Hi, i live in indiana and have an EF civic. I have always done drag racing. I wanted to start getting into road course racing. I cant find were i would even go to start doing this. If anyone had some ideas of where to start or sign up for places around me thanks.

 

https://honda-tech.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=19

 

originally written by KB58 on here, modified for use on a forum i moderate.

The organizations below run driving events called an "HPDE" (High Performance Driving Experience,") or "time-trial." This is where you can take your stock or modified street car on a real road-racing track and drive as fast as you want in a safe environment. You'll see all kinds of cars, from Mini's, dune-buggies on slicks, Cobras, to Hondas, Toyotas, to Ferraris. It's great fun to go out with your buddies and see "what's what." You can show up with just about anything; turbos, oversize tires, NOS, big brakes; it's all welcome, unlike at SCCA events where you'd get reclassed or banned.

Consider what it costs to build up a decent drag race car and driving for 10-13 seconds at a time. Now consider spending about the same amount (or less if you leave it near stock) and driving in 3-5, 20 minutes sessions in one day! That's what you get to do at HPDEs, and no tickets! A pretty good deal if you figure driving time / money spent.

Requirements are usually (but not always) better seatbelts, helmet, cotton clothes, 18 years old or older, and that's about it. More safety equipment is a good idea (roll cage) but usually not required. Since you will be driving fast for quite a while, it is strongly suggested you check your tires, bleed the brakes, and check the pads before you go.

There is no official scoring other then recording your lap times. Costs (see last paragraph too) differ widely, from $200-$300 per weekend depending on the event, but for that cost you get a lot of track time. If that's too expensive, some tracks offer mid-week "test days" where you pay a reduced fee of $100-$200. Of course since testing sessions are for testing there is no timing, nothing is organized, but you get less of a crowd and you can do your own thing. Keep in mind though that the costs above only get you on the track. To be fair don't forget a motel, food, gas, tire and brake wear. It can be an expensive weekend if you don't watch things.

While a HPDE is not true wheel-to-wheel racing you still have to be careful. Passing is usually (but not always) restricted to straightaways which keeps MOST accidents from happening, but it won't prevent you from "doing yourself in" by dropping a wheel off and overcorrecting. Occasionally people do ball up their cars. Is this your only car, driving it to work or school? Also consider most insurance companies will not insure damages incurred at a timed event. Can you deal with the consequences and responsibility if you break it? If the answer is yes, read on.

Again, this is not true road-racing. If you want to get into the real thing, start at http://www.scca.org And note all the above is "in general." Contact your local HPDE organizer to get their exact rules.

Normally these events are announced months in advance and you must reserve a place ahead of time. In general, you are not allowed to just show up.

Notes:
Racing can be very expensive; here's a thread on what it costs to go "real" roadracing: https://honda-tech.com/zero...age=1
Granted this isn't an HPDE which will be less expensive; presumably you aren't blowing up high-strung racing engines, going though a set of pads each weekend, or buying a set of tires every event... but it can still be expensive.

Driving your car on a real track risks wrecking it, and possibly yourself. If you cannot afford to ball the car up, get out, and walk away and leave it there, rethink if you should really be doing this. Here's a thread on people's track accidents - it isn't if it can happen, but when: https://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1342480

========================

Periodically amended to add the latest contributed links.


West:
http://www.touringcarclub.com
http://www.nasaproracing.com
http://www.speedventures.net
http://track-days.org
http://www.unlimitedlaps.com
http://www.speedtrialusa.com/index1.html
http://www.buttonwillowraceway.com/clinic.htm
http://www.redlinetrackevents.com/index.htm
http://www.opentrackracing.com
http://www.open-track.com
http://www.laguna-seca.com
http://www.hookedondriving.com
http://www.ncracing.org/
http://www.thunderhill.com (street school)
http://www.ncracing.org
http://www.audiclubgoldengate.org


Northwest:
Pacific Raceways - http://www.pacificraceways.com
Bremerton Raceways - http://www.bremertonraceway.com
http://www.proformanceraceschool.com/ HPDE's at Pacific raceways
http://www.irdc-racing.com/
http://www.bmwacaportland.com/
http://www.oregonpca.org/
http://www.clnw.org/events/track/
http://www.cascadesportscarclub.org/
http://www.portlandraceway.com


West...ish (Nevada, Utah)
http://www.team.net/ivr/
http://www.millermotorsportspark.com/

Midwest/North Central:
http://www.cgimotorsports.com
http://www.mcscc.org
http://www.badgerbimmers.org/main/index.shtml
http://www.windycitybmw.com/home/
http://www.speedseekers.com/
http://www.hallettracing.net/
"Compact auto timetrials", western slope of colorado 970-243-6620 Jerad


South:
http://www.thedriversedge.net/
http://www.rgvpca.org/ (south)
http://www.edpracing.com
http://www.cenla-scca.org
http://www.delta-scca.org
http://www.sowela-scca.org


Southwest (Texas/New Mexico):
http://www.sandiamotorsports.com
http://www.arroyosecoraceway.com
http://swms.org/
http://www.rgrscca.org
http://www.pca.org/
http://racingsouthwest.com/for...um=51
http://www.proautosports.com
http://www.wallacebow.com
http://www.smri-racing.org
http://www.texasworldspeedway.com/
http://www.comosport.org/tracks/tracks.html


