RPIRX-8

Driving event
The Sports Car Driving Association would like to welcome us back to New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, NH on Monday July 11th for another track day / high performance driving school. This event is accessible to people of all skill levels and it is a great way to improve your driving skills. Spectators are welcome to come out and see what it is all about. If you are feeling brave you may ask to ride along with one of the instructors to see what it is like to turn some hot laps. This is a great way to get a taste of the action.

Track

The track is a 1.6 mile road course that weaves its way in and around the NASCAR oval. This layout offers plenty of variety in turns and elevation change and if the weather is decent we should also run through one of the NASCAR high speed banked turns instead of using the south chicane.

Requirements
Students must be at least 18 years of age, and posses a valid drivers license in order to attend.
Snell 95 Rated Helmets are required for all participants. The SCDA, LLC has several Snell 95 Helmets that we can loan to participants.
Long sleeved shirts and pants must also be worn.

What to expect
Once at the track you will be greeted by fellow enthusiasts and track officials. The morning starts with a brief drivers meeting and then you will have a 20 min. class about the driving line, passing areas, flags, and track rules. After that you have 20 min. to get ready and get your car to the starting grid. Then the real fun begins as you'll spend the next 20 minutes out on track. If you are running in the Novice or Intermediate 1 class you will have an experienced race driver sitting in the passenger seat coaching you around the track. In the Intermediate 2 and Advanced classes you will be driving solo. After you have had your fun on the track you will pull back into pit row and review the last session. Then the whole cycle starts again. In the end you will get 4 track sessions over the course of the day. This will provide you with a ton of driving experience that would be next to impossible to learn on the street.

Directions
The track is a relatively short drive for most of us in New England: Boston, MA 1:24, Portsmouth, NH 1:13, Lebanon, NH 1:19... The close proximity makes it easy to do this in one day. As you can drive down first thing in the morning, have fun turning some fast laps, and still be able to get home at a reasonable time in the evening. Which really helps when you have to head into work the following morning.

MapQuest directions to NHIS.

New Hampshire International Speedway
1122 Route 106 N
Loudon, NH 03307

Registration
If you are interested in going please sign up soon as space is limited, especially in the novice groups. To register, fill in the student application and mail it along with your $235 payment to SCDA. You will get a confirmation notice by phone or e-mail when they receive the application.

Sports Car Driving Association, LLC
2 Prospect Street
Essex, CT 06426

More information
For more info check out the SCDA website

P.S. The SCDA has offered us a discount rate of $200 if we can get at least 10 people to sign up for the event. So please spread the word so that we can share the experience and the discount with more people. Thanks!

Garage bays are also available for $25 on a first come first serve basis.

Driver
1. RPIRX-8
2. vwnh
3. rammstein

EDIT: Anyone who still wants to go there are spots left. Email Ian Prout at the SCDA at ianuprout@aol.com. I will be leaving West Newton, MA at 6:15am on Monday morning to head up to Loudon. If anyone wants to caravan let me know.

vwnh

The date is wrong above. I will be there on the 11th. Hopefully with new sway bars.

RPIRX-8

Good catch, change made. It is July 11, 2005 which is a Monday.

spin9k, Tigger? Come on guys, I promise you will have a blast!

Spin9k

Here's some info and why I may not be there...on the 30th & 31st the White Mountain Chapter BMW Club is doing a two day NHIS event for $300, with an additional pre-track day Adv Driving School on 7/23 w/wet skid & figure 8 pad, exercises and a mini-autocross for $85 more (mandatory for 1st time BMW club drivers) details here http://www.wmc-bmwcca.org/event/231 - check the calendar.

This looks like the deal of the century if you are a track junkie - hey it's a 2 weekend long car saturated heaven.

Improving skills over two days is extra effiecient, because you get a 2nd chance real soon again, plus the pre-event is a dificult to find 'learn your car's steady state handling on the skippad', and get more personal instruction to boot.

Sorry for the rant and it's not a hijack, and don't mention this to anyone else....too many people could sign up.

Bottom line "can I afford to do this every weekend!:D ? Ummmmm....?"

vwnh

Spin9k if you are not going to attend i would like to meet up with you before 7/11/05 to get the camera bracket that we were talking about. I just got a radio system for track day. Can't wait to try it out.

