Spring Lime Rock Opener sees Serious Drivers with Serious Equipment
The Sports Car Driving Association hosted many new and returning drivers at it’s Lime Rock Park season opener on Saturday, March 30. Following a short off season, and an early Spring event at the New Jersey Motorsports Park on March 10, the SCDA returned to it’s home track, the historic Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut. The event consisted of a Car Control Clinic in the morning with drivers moving to the full 1.53 mile road course after lunch.
The SCDA Car Control Clinic is open to drivers of all skill levels. The half day event hosts a limited number of drivers who want to develop driving skills and master vehicle control in a low risk setting. Following a chalk talk on vehicle dynamics by veteran instructor Rob Slonaker, the group is split between the large skid pad and Auto-Cross course. The skid pad is a wet circle of asphalt that lets drivers work with instructors on board to develop the skills needed to control a car at the limit. Drivers are trained to use steering and throttle to balance the vehicle in a slide when facing understeer and oversteer, the loss of traction at the front or rear of a car.
Following the skid pad, drivers move to the Auto-Cross course, a tight 10-turn track with elevation changes and a variety of corner types. On the Auto-Cross course, drivers are able to use their car control skills to build speed and manage slides for five laps at a time, while working with an instructor. Following several sessions with an instructor on board, drivers continue to be coached between sessions to master their new skills.
In the afternoon, intermediate and advanced drivers headed down to the full course to stretch their legs in some very powerful and well handling machines. For most drivers, this SCDA event was their first track day of 2019 and many experienced drivers were joining the SCDA for their first time, coming from other groups. Many drivers new to the SCDA reported that they were impressed with the well organized event and client-focused atmosphere.
As well as quick and experienced drivers, the event also saw a broad variety of serious equipment on track including such standouts as a new Ford GT, a dozen Corvettes, McLaren, Porsche GT3 and GT4’s, Dodge Viper, Mercedes AMG, Lotus as well as the usual slew of BMW and Mazda performance models. Drivers enjoyed great weather and nearly two hours of track time.
The SCDA will host 11 more events at Lime Rock in 2019, plus 7 Car Control Clinics. As well as Lime Rock, the SCDA hosts events at the epic Watkins Glen International, Virginia International Raceway, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Palmer Motorsports Park and New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Most events are open to novice drivers also. Novices are accompanied by instructors at all times and receive extensive classroom training.
The SCDA is one of the oldest and largest High Performance Driver Education organizations in the United States with 30 events throughout the Northeast. More information is available at www,SCDA1.com and by calling 516-500-SCDA (7232).
Upcoming SCDA track events:
