Save the Date - 2018 Sevens HPDE event at NJMP

[Croc]

Happy New Year!

 

You are receiving this email as you have previously participated in, own a seven, or expressed interest in joining the East Coast Sevens HPDE and Social Event held at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, NJ. If you think you received this email in error please respond and I will immediately remove you from the mailing list.

 

 

A summary follows below and a more detailed organization outline will follow in May 2018 closer to the date.

 

The challenge with establishing a 2018 date for this weekend is that our numbers of 20-25 cars do not allow us to host the event with a track rental in our own right without costs being prohibitive to you. This is why we are very fortunate to be able to have NJMP Drivers Club host our event and provide us with an exclusive Sevens session as it keeps costs far below what commercial track day operators charge of $250 to $350 per day. This greatly restricts our options for dates as we have to fit in with their calendar. Complicating matters is that our traditional July 4th holiday falls on a Wednesday in 2018.

 

With this in mind we have set the dates as:

 

 

Wednesday July 4th (Public Holiday) - Arrive in the afternoon/evening and set up. We anticipate having a casual outside BBQ pool party at the NJMP clubhouse. If enough people are interested, before dinner we could arrange a Thunderbolt track walk to talk people through the lines, corner by corner.

 

Thursday July 5th - HPDE with Drivers Club on the Thunderbolt Circuit. Breakfast, lunch and all refreshments included for paid up drivers and visitors.

 

Friday July 6th - HPDE with Drivers Club on the Lightning Circuit. Breakfast, lunch and refreshments included.

 

 

While not set we could hold our traditional karting competition on either the Wednesday July 4th or Saturday July 7th subject to people's preferences. Dinner plans have not been set but with these dates we are fairly confident of us being at Andrea's, an very popular and reasonably priced BYO Italian trattoria in downtown Millville.

 

 

Keen readers will notice that we have managed to get a day on Thunderbolt circuit this year. While the Lightning track is a very quick fun momentum circuit, the Thunderbolt track is very different, far more technical and challenging with the first half having a number of straights and some high speed corners before it tightens up in the second half and the more nimble cars gain the advantage.

 

 

Despite the HP disparity the past HPDE events flowed really well - so much so it really did not feel like there were many people out on track at all. All marques of sevens are welcomed to attend - Lotus 7, Caterham, Birkin, Locost, Brunton Stalker, S1, Westfield, WCM Ultralite, etc.

 

 

We will again set up a private registration page on Motorsportreg.com for signing up but don't expect this until say around May this year.

 

 

NJMP Drivers Club does insist on vetting driver capabilities as this is an event they organize and are responsible for. They have a strong belief in safety which is to be commended. Drivers who have previously driven with this event will be evaluated based on their past performance. Drivers who are new to the event will be required to discuss their driving experience by submitting a driving resume for evaluation to NJMP Drivers Club.

 

 

If you are new to HPDE then you can start off slow in the introductory group that NJMP Drivers Club offers. This provides more classroom sessions and a more paced track session with more instructor involvement to help you get up to speed with HPDE in a progressive way. Likewise, if your seven is not available for this event then there are other non-seven sessions open for you to continue to join in the fun in a group suited for your car of choice.

 

 

This will be a sevens only HPDE run group session. To make it this way we have to compromise run group rules. It will be with passing only on straights with a point by. No passing in corners or braking zones. No passengers on track other than for Drivers Club accredited instructors. Usual safety gear rules apply - in date helmets, long pants, closed toe shoes, arm restraints, in date belts, head below roll bar level, car freshly serviced, etc. This is not a race - it is a HPDE event. Those wanting to come here and set lap records should find another event as the aim is to enjoy the dynamic abilities of our sevens in a safe environment. Full safety gear requirements will follow in a later update.

 

 

Like last year we will have access to some instructors who are present as part of the day. Many of these instructors have driven and been passengers in sevens and know our cars well. They are very experienced and even if they do not accompany you out on track they will spend the time talking best lines on the track map in the pit building - definitely worth it for that.

 

 

NJMP is located in Millville, in southern NJ, about an hour east of Philadelphia and 2.5 hours south of New York City. It is easily reached off I-95. There are a variety of accommodation options available. NJMP has pit suites (comfortable motel units on the NJMP property over the top of the Thunderbolt pits) or luxury villa accommodation over on the Thunderbolt circuit. Millville has a lot of hotel options - Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn, Days Inn, Quality Inn, Hampton Inn, Ramada, etc.

