About our Track Events
Tidewater Sports Car Club hosts track events in the form of High Performance Driving Education (HPDE) and also Time Trial (TT) events.
These are higher speed events held on road courses and/or vehicle testing facilities and have stricter safety standards. Each type of event (HPDE or TT) also has it’s own supplemental rules which must be adhered to.
High Performance Driving Education (HPDE, or “Track Day”)
These are high speed continuous lapping events on a track with multiple cars at a time (up to about 20) with the goal being to teach and learn high speed driving techniques in a safe environment. Point-bys are given to cars that have caught up to you, and you must give a point by before anyone may pass you.
Drivers are split up into different “Run Groups” depending upon skill and experience level:
[♦] Green: This is the Novice group for anyone who has zero, or very limited, track experience (2 weekends or less). An instructor will be provided for all members of this group. There are specific passing zones in which point-bys are given.
[♦] Yellow: This is the Intermediate group, which is for anyone with multiple weekends of experience. An instructor can be requested, but is not guaranteed, by members of this group. There are specific passing zones in which point-bys are given.
[♦] Purple: This is the Upper Intermediate group, which is for anyone with multiple weekends of experience. This group runs at a faster pace than yellow.
[♦] Blue: This is the Advanced run group, which is for anyone with many track weekends, no instructors are required. You should have a solid history with several events completed, being safe on track, being aware of all your surroundings, knowing all the flags, etc. Point-bys are required but can be done anywhere on track.
[◊] White: This is the Instructor run group. This group follows the same Blue passing rules – point-bys required but can be done anywhere on track. We are always looking for more people to add to our instructor pool, if you are interested please email trackevents@tidewatersportscarclub.com.
Vehicle requirements: Most vehicles are perfectly fine and capable of running an HPDE. It does not matter how “fast” your car is. It must have a pre-event safety inspection performed beforehand, you can download and print the HPDE Tech Inspection Form HERE. In a nut shell you need to make sure the car has brakes, suspension, and tires in good condition, no leaks, seat and seat belts/harnesses in good condition and mounted correctly, etc. We have one of the more strict tech inspections vs many others, as safety is a top priority.
Event requirements: The latest version of our HPDE Supplemental Rules can be downloaded HERE. It contains driver requirements, event procedures and information, plus further clarification on vehicle tech inspection requirements, rollover protection standards, and harness mounting.