Spring Mountain Impressions

[MatthewAMEL]

Would love to see some video of track laps with the rain.

With abject humility, I present a portion of my session in the wet. I can't emphasize enough how much water there was. The video doesn't do a good job showing the rain. Note the river running across the track right after long straight. You could spin the tires at any speed in any gear.

 

[savethemanual]

With abject humility, I present a portion of my session in the wet. I can't emphasize enough how much water there was. The video doesn't do a good job showing the rain. Note the river running across the track right after long straight. You could spin the tires at any speed in any gear.

That’s an absolutely hilarious amount of water on track. You did very well in those conditions.

 

[Roadhawk]

With abject humility, I present a portion of my session in the wet. I can't emphasize enough how much water there was. The video doesn't do a good job showing the rain. Note the river running across the track right after long straight. You could spin the tires at any speed in any gear.

Awesome run(considering the wet)...but seems like a missed opportunity for some drifting - lol.

I'm signed up for the April 29th class (4 V BW MT)...and looking forward to it...hope its dry and nice though...

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

We have released limited dates through September 2024, please see below.



· March – 8-9, 13-14, 29-30

· April – 10-11, 29-30

· May – 17-18, 24-25

· June – 12-13

· July – 17-18

· August – 7-8

· September – 5-6, 25-26

kim@racespringmountain.com

I’m going to be trading my 22 in for a 24, am I eligible to return to the rodeo as if it were my first Blackwing?
Has anyone on here done it twice?
Would you recommend it?

 

[Deneed4spd]

Yep

I’m going to be trading my 22 in for a 24, am I eligible to return to the rodeo as if it were my first Blackwing?
Has anyone on here done it twice?
Would you recommend it?

If you buy two blackwings you get two schools. I had two so I got to go twice.

 

[FLYARMY]

Driving in the rain really suks for getting up to speed. The straightaway , you can get up to 135mph. I do notice that a few more homes have been built since i was there a year ago.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

Yep

If you buy two blackwings you get two schools. I had two so I got to go twice.

How was it?
I imagine the in-class parts will be less interesting second time around, but I’m guessing that getting back on the track will be fun.

 

[Deneed4spd]

first time was east track and second was north track so definitely challenging since it was all new. You connect more dots during classroom session. I skipped the garage talk at end and caught an early flight out.

 

[Roadhawk]

I'm really stoked to go. I've never driven on a track before and though I've (often) driven most of my cars very fast on some challenging stretches (some of which mimic track conditions in some ways....I've done the entire Cherahola Skyway at 100+ in the Audi....at dusk in the wet...) I haven't driven my 4 BW so fast or really pushed it much. The car handles great and is easy to get used to. And I'll have some time to drive it more before I go but won't likely get much in the way of high speed runs...so it will all be a new experience. I'll just have to learn as I go. Can't wait!

Anyone signed up for the April 29th session?

 

[565565]

I've done the entire Cherahola Skyway at 100+ in the Audi....at dusk in the wet...)

I'll just have to learn as I go. Can't wait!

Anyone signed up for the April 29th session?

I think a bunch of slots just opened up now for the 29th date...

 

[jbawden]

I'm really stoked to go. I've never driven on a track before and though I've (often) driven most of my cars very fast on some challenging stretches (some of which mimic track conditions in some ways....I've done the entire Cherahola Skyway at 100+ in the Audi....at dusk in the wet...) I haven't driven my 4 BW so fast or really pushed it much. The car handles great and is easy to get used to. And I'll have some time to drive it more before I go but won't likely get much in the way of high speed runs...so it will all be a new experience. I'll just have to learn as I go. Can't wait!

Anyone signed up for the April 29th session?

If I pay the $40 can I be your guest? I want to see what happens, as in, "hold my beer, watch this"

 

[Roadhawk]

If I pay the $40 can I be your guest? I want to see what happens, as in, "hold my beer, watch this"

Sure I.m a novice on the track - I get that - but I have quite a lot if experience driving fast.and driving fast in tight corners and knowing how to brake and accelerate out of them and I'm a very good highly perceptive driver. But I'm not crazy - I won't (hopefully) exceed any limits of the car (my only real worry is lack of enough familiarity with the car at speed). And I'm not fearless but I'm no wimp driving a car either. Also I do plan to pay attention to the instructors in class and on the track and expect to learn much to improve. All kidding aside I think I'll do fine.

