All,

I'm ready to participate in some HPDE, Roadcourse, Auto-X types of events. Problem is....I have no idea where to start and the entry process seems overwhelming!

• What do I need? (Helmet?)
• What kinds of memberships and licenses?
• How do I identify the local events/organizers?
• What do you suggest for my situation?

I have an 03 Z06 with LG G2 Coilovers and 18x10.5's all around, stock otherwise. I'm familiar with the bare-bones track-time pre-requisites (rubber, pads, cooling, alignment), but would like advice on the questions above. I'm a total novice driver. Located in Houston, TX.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

First question - where the heck are you?
North east, mid-atlantic, southeast, etc?

Helmet - yes, get one that fits snugly on your head and has a current SA rating (SA2010 will be ok for a few years, SA2015 will be good for about 10 years)

Membership - it will depend on what organizations run events near you.
As an example the Carolina Region Mustang club has an event in early October each year at Carolina Motorsports park. All you need is to pay the registration fee and show up. Shoot they even have loaner helmets.

Chin, NASA and others require you to purchase a yearly membership.

Tell us where you live and we can give you tons of suggestions on groups in your area

 

Here is a write up we have on our page. Its for our club, but it is applicable anywhere you want to go for autoX

http://kyscca.com/soloautocross/gett...-in-autocross/

Houston has their own SCCA Region http://www.houscca.com/solo/ start there

 

The most important thing is good instruction. You get a bit less track time, but get very good to excellent instruction with NASA, and good tech inspection--on the other cars too, which you want. There are other good organizations too. Bum rides with instructors in similar cars, and get to know them. If you are humble and express a genuine interest in learning, you will develop friendships that are super helpful. Do NOT use stock pads. Just flush through fresh racing fluid and install racing pads. Everyone has a favorite--pick one. Put in fresh oil and filter. Check or change trans and dif fluid. You need to do these things yourself. That's enough for early on, because the limiting factor is the driver. I went through this 3 years ago, and found the track people really great, they love to share advice and encouragement. The autocross crowd is equally great. It's frustrating to start with a Corvette and get whomped by some pretty ratty looking little cars, not to mention getting lost in a sea of cones and going off course. Don't Quit! Stick with it and you will learn fantastic car control. I'm only on my 2nd year with autocross, but achieved 2 FTD's this season, so very pleased. (Fastest time of the day). For God's sake, don't modify the car, as if you like this, you will need to spend on upgraded front brakes, cooling and seats, along with a few little things like a catch can. Keep a log of each event, and some notes. I keep a running count of track days and autocross runs. If I was starting over, I would be way more aggressive about signing up for autocross events. It's amazing how six 70 second runs teaches you so much in one day. Welcome to the addiction.

 

Exactly what APEX26 said and the same applies to road courses. Change the fluids and install a good set of track pads. I would suggest Hawk HP Plus for starters. They are inexpensive (relatively) and will brake fine on the track and you can drive to the track with them installed. Consider track insurance also. Do a search on this forum for information.

I instruct for a number of HPDE clubs in the southeast. I have a write-up on my instructing technique. If you are interested in what to expect your first time out on a road course, PM me with your e-mail and I'll send you a Word doc.
Welcome to the slippery slope!

Jim

 

I'm a huge fan of Chin Motorsports.

Here are some basics on HPDE.



Here are some basics on helmets. It also covers how to get the correct fit which is really the most important thing.



The most important thing is to not get carried away with modifying your car. Most people only run one or two track events and then never come back. I would not modify my car in any way until I've run at least six events.

The budget can be a big deal if you're not careful. When everything is all said and down you're going to spend about $1,500 a day. That includes the motel and food. You can see how quickly this adds up.

Autocross is a lot cheaper but much more intense. You can actually win a $3 trophy at an autocross. People will spend thousands of dollars to win those trophies. Autocross events are cheap to run and expensive to win.

HPDE events are just about having fun. No one wins and no one loses. You just spend the day driving around.

Richard Newton

 

This is my first year to autoX. When I showed up the first time at the test & tune in March, I didn't know anything about autoX and I didn't know anybody. I was overwhelmingly accepted and helped by everyone I came in contact with. One of the guys suggested the EVO school, and I've been to 2. Jerry Terranova was my instructor at both, he's driven both of my cars, given me invaluable advice and pushed me years ahead in the learning curve for this event. Sam Strano helped me set up my C5 and it's a machine in spite of me. I ride with others and they ride with me, and I learn a lot that way. It's a humbling event with so many variables, but I love a challenge and I'm an adrenaline junkie.

I joined SCCA (not the local Corvette club...lol), I bought a good helmet, I enter online through Motorsports Reg for nearly all autoX events, it's easy to sign up and easy to enter, or you can enter when you get to an event, most have a trailer with entry forms, liability waiver and wrist bands. It costs more to enter if you are a guest instead of a member. Get there in plenty of time to enter, get the numbers on your car (you can use painters tape), and get the car teched and walk the course several times ( I still draw the course for myself). Every event has a novice walk thru with helpful advice. We get 8 runs in my region, and for me, it all goes way too fast, it's so much fun!!!!

 

HPDE...

https://www.motorsportreg.com

You can search for events that are close to you by Zip code. I sort by 'driver school' which is usually hpde.

I was in your shoes 3 months ago. I did a club track weekend (tarheel sports car club at VIR) for my first and it was great. Then a Mustang club at CMP - good group of guys.

Biggest thing I can say is watch videos from the track you are attending (you tube). Try and find a 'school line' video. Review video to the point you can drive track in your head with your eyes closed before your track day. Review video throughout hpde day and weekend. I did not watch video enough before my first track day and I butchered it up pretty all weekend - but it was still awesome.

