“I didn’t start out working in motorsports,” says Edwin Pardue, director of motorsports operations at the Summit Point Motorsports Park. “My uncle and dad raced in NASCAR when I was a young kid, but it wasn’t until 2013 that I got into it when I became the general manager of the Dominion Raceway near Fredericksburg. I grew up in Virginia in the 1970s and remember coming to Summit Point dozens of times when I was younger, so it was a bit of a homecoming when I took the job here in 2019.”
The park first opened in 1969 and has been under new ownership for the past several years. The pandemic slowed things down, but Pardue says “We are back on track and now able to work on significant upgrades to the participant experience and expansion of the facilities. We’re in the recreation and entertainment business, but it’s important not to lose sight of seeing what we do through the eyes of the participants and visitors — the drivers and fans. Our goal is to be a top-notch, world-class facility with regional appeal.”
The park is open year round and hosts a wide variety of motorsports events — vintage racing, high-performance sports car racing, motorcycle racing, and drifting are competitive events that draw drivers and fans alike. Numerous car clubs will also rent the facility for their own private events. In addition to the organized events open to spectators, the park offers programs for driver training and on-track driving in your own vehicle.
“Everything we do here has a foundation of safety-first,” says Laura Bowman, director of community relations at the Summit Point Motorsports Park. Both she and Pardue emphasize that the park is a family-friendly place that brings together a wide variety of people who share a fascination with cars and racing. And it’s not just about the past either — Pardue noted that the track has been used for testing and developing electric race vehicles and that Teslas are a common site to see lapping the course on personal track days.
Summit Point Motorsports Park has events scheduled from March through December each year. Spectator tickets are always available at the gate during competitive events; pricing varies by event (typically between $10 – $20 per person, under 12 are free). The Park is located at Motorsports Park Circle in Summit Point WV (there are multiple gates, check the website for directions). Web: SummitPointMotorsportsPark.com, Tel: 304-725-8444.
The original Summit Point circuit (upper right) opened in 1969 and was designed as a natural terrain road course. This 2-mile, 10-turn circuit, with multiple elevation changes, tight turns, and close-in stands of trees, gives drivers the sense of racing through a forest. The Jefferson circuit (lower center) is a 1.7-mile, 14-turn course built for high-performance racing and driver training. The Shenandoah circuit (upper left) has 22 turns, including a scaled replica of Nürburgring-Nordschleife’s banked Karussell turn. The full Shenandoah circuit has 2.2 miles of pavement which can be configured to create various courses to provide an ever-changing technical challenge for drivers. The Washington circuit (center) provides multiple skid pad options for driver training and accident avoidance programs. 
The Jefferson 500 in May and the Turkey Bowl in November draw vintage racers from across the country. These multi-day events bring back the classic sports and formula racing cars from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s for organized racing by class. Participants are welcomed to visit the pits during these events – most drivers love to talk about their cars whenever they are not driving them. It’s a great opportunity to learn about a specific car and then see it in action later in the day. 
Drifting is popular with younger participants — and a particular favorite of young spectators. Unlike traditional racing which emphasizes speed, drifting is judged on control, particularly in the tandem events, where two drivers will work together to execute precise moves around the track. Many of these cars are street legal, with the modifications limited to suspension tweaks, so this can be an affordable and accessible approach to motorsports, harking back to the days when stock car racers could drive their car to work during the week and around the track on weekends. 
The Sports Car Club of America organizes multiple events for modern competitive sports car racing. The park hosts multiple SCCA events throughout the year. Time trials and hill climbs allow drivers to see how they measure up against the track. Road racing is serious corner-to-corner racing against other drivers for the checkered flag. 
Summit Point Motorsports Park has a full time staff of 67 individuals, including emergency medical personnel to staff the Park’s own ambulances. During event weekends, dozens of part-time staff are needed to work at the gates and around the track. If you’re interested in working for one race or for the entire season, give the office a call. 
The driver training programs are designed to teach specific skills, develop confidence, and most importantly, build a driver’s level of awareness in any situation. Anyone with a driver’s license can participate. Especially for a new teenage driver, the practice time on a skid pad under the direction of a professional driver can provide some valuable lessons that could help them anticipate and avoid problems down the road. 
The Jefferson 500 in May (above) and the Turkey Bowl in November (below) draw vintage racers from across the country. These multi-day events bring back the classic sports and formula racing cars from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s for organized racing by class. Spectators are welcomed to visit the pits during these events – most drivers love to talk about their cars whenever they are not driving them. It’s a great opportunity to learn about a specific car and then see it in action later in the day. 
Vintage cars still race at Summit Point Motorsports Park. Shown here, an Indy Lights series Lola 97/20 (red) & a 1960 Falcon Competition II sports car (green).