HPDE stands for High Performance Drivers Education sponsered by NASA it is a trill to attend. Even if you only take your suby out for one weekend it will be worth it. Here is a link to the next event at CMP: http://www.nasa-se.com/index.html I suggest going and you will be entering in HPDE 1 for your first weekend. He is a link to my first time in HPDE @ Road ATL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eW2TRl1weo0 Good Luck!
You can usually sign up for either day. Some tracks will sometimes have restrictions, but usually you can do one day if you want. That said, the second day at a new track is usually where HUGE learning happens. I STRONGLY encourage my students to do some very real "debriefing" after a track day. What I mean by that is to sit down and mentally replay the track. Think through every single point that you want to be aware of. Start on the main straight and envision coming into Turn-1. See EXACTLY where you'll lift off the throttle. Exactly how you're going to go to the brakes. Exactly where you are going to ease the brakes and start to turn in. Focus on exactly where the car is, both laterally (how much turn-in curbing you're using if there is any) and "longitudinally." Where you're going to be on the way to the apex, where you'll get onto the apex, how much curbing you're going to use, where you'll come off the curbing... The first mental lap should take 4-5 TIMES a real lap. Then do another lap, it should only take 3-4 times as long as real lap... if you actually spend the time to get down to near a real lap time and you can see all the points that you need to, you'll almost definitely pick up MULTIPLE seconds in your first session the next day. Siegel
Interesting. I may have to wait until after the dust settles of trying to sell my house. Hopefully it will be gone by then.
I'll be at NASA's HPDE at RA in March...hope to see some other folks there too! HPDEs are not only one of the most fun and exhilarating things you'll ever do but they'll help you become a MUCH better and safer street driver as well. Siegel's right, you have to get feedback - it's the only way you'll truly learn and grow. An experienced instructor who properly communicates feedback & constructive criticism to you (esp. while in the car) can help shave years off your learning curve. As far as the NASA event in March goes, it looks like HPDE-1 and HPDE-2 are only open for 2-day registration (https://www.nasaproracing.com/event/999). I would contact Jim Pantas (NASA's southeast director) and confirm and see if there's a workaround (http://www.nasa-se.com/contactus.php).
Woohoo...just realized I've hit my 100th post! I've reached a milestone...now maybe pEd will stop giving me a hard time about not posting enough. ;-)
Forged Performance will be at all of the NASA SE and a few of the NASA Mid-A track events. In many cases, NASA only offers a Sat/Sun ticket, to encourage people to hone their skills over a two day period. It's a pretty good bang for the bank, especially at the big tracks like Road Atlanta. I will be trying to reset the CMP TT-U record at CMP in Feb. Definitely stop by our trailer and say hello to the gang!
March Road A HDPE will be perfect bday present for myself! What's the helmet safety rate requirement?
Minimum Snell SA or M 1990. I actually thought they had a more recent minimum requirement but I must be thinking about Chin Motorsports and some of the other groups. Here are the detailed rules: http://www.nasaproracing.com/rules/ccr.pdf ...and some other good HPDE info/tips: http://www.nasaproracing.com/hpde/
Anyone else plan on participating or attending? Need some more Subies representing! http://www.nasa-se.com/2010Mar12.php