Spring Mountain Impressions

[5VBW Nick]

I'm going to be calling today to try and schedule my visit. Is it hard to get a manual 5V blackwing position?

 

[Deneed4spd]

Yes it’s hard but just get on the cancellation list. Then u just have to say yes when they call you. I did the school twice. Once auto and once manual. If u want to focus on being fast and learn track, do auto. If you want to see how to push a manual on track and not necessarily be fastest, do manual.

 

[FLYARMY]

The classes are usually done by 4pm. The wife and I would take the ride into Las Vegas and take in dinner and a show. We would be back by midnightish and slept in the condo at the track. Pahrump has places to eat too. Nothing fancy. The clubhouse food was good. It can get crowded. Staying on-site was fantastic.

 

[T.O.Blackwing]

Yes it’s hard but just get on the cancellation list. Then u just have to say yes when they call you. I did the school twice. Once auto and once manual. If u want to focus on being fast and learn track, do auto. If you want to see how to push a manual on track and not necessarily be fastest, do manual.

Alternatively, you can call them and find out when they expect to release new dates, which is something they do from time to time, and how I booked my upcoming visit in March.
What you do is give them your email address, after which they will eventually give you advance notice of the morning when the new dates are released.
When that day arrives, you have to watch for the email with the newly available dates and then immediately reply with your preferences.

 

[5VBW Nick]

Alternatively, you can call them and find out when they expect to release new dates, which is something they do from time to time, and how I booked my upcoming visit in March.
What you do is give them your email address, after which they will eventually give you advance notice of the morning when the new dates are released.
When that day arrives, you have to watch for the email with the newly available dates and then immediately reply with your preferences.

Releasing dates tomorrow morning

 

[5VBW Nick]

Well, I picked 3 dates for when I wanted to go, got my 3rd choice

Going April 4-5 for a manual 5VBW. Anyone else around then? It is before it gets too hot, and after it is kind of chilly. Also my work season usually isn't busy until mid-April, so should be just right.

 

[FLYARMY]

April will be hot during the day and freezing at night.

 

[5VBW Nick]

April will be hot during the day and freezing at night.

Sticky tires then!

 

[Yalferd]

I was there in April of this year, rained like a son of a gun on day 2

 

[FLYARMY]

When I went in December of 2023, they had just finished up cleaning from severe flooding. They showed us some pictures where they had to bring in bulldozers to push all the mud and sand off of certain areas of the track. They had no training for a few weeks. The mountains are very far away, but they said that sometimes they get torrential downpours and it makes a huge mess of operations.

 

[BadCadiWI23]

Anyone else going to be there January 27-28?

 

[RKS]

Made it out here but the drive from LV to SM in a Camary in need of a serious balance sucked. The on-site condo is pretty nice and hearing cars tear around the track from the balcony is a bonus!

 

[Z51L9889]

Staying on-property is definitely the hot setup. Enjoy the class!

 

[JLayer]

Anyone else going to be there January 27-28?

Those are my dates

 

[BadCadiWI23]

Those are my dates

What will you be driving when there? My son and I will both be in manual 5's

 

[JLayer]

I will be in a manual 4.

 

[RKS]

1 day down and it's a humbling experience riding with an instructor. These cars are way beyond my novice skills but it certainly makes me want to seek out local track days.

 

[Deneed4spd]

1 day down and it's a humbling experience riding with an instructor. These cars are way beyond my novice skills but it certainly makes me want to seek out local track days.

Doesn’t mean u should be reckless on a public road but u realize how little u really push these cars on a spirited drive on public road. Maybe 30-40 of potentially. I sometimes wonder if I should get a 2nd slower car just to feel more of the limits on a regular road but I also ditto, need to get more track time. Envy those who live close to a track.

 

[Roadhawk]

Doesn’t mean u should be reckless on a public road but u realize how little u really push these cars on a spirited drive on public road. Maybe 30-40 of potentially. I sometimes wonder if I should get a 2nd slower car just to feel more of the limits on a regular road but I also ditto, need to get more track time. Envy those who live close to a track.

OK the 5 BW is just a total beast and it would be difficult to push it near 100% on most all public roads - highway or twistys....but the 4 BW...as fast and agile as it is certainly can be driven near its limits off track and I occasionally do....though understand the frustration that it can't always be done (safety & enforcement concerns). That being said the vast majority of the time driving it I feel like I'm essentially just cruising along and just as well could be driving a Camry.

I have a lot of experience driving very capable cars pushing their limits on mountain roads and on occasion on the highway and the 4 BW is basically no different (though I'm older now and arguably more cautious then I used to be)....still I do find occasion...

My experience at Spring Mountain last year confirmed what I already knew - track driving is a totally different experience then driving on the streets. It was my first time on a track and I enjoyed it quite a bit and could see really getting addicted....but as a novice still learning technique I really never pushed it to the limit as I sometimes do in certain twisty mountain roads and to some extent it felt like a slower experience - certainly on curves where I was trying to hit lines and not crash etc - and it didn't seem as fast as I sometimes feel accelerating on the highway (but Spring Mountain tracks are very tight....I think on purpose to keep speeds down a bit). Also for some reason the Spring Mountain car felt slower then my own...even before the minimal mods. Maybe is was the extra weight of the helmet...don't know...LOL

 

[RKS]

Left my phone in my pocket during a track session.