2017 Track Days - You Goin?
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Well, now ya'll are kinda freaking me out. Wall this and concrete that. Run off here and fiery-blazing-inferno-total-destruction over there!
Should I just stick to the Extreme Experience where you pay $500 to drive a Lambo for 6 minutes but get to walk away if it all goes to hell?
Seriously, if I am not a maniac, do I need to worry about incurring a $6000 deductible repair bill?
There is always the case that anything can happen. One small over or under correction and you can end up "buns up kneeling". You should be okay though as long as you listen to your instructor
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Sorry, didn't mean to freak folks out. Well-run DE events rarely have issues, especially in the beginning run groups. For most DE folks who are using their daily, track day insurance (through Lockton or other vendors) is cheap relative to the value of your car for an extra piece of mind. Listen to your instructor, pay attention to track conditions, your concentration (especially early and the last sessions of the day), and all good. Autox you go 10/10ths out of the gate, track events you don't. As the organizers in a well-run event will tell you this is not racing, you're here to learn about your cars, to become a better driver, and drive your car home at the end of the day.
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Indeed. Likelihood of crashing is low. The most dangerous times on track are during passing typically, and the highest frequency of issues comes in Intermediate run groups for obvious reasons.
Novice is usually fine and I can't stress enough what Boris said about understanding your focus will be tested. I've taken myself off and skipped the final session of a day before because I could tell my fatigue was setting in. Smartest thing you can do is know when you're too tired. This shit really takes a lot out of you. I've had some buddies that shoulda called it quits on 85 degree days and crash in the last session because they just can't keep focus.
Again going back to the fact that I think you should run with either BMW CCA or MVP Tracktime, or both - they run really tight ships with great instructors, and as a result it's a very safe event. Remember in Novice groups everyone is going super slow, being very conservative, relatively speaking. Everybody builds up speed by the end of the day as people start to learn the line, their cars, and carry more speed through turns and it becomes a lot of fun.
You'll be fine.
2011 E92 M3 6MT ZCP - ESS 625 supercharged
2007 Z4MR
2003 E39 M5
2002 E46 M3
2021 X5 40i -
Like a lot of these guys have said, just get out there and have fun. You'll make it home at the end of the day, especially with an instructor in the car. You'll be pushed and you'll find your limits but it's a good feeling.
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One last warning though, track days can be addicting. If you have a street car soon it seems to make sense to start improving suspension, tires, brakes, adding better seats and seat belts/harnesses, and adding assorted go fast parts, and carefully cutting out your carpet to install a roll bar and 5-6-7 point harnesses and picking up a HANs, and then maybe "adding lightness" by removing some weight...and then maybe you hit the cross roads of getting out for a cheaper hobby or if the jonesing is strong buying a dedicated track car or going full bore gutting and caging your once mild-mannered street car.
In the meantime you will find yourself wandering the paddock when you're not out on track and looking at other folks rides, sitting in their driver's seats "just to try it out", and then maybe you start looking at their open trailers and tow rigs, and looking on Craiglist for cheap tow setups, and then having tow rig envy when wandering the paddock and looking at enclosed trailers and bigger tow rigs.
Perhaps you come to your senses somewhere on this slippery slope by choice, economic necessity or family push back. Or maybe you don't and you start hooking your friends just like other folks hooked you, and hey you know instructing looks interesting, and/or hey rather than this point-to-pass stuff maybe actual racing sounds like a good idea so let's check out Chump, Lemons, WRL, NASA, Council, or SCCA, etc.
Not saying this will happen to you but consider yourself warned.
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One last warning though, track days can be addicting. If you have a street car soon it seems to make sense to start improving suspension, tires, brakes, adding better seats and seat belts/harnesses, and adding assorted go fast parts, and carefully cutting out your carpet to install a roll bar and 5-6-7 point harnesses and picking up a HANs, and then maybe "adding lightness" by removing some weight...and then maybe you hit the cross roads of getting out for a cheaper hobby or if the jonesing is strong buying a dedicated track car or going full bore gutting and caging your once mild-mannered street car.
