COM NHIS in July

[Jimmy Pet]

Hey COM'ers,
I know this is way out ahead, but I have a very unusual work schedule, I travel upwards of 200 days a year and it makes me look this far ahead to get track days in.

I have a hole in my work schedule that looks like it will allow me to attend the COM NHIS event in July.
I know COM NHIS events are very popular and very hard to get into for out of towners like me,,, but I'll make every attempt to get signed up.

For a first timer at NHIS,,, can someone 'splain to me the configuration that will be used for that event?

Thanks in advance

[StephanAlfa]

Welcome aboard.
Normally it is difficult to tel as it will depend on a few factors mostly dictated by NHIS.
Recently in a string of posts about "Ready for NHIS-1?" it was commented that:
[quote="chaos4NH"]I believe the word received from NHIS was that we would only run chicane/chicane until we "get serious" about vehicle safey requirements.quote]
Not sure if this is true or just joking but chicane/chicane seems to be the safest config. We have seem changes back to this config when it rains (again for safety).
Check the home page for COM Results over the years and see how many configurations we ran in a single year.
The SCCA config FYI is South Oval/North Chicane. So is the "track day" on Thursdays (see NHIS schedule).
For info on this chicane/chicane configuration I have a narrative in an Alfa event we did a NHIS back in 2004:
http://www.giubilee.com/then click on "events" then click on "time trials" and help yourself with video footage (my Alfa with Scott Swinehart inboard filming, ignore the sound as it was just for effects) and reading materials (ex: turn-by-turn decription).
Happy racing!

[StephanAlfa]

Take 2:
Try this link:
http://www.giubilee.com then click on "events" then click on "time trials"

[Jimmy Pet]

Thanks for the reply and the video.
I just read through 5 pages of posts in a configuration thread from last season.

My home track is Pocono,,, where the clubs pick the configuration they want to rent,,, and just rent it as such (one of the three inner road courses or rent the whole place for "long course" events.

I never knew NHIS sets the configurations.
I had never intended to do an NHIS event before, so I never read up on the configurations.
I always figured if I am going run a roval, why not the one thats 30 minutes away rather than 7 hours...

From reading that thread it sounds like the Chicane-Chicane "is" the club configuration for all clubs, for the forseeable future.
It sure seems like people are polarised on that config, I'll still make the effort to get in,,, if nothing else because I'll be dying for some track time by that point in the year.

Thanks
jimmy p

[brucesallen]

The SCCA config FYI is South Oval/North Chicane. So is the "track day" on Thursdays (see NHIS schedule).

The SCCA races both cinfigurations in recent years. I was at the NER Board meeting last night where it was decided that the April 20, 21 school days will be Fri=chic-chic, Sat.= S. Oval and the races on Sunday will be South Oval.

[HerbD]

In the past, colder weather has dictated chicane/chicane as
the speeds are lower than south oval, so typically the first
and last events at NHIS are chicane/chicane. A story that
starts with cold tires in the south oval doesn't make for a
happy ending.

When the weather is good, we usually run south oval/north chicane,
and I expect we would put in for that for the July and August dates.
There is just always the chance that NHIS will force us to run
chicane/chicane.

COM toyed with north oval/south chicane for a couple of years,
and it's an interesting configuration, but NHIS now frowns on
this, so we'll probably not see that again.

[Mick]

COM toyed with north oval/south chicane for a couple of years, and it's an interesting configuration, but NHIS now frowns on this, so we'll probably not see that again.

You won't hear me complaining

Jimmy,
You'll like the track in either config.

Many people in the area are down on the track, but that's only because we see it so much. Although it's not the greatest track in the North East it's home for us and still a ton of fun. It has some nice elevation changes and corners that take time and patience to master. It also has varying textures and there's a lot to learn in the nuance of hitting the bumps just right for good lap times.

..It also has a nice paved paddock, garages and showers.

