Summit Point Raceway
Charles Town, WV
From Chris Edwards, 2001
"Summit Point had the nickname 'Slippery Point' because the track was very slippery even when dry. Because of this reputation and seeing racers crashing in situations that were unwarranted in dry conditions, I avoided doing any track days there. In late 2000, the main circuit was almost totally repaved. This being so, it was time to check it out. About seven or eight MAD members, along with myself, attended a Team Promotion track day on the main circuit. I rode my Yamaha R1 and got to ride an Aprilia 1000 Mille as well as an RS250, courtesy of Aprilia, North America. It took about three sessions to really get comfortable with the track but even at the end of the day I could not get my entry speed into turn 10 sorted out. I have absolutely no traction problems and found the track to be very enjoyable and challenging. "
"Later in the year I did a Team Promotion day along with Doug and Ann Frederick on the short Jefferson Circuit. This was aboard my newly acquired Aprilia RS250. The day was hot in the low 90's. We ran the circuit anticlockwise. Doug had warned me about the white lines, painted down the center of the track to simulate a normal road. These were slippery and would cause the tires to slide a couple of inches, but for the most part you never crossed them on full lean and there gaps so you could avoid them all together by adjusting you line. I found the track to be fun but not as interesting as the big circuit."
From Douglas Frederick
Sunday was a beautiful day at the Point. Never mind that Ann and I were up at 2:30 AM that morning on baby call, and unable to sleep afterwards....We climbed into the van at 5:45 and headed to the point tanked with caffeine and the shakes. And so we arrived to the Point with 60 other riders in NESBA. (See track map -red circuit- attached below)
Fast group was first out, and I was the first out on the line with Ann. At the starting line, Ann's SPS gave up the start with no sign of life. A short had developed in the Battery Tender leads and was arcing through the carbon fiber. More on this shortly......I went out alone, made 2 laps, obsrved new paint lines down the center of the track (must be used for police training or something- the Jefferson Circuit is a purpose build road circuit designed especially for training use). I was warned of their slippery nature, and was
throttled back to 70%, and entering the turn 1 at the end of the straight, promptly low-sided as the bike crossed a paint stripe and found no traction whatsoever. Yanked foot out from under bike, the alumninum Lockhardt Phillips bar ends did their job and dug in, anchoring the bike on the slide so the weight slid past the bar-ends and kept it on a straight line. Bike
slowed in the dirt. I ran to the bike, because I know this left-sided low-side can have fiery consequences. Strained to lift the bike, a nice gentlemen yelling slow down, I'll give you a hand!", and ran over to help. We got the bike up, and sure enough, the carbon fiber (an excellent conductor) was smoking working it's way to combustion. I pulled the carbon off the battery lead with bare hands ( a stupid but knee-jerk reaction- as Ann had saved her bike that was literally on fire 1 month earlier by putting it out with her GLOVES), and heard excited chatter on track intercoms how they had saved a bike "going up in smoke". A trifle exaggerated, however
could have been dramatic.....
Back in the pit, Ann and I wrenching like madmen (& madwomen). -Had all replacement parts, except clutch cover, and Ann made a mental note to advise photographer to only photograph on right side...(trying to keep things on the lighter side)..Clutch cover- I was able to reattach a large chunk of remains, and promised myself to keep feet out of spinning clutch...I would have myself to answer to..Tech inspection closed their eyes....and let me back out.
Both bikes up and running again, let's do one lap recount:
Pass pit lane coming down the front straight, maybe doing 120mph, slam brakes early at cone number one (because I now do not trust the paint stripes). What you eventually determine, is that you must make your lines between the dotted lines. This is not a problem, works kind of like cones in laying out your lines- just don't miss). Go to the furthest slightly bending dash, (most intermediate and intro riders are just staying totally to the inside), cross dotted line and bank hard, knee down, apex, drift out to the dotted line on a contunious arc, and your arc brings you back in to another apex (slightly dirty with a lot of clay dust). Straighten up and point to
the slight left on the opposite side of the track and graze the rumble strips.
I should stop at this point to mention Ann gave the rumble strip a go one time around and had a small wake-up call. Ann didn't think that these strips were the kind with the upsy downsy bumps in them and ran over heeled over. Needless to say, mega tank slapper ensued and almost tosser-her-offer. Moral of the story: Many rumble strips really do rumble if you get high enough on them, and Jefferson Point has big bumps. Have a steering damper? Should be cranked up for the track a couple notches in any event. And we should have a steering damper.
....So you round the slight left banked hard over at about 70 (I'm completely estimating- no speedo), wide open to the end of the back
straight. Brake hard at the 2nd cone, slow it up, slow it up, give a little extra room, throw it over in to the hard right. Stand completely on the pegs, no weight on the seat, so as to get the center of gravity down when you hit the two bumps. BIG BUMPS that will humble suspension if not prepared, and thus lose traction, potentially low-side. Drift all the way wide to the outside far far edge of the track to maximize drive out. Crest the middle of the hill, just to the left of the dotted lines. Then the tricky part.
A large ever-decreasing radius with stripes down the middle requires a choice: to the right, or left of the stripes, and in either case, when do you cross over? I recommend the right, bend to slightly in the middle of the track, cross the paint stripe again at your favorite opening while straight up, brake slightly as you are now moving to the outside of the track and have scrubbed off much speed. Then pitch hard for the major kink right at the tightest part of the turn, and stay way inside (sacrifice exit line) for
the exit to line you up for the leftie (the beginning of the "S" es). Apex inside of the BIG PAINT patch, increasing gas as you move to the next right turn. Knees down everywhere, exit the right and straighten up fast brake slightly, and hit the next right at exactly the right openings in the dotted lines. As I said before, although I refer to the dotted lines alot, they are actually excellent in helping to map out your lines. JUST DON'T MISS.
Occassionaly you cross one, the bike slides until it catches grip again. After you do that once or maybe twice, you will not do it again. Experience is the mother of necessity....Back to the course: this last left is the most important track turn exit because it will translate into speed all the way down to the end of the front straight. Resist the urge to put on too much gas early, and it will pay major dividends as it translates into an excellent track-out (without chopping throttle to avoid running of track)
drifting to the far right. Floor it down the main strait and set up for your next lap of entertainment........
The only other memorable mishaps were an increasingly problematic missed gear (or so I thought). My slipper clutch was disengaging toward the end of the day, finding me entering turns consistently without drive. I think I panic-sphinctered 3 times in one lap. Then, finally in the last session, the drive never came back, and I realized I had definitely applied enough force to the shifter. Thereafter, I cruised around the track at 7K RPM at 5 mph. Day done. I have gotten to used to the slipper clutch to be without it, those things work.
The course in general has two turns that can make one nervous, but they definitely provide a technical challenge:
Challenge 1: The turn at the end of the main straight changes radius several times, making the mapping of your route through the horseshoe very challenging, particularly while dealing with cambers.
Challenge 2: How far can you push it in while braking, and tightening for turns?
We found both of these hard to answer to, and challenges that have to be met. We will be back in 2 weeks.