Hey guys. I'm a frequent patron of the 1/4 mile, but recently have been considering running the course of 20 laps at FIR. Any tips on track racing would be appreciated. I'm running a 2001 honda S2000, pending mods of a 4-1 header and cold air intake.


[Modified by QuestS2000, 7:07 AM 11/26/2001]

 

Thoroughly go over and under your car with safety in mind before you get to the track. Take an instructor and proper safety equipment along with you when you go. And be prepared to not only listen to what they have to say, but also carry out what they recommend. Have fun!


[Modified by DB1-R81, 11:43 PM 11/25/2001]

 

they let you run wheel to wheel without a race liscense? or is this a school?

 

If you listen to your instructor, you will have a good time and you'll drive your car home in the same shape as you drove it there in.

I hope you're ready for this. You're getting ready to go down a deep dark hole...

 

Put a roll bar in that thing.

Have fun.

 

http://www.turnfast.com and LOTS of TIME!!!!!!!

 

If you only will buy one book, this is the one to have. This is the textbook for the Skip Barber School, but the principles relate to all forms of racing. Click the link below, Amazon has a sale on it right now. List price: $29.95 Sale price: $20.96. Too good a deal to pass up. Also recently revised.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...444842-5183952

 

careful, that book's on back order with Amazon. I ordered it on Oct 18 and still no book.

 

It's a wide track. Only 5 cars are allowed per race and no passing is allowed in tight areas or turns so it is a fairly safe track just to get some times and have fun on an open course. No license needed. Bring the proper safety equipment, undergo inspection, sign a waiver and have fun

 

There is a factory roll bar hidden behind the seats, hence the large humps behind the seats. I think they are either titanium or steel.

 

Um... ok... If you're ok with a roll bar that does not extend over your head, more power to you, but as an instructor, I'd refuse to get in your car. To each his own though. Everyone has their own definition of safety.

Have a great time... and DEFINITELY keep it shiney side up.

Edit: PS - Don't go to VIR with the factory hoops... they won't let you run.


[Modified by r2x, 10:31 PM 11/26/2001]

 

That is an excellent point. Make sure that the group you are doing this with AND the track will allow factory hoops. Some groups/tracks will not.

 

Three words: signal, signal, signal.
Oh, and 9 more words: watch your mirrors, watch your mirrors, watch your mirrors.


PS Flags, flags, flags...

 

George - Would you get into this car and instruct? Or any other convertible without a bar OVER your head? Not just the S2000, but the SLK, Audi TT, Boxter? If so, you are a braver man than I.

Perhaps I am in the minority here, but I am NOT getting in a convertible without adequate (by MY standards) rollover protection. ESPECIALLY if I'm not the driver.

If I was to buy an any car mentioned above with the intention of tracking the car, I would assume I must budget for a bar... even if that means *custom* bar. We're talking about people's lives here (potentially).

George/Quest - Not picking on you guys, this is just one of my soapboxes.

 

I've spoken to Autopower about this. They will happily do one as soon as someone donates an S2000 for research/measurement/test-fit purposes. Can you think of someone ready to loan out their S2K for a month, then get it back with cut marks and weld marks and interior burns and bolt-holes all over the place?

The Cusco bar for the S2K is really nice looking and non-intrusive... too bad it's not even remotely SCCA legal.

As for the earlier statement, it is always the right of the track to supercede any rule made by a renting club. Like, for the upcoming VIR event, we can only allow Factory Five Cobras if they are doing lead-follow, not with in-car instructors, because their rollover hoop (although strong and well-made) does not extend across the width of the passenger compartment.

People consider it a pain in the *** sometimes, but *ALL* these rules exist to keep people out of the hospital! Anyone who thinks it can't happen to them has no place on a road course...

Standing next to Diane's soapbox,

Jon

 

Could someone reiterate (if it was said before) why the cusco is not SCCA legal? If by not being legal, is it not safe enough for track use?

-Potential S2000 customer...

 

Has anyone seen the extended bar for the Boxster (connects to the existing hoops)? How safe are these?

 

There were two guys at the NASA event at VIR-N with S2000s. They had found some guy/company that made them a rollbar that looked, to me, to be perfectly adequate for anything short of wheel to wheel.

So you S2000 owners...fire up another browser window and start doing some searches. Surely someone has fixed this problem. If not...go to a GOOD cage builder and see what they can do.

AFAIK, the current crop of roadsters all suffer the same problem. Boxter, Z3, SLK, S2000. The Miata does not have this problem - but then again, it doesn't have a factory "roll bar." I think I remember seeing that Hard Dog makes a good bar for the Z3...but that doesn't help this guy.

Diane, since you kind of asked...I wouldn't get in such a car either. I've been off in student cars WAY too many times this year to even consider getting in a convertible without adequate rollover protection.

 

If I recall correctly it was any combination of tubing type, tubing size for vehicle weight, tubing wall thickness, rear support bends, mounting points, backing plates, and insufficient hardware. The initial SCCA review qualified it only as a "style bar"
for at least 2-3 of those reasons.

Please note that I can't specifically verify any of this because my Cusco rep doesn't speak much english, and their specs/instructions are in Japanese.

IMHO it's better than the stock hoops but still not on-par with something like an Autopower (or, preferrably, a custom setup). I base that on nothing but my trust in SCCA's greater knowledge. I know that Summit Point allows it, along with NASA, which is good because at least it gives S2K owners a place to play in this area. Neither VIR nor most other groups want anything to do with that Cusco unit...

Jon

 

PS- IIRC, the Cusco bar I saw didn't have any diagonal or horizontal bracing in the center hoop. All Autopower bars that are SCCA Solo I-legal have a diagonal in the main hoop... as do Hard Dog bars for Miatas/Z3's, and everything custom I have ever seen. Perhaps that could be why it's not legal?

Jon