Considering you've hit every other track in the region it'll be worth the trip. Drop me a note if you're coming.
-Mick

[StephanAlfa]

To piggy-back on Mike's statement NHIS is a technically challenged track and if you master this one you'll be in a good shape to handle other tracks. That is one heck of an advantage to come and race at NHIS.

[chaos4NH]

Jimmy, if you click on the Spring 2006 link to the past copies of our news letter, you will find a very very detailed tutorial on the NHIS Chicane - Chicane configuration. Good Luck!

[Mark Swinehart]

Jimmy -

Registration for WGI is now open. We are going to be there on April 23 & 24.

It would be fun to see you and Fred Ferguson flying around in your E30 M3's again.

[Jimmy Pet]

No one would like flying around WGI with Fred (and Mick and Dave) more than myself,,, The Glen is my "Happy Place", but sadly work interferes.
I leave home on Mar 25, and dont get back until July 1st.
Then I have about 11 days off and back at it again until end of Aug.
I cant complain though,,, some years my work schedule allows for almost unlimited track events,,, some years I would swear they put stuff purposely on top of my favorite events.
Because of that, this COM event will very likely be my very first event of my season,,, unless I can find something before it July 2 through 6...
To date I have found NOTHING going on anywhere that week.
The Glen is blown out by Vintage race, Summit is locked up with motorcycles. Pocono has some avails that week,,, I am hoping some club fills them.

Mick, I looked at the NHIS track map here on the COM site and I gotta say it doesn't look bad at all (even with Chicane-Chicane). I thought it looked pretty fun. In fact "to me" an outsider,,, Chicane Chicane looks more interestiing than any of the Chicane - Oval configs.

I learned how to drive (or my attempt at it) on a roval at Pocono,,, so I dont have alot of the disdain the "real road course" snobs get for rovals.
Hell I still do 10-12 days a year at Pocono alone just because A) I live 30 minutes from it,,, and B) I enjoy it.
I've driven Pocono in every single possible configuration,,, in both directions.
Some configs I like more than others, but I still would rather drive the ones "I hate" rather than sit home and not drive.
Oddly the ones I hate are the ones that use the most of the oval. They are just boring.
The one I love the most is the 1.4 mile East course,,, which is more fun that almost any track in the Northeast, and thats probably got more in common with your Chicane - Chicane than anything.

Mick, unless something really bad happens, or I just dont get in to the event I'll be there. I printed out my COM renewal today and going to send that in. Its also looking like I'll be able to do COM LRPp in Nov too.
I have not done that one in ages. I think I did the very first November COM LRP back in maybe 99 or something?
I think it flurried in the morning.

Anywhere I can find a full session video posted online of NHIS?
cheers

[boltonite]

Hey Jimmy,

You won't find too many good videos of the chic/chic config but Steve Ayers has a lot of decent quality video of NHIS (and many others):

http://www.ayersnet.com/Video.htm

You can see a fair bit of my car in one of them (I wasn't letting him by) and when I'm not blocking him I'm driving the line (or at least a line).

IMO, NHIS is one of the most difficult tracks to drive well; most out-of-region SCCA guys get spanked at NHIS (thus many don't come, saying its too far to tow, blah blah). There is more elevation change in a 1.5 mile circuit than any other I've driven. It doesn't have the rhythm transitions like the Pocono infield but camber, elevation, heavy braking and varied grip/pavement conditions - and combinations thereof - make it difficult to be consistently fast there. It really is fun to drive in the M3.

See you at the track.
FF

[BrakeL8r]

What's a "roval"?

[Dave_G]

What's a "roval"?

A road course inside an oval (or partly inside, as in NHIS).

[StephanAlfa]

So it would be politically correct to denominate NHIS configurations as:
North Chicane/ South Roval
North Roval/South Chicane
One thing is we do not have North Roval /South Roval. That would mean to much Roval and not enough Oval so might as well be just Oval..