derBayerische September October 2022 - 36

N C C ' S S P R I N G H P D E A T S U M M I T P O I N T ' S J E F F E R S O N C I R C U I T
It was another call from
Gordon, this one in the form of an
incredible buying opportunity, that
got me back on the track. Gordon
was selling his amazingly perfect
E92 M3 Competition, and once I
heard the V8's exhaust growl and
saw the way the truly unique
Indianapolis Red paint interpreted
the sun's rays, I couldn't let the
opportunity pass.
Fortune has allowed me to
keep the E36 M3, and I reacquainted
myself to the track by driving the
E92. However, the sheer speed and
weight of the car left me longing for
the nimble E36 M3, so I decided it
would become my dedicated track
car.
I considered replacing the
stock interior with a race seats,
harness, and roll cage when a skid
pad incident (yes, a skid pad incident)
sealed the deal.
I had the
fortune of having Tommy Ivic riding
with me when I tore the bumper off
on the Shenandoah skid pad.
Tommy's kind offer to replace the
bumper
transitioned into the
interior replacement project, and I
picked up the car in mid-March.
Yes indeed, the March NCC HPDE
at Jefferson couldn't arrive soon
enough!
Getting the E36 M3 ready for
the year's first HPDE involved a
daunting set of tasks, but first I had
to pay close attention to the registration
dates, constantly checking
space for an extra set of wheels; a
nice insurance policy.
In the meantime my weekend
instructor, Scott Hoffman, sent me
an email to introduce himself and to
inquire about my HPDE experience,
the car's enhancements, and my
goals/weaknesses. This intro broke
the ice and enabled Scott to get
inside my brain, a process that
builds trust both ways.
On the morning of the event,
■ Thank you HPDE sponsor, Scott Hoffman of Howard and Hoffman
Insurance.
NCC's website as well as
MotorSportReg.com. That website
has become a great tool with its
centralized registration for all of the
events I attend.
Once I locked in on the event
dates, I could plan my car's tech
inspection, my purchase of new
tires, and load up on YouTube track
videos. Since my car was getting
its awesome interior update at
Tommy's shop, Tier Car Care, I
had the car's fluid refresh and
tech inspection squared away.
I reserved my time with the area's
best performance tire shop, Radial
Tire, in Silver Spring, MD;. a place
that should be put in DC's
National Register! While I should
be surprised that Paul Moorcones,
a former race car driver, would pay
so much attention to me and my
car's needs, I'm actually not; this
niche hobby we found ourselves in
is rich with wonderful, helpful
people. Paul isn't afraid of getting
his hands and jeans dirty; using a
piece of cardboard and assorted
spacers, he mounted my new
Continental Extreme Contact Force
tires with a square setup that allows
me to rotate the tires for extended
life. Paul and the entire Radial Tire
shop are awesome; buy all your
tires there!
Using my Google Docs
checklist to ensure I had every item
I needed, including my non-drowsy
Dramamine, I loaded up the car.
With the back seats removed, I have
■ (From the Left) That was fun! Edwin Pardue and Kathleen Lazorchack (center) of Summit Point Raceway.
my 5:30 a.m. alarm was one that
wouldn't need the snooze button;
I was psyched and hopped out of
bed! The 45-minute drive from
Ashburn is one that shouldn't be
driven with excessive speed; it's rare
I don't see police on Route 7. Also,
the winding WV roads require a
driver's attention, and the citizens of
tiny Summit Point require our
35mph respect.
After signing in at the Summit
Point Motorsports Park front gate,
I found a space in the busy paddock
by the deck. The grid tech inspection
flashlight verified that the car's
radiator met E36 specs, the hoses
weren't leaking, and brake pad
thickness was sufficient; Tier Car
Care had done their job well!
Next up was the drivers' meeting
at which DSSC Chair, Joe
Geadrities, covered important track
rules, including the meaning of the
flags used by the corner workers.
NCC stresses safety and one of the
36
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derBayerische September October 2022

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