2006 New England Challenge

[Bob Lutz DB-1 #54]

In each of the three years of the NEC, at least one event is scheduled for each of the 6 permanent road courses (NHIS, LRP, WGI, Pocono, SP and Beaver) within the geographical boundaries of the Northeast Division. Two weekends at LRP and the double at WGI make 8 races with only the best 6 counting toward the championship. While the attendance at Beaver and Summit has remained pretty dismal, the WGI and Pocono entries are up from pre-NEC years -- NHIS and LRP are normally good events being in the middle of the FF/CF hotbed centered around Ct. and Ma.

I'd like some input on the format for the NEC in 2006 --

1) Should we continue to have at least one event at each track?
2) What can we do to get attendance up at SP and Beaver?
3) Should we count both ends of the double regionals at Pocono and NHIS instead of just the Sunday race?
4) Any other suggestions for increasing entries

[Michael Rand]

My 2 cents, and likely not worth that, double weekends are the way to go. Though there is no double at LRP in '06, Pocono, WGI, NHIS all make great sense.
I bet if BeaveRun was near Philly rather tha Pburg it would do fine for entries. Just a long drag for the majority of people.
So 3 doubles [WGI, POC, NHIS], one each at SP and LRP, leaving the organizer without a home race, but like I said, my 2 [worthless] 2 cents. 8 events, count the best 6 ?

[stephen wilson]

I'd agree with what Mike said. I don't do Beaver of NHIS due to long tows, but plan on SP,Pocono,LRP, and WGI. At this point I'm still running a very limited schedule.

[Shep]

Hypothetical question:
What happens if both races of the BeaveRun Double apply toward the championship - and the best 8 of 10 races count overall? Do people get miffed and gravitate away from the series? Do people reluctantly make the longer tows for the sake of the series? Or do things remain exactly the same as they were this year?

[Bob Lutz DB-1 #54]

Probably wouldn't affect anyone's plans -- the maximum of 6 races has been in effect for the past 3 years (drop the lowest points for anything over 6 races) and no one has done more than 6 races -- this says that no one is driven to travel long distances just to win the NEC championship. Just as I won't travel 10 or 12 hours to go to NHIS for a weekend, most of the Mass and Ct. guys don't want to go the 10 or more hours to BeaveRun. A couple guys like Boyer and Kendall have traveled to BeaveRun ONCE, just to say they've been there, but its not a regular thing.

[AJWALKER]

If you take a look at the regular entries at what tracks I think you'll find Pocono, the glen, and LRP are the core that are within a reasonable tow respectively. Take the doubles from Pocono and the glen, balance one Beaver run with one NHIS, throw in a Summit point and a LRP and you have a series. It just seems a waste not to count race that your there and doing anyways. my half cents, AJW

[Roux]

Same sentiment as Alan above on what to do for 2006.


I went to Beaverun once in 2004 and would like do it again. I also checked out SP for the first time this year and would make the trek there willingly. Probably wouldn't do both treks every year, but my work and family schedule play into where and when I race. Same for the others I am sure. One track that is becoming less and less attractive to me is NHIS, so I plan to do SP more often over NHIS.

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[EACIII]

My race schedule is basically I do all the races at Lime Rock as it is only 1 hour from home and I like the track. That is about 8 races a year. I then try to do the NEC/Fun One at Watkins Glenn. I plan to go to Beaver Run every year but it is always a week before or after a Lime Rock event and I just can't get the time to do back to back weekends anymore. I will try to get to Pocono this year also. I'm with Roux on NHIS. For me Pocono is closer and I would rather tow to Watkins Glenn then run NHIS. Even more so now that they don't run the oval much any more. I stopped Autocrossing years ago and that is what it is like without NASCAR 1 and 2.

Ed Callo

[LolaT440]

I am new. So what is the issue that everyone has with NHIS?

[Sweeper]

I am new. So what is the issue that everyone has with NHIS?

I can't speak for everyone, but NHIS is considered a slow technical track that takes a lot of laps to perfect. I personaly like it. Driven correctly is a ton of fun! albeit tough on the body.

It has great facilities, restaurant, garages, pavemant, HOT SHOWERS!!! (unlike LRP) ect...

The track is fun, you get to drive the NASCAR oval (Turns 1 & 2) on most weekends and a tough chicane set-up on the others. They keep it in great condition since we always run the regionals the weekend before the stock cars show up. There are more than one passing zone.

NER runs a great set of dbls late in the summer. It used to draw more FF's but I see the fields are shrinking. There is still a decent turn out of NCF's but from some of these posts I see, maybe won't have the turn out this year (2006). The people that say they don't like the track, are the same people that don't drive it very often. The main problem is the tow from most places suck.