My second event I took my first instructors advice and studied videos until I could drive it in my mind (second weekend was different track). I did very well - drove some decent lines. It really helped me.

And be humble if someone comes up behind you - point them by. Even a 60 year old lady in a Golf in the beginners group. Yes it happened. Or Miatas...

Put good pads on. Even in beginners group you can kill street pads (you will smell the guys who are using street pads). Tires do not matter as long as they have decent tread in my opinion when you start out. I am running Invos which most say are junk for HPDE but I am having a good time with them (LG G2's here too).

So for hpde..

What do I need? (Helmet?) I bought a G-force. Reasonable priced. Sometimes you can rent them - but that is a hassle.
What kinds of memberships and licenses? None depending on the event. Sometime you may need to join the club (like chin).
How do I identify the local events/organizers? Motorsports reg. And even if it is a Mustang or Audi club or whatever they welcome all makes from what I have seen.
What do you suggest for my situation? I like HPDE because of the track time. Normally 4-5 secessions (20-30mins per secession) per day. So you get lots of track time. On the drive home you will be wishing you had another day....


I will have 4-5 weekends by the end of the year - it is very addicting.

 

I always think the best first event is an Autocross, like stated above it's easiest to buy a $150 open faced SA2010 or SA2015 helmet and go to your local Houston SCCA Solo page: http://www.houscca.com/solo/getstarted.php
The nice thing about Autocross is the low chance of car damage and low abuse level on the car (except tires). Don't worry too much about classing intitially, doesn't matter if you are classed as Novice or CAM-S or whatever as long as you get to run. Sometimes the SCCA will give an extra instructor lap if you are Novice. If Houston offers practice days those are usually even better, more laps per $$.
Next level up would be a track day or "HPDE" on a road course. Get instruction if it's offered, and take it slow, don't feel pressure to pass or not get passed. The abuse level on your car can be much higher in these 20-25 minute sessions, I'd upgrade to some Hawk or equivalent brake pads and watch your engine temps! On hot days I usually do only 10-12 minutes of a 20 minute track day session to save the machine. It really doesn't take more than a helmet and a car and some cash to go out and have fun, so get to it!

 

"Put good pads on. Even in beginners group you can kill street pads (you will smell the guys who are using street pads). Tires do not matter as long as they have decent tread in my opinion when you start out. I am running Invos which most say are junk for HPDE but I am having a good time with them (LG G2's here too). "

WRT tires, make sure your tires are not old! Old tires are hard tires and they loose traction suddenly. I had a student once that had a good lookin' set of tires on his car but I never asked how old they were until after he spun and hit a guardrail.


Jim

 

Run groups for TX:

The Drivers Edge: https://www.thedriversedge.net/
Chin Motorsports: http://www.chinmotorsports.com/
Apex Driving Academy (DFW - MSR Cresson): http://www.apexdrivingacademy.com/

Sign up, show up, talk other people up when you get there for tips on and off track for car prep, driving, etc.

Oh, and sometimes Porsche Club America will allow us to sign up with them if they have openings.

 

Go online..............check schedule at the tracks which are nearest to you:
MSR Houston (near Pearland)
Texas World Speedway (College Sttion)
MSR Cresson
Note those dates which are convenient to you and call or e-mail the sanctioning organization:
Chin Motorsports
Hooked on Driving
Porsche or BMW club
NASA
Edge Addicts
Driver's Edge
Follow the suggestions above in the other responses
Enter and go drive.............it's that easy

 

Someone mentioned street brake pads.

As you progress you may need to think about different sets of pads. It's really all about how much heat you're generating.

"The original brake pads that came with your production car operated best in the 100° to 650° range. Race pads operate best in the 600° to 1500° range. Race pads are just getting effective at roughly the same point where the OEM pads are becoming useless."



It easy enough to measure the temperatures. The brake temperatures can be a great guide to selecting a brake pad.



Brake temperatures 101.
Richard Newton

 

Yes sorry tires do not matter much within reason.. age, cracks, etc. As you get a little faster pay attention to the outer edges of the front tires. They will wear quickly if your camber is not right.

 

I spent a lot more money on Autocross than I have ever spent on track events. Then again I won a national championship. Racing is cheap. Winning is expensive.

Another old rule still holds true. Anyone who is really good at autocross will make a good road racer. Not all good road racers can win at an autocross.

Basically the driving styles are very different. Autocross requires aggression. Most track day people are laid back.

A good autocross driver will sell his first born child for a tenth of a second. Ok, a hundredth of a second.

Richard Newton

 

Look around for SCCA autocross events and see if NCCC has anything to offer in your area. Both my helmet and the better half's is a Racequip open face helmet. I autocross as road racing gets pricey and I'm on a nurses budget haha

 

Find a racing school at your nearest race track. Once you get the bug, you'll need a lot of time and this:

 

Thanks for all the info!





Would you suggest starting with Auto-X or HPDE events for initial skill-building and car-control?

 

If you start with HPDE you will be "slow" at autocrossing. Like a previous poster stated Autocross will teach you a lot of car control, but it will be very aggressive car control.

I started out autocrossing and had to un-learn some of the aggressiveness when I first started HPDE. as an example a kink on the road course required just a subtle move of the steering wheel to negotiate correctly. I had a tendency to wait and jerk the wheel to negotiate it. My instructor was very patient and by the third session I was negotiating it correctly. This was a loong time ago, like 2001/2002.

 

check out:
http://www.motorsportreg.com/

Set your zip code, set the boundary and it will show many many local track events.

I usually set the sorting to autoX/open track/track day only and search.

I would start with few Autox and move on to the smaller/slower tracks (streets of willow) and eventually get on big/fast tracks like (Big willow).

I did 3~4 autoX before I got into Track.