Autocross or Trackdays

[at165db]

What do y'all do for auto-X or track days?

I'm a novice, I understand the principals of car control, just don't have practice driving "fast". I'm tired of just learning and playing Forza :-P

So I've been looking around, and I'm trying to determine what are all the options to have fun with my a4.

The audi club seems to be pretty ... worthless? The local BMW CCA has autocross evenst really close to my home, but I need to get more info on it.

There is a really well run program called chin motorsports, http://www.chinmotorsports.com/, and Roebling Road could be a lot of fun too.

Whatever it is, it would have to be a weekend thing, and I think a chin weekend is as much as I'd like to spend ($400 with an instructor for 7 hours of track time over 2 days).

This month I'm chipping my car, and saving up for a 2nd set of shoes and summer tires for my car over the next few months.

[Big Baller]

First do a driving school, you need it I promise, I'm not even trying to be a dick. It will be the best money you ever spent. A friend of mine runs one at Little Talladega in Alabama(www.siegelracing.com). You will get lots of track time and class room instruction. NASA (www.nasa-southeast) is also a good way to get started. I suggest you buy a good set of track wheels and tires, a good set of brake pads(carbotech XP10s front XP8s rear would work nicely on youre car), and some Motul Brake fluid.

SO to review

School
Tires
Brake Pads
Brake Fluid

Oh and I suggest you come with the attitude that you know nothing. You will learn more that way.

Matt

[efman]

ya i'm also wanting to get started on track days and autox

[SampaGuy]

First do a driving school, you need it I promise, I'm not even trying to be a dick. It will be the best money you ever spent. A friend of mine runs one at Little Talladega in Alabama(www.siegelracing.com). You will get lots of track time and class room instruction. NASA (www.nasa-southeast) is also a good way to get started. I suggest you buy a good set of track wheels and tires, a good set of brake pads(carbotech XP10s front XP8s rear would work nicely on youre car), and some Motul Brake fluid.

SO to review

School
Tires
Brake Pads
Brake Fluid

Oh and I suggest you come with the attitude that you know nothing. You will learn more that way.

Matt

^u dont need any of that. any autocrosser can road race. not many road racers can autocross. learn the basics of car control autocrossing first before u go to the track, it will also be a lot less money. all the info u need is at soloatlanta.com

[at165db]

Now that I've started really looking in to it, I think I'm going to do autocross 1st. Track days are a lot of fun when I ride with my dad in his track-only m3, but I only have 1 car, and the risk to my car on a track is too high. If I did a track day, I agree with Big Baller, I'd want a teacher. Chin requires them untill you prove yourself.

I think autocross will be a good way for me to learn the feel of when the car. Also, the idea of eating some cones is much less worrying than eating a tire wall at a track (or worse..).

I'm looking at the site you sent me right now plv. and your statement about road racers v autocrossers seems valid. My dad has a TON of race and track expierence, but those skills don't translate that well to autocross.

[Big Baller]

^u dont need any of that. any autocrosser can road race. not many road racers can autocross. learn the basics of car control autocrossing first before u go to the track, it will also be a lot less money. all the info u need is at soloatlanta.com

Ok, I'm editing this post because I'm trying to be a nice guy.

You have no idea what youre talking about. An autocrosser obviously told you that bull shit. Autocrossers usally make horrible road racers. They aren't smooth and they lack highspeed car control skills. The only good thing they have going for them is that they have fast hands...sometimes.

If you want to do track days youre best option is a school. The worlds best roadracers didn't start out autocrossing.

[Big Baller]

Now that I've started really looking in to it, I think I'm going to do autocross 1st. Track days are a lot of fun when I ride with my dad in his track-only m3, but I only have 1 car, and the risk to my car on a track is too high. If I did a track day, I agree with Big Baller, I'd want a teacher. Chin requires them untill you prove yourself.

I think autocross will be a good way for me to learn the feel of when the car. Also, the idea of eating some cones is much less worrying than eating a tire wall at a track (or worse..).

I'm looking at the site you sent me right now plv. and your statement about road racers v autocrossers seems valid. My dad has a TON of race and track expierence, but those skills don't translate that well to autocross.

If you stick with Track days at Roebling, Carolina Motorsports Park, and Little Talladega then you wont have to worry about hitting walls, as they dont have many to hit.

Autocross is good for developing fast hands, it also teaches you a lot of bad habits, and it sure doesn't help with youre smoothnes.

I suggest you head on over to the nasa forums and ask for advice over here. There aren't many people on here who really have a clue about track days.

