007 august 2007 august 2007 august 2007 august 2007 august ...

NER Hits The Track
Copy By Laurie Jitts, Photos: Bill Putnam @ Mont Tremblant, Calabogie Staff Photographer
So the Northeast Region’s Drivers Education season finally
got started, and what a start it was. As Pete (trailering his
brand new GT3RS) and I led a ragtag caravan of Andersons
and Baders out of the liquor store in New Hampshire and
started north towards Mont Tremblant, the anticipation was
palpable. All the planning, emailing, panicking and sleepless
nights were over and now it was time to hit the track.
The trip up was uneventful other than the occasional horrific
rainstorm and the fact that our little caravan seemed incapable
of all being on the same stretch of road all at the same time.
In the end we all arrived at the track together (more by coincidence
than good planning), trailers were dropped on the newly
re-paved carpark and it was off to town to reacquaint ourselves
with everything that Tremblant has to offer.
For those of you who have never been to Tremblant in the
middle of the Blues Festival, you really deserve to add it to your
calendar for next year. It is the only event on my usually busy
summer track schedule that my wife will attend. The number
of other extended families including parents, children and pets
that show up annually attest to the fun and friendly nature of
the town. The almost limitless activities (aside from the great
music) seem to ensure that everyone has something to keep
them busy. Between the running, hiking, shopping, riding the
luge, going to the spa, more shopping, the guided ATV off road
adventure and the Birds of Prey exhibit-- to say nothing of the
eating and drinking-- it seemed like in the 5 days we spent
there was never a spare moment. Oh, and somehow we managed
to fit 3 days on the glorious Le Circuit Mont Tremblant.
A new hot GT3 RS in the paddock at Mont Tremblant
LCMT, for those who have not driven it, is a magnificent circuit
in many ways. Its setting is perfectly nestled in a picturesque
Canadian forest of conifers and right on an idyllic lake. It also
happens to be one of the great drives. The surface is almost
perfect and the layout remains challenging no matter how
many times you have lapped it. Years after I first drove the track
I still maintain that the sensation of feeling the car skip a little
sideways as you crest the blind apex of turn 2 before hammering
down towards the esses is amongst the most thrilling rides
you can have.
The event itself (my first as Track Chair) went far better than I
might have imagined a week earlier as I was still madly scram-
NER Track Chair Laurie Jitts at Calabogie
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