BEZ06

Anybody want to run the Rolex 24 road course at Daytona??? Registration has opened for the Daytona HPDE to be run 12-14 December 2008.



You run the "NASCAR way", i.e. counterclockwise.


Last December the Audi Club from Cleveland, OH sponsored the first ever HPDE at Daytona. It was supposedly the first time an event was ever run there that didn't require a competitive license. It was very successful and they will be running it again this December.

I drove the event and it was incredible fun!!! The twisty/turny infield section is fun, but it's a real thrill when you get out on the 31 degree high-banked oval and just let 'er run!!!!!

This event is not cheap at $999 (plus you've got to join the Audi Club for $44). Even instructors pay a $499 registration fee. It's a 3 day event, and there's no provision for just doing 1 or 2 days. Many events are about $250 per day, but this one comes out to more than $340 per day (I heard it cost them something like $25,000/day to lease the Speedway). But, you do get a lot of track time. Last year we did 4 sessions per day, 30 minutes per session - so I got a good 6 hours over 3 days.

I got an email from the Audi Club saying registration has opened up today, 5/1. It says that they will take registrations from drivers that participated last year and Audi Club members before they start advertising it on other sites like here. But, I bet they'll take your application if you want to send in your money!!!

This is a true driver education event. It was my first HPDE when I ran it last December and was in the newbie group. We had classroom instruction and I had an instructor with me for a few sessions, but got signed off for solo when we both felt I was ready.

Here's a link to the Audi Club's website. For more info click on "Events", then click on "Events calendar for 2008" where you print out a registration form:

http://ohio.audiclubna.org

My registration is going in the mail today - hope to see more Corvettes here this year!!!

Bob














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anotherone

man the rolex course ; I really want to do this and I was ready to start applying until I saw the additional $500 for an instructor.
Disregard the 500 , that is the instructors part. It's 999 and 44 for membership. Mailing right now!!!!

BEZ06

I'm not sure what you're looking at - it's expensive at $999 for a student, and that includes your classroom and track instruction.

$499 is the registration fee if you are an instructor and are going to instruct at the event.

So.....if you are a "student" driver, $999 is the total registration fee, and that includes getting you an instructor.

Bob

anotherone

I was cornfused ; I got it now. Cant wait.

BEZ06

Yeah, I know - me too!!!

I'm looking forward to the NCM VIR event the end of June, and I'll try to do a couple more over the summer (probably Roebling and Sebring), but I'm really looking forward to this Daytona event in December.

As if you aren't stoked enough, here are a couple videos of cars at the Dec 2007 event:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfArAugK8fw


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1XGFi18hx4


See ya there!!!!

Bob

sperkins

Ahhh Yeah!!

urslooow

trying to get the time off work now. I run chin grp -2 passing in all corners, do I still have to register as a student? I'm a Sebring regular and run it 2:29. Thanks

BEZ06

There is the event with the Audi club in December, and there's another event with PBOC Motorsports 10/31 - 11/2.

The Audi club is a 3 day event, and AFAIK you must pay $999 for all 3 days. You get a lot of track time - last year we got 4 sessions per day, 30 minutes each, so I got 6 hours of seat time on the track. The recent VIR event cost more than 1/2 that price, but I also got less than 1/2 the seat time (I got 7 sessions of 25 minutes each at VIR - less than 3 hours).

The Daytona event last December was my first HPDE and I got signed off after the first session on the 2nd day, so more than 1/2 my time was solo. If you have a race license you can probably go solo right out of the box, but for liability even if you're experienced, they may want to have an instructor with you for a session to make sure you know the course, the line, and their passing rules, etc.

The other event with PBOC is "no novice". If you do the "driver education" event it's 2 days (11/1 and 11/2). What their requirements for going solo are I dunno.

Check out that event at:

http://www.pbocflorida.com/mainmenu.html

Might even be better info here on the stang site:

http://www.southfloridastangs.net/sf...ad.php?t=30779

Hope to see you here in Daytona - it's really something special for a high hp car!!!!

Bob

sothpaw2

Bearings beware--this should be a lot of fun but the 31 deg banking is not something the old wet sump factory oil systems were designed to handle. Maybe the C6Z with the dry sump can take it.

waddisme

I would love to do it. Just a big deal getting car down there. I will have to work on it! I just did Lowes and it was a blast, Daytona has to be even better . Got to find a way to work this out.

sperkins

That's a great point. That alone would probably keep me out, but the 1K definately does.

BEZ06

Well.....I live right here, so I don't have any travel or accommodation expenses.

Still.....I spent $500 for registration for the recent NCM VIR event and got 2 hours 55 minutes of on track seat time.

For my $999 for registration for the Audi event at Daytona last year I got 6 hours of time out on the course.

So.....you get your money's worth if you're looking at $$$/seat time.

When I figure in travel expenses for VIR, I spent MUCH more!

It's nice to live 10 miles from the track in Daytona!

