Just a notion. Need smart people to iron out details., Co-Op Race Track/Tracks. Options

[ArtechnikA]

Oh! Thanks. I was considering doing this at Skip Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham Al. It cost something like $1500 for a 1 day course. At least you get to drive Porsches. You can spend alot more money and get some sort of license.

That's more along the line of 'professional driving school' than just a (weekend, typically...) Driver's Ed event.

One recurring theme here is the guy (invariably...) who says "I've got $1500 (or fill-in-blank amount) to spend on making my car faster - what shocks and swaybars should I buy?"

Everybody wants to -go- fast, not many want to -be- fast.

'Cause if you really wanted to -be- fast, you'd go attend a professional driving school.

[Silverstreak]

Haha, I see what you're saying. I'll have to look into these DE's as I don't have $1500 bucks to spend on stuff for my car, let alone pro driving school. I'll stick to my driving books for now and practice where I can. I have a sweet little abandoned/failed subdivision nearby I can tool around in(It's even got a roundabout). Just gotta watch the curbs, and keep an eye out for the ol' sheriff. Luckily it's in the sticks and pretty secluded. Maybe one day my vision of a driving utopia will come to pass.

[carr914]

Oh! Thanks. I was considering doing this at Skip Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham Al. It cost something like $1500 for a 1 day course. At least you get to drive Porsches. You can spend alot more money and get some sort of license.

Just so you know, Skip Barber has Nothing to do with the Barber track in Birmingham or the Porsche Driving Experience that is held there.

Haha, I see what you're saying. I'll have to look into these DE's as I don't have $1500 bucks to spend on stuff for my car, let alone pro driving school. I'll stick to my driving books for now and practice where I can. I have a sweet little abandoned/failed subdivision nearby I can tool around in(It's even got a roundabout). Just gotta watch the curbs, and keep an eye out for the ol' sheriff. Luckily it's in the sticks and pretty secluded. Maybe one day my vision of a driving utopia will come to pass.

DE's can become addicting & expensive. Addicting in that is a lot of fun on a real race track, fairly safe & fun. Expensive in that you always want to go faster, which equals $$$. Also, while it is open to some debate, I estimate that it costs about a $1,000 to do a DE. Costs are entry fee, car prep, insurance, gas, hotel and food.

[roadster fan]

First time I heard about this facility the wheels were turning.....then I remembered I live in the people's republik of california and knew that something like that would never be built here.

I might have to move to texas when I retire though just to go racing every day for $15 for every 30 minutes. I have paid way more than that for golf!

MotorsportRanch

Jim

[URY914]

A real race track is a whole bunch different than a go kart track. I decent kart track with assciated space can be built on 10 acres. A race car track needs 200+ so you do the math. Go kart racing, it's less money and faster.

[Silverstreak]

First time I heard about this facility the wheels were turning.....then I remembered I live in the people's republik of california and knew that something like that would never be built here.

I might have to move to texas when I retire though just to go racing every day for $15 for every 30 minutes. I have paid way more than that for golf!

MotorsportRanch

Jim

See, something like that would be great. Maybe a little less costly. But considering I don't really have any other hobbies or habits, I could find room in the budgie for that. And as far as the track in Birmingham, is it just named in his honor or something? There are NO respectable karting places inmy neck of the woods I'm afraid. Anyway it's not the same and I'm paying good money every month for a sports car, I want to sport it! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) No twisties here either. Maybe I should just move.

[URY914]

The Birmingham track is named after the founder. He made his money as a dairy farmer. He has NOTHING to do with Skip Barber.

[John]

DE's are not as cost prohibitive as one may think.

Any street car that can pass a good tech inspection and has fresh brake fluid and some tires can attend.

Most clubs even will loan you a helmet if you don't mind wearing a loaner helmet.

Cost of admission varies based on club, but a 2 or 3 day weekend with "certified" instruction could be had for $500 or less.

The "novice" groups don't need much if any modifications. They restrict proper race harnesses to a system that includes race seats, so no need to go there.

If one likes track work and want's to continue on a budget, the first mods to the car would be tires and performance brake pads. After that, it can get expensive or one can enjoy the car they have and no real modifications are mandatory.

The slower (and older) the car, the more the driver actually can learn. Modern electronics can prevent some of the real key lessons of learning how to handle a car at speed.

DE's are good places to learn to drive your car in a controlled environment.



John Flesburg
Certified PCA DE Instructor with 23+ years DE experience

[Silverstreak]

The Birmingham track is named after the founder. He made his money as a dairy farmer. He has NOTHING to do with Skip Barber.

Mmmm, milk. I had heard it was something to do with Barber Milk.

[carr914]

John make some good points about DE's and he and I have the same amount of time into being Instructors for PCA.

Students in older cars can And do learn more than their friends in Brand New Porsches that have multiple computers that take over when a student gets in over his head. I've had students in new cars screw up, the car corrected and they later strut around because they passed so many cars.

If you enjoy DE's, then the slope gets slippery - brakes, tires, suspension etc. The other thing to consider is that at most tracks, a 914 will be one of the slowest cars. If you don't mind getting passed, you're OK. There are some good 914 Tracks (Roebling Road in Savannah, comes to mind), but at a track like Sebring where I'm at a lot, HP is everything.

