Chuckwalla feedback: "witch" way did you like better?

[MR LIPP]

Which Course direction?
Which route to get there?
Which hotel/overnight accommodations?
Which restaurant?

Dare I ask this?
I know it is a little far to the hotel; what is your opinion?
Any gripes?
Suggestions?

[Jackie C]

Thanks Peter and Martin for the opportunity to drive this new great track. Easy drive to the track, counterclockwise was a blast. Can't wait to TT it next year!

[Steve Grosekemper]

Those who missed this event really missed out.
Incredible new track...
My new favorite track.

Jack you should have stayed for Sunday...
It was crazy fast sweeper day on Sunday.

Specifics:
CW is better but both need to be driven.
15>215>60>10
Best western (really great hotel and staff)
The Mexican Place at the 10/monroe interchange. (2 minutes by car from the hotel)
Killer home made tortillas.

Had a great time and can't wait to go back

[Greg Phillips]

Fun event, thanks for setting it up.

Preferred CW, but both were fun, wide smooth track with flowing corners.
Great training track, plenty of room to work on throttle steering.

Pictures are up on Picassa:
http://picasaweb.google.com/phigreg/201 ... directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/phigreg/201 ... directlink

http://picasaweb.google.com/phigreg/201 ... directlink

Greg

[Mmagus]

Great pictures as always Greg. I especially liked Chuck's uber hi-tec. micro thin wing

[ChuckS]

Great Weekend!!!!

Peter and Martin did a great job of organizing and running it. Thank You!!!!
Running together with the BMW Club also worked out great. We play together very well!

Loved the track - in both directions. A lot of people said that CW would be better, but I think I liked CCW better - by a little bit.

The trip to the track was hard due to a lot of hills with my underpowered Tahoe. We went up via 15-215-60-10. The hills on the 60 were the hardest with narrow twisty lanes. Overall, OK. We did it in 3 hours of drive time but drank a LOT of gas. The NAV position for the track is wrong. The real entrance is 4 miles closer than the NAV said. For the return, we bypassed the 60 with the route that Mark Bray suggested. It was 16 miles shorter and easy, except for around 5 miles in downtown Hemet. Of course, the return was mostly downhill, so it was much easier.

Hotel was great! Comfortable, clean, good amenities and a very friendly staff. They even opened the breakfast early on Sunday just for our group. Being 50 miles away was a pain, but its not like we have much of a choice.


Great Pictures Greg! The track, for being in the middle of nowhere, allows for some great photo ops, with mountains and blue sky backgrounds.

Mark, I am glad you like the wing. It provides just the right amount of downforce - especially without the front splitter!

[Mike]

My vote, both directions again and in the same order as last w/e.
I'll post some vids later of each direction.
Martin thanks for the new ball cap!

[SDGT3]

Martin and I would like to offer our thanks to everyone who came out to our last DE. After 2 years, we step down as DE chairs and are extremely happy with how things have gone over that time period. From the infield at Fontana to the Coronado Speedfest and finally Chuckwalla, the ride has been fantastic. The great success and popularity of these driving events are because of all the enthusiasm and support shown by not only SDR, but OCR GPX and others.

Thanks to the great folks behind the scenes like Chuck and Debby Sharp, Jackie Corwin, all the tech inspectors, Don Middleton for the equipment and everyone that deals with Motorsportreg! You make it possible to put on the events and keep things running smoothly.

As far as Chuckwalla, what a great event!!! Everyone drove beautifully and at the end of the day, the head of the corners workers mentioned how he was impressed with the level of skill demonstrated by our drivers. On two separate occasions the owner of the track mentioned to me how impressed he was with the skill of our drivers and had never had a group so large at his track that was so experienced.

There were compliments thrown back and forth between the PCA and BMW attendees and each came away impressed with the other. Overall a fine demonstration of cooperation between the two clubs to share expenses and a track weekend in these difficult of economic times. To that end, I was approached by a senior member of the Los Angeles Chapter of BMWCCA on Sunday and asked if PCASDR would want to share a track weekend with them at Fontana during the last weekend in February 2011. I told him that I was no longer a DE Chair and it would be forwarded to the appropriate party for consideration, but this shows how highly that chapter thought of the alliance between the two clubs in San Diego.

As far as my personal opinion, I didn't drive on Sunday, but had a chance to run CCW on Saturday and put in a few laps each direction on Friday. I thought running CCW was more technical and challenging. I wish there was a hotel much closer to the track, but the room was clean, affordable and the breakfast in the morning started the day off right before the 45 min. drive to the track.


Living in east county and not towing to the track, I drove 8 E to Highway 79 through Julian, down to Borrego to the Salton Sea and finally to Chuckwalla. It was a leisurely drive through beautiful scenery and I arrived in 3 hours.

The photos Greg Phillips posted of the Chuckwalla sky at dusk really captured the beauty of the desert and mountains in that area.

[Mike]

Counter clockwise is mostly decreasing radius turns.
It's considered the down hill direction.
Track visibility is less, creates a few longer linked turns with blind apexes.
Lap times appear to be a little quicker this direction.
http://vimeo.com/16428967

Clockwise is mostly increasing radius turns.
It is the up hill direction.
Better track visibility.
Lap times a little slower this direction.
http://vimeo.com/16431060

Steve and I were bs’ing in the pits…
For a TT weekend…
Both directions and double points.
CCW first day last 2 sessions your best timed lap counts.
CW second day same last 2 sessions your best lap counts.
If you did the normal 2 day same direction with timed laps Sunday afternoon I would consider Saturday only.

[MR LIPP]

Mike, I am glad you like the cap. Welcome to the darkside of the force.
BTW, Good news. The event actually made over $2,500, which should help stem the tide of red-ink.

I liked CCwise better.
I liked 215 to 60 to 10 with my trailer. With just a car, I would use the twisty route thru the mountains.
I liked the Best Western, they were great about getting breakfast early for us. Fantasy whatever was closer, but was $125 per night (ouch).
I also liked that little Mexican place near the hotel that Steve mentioned (reasonable and close by)

Gripes:
That flag people were stingy on the passing flags (we got that mostly fixed on Sunday).

[pecivil]

thanks to all involved for another great PCASDR track day!!

I didn't get a hall pass for Sunday, but running CCW was fun and I am looking forward to going back for a TT and running CW.

Best Western was great, the room was nice for the price and the staff was super.

I took the 15 to 79 to 371 to 74 to 111. It was a great drive and shaved a good 30 minutes off the all freeway route.

+3 on the mexican restaurant. Very good food and good prices. Ole.

Monte G

[c4s4pcs]

Thanks for a great event - Bret and I had a wonderful time. We only ran on Saturday (CCW) but we really enjoyed the track. As far as lodging goes. we would "camp" at the track if there was a shower available (a la Spring Mountain). Failing that, we will most likely leave the trailer at the track and go home - it's only about two hours for us, towing - rather than staying in a motel an hour away. Did anybody use those campers that I heard were available for rent?