Recap of my first time @ Pocono

[alwaysinboost]

I did Pocono with PDA this past Sunday for the very first time and had a blast. They seem to be a well organized group of people and I'm looking forward to doing more events with them.

This HPDE was an 'open track' event, which meant we got LOTS of track time, 4.5 hours worth to be exact. This is really the only way to roll, I don't know how I'm going to go back to a measly 1-2 hours per day HPDE schedule (like that really isn't enough time). Nothing like spending more time on track then you do driving to and from the event.

As I said, this was my first event @ Pocono with PDA, but it was also only my third time doing an HPDE. I've only been to Shenandoah which makes this particular Pocono layout look like the kiddy playground at McDonalds. Not to take anything away from the track or how it was run, but IMO its not nearly as technical as Shenandoah was. On a scale of 1 - 10 with 1 being the easiest and 10 being the hardest, I'd give this Pocono layout a 4 and Shenandoah an 8.5 for difficulty. Now, I'm not saying I mastered the course by any stretch, but it only took a couple of laps to figure out where things were, where as Shendoah took me a couple sessions.

What made the day very interesting was the fact that this open track event was supposed to be for level 3 & 4 drivers, but I'm only level 1. Needless to say I was a little nervous. ok, I was a lot nervous. I don't know much except for the fact that I'm a newb, which is why I'm still only level 1. As a newb I'm only allowed to pass cars on certain straights and only with a point by from the driver. These people however were way past that skill level, so they pass anywhere they can. it felt like I was doing wheel to wheel racing as I'm pointing by people all over the place. My lack of skills were apperent as I was passed in my EVO by a Jeep SRT8 on track with a passenger. I was happy to find out it was Kyle, from the speed TV series The Setup, behind the wheel so I didn't feel so bad. Still though, as I was pointing by people I was studing their line trying to learn what I could from them.

Even though I didn't get an instructor I still feel like I learned a lot. By the way the car reacted to my inputs I could tell when I'm doing something wrong wasn't on the right line. I don't remember ever noticing that @ Shenandoah before. And in the same sense I could tell when I did something right, because it all of a sudden it would feel like I wasn't driving fast or fighting the car to go where I wanted it to. It was an awesome feeling. By the last session of the day I could tell I picked up a lot of speed in some areas. I started out doing the infield in 3rd gear the whole time and ended the day being in 4th gear most of the time in the infield and being able to use 5th on the long banked back straight and just touching 125ish before slaming the brakes on for the right handed dog leg.

Unfortunatly my homemade camera mount didn't pass TECH inspection, so I have no footage of the days activity, but I will be fixing that this week.

[TalonTsi97]

Sounds like a lot of fun. I really want to look into these one day when i have the rite car for it.

[alwaysinboost]

Its a blast, I like to describe it as the most fun you can have in a car with your cloths on :D.

you know all I used to do was drag race. Heck I did it almost every weekend, but after doing just one of these HPDE's, even going 9's isn't exciting to me anymore.

[US_R33]

when driving behind another car on course, you should really try and be mindful not to watch said car. typically, the following driver will end up hitting the car in front of them, taking the wrong line, and/or developing a rather bad habit of not looking 2,3,4 corners ahead of the corner they're entering.

Glad you had fun though, and full on HPDE 1-4 event would do wonders for you, you receive a log book in which your instructor writes down notes and as you accumulate more events under your belt, your instructors (hopefully) will start to check more things off the list of skills needed prior to applying for a license

- Daniel

[2MCHPWR]

which layout did you do? sounds like Pocono north which is the easiest and least technical layout they have.
i like their east course the best.
any pics?

[PaleDSM]

Damn! I had no clue there was a PDA event up there yesterday. I try to make it to as many as I can during the season.

[alwaysinboost]

Originally Posted by US_R33

when driving behind another car on course, you should really try and be mindful not to watch said car. typically, the following driver will end up hitting the car in front of them, taking the wrong line, and/or developing a rather bad habit of not looking 2,3,4 corners ahead of the corner they're entering.

Glad you had fun though, and full on HPDE 1-4 event would do wonders for you, you receive a log book in which your instructor writes down notes and as you accumulate more events under your belt, your instructors (hopefully) will start to check more things off the list of skills needed prior to applying for a license

- Daniel

Daniel I agree 100%, and was thinking the same exact thing as I was behind them. Thats what the instructors I had @ past events have said too; "look thru, them not at them, just don't drive thru them", lol. Thats why I posted about how I could tell when I was doing something correct by how the car acted/reacted. I was constantly telling myself to look ahead and could REALLY feel my line smooth out when I did, especially at the only left turn on the course.

[alwaysinboost]

Originally Posted by 2MCHPWR

which layout did you do? sounds like Pocono north which is the easiest and least technical layout they have.
i like their east course the best.
any pics?

pretty sure it was the north course. no pics or vids unless some of the other drivers have vids of me giving point by's.

[alwaysinboost]

Originally Posted by PaleDSM

Damn! I had no clue there was a PDA event up there yesterday. I try to make it to as many as I can during the season.

it was supposed to be on Friday but it got rescheduled to Sunday due to snow and ice.

[US_R33]

let me know when you sign up for another one, i might be able to join you

[alwaysinboost]

that would be dope. I'm 3rd on the wait list for Lime Rock on the 12th...

[US_R33]

as long as it works with my school schedule and i have the funds available at the time of the sign up deadline, i'm down whenever

[PaleDSM]

Originally Posted by alwaysinboost

it was supposed to be on Friday but it got rescheduled to Sunday due to snow and ice.

That's probably why. I only have the Sat and Sun events on the calendar.