Summit Point Motorsports Park. The name alone conjures up images of a picturesque wonderland where a stable of exotic cars are free to test drive, grid girls hand feed you grapes, the sand pits are filled with marshmallows and your tyres do not wear out.
Built in 1969/70 and opened that very year for professional racing, the track has held numerous events from regional to national and even some international events. At Summit you can race your car, drift it, autocross it, learn to drive it, learn how to teach others, race some karts or enjoy a slide on the skid pan.
Over the 40 year history, the Summit Point bitumen has seen many stars battle it out. One famous patron was the charismatic Paul Newman. He raced his Datsun 510 where he kept to himself, wanting nothing more than to be just one of the racers.
In the early ’80′s the track was purchased by Formula Vee World Champion Bill Scott (who sadly passed away last December). Over time, as well as racing, the complex would be used as a training ground for various federal agencies and security organisations. Last year they opened a skid pan for autocross and driver training.
The facilities on-site are many and varied. Apart from the marshmallow sand traps, they offer plenty of paved parking, electricity sockets, showers, a race products store and even camping which is included in the ticket price.
Four configurations at Summit Point keeps the racers on their toes. From their website:
Summit Point Circuit
Summit Point Circuit is a 10-turn, 2.0-mile (3.2 km) road course that features a 2,900-foot (880 m) main straight. This original circuit opened in 1969.
The road course we run today is a ten turn, two mile road course that includes a 2900 foot straightaway and 400 feet of elevation change. Summit Point Circuit provides challenging high speed turns with ample run off areas and gravel traps along with a challenging and technical carousel section. The track’s features truly make it a must destination for recreational drivers.
Jefferson Circuit
The Jefferson Circuit is a seven-turn, 1.12-mile (1.80 km) road course that was designed and built by Bill Scott as a dedicated course for high-performance, accident avoidance and emergency operation driver training. Opened in 1996, the Jefferson Circuit is a course that demands constant attentiveness and smooth inputs from drivers.
The Jefferson Circuit hosts a number of driver training schools, as well as a handful of motorcycle trackdays each year.
Shenandoah Circuit
The Shenandoah Circuit is a 2.2-mile (3.5 km) road course that first opened in 2005. It is a no holds barred technical challenge that will take years for drivers to master. The track contains a dimensional replica of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife’s famous bankedKarussell turn complete with 20 degrees of banking. The corners contain both positive and negative camber as well as increasing and decreasing radius turns with vertical drops. If you are truly up for a challenge to your car handling abilities, the Shenandoah Circuit is truly one of the most technical tracks in the country.
Washington Circuit
The Washington Circuit is Summit Point’s newest addition and is home to Summit Point Kart. Constructed and opened in 2009 it features 10 feet of elevation change, 1300 feet in length and over 300 feet in width. It is capable of being configured for many uses.
Summit Point Kart has created the “Washington Long Course”. This is 11 turns, including a sweeping 160 degree decreasing radius corner and 3 straights with one stretching nearly 1,000 feet in length. With lighting, the action doesn’t stop after the sun sets. Karting under the lights is an entirely different experience not to be missed.
Drift Nirvana | Copyright | Jillian | Used with permission
I recruited Carrie, from the miata.net forums, for some insight into what it’s like to be a part of the SPR family and how she got involved with racing in general.
My name is Carrie Zarrella and I am still considered a ‘newbie’ to the track scene. I am currently in my third season and have had continued success with the few auto sports associations I have been introduced to. My passion for cars didn’t develop until I met my husband. I knew all the basic stuff, how to change a tyre and how to add oil, stuff that some women know how to do. My car smarts didn’t really kick into high gear until I met my husband in 2003. I have always told many of my fellow women that if you want to be involved with a ‘car guy’, you need to assume the role and really dive head first into the sport. Well, I not only dived from the kiddie board, I flew off the high dive!
I grew up in a modest family in the suburbs of Fairfax, Virginia and was quite a tomboy. I refused to wear pink and never wanted to be ‘one of the girls’. Nowadays, pink has made its way into my wardrobe, probably because we ALL look like boys on the track and you need to have some extra flare to let everyone know you are a girl. My daily car ranges from the vehicles we have in our fleet. My traditional daily driver is a 2008 Honda Fit which is a reliable option, a 1987 Ford F-150 which is just a good ol’ pick-em-up truck, a 1991 Honda Civic which is a great daily even though it lacks power steering which can be a pain while driving around town.
I purchased my 1994 Mazda Miata in the summer of 2006, just a cute little white convertible. My husband has been involved with AutoCrossing for 10+ years and somehow got me on the track. I didn’t take to Autocrossing as most do. It didn’t have the exact thrill I was looking for. I wanted something more, I wanted competition! (ed: a girl after my own heart) Later that year, I was introduced to track events and completely fell in love. I was in the grit and grime like all the other boys and I truly felt I was on the same level as them. I believe there was less of a ‘girl’ stigma on the track than on the AutoCrossing track.
