si-ya

Hi everyone, I'm a long time lurker and Minute Rice Channel's solo operator. I wanted to share my latest video about my 370 hp Kraftwerks supercharged FA5 that I finally took it to a track this last year. More than anything I want to encourage any of you watching this to just get out there and go yourself, I waited way too long...

You can spend thousands on your car preparing for your first track day and install loads of parts from superchargers to calipers, but being “ready” is a state of mind. No experts or race cars here, just a guy who finally got over himself and out to a race track at SCCA’s track night in America.

Anyhow hope you all are inspired, or at the least entertained. Please share, subscribe, or follow the Minute Rice Channel page on Facebook. My channel is independent, self produced and not for profit, I do it all to "see" your smiling faces. Thanks!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=agvT43wRdFs

Also IDK if this video will embed automatically but if someone knows the script to embed it, please LMK.

George Knighton

Any and all track experience makes you a better driver overall, even when regularly commuting on the street.

:-)

You learn a hell of a lot in the early Group One days.

BIGBLOCKEK

The first track day is always boring as **** unless you suck at driving or enjoy going slow.

Nothing worse than being stuck in the beginners group among a bunch of scared pussies who don't know how to pick good lines and were too cheap to pay for an instructor to teach them the lines. "My ***** supercharged and I got skills, no need for instructor brah!"

I'm glad you had a nice time though.

George Knighton

Who the hell let's somebody out in a beginner group without an instructor?

si-ya

I definitely learned a lot from highway and backroads driving, but it hits a reasonable limit (in my opinion). Too many street racing injuries and deaths in a year to feel like that's the only way to to get my giggles out.

Plus driving on the track was much less stressful than wondering if a copy would pop out of a garbage can, or a soccermom would throw her minvan into me at high speeds.

si-ya

And there was no instruction in the beginner group at all! I intend to take a day off work and do a proper track day, but this was just me cutting my teeth and learning some of the basics.

George Knighton

You should have an instructor who's familiar with the track you're on. :-)

We don't have organizers in my part of the world who'd allow someone out on the track without an instructor unless he has documentation of competence.

BIGBLOCKEK

it was speed ventures and to clarify, nobody was required to pay the premium for an in car instructor, although I think everyone at the very minimum had a "follow my line" group instructor. Those other folks could have definitely used the in car instructor for encouragement "stay on stay on..... Ok brake hard and turn NOW! Go go go, give it hell!"

I'd say 75% of the folks in the group just seemed scared and/or lost.

dirty19

iTrader: (1)

That's how accidents happen.
Uncomfortable on track and at speed , with nobody to guide them, and keep them under control.
Not easy when you are left to your own devices on a track which you aren't familiar.

Matt_EH3

Thanks for this thread.

The title just made my day. Seriously, it really did.

As for BIGBLOCKEK, If you go to a track day organized by people who do not take safety seriously (like letting newcomers go in alone without proper instruction), just move on to another organization. There is such a thing as bad seat time, and it seems like this is what you got based on how you are commenting.

Heck, I have been doing this for more than a decade (and am an instructor myself), and I would still prefer to have an instructor to show me around if I was doing a track day at a track I have never driven. I would probably not need it, but I would prefer to have someone who knows the place give me some tips.

flip_nl

My first trackday was also without an instructor. At a event called (translated) "free driving". Which dived the drivers into 3 groups, rookie, moderate and pro. Rookie class would be better off called "free crashing" as most of the drivers did not take into account they where not driving alone. Glad I survived that bs.

George Knighton

I really worry when I see things like this. :-/

It took a while before I was in the group they call "Seat Time," where they assume you've brought a safe car, you've done your own tech, you know how to drive and they don't need to check on you.

Aside from manning the towers, all they do at that point is wave you out when there's space.

But it should take you a while to get to that point, and people all learn at different rates.

There were a couple of big civil awards, including a huge one that went against a big name track and Porsche, in which the track owners and auto manufacturer were both punished for letting somebody out on the track who should not have been out there.

A waiver isn't worth the paper it's written on if the judge or jury believe you should have known better than to let somebody out there in those conditions, or in that car in those conditions.

Calif_Kid

I think that it is really important to have an instructor when you first start tracking your car as they may spot things that you're not doing correctly, and that you may get away with at lower speeds, but will be an issue as you go faster. When I first started tracking, I was driving a fairly fast car (2001 Audi S4 with larger turbos plus nice coilovers and large Brembo front brakes), and I thought that I was a really good driver. The instructors spotted a few things that I was doing wrong (shifting while in the middle of a long fast sweeping turn that could unsettle the car, not being smooth enough when getting on and off the gas, glancing down occasionally when I was shifting, and eventually not tracking out all of the way).

