Details to be announced.
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Details to be announced.
I am so there, can't wait...
I plan to attend this event.
Tim
Count me in.
I'm certainly interested. How can I be notified when the details are posted?
Also, can anyone tell me how an NCC DE event compares with NASA's HPDEs or SCCA's PDXes?
Hopefully someone who has experienced NASA and SCCA will chime in since I can only comment on threads I have read elsewhere. BMW CCA DEs usually have more of an emphasis on Education and are more controlled. Or rather, not as loose as other organizations. Not to say one is better or worse than the other, they are just different to some degree.
There are some organizations that will sign you off pretty quickly. Most BMW CCA schools definitely emphasis car control techniques.
For people who just want to drive fast on the straights, a BMW CCA school is not for them. Doesn't take a lot of skill to hammer the gas pedal in a straight line.
Then again, I have a relatively low hp car so I can't wait until the next turn. :)
Do you have another car other than your Miata for a DE?
I'm setting up my '95 MIata as a track car. (My previous track days were in an '04 Mazdaspeed Miata, now sold.) So, I'm right there with you on the low-power front. I'm interested in learning as much car control as possible, so, if the BMW CCA schools emphasize technique, I'm quite interested.
One more question: The '95 has a roll bar, race seats, harnesses, and a hard top. I know some organizations are hesitant to admit open-top cars, regardless of their safety equipment. Will my car be OK with NCC, assuming it passes technical inspection?
towhook mike is correct. Roll cage or not, if it came from the factory designed for "open air" motoring, it isn't allowed.
As stated above, this is correct. No convertibles permitted, even with super safety equipment.
There are many other organizations that run at Summit Point that permit convertibles. I'm sure you've already found them, but if you need help, please let me know! Don't know your track experience, but if it's your first time getting out there, you're going to have a blast.
Thanks for the info. I know SCCA and NASA will let open-top cars run; in the 4 track days I did with NASA, the Miata was the most popular car.
Thanks again.
I think you will find for profit companies generally allow convertibles, some with no more than the factory hoops.
Some BMW chapters will allow convertibles with approved rollbars and safety equipment. They generally require a logbook from a known sanctioning body.
This is important because there is no way someone teching cars would know if it was properly installed. I recall seeing a rollbar that wasn't even secured to the chassis making it extremely dangerous in any incident Our insurance rates are also based on following minimum standards.
Personally I feel open top cars are at a greater risk when gravel traps are near track out.
Damn there is this, autocross, and ///M Club Day all on the same weekend. I want to do all 3!
How long before the Driver's school does registration normally open?
Thanks!
The 2012 NCC Shenandoah Drivers' School is only $205/day
The National Capital Chapter (NCC) operates two types of driving schools: Drivers' Schools and Car Control Clinics. While the methods of instruction and the target audience for these schools differ, they share a common goal of giving you the opportunity to develop and improve your skills as a driver and to strengthen your knowledge of your car's abilities so that you will be prepared for any situation you may encounter on the highway.
Our schools are not racing schools. Our focus is on skills, not speed, and our overriding concern is with your safety and that of your car. We select our school instructors very carefully, not simply for their technical knowledge and accomplishments as drivers, but also for their abilities to impart that knowledge to their students in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
Your BMW is an amazingly capable car. At a National Capital Chapter driving school, you will be able to realize your car's capabilities, learn the limits of those capabilities under controlled conditions and practice the skills needed to control your car safely within those limits.
Drivers' Schools
The primary goal of these schools is to develop and hone your car-control skills. It is not to drive fast, although speed will come with improving skills. We seek to produce not necessarily the fastest, but the most proficient drivers possible.
Each drivers' school consists of driving sessions on the track and at the skidpad, as well as classroom sessions. During your on-track sessions, you will be driving the full track at progressively higher speeds throughout the school. An in-car instructor will work with you to help you improve your driving mechanics. Braking, cornering and accelerating techniques are refined continuously during your on-track sessions.
Skidpad sessions will allow you to begin to master the skill of controlling your car at the limits of adhesion. You will learn how to control understeer (when your front tires lose adhesion) and oversteer (when your rear tires lose adhesion). The skills learned here will not only be invaluable on the track, they may well save your car - and your life - on the highway.
Classroom sessions present the underlying mechanics of your car's behavior and how your inputs as a driver affect it. We present basic driving theory, the physics of car behavior (i.e., the "why it works" of driving) and discussions of the techniques of advanced car control.
No single drivers' school will ever convey all there is to learn about driving. In this sense, our drivers' schools are part of a continuous learning environment, one that requires several years of attendance at dozens of schools before proficiency is attained. Even at that, there is always something more to learn, something additional on which to work. Acquiring driving skills is a process that is never completed.
About Our Instructors
Our instructors come from two basic driving backgrounds: accomplished drivers' school students and successful amateur (e.g., SCCA) racers. Regardless of their backgrounds, our instructors conform to a uniformly high standard of competence, professionalism and enthusiasm for teaching.