Matt

[SampaGuy]

You are a complete and total idiot, who clearly has no idea what he is talking about. Goofing off in a parking lot at 35mph does very little to prepare you for Turn 12 at Road Atlanta. The next time you think you know something why don't you call someone and ask to make sure. What even makes you remotely qualified to answer his questions, what have you done one or two auto-crosses. I'm sure someone who auto-crosses instilled that little tid bit of wisdom about autocrossers making good road racers.

THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK.

why dont u make a thread on scca forums and see whos the idiot.

[SampaGuy]

Autocross is good for developing fast hands, it also teaches you a lot of bad habits, and it sure doesn't help with youre smoothnes .

u just proved ur ignorance

[Big Baller]

why dont u make a thread on scca forums and see whos the idiot.

I edited that because I was trying to be nice, but how about this.

Bring youreself and youre car out to Road Atlanta for the Nasa weekend, if you beat my time then Ill pay for youre weekend.

Bring that shit. We can go run at CMP and you can try and break my track record for TTS and TTU if you would like.

whatever you want to do.

[Big Baller]

u just proved ur ignorance

Like I said bring youre super smooth autcrossing bad ass self on out to Road Atlanta, if you beat me Ill pay for youre track day.

[Big Baller]

PLV...How many track days have you ran, whats youre fastest time at all the tracks around the southeast?

[efman]

If you stick with Track days at Roebling, Carolina Motorsports Park, and Little Talladega then you wont have to worry about hitting walls, as they dont have many to hit.

Autocross is good for developing fast hands, it also teaches you a lot of bad habits, and it sure doesn't help with youre smoothnes.

I suggest you head on over to the nasa forums and ask for advice over here. There aren't many people on here who really have a clue about track days.

Matt

what about barber i've been there to watch my brother in wera and i wanna to a track day there sooooooo bad !!!!

[SampaGuy]

I edited that because I was trying to be nice, but how about this.

Bring youreself and youre car out to Road Atlanta for the Nasa weekend, if you beat my time then Ill pay for youre weekend.

Bring that shit. We can go run at CMP and you can try and break my track record for TTS and TTU if you would like.

whatever you want to do.

my or your driving skill is irrevelant. he was asking about what is better to start out. chill out.

[yudalicious]

I've also heard the statement about road racers being bad autocrossers and autocrossers being good road racers... I don't know how much truth this holds, while autocross does teach you car control good for any type of performance driving, there's a HUGE difference between driving at the limit at 35mph and driving at the limit at 70mph, so I'm inclined to agree with Big baller on this one, no offense to the autocrossers on here.
OP, if you want to get into road racing, there's plenty of tracks nearby that are "safe" near here, esp. Talladega, CMP. As a beginner, I also think that you don't NEED to sign up for a big name/expensive track school, any competent instructor at a track day can teach you about the basics. www.trackschedule.com is a good one, just click on the Calendar. Btw, is there a site for the local BMWCCA autocrosses? Good luck on your endeavors,

[Big Baller]

what about barber i've been there to watch my brother in wera and i wanna to a track day there sooooooo bad !!!!

Barber is great, its a pretty quick track there is a good amount of run off there. Barber is fairly technical though so I think it would be better if you had some more experince on other tracks first. Actually I guess it depends what kind of car you are in, if you are in a lower power car then it might be okay for a first track day.

Matt

[at165db]

what about barber i've been there to watch my brother in wera and i wanna to a track day there sooooooo bad !!!!

Barber is an AWESOME track, but there are 2 things about it.
1. It eats cars :-P
2. If you run off track, you get to pay a lot to fix it up. That track isn't beautiful beacause only good drivers go there :->

I've ridden with my dad 3 diff times at Barber, and while it is a very technical track, it is my 2nd fav. (VIR is my fav that I've been to.)

[Big Baller]

my or your driving skill is irrevelant. he was asking about what is better to start out. chill out.

So what you actually said here was....you don't have any real road course experince and you are just running off at the mouth.

[efman]

Barber is an AWESOME track, but there are 2 things about it.
1. It eats cars :-P
2. If you run off track, you get to pay a lot to fix it up. That track isn't beautiful beacause only good drivers go there :->

I've ridden with my dad 3 diff times at Barber, and while it is a very technical track, it is my 2nd fav. (VIR is my fav that I've been to.)

ya barber is pretty ! i cant wait to start doing some track days

[Big Baller]

Barber is an AWESOME track, but there are 2 things about it.
1. It eats cars :-P
2. If you run off track, you get to pay a lot to fix it up. That track isn't beautiful beacause only good drivers go there :->

I've ridden with my dad 3 diff times at Barber, and while it is a very technical track, it is my 2nd fav. (VIR is my fav that I've been to.)