Various instructors will spot or notice different things you're doing incorrectly, so it really doesn't hurt to have more than one instructor. If you're driving with Nasa and are just started to track your car, then don't be in a huge rush to get signed off from HPDE-1 (with in-car instructor) to HPDE-2 (without in-car instructor in Norcal), as the in-car instructor can spot things you aren't doing correctly, and you want to get those things figured out to allow you to go faster safely.

One other suggestion - if you have time during your track day, then if instructors or really good drivers are going out and have a passenger seat (and are allowed to have passengers), then you might want to ride along as a passenger to get a feel for their lines and how they enter and take the corners. - Jim

George Knighton

Good advice.

:-)

Greyout

I stayed glued the back of a Mclaren from turns 1 to 11 at COTA in my stock S2000. Didn't get it on video unfortunately.

Beginner groups make for some bragging fodder if you can get it on video for sure.

Greyout

Welcome to SCCA's "Track night in America". they are basically one-day, weekday, inexpensive events. I was excited that several tracks in Texas are on their calendar until a friend of mine went and said brand new, zero experience people were being sent on track with no instructors. In fact I think all the instructors did was give coaching in the pits between sessions.

It makes me not want to go to one of these events, and I am floored that a group like SCCA would come up with this format

Calif_Kid

I wanted to mention that the in-car instructors may also help to make sure that the 'blue mist' doesn't come over the driver. What I mean, is that a driver with basically no on track experience but with a really fast car, gets caught up in the action out on track, and starts driving beyond their ability. At Thunderhill raceway, in a HPDE-1/HPDE-2 (beginner) session, I remember two fast cars basically drag racing down the front straightaway, and one didn't get on the brakes enough at the end of the straight and went straight off. When we were running the track in the backwards direction, another beginning driver apparently forgot to brake for turn 9 and went off into the ditch. The instructors can also teach/emphasize things like making sure to look as far down the track as possible. One thing I liked about Nasa's HPDE program, is the download meetings after each session to discuss and learn. In Nasa they do start you at a slow pace in HPDE-1 and the speed builds as you go up thru HPDE-4, TT, and then wheel to wheel racing.- Jim

Matt_EH3

I read about SCCA Track Nights in GRM and thought it was a good idea. However, I also thought it was better than what you are explaining...

We have been doing Monday evenings at the local track for years here (5PM to sundown), and if you come in as a beginner, you are with an instructor until you are cleared to run alone. It usually takes quite a bit of evenings before it happens. I can't imagine some people I have ridden with being let loose from the get go.

Egezzy

iTrader: (2)

There you go.

Greyout

From what I understand, passengers are allowed in all groups regardless of experience as well.

Noob + high horsepower car + girlfriend in passenger seat + "watch this" = carnage. In a couple of weeks there is an event at a track I have not driven, 30 minutes south of Austin... I want to go, but I am on the fence because it sounds like its going to be a **** show.

Especially for how small and narrow (and straightaway-less) this track is

Egezzy

iTrader: (2)

^^

What's the Facts (FAQ) - What's the Facts (FAQ) - Track Night in America

Passengers are only allow for guidance and must be a participant in a higher group. ,

KoRn_vIRuZ

Unfortunately in my country (Portugal) there are no requirements regarding instructors on track days. Sometimes it's a bit of a crap shoot, you need to drive very defensively and look out for the loonies. Inevitably there will be a couple in every event.

I think it's really cool that in the US things are more curated.

Matt_EH3

Yeah, just saw this outtake:

I wonder if insurance has something to do with it. Or perhaps some tracks are struggling with instructor availability.

Egezzy

iTrader: (2)

Yes, I believe that is part of it, but it seems to be working pretty well in the overall scheme of things.

90civichbsi

iTrader: (1)

I assume you are talking about Harris Hill? I plan to go to this event so I'll see. I have been to this track many times and it is a lot of fun to drive, though a bit bumpy at spots.

Passing will still be restricted to a few spots on track and you just need to be extra cautious with the serious novices (give a wide berth and make sure they give a clear point by). These people are usually pretty easy to spot. Or just pit in for a bit and rejoin ahead of another group. Be sure to make the track workers aware of any erratic driving too.

If you decide to go I'd be happy to ride with you a bit.