Road Atlanta
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Road Atlanta
Just wondering what it takes to get started in road racing. I live in Dallas Ga. Really just want to be able to track my care at Road Atlanta.
I have a stock c5 zo6 with Yokohama advan N. tires. Should be pretty good track tires to start with.
Questions
COST?
WHAT ALL DO YOU NEED?
HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?
HOW TO SIGN UP?
I have a stock c5 zo6 with Yokohama advan N. tires. Should be pretty good track tires to start with.
Questions
COST?
WHAT ALL DO YOU NEED?
HOW DO YOU GET STARTED?
HOW TO SIGN UP?
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 22,717
Likes: 798
From: Hillsborough NC
NC Events Coordinator
If you just want to just check it out, you can do a Hyperdrive. They are one classroom session plus one track session with instructor. They go for $50-60. All you really need to do to your car is make sure all your fluids are up to date and your wear items, tires, rotors & brake pads, are in good shape. Many organizations require a pre-inspection by your mechanic. That can run $0-50 depending on whether your mechanic owes you a favor or not.
A full weekend is typically around $500 for the entry fee itself plus gas, food, etc. Full weekends take a toll on tires, rotors & brake pads. You'll also need to change fluids regularly.
If you get more serious there are a number of mods that will help your car handle and stop better. Check out the Autocrossing & Roadracing forum. There is a ton of good advice in there. Two threads you should start with are New To Auto-X and Roadracing? Look in here... and C5 Track Car \ HPDE Conversion: What I have learned!. Don't be alarmed at all the information. You can start very simply by doing just a few things.
I did my first Hyperdrive with no mods whatsoever. For my first full HPDE I replaced my front rotors, went to better pads all around, replaced my front and rear sways with C6 Z51 units, and replaced my shocks with a C6 Z06 set.
A full weekend is typically around $500 for the entry fee itself plus gas, food, etc. Full weekends take a toll on tires, rotors & brake pads. You'll also need to change fluids regularly.
If you get more serious there are a number of mods that will help your car handle and stop better. Check out the Autocrossing & Roadracing forum. There is a ton of good advice in there. Two threads you should start with are New To Auto-X and Roadracing? Look in here... and C5 Track Car \ HPDE Conversion: What I have learned!. Don't be alarmed at all the information. You can start very simply by doing just a few things.
I did my first Hyperdrive with no mods whatsoever. For my first full HPDE I replaced my front rotors, went to better pads all around, replaced my front and rear sways with C6 Z51 units, and replaced my shocks with a C6 Z06 set.
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2011
Posts: 1,422
Likes: 118
From: San Gabriel Valley California
St. Jude Donor '14-'15
OP,
Be aware, that most great race car drivers started as kids on go-karts, snowmobiles, and or moto-cross (etc). These guys have years of learning experience which they bring to C7R and LeMans, and Nascar type racing.
You can learn too. But be patient with your learning curve. Remember that at first, your C5 Corvette is capable of way more than you are!!! If you ask more of it, on a track (or the street), than YOU can handle, you'll find out the wrong way what 'learning curve' means.
So I'd also advise racing-driving type schools, where professional drivers will teach you how to handle your C5 in way most amatuers never learn.
There are driving schools which are 'Corvette Specific' which should be fun for you. Do a google search.
Ask any professional driver, on any platform, and they'll tell you what they fear most is not speed, but is another driver, who doesn't know what he's/she's doing.
Have fun, in a safe professional way.
Don
Be aware, that most great race car drivers started as kids on go-karts, snowmobiles, and or moto-cross (etc). These guys have years of learning experience which they bring to C7R and LeMans, and Nascar type racing.
You can learn too. But be patient with your learning curve. Remember that at first, your C5 Corvette is capable of way more than you are!!! If you ask more of it, on a track (or the street), than YOU can handle, you'll find out the wrong way what 'learning curve' means.
So I'd also advise racing-driving type schools, where professional drivers will teach you how to handle your C5 in way most amatuers never learn.
