![]() | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations .(December 2016) |
![]() | |
![]() Summit Point Main Circuit (1970–present) | |
Location | Summit Point, WV, USA |
---|---|
Time zone | UTC−5 (UTC−4 DST) |
Coordinates | 39°14′3.8″N77°58′31.04″W / 39.234389°N 77.9752889°W |
Capacity | open seating without capacity limitation |
Owner | Bill Scott Racing, Inc. |
Operator | Bill Scott Racing, Inc. |
Broke ground | 1969 |
Opened | October 1969 |
Former names | Summit Point Raceway (1969–2003) |
Major events | Current: Atlantic Championship (2017–2019, 2023–present) Former: 12 Hours at the Point (1999–2009) IMSA GT Championship (1971, 1982, 1987–1989) Can-Am (1986) Trans-Am Series (1983–1985) |
Summit Point Main Circuit (1970–present) | |
Length | 3.219 km (2.000 miles) |
Turns | 10 |
Race lap record | 1:04.452 ( ![]() |
Jefferson Circuit (1996–present) | |
Length | 1.771 km (1.100 miles) |
Turns | 7 |
Shenandoah Circuit (2004–present) | |
Length | 3.540 km (2.200 miles) |
Turns | 22 |
Summit Point Original Circuit (1969–1970) | |
Length | 3.219 km (2.000 miles) |
Turns | 8 |
Summit Point Motorsports Park is a road racing and driver training facility located in Jefferson County, West Virginia about two hours west of Washington, D.C. in the state's Eastern Panhandle.
Summit Point Motorsports Park features three road racing circuits that are currently used for amateur automobile, motorcycle racing, and contracted government training.
Built in 1969–1970, Summit Point Motorsports Park (then "Summit Point Raceway"), opened in October 1969. [1]
The first races held there were SCCA regional races in the fall of 1969 with IMSA International Sedans being the first professional event, [2] later to become The Radial Tire Series, and IMSA Pro Formula Ford. The event was held on Memorial Day, May 30, 1970. (The holiday was still celebrated on the 30th then.) Rasey Feezell won in an Alfa Romeo 4-door sedan, whose modifications were very questionable, taking home the grand sum of $200 prize money. Five of the eleven entrants were from Raleigh, North Carolina.
During its early years and since SCCA held numerous events at the track. Several Regional and National races were run each year. Many racers got their start in the popular SCCA Driver's Schools held there by the Washington DC Region.
Paul Newman ran several of his early races there in a Bob Sharp-prepared Datsun 510 sedan. He wished to be just another "racer" and did not want to be recognized at racing events as a "superstar", so he and wife Joanne Woodward kept to themselves and eschewed signing autographs. Few realized they were racing in the company of famous actors. The only outward clue was the plate on his 510's front bumper... "PLN"
Over time the track was host to a number of professional races sanctioned by IMSA and the SCCA Trans-Am Series through the late 1980s.
The track was sold to Bill Scott and his partner Tom Milner in the early 1980s. Bill was 1970 Formula Vee World Champion Bill Scott. [3]
The Sportscar Vintage Racing Association returned to Summit Point in 2023 after a two-decade absence.
In addition to racing, the track became a training ground for various federal agencies and other security organizations.
Summit Point Main is a 10-turn, 2.000 mi (3.219 km) road course that features a 2,900-foot (880 m) main straight. This original circuit opened in 1970.
The original layout did not include the "Carousel", presently denoted Turns 6 and 7. In the original layout, Turn 5 was a ~90 deg. left-hander leading to a 90 deg. right-hander at the entry to what is now denoted Turn 8. Therefore, the original layout had 8 turns (or 9 depending on how you counted them). The "Carousel" wasn't added until sometime after mid-1973. [4]
No longer used for professional auto races, it hosts many WKC, WKA, SCCA, Audi, Mazda Drivers, BMWCCA, N2 Track Days, and NASA club races, track days, and schools. In addition, motorcycle races are run by CCS and WERA.
The Main Circuit is also the annual home of the Jefferson 500 vintage race and The 12 Hours at the Point endurance race.
The Main Circuit was repaved in the Fall of 2017.
The Jefferson Circuit is a Nine-turn, 1.100 mi (1.770 km) road course that was designed and built by Bill Scott as a dedicated course for high-performance, accident avoidance and emergency operation driver training. Opened in 1996 or 1997, the Jefferson is a course that demands constant attentiveness and smooth inputs from drivers. [5] [6]
The circuit hosts a number of driver training schools, as well as a handful of motorcycle trackdays each year.
The Jefferson Circuit is currently under construction with extensive upgrades, according to the track's website.