The other thing is do AutoCrosses. A lot of fun, low cost (here 914's do Very Well) and it will prepare you for the track.

[Silverstreak]

The slower (and older) the car, the more the driver actually can learn. Modern electronics can prevent some of the real key lessons of learning how to handle a car at speed.

DE's are good places to learn to drive your car in a controlled environment.

One reaon I want to get this teener on the road. I am currently whipping around in a 350Z. A marvelous car and pretty well track worthy as it sits. It has VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) or something like that, but it can be turned off with the push of a button. Then your stuck with something a little more akin to the older "non aided" sports car. I won't lie though. The VDC has saved my narrow ass on more than one occasion. I'll have to take it easy in the old girl once she's ready to go. All in due time.

[carr914]

The 350Z will be a good track car and depending on your PCA region, you can drive it on DE's.

You mentioned your car has VDC. I'll tell you a little story, in 2006 I bought a brand new special edition Honda S-2000. I had driven earlier model years, but I think 2006 was the 1st year for Stability Control. I'm old school and like to be able to feel the car and throw the rear end around, so I always turned the Stability Control off ( I had to turn it off every time I started the car). Well, one day I forgot to turn it off, was going mucho fast down one of my favorite roads. I intentionally threw it into a 90 degree right hander. The car thought I was in a death slide, so the SC kicked in, violently shifting the car left, shot me over an earthen bump, then Airbourne like the Dukes of Hazzard and I ended up in the middle of a lake.

Moral for me; my right foot is the Best Stability Control and I hate computer controlled cars.

[Silverstreak]

The 350Z will be a good track car and depending on your PCA region, you can drive it on DE's.

You mentioned your car has VDC. I'll tell you a little story, in 2006 I bought a brand new special edition Honda S-2000. I had driven earlier model years, but I think 2006 was the 1st year for Stability Control. I'm old school and like to be able to feel the car and throw the rear end around, so I always turned the Stability Control off ( I had to turn it off every time I started the car). Well, one day I forgot to turn it off, was going mucho fast down one of my favorite roads. I intentionally threw it into a 90 degree right hander. The car thought I was in a death slide, so the SC kicked in, violently shifting the car left, shot me over an earthen bump, then Airbourne like the Dukes of Hazzard and I ended up in the middle of a lake.

Moral for me; my right foot is the Best Stability Control and I hate computer controlled cars.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) Holy crap! Into a lake!? How terrible. What did you buy with the insurance check? Never had the pleasure of an S2000, but hear great things. As far as autoX, I have been considering doing some rallyX as well as autoX with the 914 when it's ready. There are opprotunities for both here in the sunshine state. All very south and east from my part of FL I'm afraid, as far as the rallyX anyway. Do they have DE's at Sebring? I'd love to drive on such an historic track.

[ArtechnikA]

...Do they have DE's at Sebring?

This is a quality organization that provides instruction but has an adult approach to progressing you through the run groups and what you can do in each.

If you look through various Porsche archive sites, you may hear about "TraQuest" - this is what they are now: Chin Motorsports

[carr914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/lol-2.gif) Holy crap! Into a lake!? How terrible. What did you buy with the insurance check? Never had the pleasure of an S2000, but hear great things. As far as autoX, I have been considering doing some rallyX as well as autoX with the 914 when it's ready. There are opprotunities for both here in the sunshine state. All very south and east from my part of FL I'm afraid, as far as the rallyX anyway. Do they have DE's at Sebring? I'd love to drive on such an historic track.

Insurance paid off the car as it was only 6 months old with 5,000 miles.

I haven't been to the facility near Starke that does the RallyX, supposedly it is a nice facility with a nice motorcycle track.

Yes we do DE's @ Sebring. I have been an Instructor since 1988. We typically do 5 DE's a year, most 2 day events, shared with Goldcoast region out of South Florida. This Fall's dates are Sept 18&19, Nov 13 (invitation only) & 14th. We also have PCA 48 Hours at Sebring Club Race in Febuary ( always over 300 cars). The biggest problem is getting good dates. Sebring is expensive to rent and during the late Fall, Winter & early Spring, the track has activities almost everyday with IndyCars testing, HSR Racing, SCCA Racing, Skip Barber Schools/Racing, track rentals, etc.

There are no DE's at Daytona, but Palm Beach International Raceway (Formerly Moroso) is popular.

More in tune with your original ideas, a few years ago, I was involved with a group that was interested in building a Country Club track east of Sarasota. We had an option on a piece of property, but the permitting process took forever and finally the money and interest waned. The other problem was it was only 45 minutes from Sebring. If you hit a Super Lotto, let me know, as I have track planned in my head about 30 minutes North of Tampa.

[Silverstreak]

If you hit a Super Lotto, let me know, as I have track planned in my head about 30 minutes North of Tampa.

Forget the lotto. All those billionares announced that theyr're giving all their money away. We just need to come up with a bogus charity. Maybe somethng like "Save the Teeners" or "A track of their own". I guess my hippy co-op track idea is just a pipe dream. Though I haven't smoked a pipe in years. I'll make my way down to south Florida one of these days and check out the tracks. Thanks for all the info.