There are driving schools which are 'Corvette Specific' which should be fun for you. Do a google search.
Ask any professional driver, on any platform, and they'll tell you what they fear most is not speed, but is another driver, who doesn't know what he's/she's doing.
Have fun, in a safe professional way.
Don
Last edited by donald4972; Nov 30, 2014 at 08:55 AM. Reason: spelling
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
Thanks guys!
Yeah if I ever did it I quess my biggest fear would be messing another driver up. But at the same time it would be nice to get out there and run the car around the track. Thanks for the help.
Yeah if I ever did it I quess my biggest fear would be messing another driver up. But at the same time it would be nice to get out there and run the car around the track. Thanks for the help.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,145
Likes: 128
From: Valdosta GA
St. Jude Donor '15-'16-'17-‘18-'19-'20-'21-'22
If you're interested in competition -- autocross, time trials, road racing, etc --
check out the SCCA Atlanta Region (their home track is Road Atlanta)
Here's some info:
http://www.atlantascca.org/events/pe...xperience-pdx/
http://www.atlantascca.org/about/
Another track is Roebling Road (slightly west of Savannah)
they hold various high speed events
http://www.roeblingroad.com/trackinformation.html
http://www.roeblingroad.com/schedule.html
If you haven't already done so -- check out the autocrossing/road racing section of this forum.
Good Luck.
check out the SCCA Atlanta Region (their home track is Road Atlanta)
Here's some info:
http://www.atlantascca.org/events/pe...xperience-pdx/
http://www.atlantascca.org/about/
Another track is Roebling Road (slightly west of Savannah)
they hold various high speed events
http://www.roeblingroad.com/trackinformation.html
http://www.roeblingroad.com/schedule.html
If you haven't already done so -- check out the autocrossing/road racing section of this forum.
Good Luck.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 9,488
Likes: 1,743
From: Knoxville Tn
The National council of Corvettes (NCCC) sanctions autocrosses throughout the US. There are several active members in the Atlanta area. They only let Corvettes enter so you can test your skills against similar cars as you're driving. They are a fun group that will help you a lot on car set up, driving techniques etc.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 4,812
Likes: 46
From: Taylorsville North Carolina
My first track day was in a 2002 TA with only a lead/follow at RD ATL and I was hooked.
Upgrade brake and clutch fluids and have at it. If you are even only barely thrilled by your car, might as well sign up for a full track day. You will get an instructor and plenty of classroom help. I only recommend 1 day to start with. You will be drained from the information, fun, thrill, adrenaline overload from the first day. And after all that, you will be planning your next one. Enjoy
Upgrade brake and clutch fluids and have at it. If you are even only barely thrilled by your car, might as well sign up for a full track day. You will get an instructor and plenty of classroom help. I only recommend 1 day to start with. You will be drained from the information, fun, thrill, adrenaline overload from the first day. And after all that, you will be planning your next one. Enjoy
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Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 118
Likes: 0
My first track day was in a 2002 TA with only a lead/follow at RD ATL and I was hooked.
Upgrade brake and clutch fluids and have at it. If you are even only barely thrilled by your car, might as well sign up for a full track day. You will get an instructor and plenty of classroom help. I only recommend 1 day to start with. You will be drained from the information, fun, thrill, adrenaline overload from the first day. And after all that, you will be planning your next one. Enjoy
Upgrade brake and clutch fluids and have at it. If you are even only barely thrilled by your car, might as well sign up for a full track day. You will get an instructor and plenty of classroom help. I only recommend 1 day to start with. You will be drained from the information, fun, thrill, adrenaline overload from the first day. And after all that, you will be planning your next one. Enjoy
Told the wife about it last night, she said yoy dont know have to drive on a track. I said I dont think anyone knows how to thrre first time around.
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 22,717
Likes: 798
From: Hillsborough NC
NC Events Coordinator
I took my wife for my first HPDE, she in her Mazda 3 and me in the C5. We are frequent spectators at VIR and she had always wanted to drive the track to see what it was like. She had a blast even though she announced her "retirement" after we were done.