Southeast:
http://www.morosomotorsportspark.com/
http://www.chinmotorsports.com
http://www.rtrmotorsportz.com/ (school)
http://autox.carlc.com/ (auto-x)
http://www.sebringraceway.com/
http://www.sfmreport.com/ Race Report for S. Florida
NASA Florida Region
http://www.safemotorsports.com/
http://www.pbocflorida.com/
http://www.gulfcoastautocrossers.com/
http://www.seat-time.com/

East:
http://www.trackschedule.com
http://www.nasanortheast.org
http://www.racenasa.com
http://www.nasaracing.net
http://www.scda1.com
http://www.imp-auto.com
http://www.emraracing.org
http://cartct.com/
http://www.nerdsracing.com/event_list_03_a.htm
http://www.racepa.com


Way north... Canada
http://www.clubdelta.ca/
http://www.laps.ca
http://www.autocourse.ca/
http://www.roadraceteam.com
http://www.darksidecrew.com


National:
http://www.mazdadrivers.com
http://www.quattroclubusa.org
http://www.carguys.com
http://www.trackschedule.com
http://www.pca.org/
http://www.bmwcca.org/
http://www.saac.com/

Racing Calenders:
http://www.justracing.com/calendar.php

 

^^^^

I agree with stupid!

 

Go to an SCCA event or two, pay the small fees, pick up cones, wear a helmet, see if you're ready for fork out the ginormous fees for real road racing tracks.

 

dollar per minute, "real tracks" are significantly cheaper.

 

go online and search for NASA HPDE

 

i got two questions related to getting started with HPDE events.

1) say you have a set of wheels for commuting and another set of wheels just for the track. i hear you have to do an alignment everytime you change to a different set of wheels. so what if you drive to the track event with your commuting wheels and then switch to your track ones? does that mean you have to do a ghetto alignment on the spot?

2) same scenario goes for brake pads. i have read articles talking about bedding in new brake pads. does that mean you have to do that everytime you switch brake pads? (as in drive to track event with stock brake pads, switch to track ones).

 

What's a dollar per minute? The road course around me is almost $300 for an open track day with enormously high priced concessions and it's 30 miles outside of the city in the middle of nowhere whereas a Solo2 event is usually held in a parking lot somewhere within the city and costs no more than thirty bucks.

 

HPDE and AutoX are completely different. Whole different experience all together. Everything from set up, driving style, speed, safety, etc, etc...are all different.

From what I've been reading, the "step" is A/X --> PDX

 

I didn't read the above post by Kamin because it was so large it hurt my head, so I'm assuming I was off topic, huh?

 

1) whoever told you that you need an alignment after new wheels is retarded. you can switch back and forth all you want once your alignment is set.

2) bedding brake pads only refers to NEW brake pads. not switching between used pairs.

 

if youre being charged 300$ a DAY your local organization needs to be shot. half of that is average everywhere else in the US.

and miller is worth the drive. trust me. ive driven it.

and dollar per minute refers to the fact you only get 5 minutes of actual driving at a full day at an autocross, whereas you get 80 minutes through a HPDE class.

 

IMHO, the risk factor is a lot less in A/X...unless you have a dedicated track car that you don't mind "possibly" totalling.

...not that I don't LOVE tracking...LOL

 

in all the years that ive been doing this ive only seen a VERY small handful of incidents in HPDE 3 or lower. nobody WANTS to crash their pride and joy and most people drive accordingly.

 

great information..something you might want to keep in your favorites..

 

wanna get started? get a new car

 

ah i see. thanks for the help!!

 

NASA hpde. mid-ohio is like $200 for 4 20 minute sessions with an instructor. good value for your money IMO.

 

are you talking about miller motorsports park in utah? i'm thinking about going there in june, i live about 5 hours away. seems like a lot of fun

 

$300 a day for Miller, not for autocross. Autocross was like 20 bucks last time I went (back in 2002). Also, five minutes of driving is completely false man, you're a liar, it's more like 3 minutes .

 

have you ever been to miller? do they time laps on open track days? i'm curious on how the whole insurance thing works if something happened to my car there.

 

thats an easy question

youre on a racetrack. your insurance will probably laugh at you.

BUT some, SOME insurance companies do see LOW LEVEL HPDE events as "driver education" and cover the car.

NOT MANY BUT SOME. call and ask if youre truly worried about it.

 

This event is a little ways off, but:

-WMHM, July 25-26 at Gingerman Raceway in Kalamazoo, MI

This is a Honda-oriented (primarily Hondas, but other makes will be there) HPDE-style event. You'll get a lot of track time, have an instructor, and meet lots of other guys coming from your exact situation. The price is great too, at something like $260 for the weekend (two-day event, ~4 20-minute sessions per day). See http://www.wmhm.org for registration and more details.

I went last year, and it was a GREAT event. There are all ranges of experience and vehicle, from total noobs to seasoned racers.

 

www.nasagreatlakes.com or www.nasamidwest.com is what he needs.

depends on what part of indy.