Please come to NHIS for FUN DBLE WEEKENDS, BOTH SHOULD COUNT TO THE NEC. I'd go to beaver run but the fields are small there as well. I'll probably try this year.

We would like JD, Rand and Kendall, Roux and a ton of good racers that frequent LRP and Pocono to come to these dbls and do the national early in the year as a good warm-up. It is definitely worth it

Have fun this year!

Rob Weiner NCF #3

[Rodney Kendall]

LolaT440

There is no real issue with NHIS. It is what is usually referred to as a 'stop-and-go' track, so it lacks the 'flow' one gets at Watkins Glen, Mosport, VIR and the likes. Hence the references to autocrossing and karting. Even so, it's a lot of fun.

As Sweeper points out the facilities at NHIS are absolutely first rate. If you are new at this then you should certainly race there. It's a fairly short track with about 10 shifts per lap and nowhere to relax, so be prepared to be very busy. I usually make at least one of the doubles there each year but for me Summit Point is about the same trek, and in my opinion, a better 'racing experience' (the paddock and racing surface could use some $$$ though).

[Don Denomme]

I agree with Rod. NHIS is a first rate facility. As for the comment about not using the high-bank turns 1 and 2, the only time we don't run them is on the second day of a dbl race weekend. We run one configuration on Saturday and the infiled cut-off for 1 and 2 on Sunday. Other than that, we always run the high-bank.

I agree that the Glen, Lime Rock or VIR may have a better flow, but NHIS is a good technical track. Over the years I've found that towing time seems to be the greatest issue. A good number of drivers are from outside of New Hampshire or Mass and the tow can be long. I know that when I consider Beaver Run, VIR, etc., it's the deal breaker for me.

[J.D. King]

Roux hit the nail on the head for me. With my family and a vacation not involving a racetrack being in the mix, I've become a bit more selective as to where I race these days. My boys are both into sports(games) so that ties up the spring and fall pretty tight.
So I'll be racing at the Glen, Summit Point, and Limerock, as well as Pocono and hopefully we'll all be racing in south jersey pretty soon.
I have seen video and heard that NHIS is fun, but like VIR and Mid-O, would require 2 extra days off for travel. I can swing the Limerock Friday because "they don't race on Sunday" is an easy excuse for those days off Then again, I only go to Limerock once, Summit twice, Glen twice, and Pocono. One Summit, one Glen and Pocono being double regionals.

[Roux]

I sparked Ed off with my remarks. All I said was that it had become less attractive to me. I got signed off there and raced there as often as at Limerock for a number of years. I actually enjoy the fact that you are shifting a lot. I just like flowing tracks with long straights and drafting and I can get that by adding say an hour of towing each way by going to the Glen or Summit. One really bad experience I have had at New Hampshire is being the 4th car in a train of CF's and not being able to attempt a pass anywhere for the length of the race. It is very easy to block going into 3 by hogging the inside of the braking zone, and then if the guy looks like he is getting a run on you towards 6 you just stay left. Rinse and repeat and that is all she wrote for the remainder of the race. Showers, paddock, garages, cafeteria, proximity to stuff you might need like parts stores, all top class, but not quie enough to get me as excited and worked up.

[Bob Lutz DB-1 #54]

I've been keeping an eye on the posts here and I've also gotten a couple of additional replies to my E-Mail address -- seems like the overwhelming opinion is to count both ends of the Double Regionals as NEC events -- I'll certainly work on this for 2006 along with trying to make 2 LRP weekends since there are no Double Regionals there.

My latest info lists the following regionals for 2006 in NEDiv:

4/23 NHIS
4/29-30 SP
5/13-14 Pocono Double Regional
5/27-28-29 NHIS Triple Regional
6/10-11 SP
6/17 LRP
7/4 LRP
7/8-9 NHIS Double Regional
7/15-16 SP
7/22-23 WGI
8/18-19 LRP
8/19-20 BeaveRun Double Regional
8/26-27 NHIS
9/2-3-4 SP Double Regional
9/9-10 NHIS Double Regional
9/16-17 WGI Double Regional
9/23 WGI
9/30-10/1 SP
10/20-21 LRP

I'll try to arrange an NEC schedule that makes sense and post it later in December.

[AJWALKER]

Thanks Bob for asking for input and the personal effort that you put in to make such a great mini series. I believe that it has added to the FF/CF car counts and given a little extra incentive to try some new tracks. The greatest part is that it has brought together fellow racers that might not have ever met.
AJW