Anyone going to the NASA Santa's Toy Run at Road Atlanta?

[rogue55]

Just wanted to see if anyone one here was going. I'll be in HPDE for the first time. Been sitting on the sidelines for too long and the street thing has gotten old at my age. Anyone else on IA been bitten by the racing bug?

[Bacon]

I may join you one day, homie. Got issues to work out first. I still need to come out there with you to watch.

[RL...]

cool, ill be joining the novice class in solo next year for some action of my own

[rogue55]

Yeah man, you need to come out. I swear, if you come and watch, you will be itching to get out on track in no time. We need to bump up the Hondas out there. There has to be 2 to 3 times as many mustangs as hondas and acuras at road atlanta. It should be the other way around at a road course. We need to get some of the street racers and maybe a few hard parkers to give up some ego and some "car parts money" and come out to the track to learn how to really drive.

@ RL: I had been saying for the last 2 years that I was going to get out on Road Atlanta with NASA, but I keep putting it off. I wish I had done this years ago. I have been working the NASA events as a volunteer since June, acquiring free track time. I'll be putting some of that time to use in about 3 weeks. Anyways, everytime I worked an event, I got more and more excited about the prospect of doing rather than watching. I might have to agree with some of the other NASA members I know that driving on track is more of an addiction than a hobby.

[Bacon]

I want to get out to the track every once in a while. If I can get into the track just to drive out there, I would be all over it.

[rogue55]

What do you think I am doing in December? HPDE is not a race. Its track time like an open track session. Sure, a lot of the drivers in HPDE desire to move up in the ranks so that they can race, but they aren't racing yet. And you do not even need an upgraded car. Those of us that are just starting out haven't even got to the point where we could push a bone stock car to the limits on track yet. The real upgrade that needs to be done is to the driver! Horsepower is actually an enemy when you are learning to drive on track becuase it hides your mistakes. So if you just want to get out on track and drive it, HPDE 1 is the place to go. No commitment. Even though I am committed to this in my mind, I am not committed to anything in reality.

[Ron's Auto Sales]

It's a lot of fun, although I've only been on a ride along and driven my car on a "parade lap". I hope to do a HPDE soon with my SVT Focus I just bought. Unfortunately, I just put a new clutch in and don't think I could afford new tires and the HPDE fee right now. I'll be up there helping with the Santa'S Toy Run though. See ya.
Dean
www.RonsAutoSales.com

[Bacon]

It's a lot of fun, although I've only been on a ride along and driven my car on a "parade lap". I hope to do a HPDE soon with my SVT Focus I just bought. Unfortunately, I just put a new clutch in and don't think I could afford new tires and the HPDE fee right now. I'll be up there helping with the Santa'S Toy Run though. See ya.
Dean
www.RonsAutoSales.com

If you take your Focus out on the track, let me know and I will add my SVT Focus with ya. My Focus would eat my Integra alive on a track. Gotta love stock suspension-tuned cars.

[rogue55]

If you take your Focus out on the track, let me know and I will add my SVT Focus with ya. My Focus would eat my Integra alive on a track. Gotta love stock suspension-tuned cars.

Gotta know how to use your "tuned" suspension first!

@Dean: Are you volunteering with NASA or another group. I know there is a concert and a car show going on there too. If your working with NASA, you can earn track time by working two weekends with them. Thats what I did. I have worked three weekends and I'm using my credits from two of those to get on track at the 'toy run' By the time you earn the credits you could have money for tires. Either way, you can come see me in the paddock when I'm not on track or in class. Car is in the signature so you can find me.

[Elbow]

SCCA > NASA but I'll be running NASA enduros.

[QUOTE=rogue55;39152360]Y We need to bump up the Hondas out there. There has to be 2 to 3 times as many mustangs as hondas and acuras at road atlanta. It should be the other way around at a road course.QUOTE]

Why? Mustangs usually outhandle and outpower Hondas on a road course. lol Plus it's NASA, HC is DEAD on the east coast IMO, there are still loads of Hondas in SCCA.

[rogue55]

Well, for someone who is just getting into road racing, why is SCCA better? I chose NASA because there is a Honda specific series and it seemed less expensive to run in. Considering the track time for volunteer hours and getting the experience working the corners at the same time, it just fit well with me. But I'm not necessarily plugging for them with this. (amatuer road racing in general, maybe) I want hear what someone who has experienced both has to say about it. I'm still wet behind the ears you know. Oh and the reason I'd expect to see as many hondas as mustangs on a road course is just related to their pervasiveness on the street and at the drag strip. I would consider a mustang more of a drag race car but I see its potential at the road course; not really dominance though. I agree that usually, they outpower hondas and it is more obvious at road atlanta as opposed to CMP. But from a corner workers perpective, the handling and braking, I'm not so sure. Short of seeing a class designed for both vehicles to compete against each other, I would say there are advantages and disadvantages to both makes. There would never be a class like that I don't think. Getting mustang drivers to make their cars more of a momentum based vehicle would be much harder than getting honda drivers to make more power, and both would be necessary. And then on to the last, why is HC dead (on the east coast) but there are still loads of them in SCCA? This is another I have no idea and no input becuase I haven't been around this sport long enough question.

[Elbow]

Well, for someone who is just getting into road racing, why is SCCA better? I chose NASA because there is a Honda specific series and it seemed less expensive to run in. Considering the track time for volunteer hours and getting the experience working the corners at the same time, it just fit well with me. But I'm not necessarily plugging for them with this. (amatuer road racing in general, maybe) I want hear what someone who has experienced both has to say about it. I'm still wet behind the ears you know.

