VegasJen

I'm sure most of those of us who drive on track have come to the realization that we may be good, but we're just not "that" good. Before my first track day I used to think I was a good driver, a fast driver. Then I took my car to an auto-x, later progressing to track days. My humility went up as my experience increased. I now know I'm a better driver than the average knuckledragger because I've had exposure to people faster than me, I've learned by being taken to school.
In the last few weeks I've had several conversations with people about driving. Whenever I mention that I drive track events, and even instruct for a group that puts on track days, it always leads to something like this:
Guy who thinks he's fast, "yeah, I rode with this guy in his Porsche/Ferrari/Corvette and he couldn't believe how fast I was. 'I didn't know my car would do that'. Blah, blah, blah". Or, "yeah, I took this guy out for a ride and he said I should be a professional driver blah, blah, blah".
Granted, I haven't ridden with these people and for all I know they could be the next Senna. But odds are they aren't. It just seems to me any time the subject comes up it somehow turns into a "who's d**k is bigger" contest. Granted, I mention that I instruct, and that is a fact. But it's not something I bring up just to brag that I'm an instructor. The group uses instructors more for safety and basic car control than anything else. It's not Bondurant or anything, just a group that likes to go out on the weekends and bomb around the track for fun.
Does anybody else run into this kind of pissing match?

stevensa

All the time, the biggest talkers are usually the slowest/most unsafe drivers.

Aardwolf

That reminds me of a guy parked by me at an event last year. He had a nice C6 ZO6. He started telling me how he was passing everyone and the group was so slow. I looked at his car again to identify what group he was running in and almost burst out laughing when I saw the HPDE1 designation.

Bad Karma

Comparing myself to the average street driver is like saying I eat cereal better than a 1 year old. I think the average driver pays little attention and has no real idea how drive a car.

With that said, I will be the first to tell you I am slow and the car is far more capable than I am.

I've just started doing this, so I haven't run into many of these conversations yet, but I can easily see them going the way you describe.

trapp

You hear it every event...I keep my mouth shut knowing that I'm in no way faster then the next guy...There is so my factors involved...type of car, HP, Tires, Brakes, Driver skills etc... I remember my 3 day course at Bondurant was eye opening on how slow I was driving my vette..wow..The worst thing was I could barely keep up with the instructor and he was driving a Caddy CTS and I was in the Z06.........

naschmitz

Data. Lap times. That's why I like time trialing. Officially posted lap times leave less room for BS. Good people WANT to be measured.

Coc5

I can't tell you how many times at an open track day, how many people in their "race cars" have come over to my car and looked at the tires on it!
Why.
Because I would outdrive them and they would be on slicks.
My tires.
Just BFG KD G-Forces that I drove to the track on. I would adjust tire pressures and just drive within the limits of the car and tires, consistently on the track.
When it rained, I stayed on the track while they took cover.

John Shiels

The proof is in the pudding. I could come back and spread all the BS I want but anyone can drop a watch on you a few times if you are in the clear or just watch your performance. The crap your here is really funny. I hear they were doing X speed down the straight but I passed them doing 10-15 mph less.

z06801

sorry for posting this up again, but its just so perfect. Here is your guy
http://youtu.be/b7iUKaPlBl8

rayk

LOL. Spring Mountain did the same to me. Best thing I've done to improve my driving. Can't wait to go back again for Level II.

I keep my mouth shut and if I get the opportunity, get on track behind the "Fast" guys.

AU N EGL

^Classic

Painrace

The older I get the faster I was!

You can out run everything but money!

Jim

TJM

Two trips, many more to come, and one thing we REALLY know [ now ] is how much we don't know about going fast. A... in Seat!! .. lots of it needed!!!

What amazes me as how, after the weekends, the drive back was like playing" hand-grenade" l with a troop of psychotic monkeys!!

It really was a truly startling experience. [ the drive back.... ]

TJM

jcsperson

I think a lot of people really don't get that driving is an acquired skill. To them, going fast is about who has the fastest car and the biggest *****.

z06801

there is a little truth to that in the end

StKnoWhere

A few years back Mike Skeen was my instructor at VIR and took my stock 2006 Miata out in the advanced group and of course passed quite a few of the cars in that session.

Later in the day a driver came up and ask what I had under the hood. I pointed to the passenger seat and said - Mike Skeen :-)

MongoZ06

I totally agree with this statement.

Most of my friends who are still into cars trash talk me because my car is mostly stock. They have that mentality that unless it goes 11's or quicker in the 1/4 mile it's slow. Because they all have been down the drag strip a few times they believe they are somehow expert drivers and could show me a thing or 2 on a road course.

spdislife

A skill that needs to be practiced....or rust sets in.

bluemagoo

Someone recently posted this video and it seemed appropriate...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=jzrXwgMSy1Y

At a driving school recently hosted by RMVR (our regional vintage racing organization) I had the opportunity to ride shotgun in my Z06 as Randy Pobst took the wheel. I learned that there's a lot more left in my car before I need to go to Hoosiers

RDnomorecobra

I routinely try to explain how I've been passed by a 3 series bimmer or the like and have also gotten around GT3s. I get blank stares. Really not worth trying to explain anymore. Its too tiring.