 

 

This is not just a driving event but also a social event. Last year we had quite a few spouses present and enjoying the atmosphere and the evenings. We would love to welcome them back. There are a number of options to explore off-track if watching their partners mess around in their cars is not exciting enough during the day. The beach is a short drive from Millville. Cape Elizabeth down the Jersey Shore is well worth a visit. Atlantic City is 45 minutes drive away. There are a number of local wineries in the area offering tastings. The NJMP Clubhouse has a tennis court, bocce court and swimming pool with full change room facilities.

 

 

Costs are not yet finalized but are expected to be be similar to last year based on current estimates (say $200 per day for HPDE and $50pp for day visitors to cover insurance, cooked breakfast, gourmet lunch buffet, refreshments and the possibility of accompanying an instructor on track in a seven subject to availability).

 

 

Tom and I are looking forward to seeing past participants again and welcoming new visitors in 2018.

 

Safe driving!

 

Mike and Tom :seeya:

Edited January 7, 2018 by Croc
formatting

[Croc]

If you are interested in participating then please send a email to us at sevensarefun@gmail.com to get on our contact list.

 

 

 

Shane - for some reason I only have your old email - can you please send one at the email address above and I will make sure you are on the list. Thanks

[Tbox56]

Mike and Tom, many thanks for continuing this tradition. Put me down for one driver and one guest.

Tom

[Kitcat]

Looking forward to it. Nice to see T-bolt on the schedule: a whole new series of corners for me to slide off:)!

Isn't this the "seventh" iteration of this annual event:)?

[yellowss7]

Mike, I honestly can't remember. I know that 2010 we met at Log 30 in Gettysburg and did Summit point.

 

I Think there was a small, 6 or so of us that got together in 2010. The next had 9 cars and was definitely 2011. So I think this will be either the 8th or 9th gathering. Croc may know as he has framed all the pictures. Tom

[Croc]

Yes thats right. Gettysburg LOG in 2010 was the inspiration for it all when Tom, Mike, Jon (where is he these days?), myself and probably others I have forgotten, all hatched the plan for a gathering with our first event year in 2011. So this will be the 8th event. We had 2 good years running with SCDA then we tried that other HPDE outfit which was a bunch of nutters before eventually landing our own session slot at NJMP Drivers Club.

[xcarguy]

If you are interested in participating then please send a email to us at sevensarefun@gmail.com to get on our contact list.

 

 

 

Shane - for some reason I only have your old email - can you please send one at the email address above and I will make sure you are on the list. Thanks

 

 

Done. Thanks, Mike.

[Croc]

With just 4 days since the post went up, the responses have been flying in with those keen to participate, even though the event is being held in July! And here I was concerned about this event not being held on a weekend this year!

 

1. Tom G

2. Norm

3. Len C

4. George H

5. Tom C

6. Paul

7. Mike M

8. Blake

9. John B

10. Dan F

11. Graham

12. Seb

13. Jeff H

14. Mike

 

And I have some tentatives who are still getting the Boss' permission - Steve, Shane.

[Certified Lotus]

Yes thats right. Gettysburg LOG in 2010 was the inspiration for it all when Tom, Mike, Jon (where is he these days?), myself and probably others I have forgotten, all hatched the plan for a gathering with our first event year in 2011. So this will be the 8th event. We had 2 good years running with SCDA then we tried that other HPDE outfit which was a bunch of nutters before eventually landing our own session slot at NJMP Drivers Club.

 

Gettysburg LOG was where I met all you guys. It was the first time I had seen all the variations of a Seven in one place. You were all so enthusiastic about answering questions and letting me sit in your cars. (Well, to be honest you were more enthusiastic because Maureen was hanging out with me looking at all the cars). One day I’ll own one and won’t be on the sidelines :driving:

[yellowss7]

And they keep rolling in.