Bob

Kanmer

Nancy and I will be there. We sent it in as soon as it went live. With the LS1 or 6 just add an extra quart of oil and you should be ok. LT4 needs about 3/4 quart.

See y'all there.
Bob

ZO6NTHEWIND

BEZo6

This sounds like an awesome opportunity. How fast were you able to run on the banks.
Wasn't it a little intimidating, being your first event?

BEZ06

It is a true HPDE event (High Performance Driver "Education" event). The Audi clubs put on great events.

The VIR HPDE was nothing but high hp Corvettes and there were something like 25 C6 Z06's in the 2 novice groups!!! VIR is quite a technical course with lots of turns and elevation changes. I think I was more intimidated at VIR a couple weeks ago than at Daytona.

The Daytona event had a bunch of lower performance cars - although they may be able to corner like a go-kart, they just don't go around the high banked oval like a Vette. There were a lot of cars in my novice run group that were not very fast, or the drivers didn't want to go too fast. There was a girl there in her Lambo, and I don't think she ever got much over 100, but she was having a good time and learning to drive the car much faster than she is able to drive it on the street. So....there's no need to be intimidated - you only go as hard and fast as you're comfortable with.

The infield has a nice set of turns, but it's not a real technical challenge. The big thing about Daytona is running the high banked oval, and the first few times around you're a little in awe, but you get used to it quickly. And you get a LOT of seat time at this event - I got 4 sessions per day, 30 minutes each, for a total of 6 hours of seat time on the track over the 3 days, so you can start to get fairly comfortable with the course.

You CANNOT run WOT around the high bank oval in a Vette - at least not in my C6 Z06 on stock Goodyears (I rode with my instructor in his Porsche 944 and he did about 120 at WOT). I was not comfortable going more that about 155 on the banks. It's actually quite bumpy up there. You get a lot of downforce that pushes the car down onto the banked section of the track, but the car can get a little unsettled when it hits some of the bumps. You're actually in a pretty good left turn the whole way around the banked sections, and I saw .5 to .75 G's every time I was able to glance down at the HUD. I was running in Comp mode and saw the DIC blink occassionally that AH was "active". I was planning on turning AH off completely for a couple sessions, but decided it was probably doing it's thing to help keep me out of the wall. I couldn't feel the rear end moving, but I think when it would get light from the bumps the AH could tell it was trying to move out a little bit, so I left AH in Comp. With sticky R-compound tires my car could do much faster on the banks.

The fastest part of the track is when you come off the bank and go WOT out of NASCAR Turn 2 and NASCAR Turn 4. Coming out of NASCAR T2 onto the "SuperStretch" (the back straight) I was able to get to redline in 4th (right at about 160 in the C6Z) before the brake zone for the "bus stop" (a chicane to slow you down before the NASCAR T3 & T4 banked section). Coming out of NASCAR Turn 4 I'd approach redline in 4th and shift into 5th for another few seconds down the front straight and hit just short of 170 before braking to turn into the infield twisties.

So.....I'd recommend this event to any novice driver. They have good instructors and very good classroom instruction sessions for the novices. It's a great track and a really neat experience. There's no need to make yourself uncomfortable at this event (or any other, for that matter). The Audi club does a real good event, and your instructor will make sure you don't do anything more than you're ready for. They'll also let you do what ever you are ready for - after the morning sessions on the 2nd day my instructor signed me off for solo, and I ran that afternoon and the 4 sessions on the 3rd day solo, and felt very comfortable doing it.

I hope there are a lot more Corvette Forum drivers here this year - it really is a fantastic track for a high power car!!!

Bob

ZO6NTHEWIND

Nice write up! Sends chills down my spine just reading about hitting 160mph!

MNCrystalRed2011

I'll be there and I will be instructing too. Didn't make it last year, but talked to a couple local Audi members that were and I can't wait. Going to be a 2+ day drive each way, but I know it will be worth it. And it will be nice to be in warm weather in December. I just hope there are no big snow storms on the way down or back.

Don O.

I'll be there! Could even be more fun than Sebring!

Don

urslooow

Got the time off from work, joined Audi club. Craig is holding a spot for me so that when I get back from Alaska I'll send in the payment. Are you guys going for the extra $ for the garages? I like having the garages at Sebring and Homestead esp if you have to work on the car.

BEZ06

I'm not getting a garage, but the garage area is nice. Here are a couple pics of the garages:










If you sign up for a garage you'll get an area on one side or the other, i.e., you'll get space like you see the Porshce and BMW are in, or like the Yellow Porsche is in. You get from the pole down the center to the overhead door. They've got 2 cars in (the Porsche and BMW) in one garage space, but I'm not sure you could get 2 Corvettes in that space.

You might be able to share a garage space between 2 owners, but it would be a PITA getting the cars in and out if you're in different run groups, and I'm not sure you could bring the door down if you were trying to store 2 Corvettes in one space overnight. If you have a Vette and a Mini...no problem!!

Butt.....it is a nice facility, and if you get one I'll be visiting regularly to get in out of the sun!!!!

Bob