With the 2023 driving season in full swing, the NCM Motorsports Park (MSP) is adding to its High-Performance Driving event calendar. In an effort to meet the needs of every driver’s performance and comfort level, the MSP currently offers two high performance driving programs.
As the name implies, High Performance Driving Introduction (HPDI) is an entry-level program designed to help motorsports enthusiasts ease into the sport. This “101” approach allows participants to learn fundamental skills in a safe, fun, and encouraging environment. With small group sizes and a combination of classroom and on-track instruction, this one-day program is designed to teach basic car control, passing procedures, and fundamentals of high-performance driving.
High Performance Driving Education (HPDE) is a “next step” program carefully designed to help drivers progress through the sport by offering a tiered group approach. As drivers master each level of instruction, (novice, intermediate, advanced) they will gain new skills that will help enhance driving and performance.
The NCM Motorsports Park High Performance Driving Program has a long and rich history of excellence. Prior to it’s opening in 2014, the National Corvette Museum hosted HPDE events across the country at some of the nation’s most prestigious tracks including Virginia International Raceway, Sebring, Putnam Park, Carolina Motorsports Park (CMP) and various others.
When the NCM Motorsports Park opened nearly a decade ago, the HPDE program continued, bringing the events back “home” to Corvette Campus. The MSP track is a 3.2-mile road course boasting, 23 turns, a nearly mile-long straightaway and some of the highest quality instructors in the industry. Throughout the years, many participants continue returning to the enjoy camaraderie with friends while also fine-tuning their driving performance capabilities.
Among the faithful attendees is Carter Sorenson who says it didn’t take long for him to know that he had found a home track, “After my first experience with an NCM HPDE event, I started looking to see where else I could do this. That’s when I found the motorsports park, and the rest is history. We signed up for every single event in 2016 and continue to attend every year.”
Carter isn’t the only one who has found a home. His wife, Becky, travels with him and while she doesn’t drive, she has established lasting relationships of her own. “There have been more significant others attending, so we have gotten to be close friends with several couples. It’s been a lot of fun meeting people and being with everyone. We feel like we’ve joined the family,” she says.
The family atmosphere isn’t the only thing that sets the NCM Motorsports Park apart for other programs. Carter says the quality of instruction combined with the extensive track time also keeps him coming back. “I have been with a few other groups, but they were always lacking instructors. The NCM always had plenty of instructors. The track time has always been excellent, and the classroom sessions help reinforce driving techniques.”
General Manager of Track Operations, Zack Rackovan, says that new enhancements will build upon the tradition and legacy of the NCM HPDE program. “We have made some exciting changes to our event this year. We will continue to provide a generous amount of track time and advanced skill training in a fun environment with a curriculum cultivated and refined over many years.”
Registration is currently open for the entire season, and guests can register online.
“This year we are shifting to a 3-run group format and enhancing our classroom instruction. We will also continue to provide participants with the unique opportunity to immerse themselves in the rich, Corvette culture that has become synonymous with motorsports and high-performance driving.”
Carter and Becky Sorenson echo the sentiments, saying it’s special to attend an HPDE at the one and only Corvette Campus. “Being a Corvette lover, we feel like we’re taking our baby home to be on track.”