Candidates selected from our student roster have a documented record of achievement. Candidates applying from a racing background must have comparable skills and experience. We note that the requirements for a successful racer and those for a successful instructor are not necessarily the same, as the sole ability to drive fast is about the most minor qualification we seek in an instructor. Therefore, as part of the qualification process, we apply a series of student instruction simulations (using our instructors as the "students") to ensure that the candidate understands not only how to drive, but how to teach as well. We also ensure that candidates display impeccable attitude and driving etiquette and are successful in making the transition from "race-mode" to "school-mode."
Our current instructors' driving experience ranges from five years to twenty-five years. Our "average" instructor has been driving on the track for 11.5 years and has been instructing for 6 years. We draw our instructors from twelve BMW CCA chapters, the SCCA, PCA, and other marque clubs. We select our instructors very carefully to ensure that every student receives the best possible instruction from the safest, most professional and most knowledgeable people we can find. We are very proud of our instructor corps and we trust that you will share that pride.
This event offers online registration and payment through MotorsportReg.com.
Registration will be through Motorsportreg.com
Alan,
Are you going to be at this event? I think I am ready to take the car out to one of these events. We did talk last year at the BGP and I think I decided then that I need to get off the Autocross circuit and onto a real one. I LOVE the newcomer discount. Do you, or anyone else on this forum, have any suggestions for planning ahead to this event, something a "newbie" wouldn't know? I was planning on doing both days, are you going to do both days?
///RJH
Rob: Great to hear that you are considering coming! Yes - I'll be there - both days. Give me a call and I can talk to you about car prep, what to bring and how the event runs. I have prep lists that you can use later... but prep for your first few events is fairly simple. You can park next to me - and most of the "what if" items you might need... I have. Heck - I may even buy you lunch!
Come on out!
Alan
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Having somebody that I know there helps seal the deal for me. I am down! I will be registering on the 19th fo' sho'. These are some really great pictures! Every bone in my body says that this is going to be more fun than should be legal... I was going to try and hit the DIY at At Speed Motorsports to change out my Oil, Gearbox and Brake / Clutch fluids the weekend prior to the event. Is there anything else I should do? I should probably do the diff while I am at it. Should I invest in track pads? When we spoke and in other conversations I have had about driving schools they recommend suspension work and also good brake pads. This is very exciting. I will give you a call and we can talk a little bit about logistics. Thanks much! ///RJH
Correction! Registration is open NOW for the NCC April 21-22, 2012 High Performance Driving Event at Shenandoah Circuit. I just registered this morning. Why wait for a guaranteed spot? And new this year: you get a $25 per day discount for every friend you refer who registers for the event. :tongue: Go to www.motorsportreg.com Bonbahn
Is it possible to add a second driver to a car to share the time?
Thanks
Correct.
It's been a long time since I did a NCC school, but I'm assuming your time is still divided between track, skid pad, class and rest.
Often when people share a car it means they may miss skid pad or a run session. Staff can adjust the skid pad schedule sometimes.
Plus if you have 2 people with similar driving experience, one is going to be in a more advanced or lesser group.
Not to mention your car is getting a double workout.
But if you think you can split the costs of the school, it just doesn't work that way.
I'm registered!
How many entrants are they allowing?
Thanks,
Tim
Do you allow mid 1980's Porsche 911 Targas in thr DE events? I assume they are not kept out under the convertible rule or am I wrong?
Porsches and other marques are welcome (a 911 and Cayman are among the registrants). But convertibles aren't allowed for safety reasons. Per the Event Requirements: "Convertibles, SAVs, SUVs, retractable hardtops, T-tops, trucks, vans, motorcycles and rental cars are not allowed." Sorry!
Sorry to be a bit dense but are you saying a Targa is definitely classified convertible and is therefore excluded? Porsche does make true convertibles but the Targa is not one of them as I'm sure you know. I realize rules change and is the reason for my question but years ago when I instructed for BMW CCA I drove the Targa at DE events.
Just checked with the NCC DE Coordinator and the answer is no Targas. Not even recently constructed Corvette Targas are permitted to run. It has nothing to do with classification as a convertible, just a basic safety issue. If there were a rollover in an 80s-era Targa, however unlikely, it would be a serious safety issue for the driver and instructor.
Thank you for checking.
Hello! I'm a new member and I've signed up for the event. I live in Alexandria and I'm wondering if anyone could recommend a shop for the tech inspection. I drive a 2011 Cooper S. I know it's early, but I want to ask now, rather than forget about it until a week before the event. Many thanks.
Brian
Try (1) Bill Shook at Kraftwagen. Bill is the former DS Coordinator.
Kraftwagen, Inc. 5641 General Washington Dr # O, Alexandria, Virginia22312
(703)941-0733
or (2) Alexandria Bavarian Service, 416 E. Raymond Ave., Alexandra (off Jeff Davis Hwy 1 mile south of Porsche of Arlington), tel. 703.836.2002 is a dB advertiser and may offer tech inspections. Some are offered free of charge if you say you are a BMW Club member (or you are a customer).
Perfect! Thank you very much.
Brian