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Old 05-17-2018, 12:58 PM   #1
BikeNBird
 
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Track Days - Where to start?!?!

Good afternoon C5!

All of my "racing" experience in the past has been in a straight line (yawn)
I have since become pretty bored with that so I recently bought a new to me 2014 2SS 1LE and and i'm ITCHING to get it on the track, but I have NO clue what i'm doing or what i'm even looking for.

I'm located in San Antonio Texas so my first thought was to check out COTA since it's only about 60 miles away from me. But unfortunately, most of my searches are providing little information. So I basically am stuck with a list of questions that I was hoping the fine folks on this forum could help with!

-Where to go?
-What does it cost?
-Can I drive my car there, race, then drive it back?
-Do I need to do any special modifications to the car?
-Any other info you could provide?

I'm incredibly excited by dipping my toes into new waters and just overall eager to get out and improve as a driver. I also run a fairly large YouTube channel so i'm hoping to document the whole process to better help aspiring drivers in the future. Thanks in advance for the help!
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Old 05-17-2018, 01:15 PM   #2
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There are many posts through out the forum on how to get started track racing and AutoX. Cost is dependent on the tracks rules for participation. There are forum posts on what you need to do to your car specifficallyfor the day of your track session. SCCA and Grass Roots Motorsports have MANY articles on the subject.
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Old 05-17-2018, 01:18 PM   #3
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Where to go? COTA looks like a blast. You also might try to find some Autocrosses to sharpen your skills.

Cost? Depends on the organization holding the Track day - $2-300 seems like a common number for a DE Day.

Can you drive your car to the Track, Race, and drive home? Yes, many people do, but watch how you use the word Race. DE's are not Races and should be treated as such. If you want to Race Race, then you need to look into SCCA, NASA and other groups.

Do you need to make special Mods to your car? Definitely Brake Flush and put in HiTemp Brake Fluid like Motul.Make sure your Tires are in Good Shape. Down the line you will get into different Mods - it's a slippery slope!

Other Advice - Get a good fitting Helmet with a Current Snell Rating - check with your organizations on their Helmet regulations.
In Texas, you might want to get a Cool Shirt system - I won't drive without one.
Bring plenty of Liquids to Drink and bring extra Fluids for your car.
Take Advice from Instructors and use it.
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Old 05-17-2018, 02:00 PM   #4
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BikeNBird, I like you was a straight line guy in my youth mainly because its all we could afford, and it was what my dad knew. I always preferred oval and road course, but again, was out of our budget. Lind of stopped it all as my wife and I raised our daughter, but as of late, I have started to play around with Auto-X. It is very inexpensive (about $50 a trip), plus the cost of a helmet, but that's about it. I have met some great people who have been very helpful. I look forward to track days, but for now, this is pretty fun!
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Old 05-17-2018, 02:52 PM   #5
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I agree that autocross is a great place to start. Its usually $50 or less per event and lets you more safely test the limits of your car. I'm glad my first spin out was on a autox course and not a road course!

I'm not sure what outfits run in Texas, but look for a HPDE group. Up here we have Chin Motorsports, Autointerests and Hooked on Driving. Run in the novice group and get some knowledge on driving a course. Different flags, apexes, proper track etiquette, etc. In the novice group, an experience driver will ride with you and help you find the racing line and get the feel for your car. Its a great place for starting out and not going in cold.

You can also check out SCCA's Track Night in America schedule to see if there are any in your area. Its split up by Novice, Intermediate and Advanced and you run with no instructor. Cheaper at $150 (HPDEs by me run $250-$400) but its always a weeknight and you only run half a day too.

If you run road courses in any way, check out Hagerty for track insurance. Its stinks tacking another $120-$150 on top of an event cost, but given a track spin out can get costly quickly, its relatively cheap peace of mind!
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Old 05-18-2018, 08:37 AM   #6
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Thanks for the advice guys! I looked into autocross in my area and apparently it's a pretty big deal! I also found a "track" about 3 miles from my house so i'm going to go check out one of their events early next month just to spectate and then maybe participate in July's event.
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Old 05-18-2018, 10:03 AM   #7
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Join your local NASA group, and the rest is easy. In the Phoenix area, they are a great, supportive group. You'll start in HDPE 1, with an instructor for your first day, and it's a great learning experience. Once you move on to group 2-4, you're on your own, going as fast (or slow) as you feel like going, and having a blast. The sky is the limit with them, and if you're feeling more competitive, you can move into higher skill groups as your skill level grows.

Lots of fun, and you meet some very helpful gear heads!
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Old 05-18-2018, 10:35 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Chevyjk33 View Post
If you run road courses in any way, check out Hagerty for track insurance. Its stinks tacking another $120-$150 on top of an event cost, but given a track spin out can get costly quickly, its relatively cheap peace of mind!
Yeah, I forgot about Insurance in my earlier Post. Your regular car insurance will not cover you for an on-Track incident and don't try to fake it - jail time is worse than a banged up car!

On Track Insurance is an essential thing especially if you have a Modded Car or you still owe money on the car

another thing is a Budget, because you will spend money. In my mind a DE day costs $1,000.