 

1. Tom G

2. Norm

3. Len C

4. George H

5. Tom C

6. Paul

7. Mike M

8. Blake

9. John B

10. Dan F

11. Graham

12. Seb

13. Jeff H

14. Mike

15. Fred M

 

Mike and I have made our guesses of the final numbers. I think I'm going to win, I'm Half way there already.:driving: Tom

[Kitcat]

Scott Lentz and MichaelD were at LOG 30 with us. I remember them at the track day with Tom (YellowSS). I remember Norm Beaver was there as well and helped put on the LOG 30 auto-X. "Birkin Bob" was there too, even more ostracized by the true-blue Lotus owners than we Caterham imposters were:). Tony Vacarro (sp?), , a longtime Caterham owner/supporter/proselytizer was there too as I recall. He occasionally stumbles onto this forum, tho hasn't been to NJMP. But the instigators of this whole big NJMP gathering of the Se7ens clans were YellowSS and Croc. Big thx to those 2 guys for keeping the flame alive and this event going and growing and getting it better by the year!

Edited January 11, 2018 by Kitcat

[Taber10]

Just to make sure this thread is complete, although this post is actually "off-topic" Joan and I were at Gettysburg/LOG 30, and felt as if we were "outsiders" and not as "welcome" as we had been in Birmingham/LOG 29. At least this past year at Birmingham/LOG 37, Joan and I felt that there was more consideration of the "non-Lotus" Lotus Seven Inspired Sportscars.

[Croc]

I must be having senior moments - yes thats where I met Taber and Joan. Sorry Taber - thank you for the gentle prompt.

 

And yes I did meet Glen for the first time there too plus my future prospective neighbors Maureen and Steve.

It was a wonderful event for meeting so many Sevenistas for the first time even if we were banished to Siberia for the car display morning. I gained a lot of new friends in the sevening world. And it kicked off our own form of get together event so much good came from it.

 

 

And the updates continue...

 

1. Tom G

2. Norm

3. Len C

4. George H

5. Tom C

6. Paul

7. Mike M

8. Blake

9. John B

10. Dan F

11. Graham

12. Seb

13. Jeff H

14. Mike

15. Fred M

16. Steve M

17. Jim A

 

 

 

Edited January 12, 2018 by Croc

[yellowss7]

Just to make sure this thread is complete, although this post is actually "off-topic" Joan and I were at Gettysburg/LOG 30, and felt as if we were "outsiders" and not as "welcome" as we had been in Birmingham/LOG 29. At least this past year at Birmingham/LOG 37, Joan and I felt that there was more consideration of the "non-Lotus" Lotus Seven Inspired Sportscars.

 

I had met Taber and Joan at the Birmingham LOG so we were old friends by Gettysburg :flag: Joan was all for taking the car on track, but I couldn't quite convince Taber that he let her do it. I'm still hoping they will take a ride up to NJMP and join in on the fun. :seeya::seeya::party:Tom

[RGTorque]

looking to have the WCM there!

[yellowss7]

And the updates continue...

 

1. Tom G

2. Norm

3. Len C

4. George H

5. Tom C

6. Paul

7. Mike M

8. Blake

9. John B

10. Dan F

11. Graham

12. Seb

13. Jeff H

14. Mike

15. Fred M

16. Steve M

17. Jim A

18.Roman

19.Scott L

20.Dave H

 

There are still quite a few past participants that haven't popped online yet that I fully expect will opt in. I also know there are several potential more that expressed interest after last year's event concluded. Hopefully they will make it this year. Where else can you find this many sevens together at one time. Even if you don't want to put your car on track, you should consider coming out and join in on the fun. The banter in the paddock is half the fun. This really is a fun group of people.

 

And just to reassure you, if you've never been on track before, you can run in the Novice group, which has no passing, lots of classroom instruction and I'm sure we can get you some in car instruction as well. Tom

Edited January 15, 2018 by yellowss7

[Croc]

Thats an important point of Tom's to highlight. There are in-car instructors available. I went out for 3 sessions in the novice group as an instructor last year for a new HPDE seven participant. Jeff, Tom and myself are all Drivers Club accredited instructors along with the roster of NJMP's regular instruction professionals. If you have never done this before, this is your best opportunity to try your seven out in a very gentle introduction under expert oversight.

[Certified Lotus]

I seem to recall a video of last years event ............

[Croc]

Hi Glen

 

And here is the wonderful video in question, created by the spectacular video wizard and all-round nice guy - yourself!

 

Naturally, this video is of the regular group and not the Novice group where the action is far more gentle and sedate.

 

 

 

So that leads me to ask....are we going to see you again this year? Love to have you around!

 

Cheers

mike

[Certified Lotus]

Awe sucks. Flattery will get you everywhere. I have the dates in my calendar, will try for the Thunderbolt day to shoot another video.