A track close to me hosts a HPDE once a month, generally the last weekend of the month. My schedule worked out great for last weekend, so I decided to give it a shot. Pretty reasonable rates at $95 a day, plus some first time costs, total was about $200 for my first time.
http://www.hallettracing.net/
Busy week leading up to it, getting the brakes flushed, and tires road force balanced and gathering up tools and crap the night before.
Up at 5AM to hit the road by 6AM was going to make for a long day. Had an hour long classroom session at 8:30 to prep, and we were told to be ready to grid by about 10:20.
On the grid with my female instructor. She races a Boxster in GT2? class, so she was a great choice for my beginning instructor. She took us two laps and showed me the racing line. She could make my car fly around that track, holy crap. I drove the other few laps and she gave some pointers. I was slow as shit compared to her.
My wife went with me, and we did the next two sessions on the track. I found my self making a few mistakes, most were correctable, managed not to spin all day.
Next to last session, another instructor took me in his track-prepped 911. His 5 point harness made a huge difference in how you feel in the car, overall an excellent ride. When I got back to my car to finish that session I had sped up my laps quite a bit, but the brake wear indicator came on, so we stopped early to check it out.
Lest session the pads had plenty of wear left, so we went back out for last session of the day. Tried mainly to focus on the line, and tried to take it easy on the brakes, we still had to drive it home.
My car and I did well enough in the corners, but on the straights my 200HP was woefully inadequate, virtually everyone was able to just hammer me in the straights. Since we were noobs, passing was only allowed in the straights. I could track out of the corners well, the really fast Z06 corvettes could thunder past me almost immediately, the 300HP or so cars could pass me about halfway down the runs.
All things considered it was a really fun day, and well worth the cost. Great weather, mid eighties & sunny with a slight breeze. Definitely want to try it again a few times this year.
By the time we got home I was exhausted, drank a couple of beers, ate some steak and went right to sleep on the couch, worn out.
Bonus NSX pic, this car sounded just so awesome, it was really a treat.
http://www.hallettracing.net/
Busy week leading up to it, getting the brakes flushed, and tires road force balanced and gathering up tools and crap the night before.
Up at 5AM to hit the road by 6AM was going to make for a long day. Had an hour long classroom session at 8:30 to prep, and we were told to be ready to grid by about 10:20.
On the grid with my female instructor. She races a Boxster in GT2? class, so she was a great choice for my beginning instructor. She took us two laps and showed me the racing line. She could make my car fly around that track, holy crap. I drove the other few laps and she gave some pointers. I was slow as shit compared to her.
My wife went with me, and we did the next two sessions on the track. I found my self making a few mistakes, most were correctable, managed not to spin all day.
Next to last session, another instructor took me in his track-prepped 911. His 5 point harness made a huge difference in how you feel in the car, overall an excellent ride. When I got back to my car to finish that session I had sped up my laps quite a bit, but the brake wear indicator came on, so we stopped early to check it out.
Lest session the pads had plenty of wear left, so we went back out for last session of the day. Tried mainly to focus on the line, and tried to take it easy on the brakes, we still had to drive it home.
My car and I did well enough in the corners, but on the straights my 200HP was woefully inadequate, virtually everyone was able to just hammer me in the straights. Since we were noobs, passing was only allowed in the straights. I could track out of the corners well, the really fast Z06 corvettes could thunder past me almost immediately, the 300HP or so cars could pass me about halfway down the runs.
All things considered it was a really fun day, and well worth the cost. Great weather, mid eighties & sunny with a slight breeze. Definitely want to try it again a few times this year.
By the time we got home I was exhausted, drank a couple of beers, ate some steak and went right to sleep on the couch, worn out.
Bonus NSX pic, this car sounded just so awesome, it was really a treat.