Very true, I seem to recall a lot of cars leaving on flat beds

[yudalicious]

Barber is an AWESOME track, but there are 2 things about it.
1. It eats cars :-P
2. If you run off track, you get to pay a lot to fix it up. That track isn't beautiful beacause only good drivers go there :->

I've ridden with my dad 3 diff times at Barber, and while it is a very technical track, it is my 2nd fav. (VIR is my fav that I've been to.)

I want to go to Barber, but don't see many events for it. I for one am excited to go to the newly renovated TGP soon. Good to see people on here that are actually into the art of driving, not just hanging around gas stations and yapping about the newest popular mods. Frankly, I'm impressed, IA.

[at165db]

SNIP

Btw, is there a site for the local BMWCCA autocrosses? Good luck on your endeavors,

http://www.peachtreebmwcca.org/

I took a defensive driving class taught by the bmwcca here (that they marked for 16-21 year olds) right before I turned 22. It was $40, but saves me $110 a year in insurance :-> Not to mention I'd almost pay $40 just have fun on the skid pad again!

The next day they were having an auto-cross event. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is like 10 miles from my house, so obviously that's a great location, but I can't seem to find prices yet. (been looking at too many things tonight)...

[at165db]

As for BB v. plv I didn't mean to get a flame war going :-P I think we can all agree the 2 things are disimilar enough for there to be learning curves for anyone, and they are both fun. I'm just looking for fun.

I know I'm a noob, and I want to fix that. Track days are a lot of fun, as I've ridden at many, and play mechanic for my dad. BUT Insurance won't pay for anything you do to your car at a track, and It'd be a sad day to loose the audi to a noobie mistake (or to someone elses!)

[yudalicious]

http://www.peachtreebmwcca.org/

I took a defensive driving class taught by the bmwcca here (that they marked for 16-21 year olds) right before I turned 22. It was $40, but saves me $110 a year in insurance :-> Not to mention I'd almost pay $40 just have fun on the skid pad again!

The next day they were having an auto-cross event. Gwinnett County Fairgrounds is like 10 miles from my house, so obviously that's a great location, but I can't seem to find prices yet. (been looking at too many things tonight)...

Thanks, as you may've read in this forum, there's another thread expressing interest in non SCCA autocrosses in the interest of more runs/$. What do you drive, btw? I may very well see you in an event in the near future.

[Big Baller]

Buy a 2k dollar miata, its one of the cheapest things you can track and its a lot of fun.

No flame war, that stupid qoute that all the autocrossers yap about as if it was the truth just gets on my nerves.

As for BB v. plv I didn't mean to get a flame war going :-P I think we can all agree the 2 things are disimilar enough for there to be learning curves for anyone, and they are both fun. I'm just looking for fun.

I know I'm a noob, and I want to fix that. Track days are a lot of fun, as I've ridden at many, and play mechanic for my dad. BUT Insurance won't pay for anything you do to your car at a track, and It'd be a sad day to loose the audi to a noobie mistake (or to someone elses!)

[at165db]

I want to go to Barber, but don't see many events for it. I for one am excited to go to the newly renovated TGP soon. Good to see people on here that are actually into the art of driving, not just hanging around gas stations and yapping about the newest popular mods. Frankly, I'm impressed, IA.

Barber is one of the more expensive tracks to go to from what I hear. I can't remember what the fees were for it last year, but ChinMotorsports does a great job of setting up a DE weekend.

My dad is retired, and spends a lot of his time gonig to track events from seabring to mid-ohio and has done events with a lot of different track day culbs and car clubs (audi, bmw, and porsche). Chin events are run in a very organized, safe manner. You'll also get a TON of track time :->

If you really want to do barber, I'd look into going with them. I've been to barber with dad for both a Chin and a Porsche event, and the porsche event was more money and was run in a less effective manner (and not as safe IMO).

[at165db]

Thanks, as you may've read in this forum, there's another thread expressing interest in non SCCA autocrosses in the interest of more runs/$. What do you drive, btw? I may very well see you in an event in the near future.

It's a dark blue '06 Audi A4 2.0T Quattro (manual too!). I've had the car almost a year now, and haven't seen another one that was the same :->
(I did see the same color a4, but it was not a quattro and I'm sure it was an auto).

[at165db]

Buy a 2k dollar miata, its one of the cheapest things you can track and its a lot of fun.

No flame war, that stupid qoute that all the autocrossers yap about as if it was the truth just gets on my nerves.

Yeah, I need to save up to buy a track day car. I've decided that I won't use my daily driver at a track, for several reasons.

Now I just need a massive raise so I can "downgrade" the A4 to as my track car :->

[Black R]

haha, BB you come autox and I'll beat YOUR time.....!

[Big Baller]

haha, BB you come autox and I'll beat YOUR time.....!

In what, I might come youre going to have to motivate me with cash prizes

[Black R]

no way, you're rich enough!

picking up cones builds character!