reinforce proper on track etiquette. As an added bonus, you can watch the nation's wildest track toys duke it out in the Pirelli Ultimate Track Car Challenge. That takes place on July 22nd, so get there a day early to watch the show. To run HPDE, you need to be a NASA member, then register at the NASA Mid Atlantic Site. Links for both are provided below as well as details on the Pirelli Ultimate Track Car Challenge.

You must be a NASA member to run HPDE (Joining gets you a subscription to Grassroots Motorsports):
https://www.nasaproracing.com/renew

Register for NASA HPDE at VIR July 23-24
http://nasaproracing.com/event/1272

As an added bonus, get in one day early and come watch the Pirelli Ultimate Track Car Challenge. Camaro on Camaro action is fun. But wait til you see Glenn Bunch's Frankenstein Hemi Challenger or an RCR Superlite. Chrysler even showed up last year with a couple of Viper ACR-X's! Our own Randy Bell will be participating as well. Forgeline Wheels is a major sponsor of the event and will be on hand. Details:
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/events/UTCC2011/

[wmhjr]

Wish I could. Rules exclude my car due to NASA requirements for roll bar design.

http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf

You guys have fun!

[tazzz25906112]

Signed up and attending....

[Steve Chryssos]

Since it's driving school, you could bring the family Jetta, rental car, BMW M5 or pretty much anything this side of a Unimog. It's more about the edumacation. The instructor won't care what you bring. And for the record, I studied your roll bar at the Motor State Challenge. I'm SURE it's legal for HPDE 1 where passing is NOT allowed.

[wmhjr]

Since it's driving school, you could bring the family Jetta, rental car, BMW M5 or pretty much anything this side of a Unimog. It's more about the edumacation. The instructor won't care what you bring. And for the record, I studied your roll bar at the Motor State Challenge. I'm SURE it's legal for HPDE 1 where passing is NOT allowed.

Steve, you're way more involved than I, but it has been inspected and failed. Maybe they're more picky some places but they refused to ignore the requirement that the rear support bars be one continuous section with no bends. I knew that when I built it but thought I'd try anyway for kicks. Now if NASA depended enough on the revenues from Gm a body participants I'm sure there would be a miata kind of exception..... I know I could bring the sedan or the diesel truck but just can't work up the excitement considering the total cost. No big deal. I am very jealous.

[Steve Chryssos]

If you're genuinely interested in attending, email me images of your roll bar and I will seek special dispensation from the pope of NASA Mid-Atlantic. I'm guessing the nice people who inspected your roll bar need to wear looser underwear. (if they had their HPDE hats on--not track day or competition hats).

[69lt4]

Damn, bad week for me. I have been looking for similar events since Motor State.

Thanks,
Kevin

69 LT4 T56 DSE suspension Baer Brakes Budnik wheels Vintage Air.......

[wmhjr]

If you're genuinely interested in attending, email me images of your roll bar and I will seek special dispensation from the pope of NASA Mid-Atlantic. I'm guessing the nice people who inspected your roll bar need to wear looser underwear. (if they had their HPDE hats on--not track day or competition hats).

Steve, thanks. Let me look closer at the logistics. I'm going to heidts the week before so I will look at the drive, etc to see. I am interested.

[Bill Howell]

I am looking forward to this event and the knowledge I will gain from attending. Some form of training or driving school will be required for those wanting to play in the top tier of our hobby soon. I intend to play in this class so figure I will get my first step towards proper education and instruction.
More on what is coming in the next few weeks. Put your minds at ease, if you are just coming to events for fun, nothing will change and there will be plenty to do, but if you are going to run all out, you need to get ready.

[wmhjr]

Steve, I spent a good bit of time looking at this last night. I think it's going to be pretty tough for me to make this particular event. Get this - I start a brand new job with a new company on Monday July 11th. I'm taking that Friday off because I'm leaving Thursday evening to start driving to Heidts. I just got back from a 3 day at Motor State. I'd have to probably take at least a half day off on the next Friday to make the event at VIR you guys are going to. Probably not a great idea since I'll again be taking time off in Sept for RTTH.

However, I'm going to start looking around for other similar events and wonder if (since they'd also be mid-atlantic) if you could still reach out when that happens to your "pope"? My local track (Beaverun) is mainly SCCA and not NASA due to some organizational issues. But I'd love to participate in one of these with the Pontiac. If I find something maybe there are guys which it would also be closer for them as well.

[parsonsj]

I'm signed up. Not sure if I'll be there in time for the UTCC, but I'll definitely be there for the HPDE-1 fun on Saturday.

[SicMonte]

This looks tempting....

I did two driving schools at Summit Point back in 2005 and got my SCCA lisence...but it has expired. Looks like I need to get one again!!

[Atomic 67]

Bill,

I am working on getting to this event...are you enrolled in the HPDE 1 course?

Brad

[Bill Howell]

HPDE1 on Saturday
HPDE2 on Sunday

[Steve Chryssos]

Nice to see a positive turnout. Thanks for coming out everyone. Driving prowess is the most important accessory you can get for your pro-touring car. After Run Thru The Hills two (2006?) a motto emerged: "Get Your Car Done and Drive.". Five or so years later, with so many great cars built and dialed in, a new message is bubbling to the surface: "Learn How To Drive." Here we go....
/Steevo

[Vinz68]

See you guys there!!! Looking forward to it. Running UTTC on Friday and TT HPDE4 on Satyrday, don't know if I'm going to stay for Sunday yet.

[Atomic 67]

Granger is signed up for HPDE 1. I was not clear if HPDE 1 was just Saturday or Sunday too, anyone know for sure? It appears my Godfocker is taking HPDE 1 and 2 so if he is, I better too. I agree, this course is going to be very helpful in understanding the basics of road racing. It may even help me better cope with "pucker factor" track moments.

Looking forward to see US participants and even North of the boarder too!



Brad Granger

[parsonsj]

It's a small point, but passing is allowed in HPDE 1 via hand signal communication between drivers.

[MIGOAT]

I will be going. Not sure If I can get the wife to let me take the G8 out or not. I love the HPDE events so many bad cars and exotics at VIR.

[Mike Holleman]

Glad to see so many folks coming to VIR in July. You won't regret it. Really great experience. Where is everybody staying? When I checked last week everything at the track was full.
Mike