The Shenandoah Circuit is a 22-turn, 2.200 mi (3.541 km) road course that first opened in 2004. Widely considered one of the most technical circuits of the recent crop of race courses, the Shenandoah also boasts a smaller scale replica of the Nürburgring-Nordschleife's famous banked Karussell turn. It is also known as the concrete jungle.[ citation needed ]
Since opening in late 2004, the Shenandoah has played host to a number of high-performance driver education clinics, a handful of road races and a number of motorcycle races. After a number of races and schools, minor changes were made to the track layout in late 2004 and early 2005, including the addition of a straight between turns 5 and 7.
The Washington Circuit is Summit Point's newest addition constructed and opened in 2009.
Several layouts are used depending on the types of events occurring and the weather conditions, but the course is most often configured as the "Washington Long Course". This is 0.52-mile (0.8 km) and 11 turns, including a sweeping 160-degree decreasing radius corner and 3 straights.
As of August 2024, the fastest official race lap records at Summit Point Motorsports Park are listed as:
Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
---|---|---|---|---|
Summit Point Main Circuit: 3.220 km (1970–present) [1] | ||||
Formula Atlantic | 1:04.452 [7] | Matthew Butson | Swift 014.a | 2024 Summit Point Atlantic Championship round |
IMSA GTO | 1:12.240 [8] | Pete Halsmer | Mercury Cougar XR-7 | 1989 Summit Point Grand Prix |
Can-Am | 1:12.650 [9] | Horst Kroll | Frissbee KR3 | 1986 SCCA Can-Am Challenge Summit Point |
Trans-Am | 1:15.460 [10] | Willy T. Ribbs | Mercury Capri | 1985 Summit Point Trans-Am round |
IMSA GTU | 1:18.070 [8] | John Overton | Mazda RX-7 | 1989 Summit Point Grand Prix |
IMSA AC | 1:18.760 [8] | Tommy Riggins | Buick Somerset | 1989 Summit Point Grand Prix |
Daytona International Speedway is a race track in Daytona Beach, Florida, United States, about 50 mi (80 km) north of Orlando. Since opening in 1959, it has been the home of the Daytona 500, the most prestigious race in NASCAR as well as its season opening event. The venue also hosts the 24 Hours of Daytona, one of three IMSA races that make up the Triple Crown of endurance racing. In addition to NASCAR and IMSA, the track also hosts races of ARCA, AMA Superbike, SCCA, and AMA Supercross. The track features multiple layouts including the primary 2.500 mi (4.023 km) high-speed tri-oval, a 3.560 mi (5.729 km) sports car course, a 2.950 mi (4.748 km) motorcycle course, and a 1,320 ft (400 m) karting and motorcycle flat-track. The track's 180-acre (73 ha) infield includes the 29-acre (12 ha) Lake Lloyd, which has hosted powerboat racing.
Watkins Glen International, nicknamed "The Glen", is an automobile race track in the northeastern United States, located in Dix, New York, just southwest of the village of Watkins Glen, at the southern tip of Seneca Lake. It is long known around the world as the former home of the Formula One United States Grand Prix, which it hosted for twenty consecutive years (1961–1980). In addition, the site has also been home to road racing of nearly every class, including the World Sportscar Championship, Trans-Am, Can-Am, NASCAR Cup Series, the International Motor Sports Association, and the IndyCar Series. The facility is currently owned by NASCAR.
Sonoma Raceway is a road course and dragstrip located at Sears Point in the southern Sonoma Mountains of Sonoma County, California. The road course features 12 turns on a hilly course with 160 ft (49 m) of total elevation change. It is host to one of the few NASCAR Cup Series races each year that are run on road courses. It has also played host to the IndyCar Series, the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, and several other auto races and motorcycle races such as the American Federation of Motorcyclists series. Sonoma Raceway continues to host amateur, or club racing events with some open to the public. The largest such car club is the Sports Car Club of America. The track is 30 mi (48 km) north of San Francisco and Oakland.
Laguna Seca Raceway is a paved road racing track in central California used for both auto racing and motorcycle racing, built in 1957 near both Salinas and Monterey, California, United States.
The Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli is a sports car racing series held in North America. Founded in 1966, it is sanctioned by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA). Primarily based in the United States, the series competes on a variety of track types including road courses and street circuits. Trans-Am is split into the TA and TA2 classes for silhouette racing cars, while its production classes are the GT, SGT, and XGT.
Canadian Tire Motorsport Park is a multi-track motorsport venue located north of Bowmanville, in Ontario, Canada, approximately 75 kilometers east of Toronto. The facility features a 3.957 km (2.459 mi), 10-turn road course; a 2.9 km (1.8 mi) advance driver and race driver training facility with a 0.402 km (0.250 mi) skid pad and a 1.5 km (0.93 mi) kart track. The name "Mosport", a portmanteau of Motor Sport, came from the enterprise formed to build the track.
Sebring International Raceway is a road course auto racing facility in the southeastern United States, located near Sebring, Florida.
