So I’m home in one piece! I drove about 140 miles on the track, had a great instructor. On Saturday I was the least-experienced driver in an intermediate group (there weren’t enough novices to make a separate group). it was uber-intense and I got lapped a LOT. Today I was able to drive with a beginner class that was there for just Sunday. I did really well and was in the lead (for once!)
High-and lowlights:
-My new-to-me BMW 330 KICKS ASS! I had no idea how agile and fast the little beast is. I hit 90 on the straightaways a few times. Of course, folks were blowing by me at 130.
-Yesterday two cars in the expert class crashed into one another. The Porsche driver was hurt (mild concussion) and the BMW’s suspension was murdered.
-On two occassions hotdoggers who passed me like wildebeest missed the curve ahead and did 360 spinouts into the grass (I have to admit I snickered just a little inside).
-Yesterday it was 84 degrees. Today started at 44, down to 26 by 3pm. I had to buy a $120 track jacket; I didn’t pack well.
-I got to take some rides in real race cars. I felt so cool wearing a six-point seatbelt and clamoring into a rollcage. Man, those guys can drive!
My final two runs were in the rain, which was very useful for me to practice technique and control.
I am exhausted and sore as hell, it’s a revelation that this really is a sport.
I went skiing today, and I’m normally the fastest guy on the road home, but noticed on the way up, the NHP was out in full force.
Being on the wrong side on several violations at any given time, I was taking it easy on the way home. Some California Bozo comes blowing by me, and I got a slight chuckle as I came up on him, pulled over a few minutes later. Thanks, dude!
I’ve done the HPDE M school - fun, isn’t it? The staff is great and they load you down with swag (are the shirts still enormous?) My low-light was the skid pad as I simply couldn’t maintain a controlled skid. The elevation changes on the BMW track are insane - we had a few people throw up because that first dip is like 20 feet or so?
Did anyone else drive? When I did the school it turned out I was the only person to drive their own BMW there - weird.
Swagged! Yup, shirts are ginormous - it’s a good thing for my upper well-endowedness. I got car stickers from the sponsors so I can look all cool.
We didn’t do skid pad, but I did get a bit bilious during a 6 lap run from the cornering. There were 20 cars my first day (in the class that was bit too skilled for me) and 10 in the lower class yesterday. Most people drove their own cars - lots of BMWs and a range from Neons, Mazdas, Minis to Porsche and Ferrari (and lots of Corvettes for some reason).
They were, the BMW was an instructor’s, they were running in the expert class (both driving solo). I think “real” drivers carry full track insurance for damages to cars and track. No track damage, but I’d say there was about $15k+ in car damage - both were driving top of the line modified cars.
I carry track liability for damage for hurting other cars and the track itself. I’d be very sad if Red got hurt due to my fault, but I’d be out for the $4500 she cost, not the price of an M car or Ferrari.
I’m sore from clambering in and out of cars and tensing up from the pure adrenaline. And being fat and 51.
Congrats! I must have missed it, which track was this?
IME it’s extremely uncommon for cars to tangle with each other during a DE event, because it’s not a competitive event and there are rules for safe passing while on track. That said, it’s unfortunately not all that uncommon for people to ball up their cars on their own, maybe a 2.5% chance for each driver at each event for at least some kind of damage. Track insurance is a thing, but if you do this a lot it adds up. The rule of thumb is don’t take it out on track if you’re not prepared to walk away from it with a total loss.
New Jersey Motor Park (Millville). The accident was caused by the Porsche passing, the BMW driver (who’s also an instructor) denies that she signalled him around.
Yeah, I’m using the rule that I won’t track drive something that I can’t junk if something happens. That’s why the other BMWs stay home, wrapped up in their blankies. I do have to say this '04 is really sharp looking and spry, I’d hate for something to happen to her - but, my god, thrashing a $125,000 car on a track? Shudder!
Money’s all relative. I had good fun watching an acquaintance flog his $16 million + '57 Testarossa prototype several years ago. There was some incident on track that resulted in him rolling into the paddock with a bunch of front-end damage. He was all smiles though.