RPIRX-8

Well, I'm not sure if I can afford it, but I'm sure gonna try! Come on you will have almost 2 weeks after the SCDA event to save up and prep for the BMWCCA event

I also just ordered G3000 Spec front brake rotors and Porterfield front brake pads. Today I received my new front bumper with air dam and my Mazda OEM Euro Lip spoiler. Racing Beat sways should be in within the week! This car is driving me right to the poor house!

Spin9k, where did you get your SS Brake lines?

Spin9k

For those who have not seen some hot laps of NHIS here is my vid of part of a session last Monday https://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?p=909417&posted=1#post909417. If this doesn't look like fun to you.... you've simply got to get in an RX-8 and try it!

Spin9k

Here http://www.hopupracing.com/mazdarx8.html

Spin9k

No problem - PM me.

PS. Radio System? - as in talking to your pit crew?

vwnh

Yes pit crew and passenger.
Also i was watching your video and got some pointers on how to run at NHIS.
NICE!!! Page also.

Spin9k

More NHIS Video https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-multimedia-photo-gallery-6/video-hot-lap-fun-68mb-63828/

RPIRX-8

Nice runs man. I can't wait until the next track day so I can mix it up with you

vwnh

we need more rx8's, who's in.

RPIRX-8

I can't wait. New parts list since last track day :D

Porterfield RP-S brake pads (front)
Adreneline Racing G3000 spec rotors (front)
Racing Beat rear sway bar (hopefully get the front by track day)
Mazda OEM European lip spoiler
New front bumper with air dam
ATE SuperBlue DOT4 brake fluid

And after this weekend I should have some dyno numbers for the 8 as well. Come on guy and gals!

Beanboy

Not going to make it to this track day... Booo! Will be back later in the year though, with a few mods to the wagon...and to the driver!

RPIRX-8... When did you graduate from the 'Tute? Autocrossed a few times I was there with my ol' Neon up by the Field House with the Sports Car Association:
http://www.rpi.edu/dept/union/sportscar/public_html/

-B
05 LGT wagon

RPIRX-8

Beanboy, I graduated in 2002 from RPI. I heard about the autox's that went on but was too scared to use my car.

Hope to see you at another track day soon!

RPIRX-8

Just called and got confirmed from Ian! Just 12 more days until beautiful track goodness! Come on guys, this is the most legal fun you can have with an automobile!

vwnh

ok who's going? five days left.

RPIRX-8

Exactly, lets get some folks goin here? Spin?

Just ordered my new helmet, Bieffe F1. Getting a 4wheel alignment today so should be all set for Monday.

rammstein

Umm... Monday just opened up for me. I'd love to go, but there's no way I can pull this off through the mail. Any other options? Am I out of luck?

RPIRX-8

Nope, you are absolutely in luck. Email Ian Prout from the SCDA at ianuprout@aol.com. I would also give him a call, I will PM you his phone number.

The cost is $235. If you want to rent a garage bay that is an extra $25. I definitely suggest doing this as it gives you a covered place to keep your tools and cool down the car after each session.

Spin9k

It's not looking good for me to go...so I I'll likely pass until the BMW meet on the 30th/31st... business is booming...and I hate to pass up taking in some more $$$ . Have fun guys, and RPIRX-8....you gotta get more practice in...maybe even that turbo you were asking around about, before you can catch me :D

rammstein

It appears that I will be at NHIS this Monday

Beanboy

Take plenty of pics and if anybody has a video camera, take some vids from the stands near turn three please!


-B

RPIRX-8

What an awesome day. Great weather and 4 RX-8s turned out for the track day. The fun part, 3 of us were in the same run group (rammstein, me, and vwnh). Spin9k didn't want to play with the other 8s.

Rammstein is an excellent driver. Him and I had a lot of fun going back and forth.

Now for the fun part! While trying to pinch inside a not very nice driver in an Audi S4 coming out of turn 2, I stepped the rear end out and went into a sideways skid on the straight between turns 2 and 3. It was actually not bad at all, the car handled it beautifully and came to a very predictable stop and position. Replacing the rear sway bar without replacing the front one proved to be detrimental to overall performance. I had to turn DSC back on at one point because the backend was so loose. Still a great day and I learned a lot.

Oh yes, MPG for the track day, about 6.5 average. If anyone needs hosting for pics or vids, let me know.