AUGUST 4, 2024
DAY 1
We have a nice kickoff and orientation today in one of our new lofts for Performance Driving and Competition Teen Race Camp. It was great seeing everyone! The campers had their lunches and then we made our way over to the Kartrite for some Paintball team building but one camper said it was more team beating. The little paint pellets did provide a sting. We all got settled into our rooms and then head back over to the MMC Clubhouse to get helmet and/or Hans fittings done and finished just in time for dinner. Homemade pizza (cheese, pepperoni, mushroom, and sausage), chicken , steak, and two types of salad were provided. Dessert was everyone’s favorite, the soft serve ice cream.
We headed back to the Kartrite for the evening. Some campers had smores at the firepit, others tossed the frisbee and did games on the courtyard lawn and many campers spent time at the arcade using the points on their arcade pass. Evening finished with Xbox in the camper meting room or an early night to be in preparation for a full day at the track on Monday!
Have a great day!
Best,
Danielle
Teen Camp Director
AUGUST 5, 2024
DAY 2
Day 2 of Competition School was a busy day out on the South course! The sun was out, and it was hot, but the campers were fully engaged and focused.
The group started out in the classroom with a detailed introduction of the camp and the goals of the program by their Lead instructor Taylor Handwerk, MMC Track Director. Risk management and dealing with fear was discussed amongst the group. The group went out in 4 door vehicles with the instructors to get an overview of the track. The classroom discussion went over Ocular driving, breaking and corner approach, basic line theory, single arc, late and early turn-in and result, reading exits, steering wheel /car position, basic vehicle dynamics, tire patch, weight transfer and accelerate-brake-turn sequence. The group then went out in the 4-door vehicles with the instructors to have a more detailed overview of the track and discussed certain situations and how to handle them such as dropped wheels. All the students drove the 4 door vehicles with an instructor at street speed on the track to get a feel for the course. The next classroom discussion was about seat and belt adjustment and vehicle operation. Flags, lights, Passing rules, driver etiquette and the explanation of solo driving was discussed. Before lunch the students went out in the vehicles as passengers with the instructors demonstrating proper passing procedures. After lunch the campers spent their time in the PDKs; getting use to the vehicle, driving out on the track first at street speed and then picking up the pass and practicing the skills that were discussed in the classroom. They all did a great job!
Our group dinner was at Bixby’s located at the Kartrite Hotel. We had a great time with the dining room to ourselves. After dinner, the group made their way down to the arcade for Lazer tag, the game room and/or bowling. The rest of the evening was with to bed early or in our meeting room playing x-box and checking in on the Olympics. The 10:00 pm curfew to their rooms was not a problem, everyone was tired and put in a long day. Day 3 will be another long and busy day which they are all looking forward to, more driving!
PW: MMC
Enjoy your day!
Best,
Danielle
Teen Race Camp Director
AUGUST 6, 2024
DAY 3
Day 3 was jam packed with classroom and track work for the campers. The group started out on the track in streetcar with the instructors at highway speed and then transitioned into the PDK’s for 30-minute sessions out on the track.
In classroom braking was discussed and then the group went out on the track to go over a break exercise. After lunch, classroom discussion went over Advanced line theory , Camber, Elevation , Curbing , Grip factors, Compromise corners , Systemic approach to evolving the line. In addition, how to experiment safely, the role of consistency and escape plans was discussed in detail. The group went out after classroom for a Track Walk to reinforce the concepts mentioned in the classroom. The remaining 2 hours rotated two groups of 3 with 30-minute track time. When one group came off the track, the other team member made sure the next person in the car was properly seated and belted in the car. Final check was performed by the Taylor and the track ops team. The campers did spend about 20 minutes driving in the rain which really changed up their speed on the track and how the car performed on the track, it was a great experience.
It was Italian Dinner Night at the club house dining room. Everyone ate well and we headed back to the Kartrite hotel around 6 to get settled. Some campers went to the arcade and others relaxed before heading out to the firepits for smores and games out on the courtyard grassy area. Football toss and volleyball with large character balls won at the arcade were a big hit. The rain brought everyone inside where campers either headed to their rooms for an early night or in our game room to hangout as a group or play x-box. Tomorrow will be another big day full of challenge since it looks like we will be getting some rain which means a wet track.
Remember, our closing ceremony with be Thursday, August 8 at 4:15 pm in the Club House dining room. We look forward to seeing everyone arriving around 4:00 pm. Taylor has asked all parents not to plan to arrive early to watch their children out on the track due to their safety and to make sure they stay focused since they will be racing out on the track.
PW: MMC
Have a wonderful day!
Best,
Danielle
AUGUST 7, 2024
DAY 4
The on and off light drizzle didn’t deter the campers from doing a great job out on the South course track today in the PDK’s. The group started the day in the classroom with a quick recap of the previous day concepts. Then it was out on the track at about 9:30 with a 20-minute warm-up in the cars. A 45-minute classroom session went through the art of passing race etiquette , Entering corners off-line , Line recapture and an explain of an offline entry exercise that they were going out on the track to do for the hour rotating between two groups of 3. Before the campers went through the exercise on their own, the two groups went in a streetcar with an instructor to run through the exercise.
After lunch, the group started in the classroom going over a passing exercise and then got in the street cars with the instructors who demonstrated proper passing technique. The focus was on technique versus speed. Each group had a 30-minute session running through this exercise in the PDK on their own with the instructors on the radio providing input and guidance. The day ended with a debrief of the day and the campers received their driving profiles from the days lesson.
We had a served dinner at the club house for our last evening of camp with some great desserts to finish off the wonderful meal (the soft serve ice cream was also enjoyed before dinner once they finished their lessons for the day). The group headed back to the Kartrite for the evening. Everyone got settled in their rooms and then meet to join in on either a game of Spike Ball, Corn Hole or to toss the football around. We were fortunate enough to find a large space that was protected from the rain. The games wrapped up before 9:30 when everyone headed to their rooms to pack so they had more time to sleep before they must check out in the morning and load their luggage in the vans.
The week flew by! The campers worked hard, and they are both excited and anxious for their big race on Thursday. We hope to see everyone at the closing ceremony at 4:15 pm in the MMC Club House dining room. We discourage parents arriving early to watch their camper. The Lead Instructor wants to maintain their focus and limit distractions for their safety.
All the best,
Danielle C. Wright
Teen Race Camp Director
AUGUST 8, 2024
DAY 5
The time spent with Ajay, Cam, Cedrik, Kyler, Molly, and Taylor in Teen Race camp went fast. Their growth as drivers on the track improved every day. The last day of camp, Taylor focused on preparing the group for a track race on our South Course. The morning session had the campers out on the track again working on the corners and feeling comfortable with other drivers passing and challenging his space. There was also some classroom discussion on starts. Right before lunch there was a qualifying race to prep the group for the afternoon race. After lunch, the group and the staff practiced starts.
The campers did an amazing job in the 6-lap race on the south course. Our professional Instructor, Brad Perez, raced with the campers. The campers held their own and did a stellar job!
Group 1 Winner: Ajay Choksi
Group 2 Winner: Kyler Horowitz
Congratulations Ajay, Cam, Cedrik, Kyler, Molly, and Taylor for successfully completing MMC’s Competition Teen Race camp! It was a pleasure having them.
We hope to see the campers in our 3-day Race School next season. This would give your child the experience and skills they would need to drive the MMC Track solo per the approval of our track director. We will be sure to share the 2025 Race School dates with you as soon as they are announced.
PW: MMC
Best,
Danielle C. Wright
Teen Race camp Director