I began to take various HPDEs (High Performance Driving Events) through NASA (National Auto Sports Association) Mid-Atlantic Division. My first track event was a little intimidating. I got there, with husband in tow, and kept my eyes and ears open. I sucked up any and all information I could get my hands onto. HPDE’s include classroom instruction and track practice with an instructor. I kept quiet; I didn’t want to stand out any more than I thought I was already. There were a couple of other women in my group and we all put on our tough girl face and didn’t let anyone mess with us. I continued with HPDE’s and was taken under the wing of the classroom instructor, Dan. He helped me and encouraged me where I most needed it. He recommended that I become familiar with the instructor clinic that NASA offers and possibly develop my skills on track to become a part of the NASA family as an instructor.
My most memorable experience on track was going off. I have had three offs and am completely excited after each and every one of them. I have had two offs at Summit Point Raceway on the Shenandoah Circuit and my final off at Summit Point Raceway on the Main Circuit. The amount of learning you do when you leave the track cannot be measured. You learn how to exit the track in a controlled manner and everything that you learn in the classroom is put into action.
My favourite off was in October 2009 on the Shenandoah Circuit. I was in the intermediate group and the course has a banked turn which we locals have nicknamed ‘the bowl’. You come up to the turn and practically drop into the corner. The middle section of the turn is concrete, which the top and bottom sections are blacktop. Concrete isn’t necessarily the best for traction. I entered at a great speed and wanted to see how much my car could handle. Pushing the limit of the vehicle, in a flash, I popped OUT of the bowl at the top of the turn, the car received immediate traction and I over-corrected and ran off the right side of the track, facing traffic. The car was still on and good to go so I drove off track to get out of the way of the very fast moving pack. After every off, you must pit-in and discuss with the marshals what exactly happened and why it happened. The classroom instructor for that organization, TrackDaze, came out to the false grid and just chuckled at me. He knew what I was trying to do and was quite surprised I attempted to do that.
The worst off I have ever had is when I had an instructor in the passenger seat and I just came way too hot, again on the Shenandoah Circuit. There was no damage to either myself, the instructor or my car, but he refused to ‘teach’ me anything else the remainder of the day. I obviously hurt his pride but I wasn’t learning anything else from him, so I insisted on a new instructor.
On a sad note, Summit Point Raceway will no longer be the same, the owner Bill Scott, passed away last year and will be sincerely missed by everyone in the racing community. SPR is home and always will be. The amount of knowledge and the abundance of new friendships developed are astounding. They have great accommodation with good food, clean showers and clean bathrooms. I love the track because it’s my home track… it always will be. I started my career there and have met most of my track buddies there. I will always return to SPR with fond memories.
Q&A with Carrie Zarrella
What is your choice of fuel?
I am what people call the poor-mans racer or the weekend racer. I prep my own car and have done all of the modifications myself….or at least my husband has laboured over that car for 200+ hours already! I use standard fuel from your standard gas station, most of the time I bump it up to 89 octane.
What is your choice of tyre?
My choice of tyre has changed quite a bit along the road. At the moment I run Yokohama AO32R’s, which are what I call a light race compound. A world of difference from the Falken Azenis I was running for my first season.
What is your choice of brake pads?
I run Hawk brake pads, HPS and HP+.
What mods are next for your car?
The modification I am finally allowing is MORE POWER! My Mazda Miata isn’t the quickest out there, so a little bit more power is going to be fantastic! Maybe between saving money on track events (because I am instructing) and pinching pennies, I could possibly have more power in 2011.
Have you tracked without underpants to save weight?
I have NEVER tracked my vehicle with NO underpants on…have joked about wearing rubber underwear while in the passenger seat with a student. I wear all cotton clothing while racing because I want to protect my skin against third-degree burns if, heaven forbid, my car catches on fire.
What are your thoughts on the driver training kids are receiving in the US?
Behind-the-wheel training in the US is lacking the important fundamentals of driving; pay attention and always look ahead. I don’t think I learned anything from that course. I know in Virginia it is required to have so many hours of behind the wheel, but I don’t think it does anything for a students awareness of the vehicle. My driving before going on track was absolutely horrible – my husband can attest to that! I am a more aware driver, with a couple of manoeuvring abilities underneath my belt. I believe every kid that is learning to drive needs to take a defensive driving course or COME ON TRACK! The track environment is better suited for learning – i.e. less distractions.
What is your favourite spanner size?
Carrie remained suspiciously quiet during this question. I suspect she is still considering which one she favours. Stay tuned for an answer.
If a narcoleptic bus driver gave you $163,266 which track car would you buy?
If the bus driver gave me so much money to buy a new track car – I wouldn’t. I love my car; it has been with me through everything. Yes, it would be nice to afford a couple of modifications, but I will keep my car.
Is your fuel tank half full or half empty?
My fuel tank – well, it’s always half full.
Any final words?
I appreciate everything anyone in the track world has done for me and hopefully I can give back 10-fold. I am instructing now and am having a blast!
Many thanks to Carrie for taking the time to share with us and I’m sure I echo all of you when I wish her all the best with her racing and driver training career.
I will leave you all with a one lap video (unknown driver) of the Summit Point Circuit configuration.
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Comments ( 1 Comment )
by sand pits on 10 Dec 10 at 2:06 amThe track looks fantastic. Do you have many classic car race meets at all?