Just before I retired in 2014 I gave one of my bosses a ride back (in my modded GTI) from a work gathering I was hosting up near Gettysburg PA where I worked and I took him on one of the mountain roads I used to take every day on my commute. It was a very tight run - at points almost single track, weaving between big trees right up on the road and I used to be able to drive it very quickly (80s was was my upper limit) . Afterwords he commented that my GTI was better then his Porsche 911 in every measurable way and that he couldn't begin to imagine driving that run the way I did in any car...well I did that run twice a day for many years and almost always pushed it super hard - my reward for a nearly 70 mile commute each way. Note: it was rare for me to ever encounter another car on that road....but did hit a bear once in dense fog (at low speed)

And I've been underestimated before. Back in the 90s when I heard about the "Meatball" race - a road course that had been going for 15+ years before I joined - originally based on the Cannonball (point to point) but had evolved into more of a fast scavenger hunt. I told everyone that it was just the type of race for me - that I had a great navigator (which I did) and that I was going to win it. Everyone mocked me telling me I had no idea the speeds involved etc and that no rookie had ever placed in the top half. Well we won the first race by 15 minutes...the next year by 1/2 hour and the final race by 1 hour....where winners would finish in 4-5 hours. In the last race our average speed (including all stops) was 67 mph....mostly on 2 lane roads in the mountains and including 7-8+ stops for verifying the route, getting gas etc. My navigator got sick along the way each time (pleading for me to slow down a bit)....lol. I did all 3 races in a mid 90s Mazda Millenia S sedan....The race ended up shutting down after that - for several reasons - but one was that everyone concluded that no one was ever going to be able to beat me/us. So yeah - I can drive fast and handle a car at speed and think I'll be able to handle the track. We'll see....I think folks just might be surprised a bit.

 

[quikag]

 

[Roadhawk]

Those Miata guys can be pretty fast, When I was driving up from Atlanta after I bought the 4 V BW I detoured through Tail of the Dragon. Now I wasn't pushing 100% (break in) but after I let this Miata (with big wing) by me I sort of made an attempt to keep up....no chance....he was slicing through the tight curves at speed and though I went pretty hard for a while I wasn't gaining any ground and decided maybe best not to push too hard. Still the BW handled the tight twisties pretty impressively for its weight.

I've really come around on the Miatas (as being good handling cars). Back when I had the MR2 I drove a couple of stock NA Miatas and thought they were pretty sloppy (and quite slow) compared to my MR2. Haven''t driven any of the newer ones...but from what I've seen (you tube etc) its made me a big fan. My eldest had a mostly stock 1990 NA he sold a few years ago and I really enjoyed driving it...though not a fast car by any means. I'd love to have one now...a little juiced of course.

 

[jbawden]

I just completed my SM experience on the one year anniversary of taking delivery of my BW. I have over 20 years racing and track day instructor experience on a bike, but never behind the wheel of a car on track. I also haven't really beat on my BW or played around much with some of the traction settings (except off when I want to smoke $57 worth of PS4).

I would describe SM as real world exploration of the fun parts of the owners manual. If you're going in thinking this is a track day school, then you might be disappointed, but if if you're expecting to explore a broad range of capabilities and vehicle dynamics of the BW, then you'll love it. This is exactly the intro I needed to nudge me into car track days.

We were on the East course and our group was in the low 1:18's. An expert can turn about 1:14 and if you're that good they will let you do it, though you'll probably only get a few laps at that pace over 2 days. It's mind boggling how capable these cars are.

 

[DinoPower]

I just finished Spring Mountain, and it was my first track experience. I highly encourage anyone with a certificate to GO. (No matter how much of a schedule hassle it seems.)

As a little detail for @Roadhawk, you will essentially get 55 laps around the track. It's 5 sessions of 11 laps each and there will be 2 other student drivers with you. Each session will be warm-up for all, then 3 laps for each driver who is immediately behind the instructor car (you do a student rotation to change spots and get your turn behind the instructor car), then a cool down.

After day 1, they seed the drivers into 3 groups (based on speed). I ran my best lap during the last session and can identify that I FINALLY put to practice all the clichés of stay relaxed, steer with your palms, and look ahead to allow my best performance.

 

[Roadhawk]

Thanks for the useful tips comments DinoPower and jbawden! Wow 55 laps! Great explanations....I've seen some of the videos folks have put up...amazing how the instructors can notice and comment on all the drivers behind them (and still drive the track at speed). I'm expecting to be pretty nervous at first - all new...but can't wait. Hopefully I will be able to absorb the instruction and improve as you did.

I'll likely have some unlearning to do as I've never done this before (and have probably built up some bad habits)....though I have driven a car of course...lol. I also have watched lots of track videos over the years....including lots of Mischa on the ring...and think I understand some of the basics (hard straight line braking, flattening the curve and how to power out of corners using max track space). I've also had more experience then most (non track heads) driving cars quickly and not just in a straight line...so it will help. And I don't care if I'm the fastest (per se) but want to learn best techniques and to make my driving better.

One reason that I've never done track is I know I will enjoy it too much. I already have too many (expensive) hobbies and stuff that takes up my time. It takes me 6-7 hours just to hand water my garden(s) in the summer,...not to mention weeding and pruning and such. Always makes it difficult to spend a lot of time doing other things...yeah I'm kind of a farmer these days...

 

[FLYARMY]

Just remember to always be careful out there !

 

[dribs15]

Just remember to always be careful out there !

... isn't that a repost from someone else on this forum? (Thought they even gave details/explanation)

... and that's not Spring Mountain

 

[FLYARMY]

Yes, that is a video from another member. Never said it was SM. Just said to be safe because this is what can happen when the beast gets out of control.