In my opinion SCCA just offers a better wheel to wheel racing program. It's more serious and more competitive in my eyes. A very well known national SCCA driver once said to me if you want to play around go drive with NASA, if you want to race, race with SCCA.

Cost wise they're about the same really, NASA weekends are hectic as well with all the HPDE/TT stuff also going on. NASA is great I'm not bashing it, I just prefer SCCA for wheel to wheel racing. HOWEVER NASA endurance racing is a great program that I will def. be running in.

Oh and the reason I'd expect to see as many hondas as mustangs on a road course is just related to their pervasiveness on the street and at the drag strip. I would consider a mustang more of a drag race car but I see its potential at the road course; not really dominance though. I agree that usually, they outpower hondas and it is more obvious at road atlanta as opposed to CMP. But from a corner workers perpective, the handling and braking, I'm not so sure. Short of seeing a class designed for both vehicles to compete against each other, I would say there are advantages and disadvantages to both makes. There would never be a class like that I don't think. Getting mustang drivers to make their cars more of a momentum based vehicle would be much harder than getting honda drivers to make more power, and both would be necessary.

I work corners as well, have been as a part time job for around three years now. I've also ran numerous Hondas at the track. I could usually either outrun or hang with most in corners but on straight aways they will go away. Now some of the serious Mustangs out there a Honda has no chance at all to keep up at any track.

You're right though there won't be a class for both cars except for multi-class endurance racing.

And then on to the last, why is HC dead (on the east coast) but there are still loads of them in SCCA? This is another I have no idea and no input becuase I haven't been around this sport long enough question.

I am not sure why HC is so dead on the east coast and it may not be as dead as I'm thinking but the past NASA events I've been to entries just didn't seem that great. Most SCCA classes can easily run NASA classes. An SCCA IT Honda can easily be put in a HC class. Honda-Challenge is cool, but do you really want to just race against other Hondas? :p

[StraightSix]

I'll be there, but then I'm at all of our events.

HC isn't as big on the east coast as it used to be. A number of years ago, NASA Mid Atlantic would see fields of 15-20 cars. I think googling "East Coast Honda Challenge" might yield some of the story as to what happened to HC.



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[rogue55]

You might be right about SCCA on the wheel to wheel thing. I'm thinking that NASA's HPDE will be the best place for me to cut my teeth, learn to handle my car and myself, and to work my way up the ladder to w2w racing. I'm thinking that, in 2 or 3 years, I will feel confident enough to race and have a car prepped enough for w2w. its not an overnight undertaking for me. I really just want to have fun, be around the cars and the racing, and soak up all i can.

I was just watching a show on speed last night about the new BOSS 302. I really never knew that mustangs and cameros were that prolific of track cars in the 70's. It seems that the whole trans-am series back in the day was about them two beating up on each other. I will say that in my short time at the track, i have found a respect for american muscle cars that I never had before. My 'street' mentality came form the experience that most mustang I'd come accross out on the road wanted to prove how crappy and slow they thought my car was. I will admit that I, as well as a lot of other guys that fix up hondas, used the mustang as sort of a bentchmark that needed to be surpassed. Well, at least in a straight line drag race. I'm starting to leave all this behind however. The mustang and the civic have their places in history and at the track. The civic is basically a big go cart. It is fun to drive. For it to compete successfully with top teir rear wheel drive cars, it would need to be fundamentally re-engineered. Wild forced induction, v6 swap, one-off suspension from the ground up, possibly even rear wheel drive. Its all been done before but at some point along the way, you are really just building a new car.

I think that HC is not what I thought it would be when I worked my first NASA event. I still want to be a part of it. I would even like to see it grow. I like underdogs I guess. I think that I like the idea of racing other hondas. In actuality, the run groups have you racing other classes as well which ads to it. At this point though, I am itching to race anything since I am not there yet. I won't be able to really answer any of those questions until I progress.

[rogue55]

I'll be there, but then I'm at all of our events.

HC isn't as big on the east coast as it used to be. A number of years ago, NASA Mid Atlantic would see fields of 15-20 cars. I think googling "East Coast Honda Challenge" might yield some of the story as to what happened to HC.

Are you an instructor? what do you drive?

[StraightSix]

Nope, not an instructor. I haven't been on track in about a year. I'm Co-chief of Timing and Scoring.

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[rogue55]

Well, I've only worked 3 weekends and I don't know all of the officials yet. I know Rob and Nevit from working on the grid back in June and I know Matt from doing the flagger training in August and the beginning of November. Other than a couple of people I worked corners with and of course Jim, I don't know any other NASA people. So I guess you get to sit in the air and heat the whole time?

[StraightSix]

Well, I've only worked 3 weekends and I don't know all of the officials yet. I know Rob and Nevit from working on the grid back in June and I know Matt from doing the flagger training in August and the beginning of November. Other than a couple of people I worked corners with and of course Jim, I don't know any other NASA people. So I guess you get to sit in the air and heat the whole time?

Yeah, I get to stay in the tower out of the elements. I try not to mention that, though, lol. As a result of working in the tower I don't get to meet many workers or drivers.

I paid my dues flagging in the snow at VIR for Mid Atlantic. Flagging is how I started with NASA.

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