In the meantime you will find yourself wandering the paddock when you're not out on track and looking at other folks rides, sitting in their driver's seats "just to try it out", and then maybe you start looking at their open trailers and tow rigs, and looking on Craiglist for cheap tow setups, and then having tow rig envy when wandering the paddock and looking at enclosed trailers and bigger tow rigs.
Perhaps you come to your senses somewhere on this slippery slope by choice, economic necessity or family push back. Or maybe you don't and you start hooking your friends just like other folks hooked you, and hey you know instructing looks interesting, and/or hey rather than this point-to-pass stuff maybe actual racing sounds like a good idea so let's check out Chump, Lemons, WRL, NASA, Council, or SCCA, etc.
Not saying this will happen to you but consider yourself warned.
I am not sure I know what you mean /s
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With the information and advice you have received in this post alone, you are ahead of most on their first day. Pay attention in the classroom, it will completely relate to the track at some point. Your instructor will take care of you and keep you out of trouble. Try to relax and don't be afraid to ask questions. There will be a lot going on, enjoy it !!
Oh also, I really enjoy the Blackhawk Wednesdays and I will attend quite a few as well as others you mentioned. Let everyone know which ones you plan to attend so we can make sure to meet and hang out.
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Thanks for all the input! This forum is way more friendly than any other forum I am part of!
Whoa, let's not get ahead of ourselves here! This is still the internet after all. Wait until you meet us in person, some of us are much bigger assholes in real life. We do own BMW's...
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Indeed. Likelihood of crashing is low. The most dangerous times on track are during passing typically, and the highest frequency of issues comes in Intermediate run groups for obvious reasons.
Novice is usually fine and I can't stress enough what Boris said about understanding your focus will be tested. I've taken myself off and skipped the final session of a day before because I could tell my fatigue was setting in. Smartest thing you can do is know when you're too tired. This shit really takes a lot out of you. I've had some buddies that shoulda called it quits on 85 degree days and crash in the last session because they just can't keep focus.
Again going back to the fact that I think you should run with either BMW CCA or MVP Tracktime, or both - they run really tight ships with great instructors, and as a result it's a very safe event. Remember in Novice groups everyone is going super slow, being very conservative, relatively speaking. Everybody builds up speed by the end of the day as people start to learn the line, their cars, and carry more speed through turns and it becomes a lot of fun.
You'll be fine.
Agreed... know yourself and don't push your focus. I've pulled myself out of the game on many occasions just knowing the limits of what I can do. I'd also recommend Laps Inc. some seasoned drivers, instructors, etc.
Rain has also not been a friend on the track for me... lol
I will likely be running Blackhawk and RA at least once this year if I can get my car dialed in.
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I just signed up for the weekend on July 15/16 with MVP Tracktime for Road America. Is anyone else interested and/or signed up? @merl @Boris3
@suspenceful any chance I could steal you for a few hours on one of those days to get some good photos of the M3 on-track at RA?
2011 E92 M3 6MT ZCP - ESS 625 supercharged
2007 Z4MR
2003 E39 M5
2002 E46 M3
2021 X5 40i -
Another track to consider is Putnam Park just SW of Indianapolis. Newly repaved, smooth with excellent grip and great room for runoffs without much to worry about hitting. They have been busy adding garage spaces too. I was just there with Central Indiana region PCA for a weekend with frequent rain and thunderstorms Friday and Saturday and have a new appreciation for the idea of garage space. It is a short 1.78 mi with 10 turns so a good place to work on technique.
It is about 5+ hours from the Milwaukee area
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Putnam is a fun track. Only been there once for a NASA weekend a few years back. Rained that time too.
Nebio did PCA ever work out the details in place to run a DE at the road course at the Indy 500? I remember reading something about this being in the works. Bucket list!
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