Hey all,

I'm new to this forum. It seems this forum is primarily P car owners. Generally, P car owners are track enthusiasts. I'm trying to get people over on the MB forums to get on the track. However, MB caters to a slightly different crowd therefore not as many people are enthusiastic about the track as I am.

Now, I was wondering if there are many of you that attend track events. I was generally looking at events where other car manufacturers could attend. That rules out PCA. I was thinking more along the lines of NASA / HPDE.

Do any of you attend those type events? Are there other events I should look into around NorCal? I'd like to get on the track with some Euro cars and have some fun. PS. I own a MB SLK55 and enjoy what little track time I've experienced.

PS. This is the link to the post on Mb world:
http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=156421

 

Track events ROCK. Love them to death, expensive, but love them to death. Mostly p-car events though for me, but im still a newb...
Trackmasters and Hooked on Driving are a couple more you can look at as well...

 

I hope some of you will join us. Here's one of my most recent posts on MB:

NorCal Track event is shaping up nicely. Look at the current roster. Looks like it's going to be fun!
You can find the signup thread here: http://www.mbworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=156421

-SLK55 - dsb
-500se - exgpimp
-C32 - Trekman
-CLK55 - rroberts
-E55 - zoink
-Kleeman SLK55 KS7 - YellowR1
-RX-7 (363whp) - YellowR1
-Renntech SLK55 - Jesseliu
-GT3 – arcticfox

Still not sure? I’ve gathered some FAQ’s regarding the event.

Is it safe for me and my car?
Yes. These events are designed to teach you car control. It is not a race. It is not timed. You each will have your own instructor passenger. They coach you before, during, and after each session. The sessions are kept safe by many things including 1)the instructors on course, 2)the limited passing areas, and 3)you’ll get the boot if you drive dangerously!

This is my first time doing this. My car or skills aren’t adequate. I’m inexperienced.
That’s okay. Most people attending these events are first timers. Swallow your pride. Get our there and learn. Also, don’t worry about your car. You’ll need to ensure most basic things are prepared, but you don’t need your own race team. The vehicle you drive doesn’t matter much either. The last event I attended had a wide range of vehicles from a Z06 and GT3 to a C230k and Ford Focus. It’s all good.

I never plan to race. This is not for me. I won’t get much out of this.
Wrong! This is for anyone who wants to improve their driving skills. You will become a better driver. You learn your and your car’s limits. The skills you acquire help you a great deal on the road. This is a great way to hone your driving skills while having a great time.

Is it a good value? What’s the cost vs other programs?
I took extra time looking for great values, not cheap, but programs that offer great benefits at a great cost. Some driving events cost over $1K. Granted, classes like Skip Barber include their car. However, I feel the events I listed are better in that you learn how to control YOUR car. There’s real benefit in that. Look at some comparable classes below. You’ll see that the Thunderhill driving school and NASA HPDE is some of the best values.

Best values:
$225 Thunderhill Driving school- includes (5) 20 min sessions, instructor, shirt and lunch
$149 (+ $40 annual fee) NASA HPDE- includes (4) 20 min sessions and instructor

Other similar programs at higher cost:
$185-335 Trackmasters
$245 Hooked on Driving

As you can see, this will be a great outing. Please reconsider the program and determine if it’s right for you.

Dan

 

I've been doing track events since about 1994. Just started coaching more recently. I usually hit Thunderhill with ArcticFox in his GT3. I have a 1993 RS America. I've coached and run with:

Thunderhill's High Performance Driving School
Unlimited Laps
Trackmasters Racing
Hooked on Driving

I would recommend any of them as superb groups to drive with. I think you can get $40 off a Hooked on Driving event, if someone refers you. Let me know and I can "refer" you and get you the discount.

 

Stan,

Thanks for the feedback and the referral offer. I'm signed up for the Thunderhill event this weekend. However, I just hurt my ankle and its in a splint. I hope they still let me run! I guess we'll soon see!

 

I'll be at Thunderhill on the 8th with Trackmasters. ArcticFox might go also, but he's not sure yet. I haven't decided if I'll bring the RSA or the S4 yet. More likely the RSA because it's just so damn fun on the track.

Anyone else planning on that event?

 

Stan... or others,

I just sprained my left ankle. I'm now using crutches so that I dont put any significant weight on my foot.

My right foot is fine and Im driving an AT. Do you think NASA will still let me run?

 

I think as long as you can drive safely, it's not an issue. The left foot would be the clutch foot, so I don't see a problem. But in all reality, see if you can get a raincheck under the circumstances, I'm sure NASA would be agreeable. You'd have more fun, being at 100%.

 

Stan,

I hope you are right. I'm going to just show up and hope they are okay with the idea. The fact that I'm using crutches to minimize the weight on my foot may be a turn off to them.

If they give me a raincheck, that's cool. However, I'd much rather go out. Depending on how my ankle heals, the doctors may choose to perform surgery which would mean that the next event I would be wearing a cast. So, again, I hope they are accomodating.

Crossing my fingers!

Dan

 

I just returned from the HPDE event at Thunderhill. It was great. We had a ton of different vehicles out there but the traffic remained smooth as it is 3 miles long.

Among our group, we had race prepped 996, 996 GT3, C6 Z06, bunches of 996, S2000, and a mix of others. Suprisingly, very few BMW owners out there. Perhaps they stick to their own club? I, of course, was the only MB owner. Believe it or not, someone took out a Honda Fit. They prepped it a little so it was okay on the turns. Of course, everyone zipped by it on the straights (no passing allowed in most corners).

Lastly, no one cared I was in crutches. My car has paddle shifting so that's what I used. No problems for me, no problems for them = good time!

PS. I just signed up for HPDE at Infineon on September 9th. I hope to see some of you there!

PSS. There were a few exotics out there including a Carrera GT. Of course, it didn't run. Damn.

 

Was that the Spoon Sports Honda Fit? That thing is well turned out albeit a bit down on power, but the handling is exceptional.

I'm signed up for HPDE with NASA for the 9/9 as well.

 

Not sure about the Honda Fit. I just remember it was dark in color, probably blue or black.

Anyways, I haven't driven Infineon before, so I signed up for Group 1. What did you sign up for? A close friend of mine will be there in his Evo. I think a few other MBworld members may also attend. I'll be updating the event thread there in hopes to get more involved.

It's funny how many people are into street racing but rarely think of spending $149 on a track event which is safer, more fun and legal!

 

I totally agree with that. It's so great to be able to explore the limits of your car and yourself and not worry about the fuzz.