Summit Point wrap-up

This was my first race (with no prior HPDE experience or proper training) and I had a blast. Everyone I met was personable and nearly everyone on the track was driving decently. Loved the track (I'll be back for some HPDEs), and watching other teams struggle with mechanical issues was great fun.

I'm sorry to everyone I got in the way of, which I'm sure was the vast majority of cars on track around 11 on Saturday.

Flagging was spotty at best on Saturday. At least once I came up on the Hydration Ambulance (which seemed to be doing nothing but making laps between some remote flagging stations handing out bottled water - which in and of itself was annoying but understandable) without so much as a yellow flag. They also seemed to be throwing black flags ONLY at the very last station before pit in, on the inside of the exit to the last turn. I didn't even realize that station EXISTED until my second time in the car.

Sunday was much improved.

The facilities seemed rather nice, though I don't have a point of comparison. The process for getting into the power boxes was a little convoluted (Go back out to the entrance gate? REALLY? Don't they have better things to be doing? It's not like you had any way of knowing what power box you'd need when you first arrived) but not too bad. The on-site racing shop saved our bacon with an extinguisher mount.

On a more negative, entirely personal note:

I got into contact with two cars on Saturday. The first time was a minor racing incident, at least from where I was sitting. Just a little rubbing in a low speed complex. The second time, I did something incredibly boneheaded. I'm not sure on the exact chain of events, but it involved me accidentally activating my turn signal at pit-in (I didn't know the car HAD turn signals) and then turning into the corner there without noticing that a car had gotten alongside me.

If anybody reading this bumped into the #38 car (Black Pontiac Grand Prix sedan, no front bumper cover, gold screaming chicken on the hood, big white logos down the side), that was me and I'm sorry. I'd have apologized in person if I hadn't been so busy being pissed at myself to look at your cars.

If anyone saw or better yet, videotaped the incidents, I'd love to hear any input so I can avoid being an idiot again.