$3-400 Entrance Fee
$150 Insurance
$100+ Gas
$100+ Food & Drink
$100+ Hotel
$100 incidentals

then you have Car Maintenance - Tires, Oil Changes, Brake Pads

like I said it is a Slippery Slope (I've lived on this mountain for 30 years)
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Old 05-18-2018, 10:56 AM   #9
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Hands down, the easiest way to start.

https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/
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Old 05-18-2018, 12:37 PM   #10
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Hands down, the easiest way to start.

https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/
Yep^..

Also, depending on how far you want to drive, Cresson Motorsports Ranch and Eagles Canyon are options here in DFW.

TWS (Texas World Speedway) I believe is still closed, but if open could be an option.

On the 1LE, change the brake fluid to a DOT 4 — I use Castrol SRF, Motul 600 is an option — and just drive the car for now...

-Don
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Old 05-18-2018, 02:49 PM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BikeNBird View Post
Good afternoon C5!

All of my "racing" experience in the past has been in a straight line (yawn)
I have since become pretty bored with that so I recently bought a new to me 2014 2SS 1LE and and i'm ITCHING to get it on the track, but I have NO clue what i'm doing or what i'm even looking for.

I'm located in San Antonio Texas so my first thought was to check out COTA since it's only about 60 miles away from me. But unfortunately, most of my searches are providing little information. So I basically am stuck with a list of questions that I was hoping the fine folks on this forum could help with!

-Where to go?
-What does it cost?
-Can I drive my car there, race, then drive it back?
-Do I need to do any special modifications to the car?
-Any other info you could provide?

I'm incredibly excited by dipping my toes into new waters and just overall eager to get out and improve as a driver. I also run a fairly large YouTube channel so i'm hoping to document the whole process to better help aspiring drivers in the future. Thanks in advance for the help!

I'm envious. COTA to me is a bucket list track. Answers in order of your questions:

-go to that track I'm sure there are smaller road courses that would be less pricey to go to in Texas, but I am not familiar w/ them

- I believe a day at that track can run anywhere from 500-1000. It's definitely pricier than most, which usually end up being between around 350 per day or less (you can find 2 day events for under 500 quite frequently as well.

-Yes, you can. That's what I do. Pack tools, a jack, and a gallon of water for yourself.

-get your brake fluid changed before you go at a bare minimum, and make sure your tires are in good shape... both will be put under way more stress than they are in street conditions. Other than that, bone stock cars are perfectly acceptable.

-There's a wealth of info here, and in the road course section of this forum. As others have stated, it's worth registering with one of the sport driving associations for deals etc. I'm with NASA, and am pretty happy with how they run things. They have different regional chapters as well.

-while not a necessity at all, if you play video games / driving sims, it's worthwhile spending some time lapping the track beforehand to learn the layout well. It will save you some acclimation time on your first outing or so, and you'd be quite surprised at how accurately sims get tracks now.

Enjoy yourself, track days are an absolute blast.
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Old 05-19-2018, 09:08 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BMR Sales View Post
Yeah, I forgot about Insurance in my earlier Post. Your regular car insurance will not cover you for an on-Track incident and don't try to fake it - jail time is worse than a banged up car!

On Track Insurance is an essential thing especially if you have a Modded Car or you still owe money on the car

another thing is a Budget, because you will spend money. In my mind a DE day costs $1,000.

$3-400 Entrance Fee
$150 Insurance
$100+ Gas
$100+ Food & Drink
$100+ Hotel
$100 incidentals

then you have Car Maintenance - Tires, Oil Changes, Brake Pads

like I said it is a Slippery Slope (I've lived on this mountain for 30 years)


Agree.

Check out hooked on driving. Lots of good first timer stuff there too.


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Old 05-21-2018, 10:56 AM   #13
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Thanks again to all who've responded! Definitely giving me the exact info I was looking for!
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Old 05-25-2018, 01:22 PM   #14
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I have been running with these guys for years now: The Driver's Edge. You'll start in green, which is very friendly. Then work your way up. Put a reminder on your calendar because the events fill up in minutes sometimes.

Great group, well organized, and cover all of the tracks, with the notable exception of COTA, as it is very expensive.

There are 2 primary tracks in TX now: MSR Cresson and MSR Houston. Also Eagle's Canyon. Texas World Speedway was the favorite, but was closed for a housing development that never ended up happening. Frustrating.

Harris Hill Road is near San Antonio. I have not been as it has a reputation for a bumpy track. TDE does not go there for that reason.

COTA is in its own class. It is fast, smooth, and expensive. It's also hard on the car, brakes in particular. Both big straights have hair pin turns at the end of them. You'll get rotors glowing red for some cars. Lots of run off but have seen a couple of cars totalled around turn 18/19. Most of the regulars seem to be predominantly M class BMWs, GT3s, McClarens, Z06s, and now Gen6 ZL1s. The other tracks are a mix of everything. More Miatas and BRZs, both of which are cheap to run and make a lot of sense if you get really serious.
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