Just Got Back From Summit Point

[George3]

I just got back from a very nice DE event with the PCA Potomac Region at Summit Point on April 12-13.  A nice bunch of guys and they put on a nice show.  The weather was great, but the track..... well... er.... uh... the track is pretty much falling apart.

Sadly, the condition of the track has quickly deteriorated since the beautiful paving job was completed late last year.

T1 has been patched and although a bit bumpy, is still a manageable turn.
T3 is a reasonably fast corner and has a pot hole right ON LINE.  If you go off line to miss it, then you hit it with your other wheel.  They tried patching it with 10 minute cold patch on Friday, then the multitude of little stones come flying out when you cross it.
The track-out of T3 by the gravel pit has red and white painted paving to resemble a curb.

I used to love T5, but now it is bumpy and wavy.  It is horrible.  I heard they originally paved over the conrete that was there last year.  However, during this past winter they dug up the new paving to remove the old concrete.  Now the patch job is real crap.

There is the massive hole at the end of the gator at 9 and someone will be hurt if it's not repaired soon.  The last T10 has 3 feet of painted asphalt also resembling a curb.  Quite slippery when wet.

It's really a shame the paving is becoming a shambles in such a short period of time.  This is still mid-April and we have the entire track season to go.  What will happen next?  Don't get me wrong... I love this track in spite of its problems, but I'm puzzled why it turned to ka-ka so quickly.

[Brian Minkin]

Very sorry to hear that it is rapidly falling apart.  Wonder if they have recourse with the paving contractor.  Potholes on a road course are not a good thing.

[George3]

Brian Minkin wrote:

Very sorry to hear that it is rapidly falling apart. Wonder if they have recourse with the paving contractor. Potholes on a road course are not a good thing.

I wouldn't think there are any warranties. Paving failure is primarily due to either poor drainage or poor soil conditions.

But yes, it is a darned shame.

[bobt993]

Brian, 

What would have been a surprise is that it was still in good shape after not following common sense:

1.  No cure time.  Cars were on the track within 24 hrs of laying the asphalt.

2.  No correction or treatment of the foundation.

3.  Proper seal coat to avoid the winter wrath.

4.  Hire a contractor that specifically paves racetracks rather than public/private roads and driveways. 

real bummer.  Summit is the track with the most potential............left on the table.:?

[Brian Minkin]

I wonder if they even milled the surface before they resurfaced.  I know that for AX if you use a parking lot that has been resurfaced and not milled the asphalt will shift and buckle at every turn that is fairly sharp and fast.  You can destroy a surface in 6 events with 40 or so cars.  Gee I wonder where I learned that.  

[catchacab]

bobt993 wrote:

Brian,

What would have been a surprise is that it was still in good shape after not following common sense:

1. No cure time. Cars were on the track within 24 hrs of laying the asphalt.

2. No correction or treatment of the foundation.

3. Proper seal coat to avoid the winter wrath.

4. Hire a contractor that specifically paves racetracks rather than public/private roads and driveways.

real bummer. Summit is the track with the most potential............left on the table.:?

+1!

[Phokaioglaukos]

I was there a couple of weeks ago. Two new changes from when I was there in March. First, the red and white striping at apex, trackout and other odd locations is back. Remember, it's just paint, not real gators, so you can drive over it easily. Of course it is paint, so in the wet it has less grip. In two places the painters dumped paint on the racing surface and "sorta" cleaned it up. Don't be distracted and the grip there seemed fine.

Second, where there were concrete patches for years (T1 and T5 especially) and last year they paved over them, there are now larger asphalt patches. One rumour is that they dug up the concrete and then patched and sealed the spots. I don't know about that, but the patches are now larger than they were before. In the dry the grip on the patches is good. In the wet there is less grip. I got caught out twice in T5 in the transition from the regular surface to the patch. I was on shave RA-1s.

The more I drive this track the more I like it.

[Mark Fox]

Sounds like it has really deteriorated in the 4 weeks since I was there.  Too bad as it is close and a fun course to drive.

[Darren]

It will always have issues because there is no stone base.  The only way to fix it is to rip up the track, put down stone, and repave.  And that would take forever.

It has to be better than it was before the repave.

[catchacab]

If the condition of SP is poor the next time we visit, I will no longer go there.  I hope we like Thunderbolt!