The International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) is a North American sports car racing sanctioning body based in Daytona Beach, Florida, under the jurisdiction of the ACCUS arm of the FIA. It was started by John Bishop, a former executive director of SCCA, and his wife Peggy in 1969 with help from Bill France Sr. of NASCAR. Beginning in 2014, IMSA is the sanctioning body of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the premier series resulting from the merger of Grand-Am Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series. IMSA is owned by NASCAR, as a division of the company.
Road Atlanta is a 2.540 mi (4.088 km) road course located just north of Braselton, Georgia, United States. The facility is utilized for a wide variety of events, including professional and amateur sports car and motorcycle races, racing and driving schools, corporate programs and testing for motorsports teams. The track has 12 turns, including the famous "esses" between turns three and five; and Turn 12, a downhill, diving turn. The track is owned by IMSA Holdings, LLC through its subsidiary Road Atlanta, LLC, and is the home to the Petit Le Mans, as well as AMA motorcycle racing, and smaller events throughout the year. Michelin acquired naming rights to the facility in 2018.
Road America is a motorsport road course located near Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin on Wisconsin Highway 67. It has hosted races since the 1950s and currently hosts races in the IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, Sports Car Club of America GT World Challenge America and Trans-Am Series and the MotoAmerica Superbike Championship.
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. It hosts a number of racing series such as IndyCar, IMSA WeatherTech Sportscar Championship, and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, along with other club events such has SCCA and National Auto Sport Association.
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (TSMP), formerly Thompson Speedway and Thompson International Speedway, is a motorsports park in Thompson, Connecticut, featuring a 5⁄8 mi (1.0 km), high-banked asphalt oval racetrack and a 1.7 mi (2.7 km) road racing course. Once known as the "Indianapolis of the East", it was the first asphalt-paved racing oval track in the United States and is now under the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Star Series (PASS) banners. Each year, Thompson hosts one of the great fall variety events "The World Series of Speedway Racing" highlighted by the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series, New England Supermodified Series, and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. This event frequently draws over 300 race cars in 16 separate divisions over three days. Besides that, it currently hosts the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 3 times a year, and also hosted various SCCA sports car races between 1957 and 1972, NASCAR Grand National series races between 1951 and 1970, and two SCCA F5000 events in 1968 and 1969.
Virginia International Raceway (VIR) is a race track located in Alton, Virginia, near Danville. It is less than a half-mile from the North Carolina/Virginia border just outside Milton, North Carolina, on the banks of the Dan River. VIR hosts amateur and professional automobile and motorcycle events, driving schools, club days, and private test rentals.
Parker Johnstone III is a former race car driver and motorsports announcer from Redmond, Oregon. An accomplished musician, he was the principal trumpet of the International Youth Orchestra, touring Europe, playing with Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic, and famed pianist Van Cliburn. Instead of attending Juilliard School of Music, he went to the engineering school at the University of California, Berkeley, where he received his degree in 1982.
Nelson Ledges Road Course is a paved automobile and motorcycle racing circuit in Garrettsville, Ohio which first opened as a dirt track in 1958. In its current form, the track is 2 miles (3 km) long and consists of seven major turns.
New Jersey Motorsports Park is a road course "Motorsports Entertainment Complex" located in Millville, Cumberland County, New Jersey, United States. It has hosted races since opening in 2008 and currently hosts a schedule including MotoAmerica Pro Road Racing, 24 Hours of LeMons, American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association, SCCA events, SCCA Pro Racing's F2000 Championship Series.
Marlboro Motor Raceway (MMR) is a now-defunct motorsports park located in Prince George's County, just outside Upper Marlboro, Maryland. MMR closed after the 1969 season and local Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) racing moved to the more advanced Summit Point Motorsports Park due to safety concerns and issues with MMR's management. The remains of the track are still visible from U.S. Route 301 and the entire track layout can still be seen in modern satellite imagery.
James Downing is an American former professional race car driver, he is a five-time IMSA Championship winner, owner/driver of Downing/Atlanta Racing, and was principal in the development of the HANS device.
Bridgehampton Race Circuit was a race track located near Sag Harbor, New York, United States. The circuit opened in 1957, following a series of road races held from 1949 until 1953. It was one of the first permanent road racing venues in the United States, opening after Thompson Speedway, two years after Road America, the year after Watkins Glen International, and the same year as Lime Rock Park and Laguna Seca Raceway. In its early years, Bridgehampton was host to major international series, including the World Sportscar Championship, Can-Am, and NASCAR Grand National. By the early 1970s, the track was used mostly for amateur events. The track closed permanently in 1999.
Gene Felton (1936–2020) was an American race car driver. He hailed from Atlanta, GA. Felton graduated from the University of North Carolina and served in the United States Marine Corps (USMC). He resided in Roswell, GA. at the time of his death