Earlier this year my friend and I decided we wanted to try Club Motorsports in New Hampshire. We figured we would try it in the summer since we would have the best chance for cooler weather in comparison to anything down south such as NJMP or Summit Point. It does not seem like a ton of clubs we normally go with rent out Club Motorsports but we saw the opportunity with SCDA so we jumped on it!
My friend's GTR was having on going issues and since I didn't want to cancel, I offered for him and I to co-drive the GTS. We strapped it on his trailer and headed up to New Hampshire. Trip took about 7 hours with a few stops. The track is just minutes from a few hotels in the Tamworth, NH area which is nice. As soon as you enter Club Motorsports the paddock area is directly just off the side of the highway. They are still working on expanding all the amenities such as club house, garages, etc so for the time being the trailers have to park in the larger gravel lot, the cars that are being tracked in the smaller paved lot.
The car did great the two days we were driving it. Brand new Ferodo 3.12 pads and AP Racing rotors up front. By the end of the first day, the Nankang AR-1 tires now had 6 full track days on them. I have noticed a reduction in grip but nothing like you see with the cup 2. The grip is still very manageable and predictable. However I noticed myself fighting the car more at the limit. The other thing about this track is that they are very strict about sound limits. The event organizers were taking readings and asking cars that were on the limit to try to reduce the decibels. So at the main straight away closest to the highway, I was lifting instead of ripping through the start and finish line majority of the time. They only allowed 4 specific passing zones in the advanced run group for some reason. Overall not much traffic but when you hit it, you get stuck as usual.
I felt very comfortable by my 4th session during the time this footage was taken. There is still so much to continue learning about this track. My optimal lap was a 1:41.06 per the Garmin. The track temps were hottest, tires were getting a tad greasy, and this was the best optimal time I was able to achieve through the weekend. The next two sessions the following morning I found myself over driving, or perhaps exceeding the capabilities of the tires. Can't wait to come back on some fresh rubber.
Overall I highly recommend this track. It reminds me of Palmer in MA, only better. The elevation changes are wild at Club Motorsports. The track surface is perfect. Curbs aren't too violent. Super safe with plenty of run off. Lots of viewing areas. I hope to come back next year when the grounds are a little more built up. This track as a whole is still in its early stages but overall there is nothing to complain about except the distance from the NYC area!
1 окт 2024
