How to Drive Clockwise at Palmer Motorsports Park with Ron Savenor

[@JonDoe-ne9bp]

I drove Ron around the track for his first time so he could get a look at it and I gotta say he is a true gentleman and I enjoyed talking with him about the project and all the fun we had building it. God bless you all and be safe

[@SterlingVernon]

Thanks! He’s a wonderful person, that is for sure. Thanks for getting him hooked so we could eventually get this video out to the world!

[@f1fork]

Great video and tips - Having done this counter-clockwise numerous times, another lap without cuts to the wheels (keeping it driver POV focused) would have been helpful. Thanks Ron!

[@SlowDriverSean]

agree

[@agmd1]

Sterling, thanks so much for all the work you and Ron put into this! Next-level stuff with the overhead drone views and insightful explanation of the line. Extremely helpful and well done!

[@SterlingVernon]

We're innovating in places where no one ever thought it was worth innovating! ;-) But it was lots of fun. My video skills are slowly improving too. My driving? Well, we'll have to see if this video has been fully baked into my brain by now. I was curious to see if the overhead shots would bring value and perspective to this genre. So far, feedback has been good so I'm glad we tried it out. Thanks for the note!

[@tomp6659]

This is bound to be super helpful - going to watch it 20 times before driving on the 22nd. Thank You!

[@denndy51]

Taking my first look at clockwise before experiencing this direction in a few weeks. This should be very helpful in providing a baseline to start from. Thanks to both Ron and Sterling for taking the time to make it easier to transition to running the track in reverse. The flow does seem pretty good. Loved how you stopped to allow the written notes to be read and absorbed. Did seem a little choppy at times when you shifted between various camera shots, but clearly an excellent learning tool.

[@elizabuppy]

I first heard about this track on Wreckfest, funnily enough. I thought with how scenic it looked on there it surely wouldn't exist IRL - absolute shock when I found out it was!

[@RichardViard]

I only got a round to watching this now, even though I bookmarked it a while ago, great job all around Sterling, Matt, and Ron!

[@SterlingVernon]

Thanks, Richard!! It helps, no doubt, to have driven it a few times now. I still pucker in turn 8 a bit! Merci beaucoup!

[@cballl]

Just signed up for a June 1 HPDE at Palmer clockwise. I have tons of track days, but first time at Palmer. I was searching for vids to get a feel for the track and wound up here. Terrific work! Very, very helpful. I've been tracking for many years and instructed with PCA for 6 years. This is easily one of the best track vids I've seen. The only suggestion is that I agree with a comment below. I would much prefer one single camera angle on the final lap to really see the flow and visualize the track better. Tire shots/ clipping apexes look cool but don't really help much. Small nitpick in an otherwise excellent instructional video. Thanks!

[@SterlingVernon]

Thanks for taking the time to check it out and I hope you have a blast at Palmer! Thanks for the feedback on the one clear lap too. Sometimes having too much footage and wanting to use it all is a bad thing so I appreciate the reminder! If you'd ever like to do something similar for another track, I'd be happy to work on it with you (pure volunteer effort, btw).

[@joerizzo53]

Guys, Great video! This should be the model on to produce an instructional track video. Ron's tip and the view from the drone camera sets it apart. I am looking forward to trying your line next spring.

[@SterlingVernon]

Thanks so much, Joe! It was fun to have a vision for what these types of videos could be and then work to try to pull it off. Having watched so many laps and in-car stuff, it did seem this genre was ripe for a bit of innovation. It is very kind of you to take the time to mention it. Thanks!

[@jbr3rd]

the drone camera view is awesome

[@miggyrocks626]

Sterling I live palmer MA. And was wondering. When the season starts. Can you go and pay a daily fee to track. Or is it membership only. Great video

[@MeetYourHeroes]

Great place to live! They have quite a few open track days for experienced drivers, they offer instruction and beginner classes, and they are adding a "track day in America" style event this year where you can drive on the track on some weeknight evenings. Many opportunities to get out there and enjoy it - hope you get to do so!

[@miggyrocks626]

@@MeetYourHeroes well that's good to know they will open some week nights. Im looking forward to it. I've done more 1/4 mile rips @ epping NH. But that's to straining on the motor. This is something more up my alley.

[@jbr3rd]

Looks good, the only thing I was trying that was notably different was after exiting T5, I was trying to go further right in T4 so I could get on the power sooner for the the late, late, late apex. It's a long downhill acceleration run and wanted to start it as soon as possible, didn't seem to be able to if I turned in on T4 from center track. Exiting 4 I tried to stay right all the way to apex of T3.

[@SterlingVernon]

Excellent points! Turns 5 and 4 are definitely a place where we can all hopefully compare notes and figure out what works best. Can't wait to try your approach in the spring and see how it feels. It's great fun to have these options ahead of us. Thanks for sharing the info!

[@grettaava1155]

Great video, I should have watched this before I rode my bicycle on it, 8 laps later and I still never nailed the hill & turns 5&4 😬

[@SterlingVernon]

good for you doing it on a bike! Great exercise. Hope it helps!

[@kevinoneil7532]

you tell us how to do it but when you go fast at the end you keep changing cameras and we lose the flow completely

[@SterlingVernon]

Sorry, Kevin. I felt it was interesting to highlight the precision that Ron Savenor achieves while driving - perfectly touching the lines on the side of the track at critical points, especially where no curbing exists yet (although the folks at Palmer have added quite a bit more curbing since this video). The ultimate goal isn't to get you to drive like Ron - that might take 20 years of practice - it's to get you familiar with taking the track in this direction with some helpful pointers. I hope you come enjoy the track and are able to get your own flow going.

[@kevinoneil7532]

I Would love to do a track day there in the Miata. I've done days at Calabogie and Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. Palmer is the most complicated and elevation changing track I've ever seen.Awesome