Retired SCCA car vs ProTouring for Track Day

[Vegas69]

If you want to race, get a race car.

[michics]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

If you want to race, get a race car.

Agreed, but track days are not races. They are for the enjoyment of driving the road courses safely at speed. My pursuit of safety is from watching all of the inexperienced people buying new high hp cars and bringing them to the tracks and pushing to the limit. I've been to many track events and seen new high powered cars having off track incidents. Just recently at my local track on the same day during the first sessions in the morning new camaro and a new mustang had off tracks. The camaro jumped the guard rail and went into the trees. Air bags saved the driver and he walked away. Destroyed the car. This was on a little 1.9 mi 14 turn track. Now lets all go to Road America and envision what goes on with the 600 hp plus cars running there with speeds above 150 on the straights with only a factory seat belt. I have seen corvettes due off tracks at R.A. for various reasons with one guy being air lifted out to the hospital. Lets have fun but safely.

[Vegas69]

Track days are races in my opinion. I've been there with a high powered pro-touring car. Looking back, it wasn't very smart. If things went wrong, my car wasn't safe enough and the huge investment was gone due to no insurance on the track.

After building a pro-touring car and driving/racing it a bunch, I'm now of the opinion that I would build a race car OR a street car. You simply can't do both well in the same package. And their are many compromises in drivability and safety on one side or the other.

[DBasher]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Track days are races in my opinion.

There’s a name for guys like you....lol

[Flash68]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

Track days are races in my opinion. I've been there with a high powered pro-touring car. Looking back, it wasn't very smart. If things went wrong, my car wasn't safe enough and the huge investment was gone due to no insurance on the track.

Funny. Lotta truth to that.

BUT... I have been to track days before AND after becoming a father. I can tell you I am a different and more disciplined (cautious) driver after fathering 2 kids.

I bet you might agree.... get your ass back on to a track sometime soon.

[Vegas69]

Originally Posted by Flash68

Funny. Lotta truth to that.

BUT... I have been to track days before AND after becoming a father. I can tell you I am a different and more disciplined (cautious) driver after fathering 2 kids.

I bet you might agree.... get your ass back on to a track sometime soon.

You are competing against the clock and the times of others. It's almost as dangerous when egos get involved which they almost always do. If your brakes go out at the end of the front stretch, it doesn't matter if you are wheel to wheel or not.

I'm with you these days, safety first. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

[michics]

Originally Posted by Vegas69

You are competing against the clock and the times of others. It's almost as dangerous when egos get involved which they almost always do. If your brakes go out at the end of the front stretch, it doesn't matter if you are wheel to wheel or not.

I'm with you these days, safety first. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Let me through out a Midwestern prospective on track days. The only track events where anyone is competing are the sanctioned high speed autox. All other track day events are promoted and regularly remind drivers this is not a competition. No passing in corners etc. They always discuss this in the drivers meetings. Now I agree that people ego's still tend to over rule their minds and I hear it all the time after a session is over how this guy or that guy was in my way because I had a faster car, etc. This is why I'm pursuing a race car because I know I'm not the fastest driver and these guys with the super fast cars are always pushing the limits. Until they're not ! I just don't want to be part of the NOT. And also I'm old and I don't take the chances I did when younger.
This is about the extent of my WISDOM

[Panteracer]

I am also getting older and not the fastest
The older I get the faster I was... the main thing
is to go out and have fun... find someone you can
run with and drive the cars hard but not over your head
I have been to events when I have never been passed
and then ran with the SCCA national guys and never passed
any of them... I had fun and came back in one piece

I ran the Virginia City Hillclimb in Nevada (One of the
best events I have ever done)... they came up to me every time
before I ran and told me 8/10's as they have lost many
guys on that hill who drove over their heads... also stay
away from the crazy guys out on the track... go into the hot
pits and ask for an open space... I find sometimes open track
and no one ahead or behind makes me drive better, faster
and safer

Good luck with your selection.. Vettes that are a few years old
make good track cars as many where not driven that hard and
they handle and brake good right out of the box

My 2 cents worth

Bob