Deamon2002

iTrader: (3)

Hi everyone, new to this section, but have always wanted to road race. I've searched and looked at some of the sites in past posts, but none are very informative for my situation. What I want is a track in or near Ft. Worth that doesn't charge 6K$ yearly fee to run on it, or join a bunch of clubs just so i can run once a year. I would like to find a track I can pay like 100-200$ or even 3, show up in my car, not store it at the track. Have it inspected, show them my liscenses, and let me bomb down the track for like 2-3 hours. No timed event, no classes, I just wanted to drive how I would like to drive on the highway. Does anyone feel what I am saying? All the links I found were to sites to sign up for clubs, or racing classes, or a track that wated like 6K$ a year and 75$ a month and then a track fee everytime I ran. Damn is it really that expensive? No wonder know one goes to those events. Let me know what ya'll think, and thanks for any help you can give!

01firechicken

Deamon 2002,
Sounds like you need to get stationed here in Germany, you can go to Hockenheim Ring 1-2 times a month(year round) pay 12 Euros per 20minute session and run as hard as you want. I feel your pain and am not looking forward to that kind of situation when I get to Atlanta.

Deamon2002

iTrader: (3)

Man that sounds pretty sweet, maybe I can throw my Trans Am in a conex and have it shipped to Germany! LOL. But unfortunately I'm looking for something a little bit morw local to my home in Ft. Worth. I'd really love to get into this sport, I mean some times when traveling taking the back roads I will bomb around 2-3 curves to slow back down for fear there is traffic or a cop right around the corner. I'd love to just get out there, and take my baby right to the edge albeit safely.

roy

Yeah deamon it is pretty great, I am sure gonna miss it myself when i get back to the US

Deamon2002

iTrader: (3)

So does anyone on here Auto-X in Ft.Worth/ Dallas area? I found a site for Auto-X in Ft.Worth and it is pretty cheap, 35$. I looked at the results from the last race and there were several F-body's.

Deamon2002

iTrader: (3)

By the way the site is: http://autocross.com/texasregion/

slow67

iTrader: (2)

This is about the closest you will get around here, unless you know the right people @ Motorsport Ranch

http://www.panozracingschool.com/Tra...TrackDays.aspx

240M3SRT

Check ER(Equipe Rapide) and SCCA Solo2 they are like $20-$25 per event. Ive been out of it for a while but its a good start if you arent ready to hit up MSR.

2MuchRiceMakesMeSick

I would be interested also

Spazdout

yea autoX is probably one of the chepest forms of racing, plus your racing the clock....I know at H.E.B. field they do it once a month. and its only a couple bucks....one of the things also....is at tracks if you volunteer.....they usually give you free track time.....

Deamon2002

iTrader: (3)

Yea I've been cruising around everywhere, you have to hunt for info, but it's out there. So far,
http://autocross.com/texasregion/ and
http://www.panozracingschool.com/Tr.../TrackDays.aspx
seem worth some looking into. I haven't read about the Quipe Rapide yet.

02transhawk

I did this in my formula...but half of the time I didn't pay. There is a gate, usually used for people to walk in and walk around the track. 1-2AM on off race weekends ruled. You drive in through Speyer Str and go through Swetzigen, there is a road on the way to the gun club/golf course, before the curve that goes to the main road, there is a side road to the right, that eventually leads into some woods. Navigate into the woods and sneak on. Sometimes at night they leave the main gate open. That is when Hockenhiem is the funnest. I was stationed there in Heidelberg as an MP, which was great...I would even sneak the patrol car in there, just for kicks.

As far as Ft. Worth goes, I am from that area as well, has TMS not opened the gates yet for taking a car around there???

I believe Loop 120 is pretty open at night, however, metro has been cracking down on street racing. Let me, or us know what you find out!!

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

First of all, The Driver's Edge, Lone Star BMW club and NASA-TX offer track access for you to take your car out on a track, like Motorsports Ranch.

However, noone is gonna want to run with someone who wants to "bomb down the track for 2-3 hours". Nor is a club or track gonna allow that. The liability is too great.

Most of us who have street cars and participate in these events like to drive our cars home relatively no worse for the wear. I don't want to get taken out by some idiot thinking he's Micheal Schumacher.

And 2-3 hours? You OBVIOUSLY haven't a clue. While I don't know you or your car, I highly doubt you have enough brake or tire to last that long. Goodyear F1 supercar tires will chunk big sections of rubber after 45 minutes of hard driving. Hoosiers will last about 2 hours, if the car is set up properly.

If you are interested in learning about car control, driving control and race technique, then NASA Texas HPDE or Racecraft is probably a good fit. If you are looking to go ***** out and see how many cars you can pass, maybe you should look at Cowtown Speedway in Kennedale. They have a "Bomber" class and noone cares how many dents you get ...

Texas Motorspeedway is a brake eater. And it ain't cheap, either.

Texas World Speedway is an awesome track, but rather rough in places. It is a horsepower track that can get you into trouble really fast. Lot's of "Hot Shoes" have bit the inside retaining wall exiting T2.

Hallett is close to Tulsa, OK and is very nice track as well. technical and requires a lot of paitence on the back side. The "Stop Sign" is an interesting place and "The Bitch" will slap your *** if your car isn't working well ...

No Problem raceway in Baton Rouge has a road course and I hope to go there soon ...

98_1LE

iTrader: (17)

HPDE road course events
http://www.thedriversedge.net/
http://www.nasatx.com/
http://www.lscbmwcca.org/motorsports.html - great place to start
http://www.texasworldspeedway.com/msc.htm

AutoX
http://autocross.com/texasregion/
http://autocross.com/er/
http://www.lscbmwcca.org/autocross.html
http://www.pca.org/mav/Events/AX.asp
http://www.s2000.org/nts2koc/autox.shtml

Evolution autoX school - EXCELLENT
http://autocross.com/er/Evolution2005.pdf

Other
http://www.texasmile.com/
http://www.bborr.com/

A great place to read, ask questions, and learn before going to the first event
http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/

I would hate to turn this into a "name that tune" type of thing, but I am confident I could overheat your brakes in 1 hot lap

And boil you power steering over in 5 laps

240M3SRT

No Problem is pretty cool i ran it in my SRT-4.

I completely agree with what you are saying about Deamon2002 bombing down the track. Roadcourses are nothing to be taken lightly and with an attitude that you are gonna drive like you will on the highway im 100% sure you will go off track or crash into someone else. Its not GT4. Not trying to bash you but the guys that always are unsafe and usually crash are the ones that cant get it through their heads they arent near as good as they think they are. You gotta humble yourself and be willing to listen and learn.

sawedoff

iTrader: (3)

I've been to the Motorsport Ranch many times. The first time was for a tour. Then I went several times after that just to go out there and look around. It's a real nice place. You can have alot of fun without fear of being arrested or doing something stupid. The do-it-all attitudes of the people that are magnets to tire barriers that you guys are talking about is, I think why drag racing has the appeal with so many as it does. It's a straight line contest, you can just show up and run, and **** & pose. Where as road courses are alot more involved and you have to do things differently, but you can get killed equally in both. The thinking is different, and the kinds of people it attracts is different in all kinds of ways. Like you guys said, you can boil power steering fluid in as little as fifteen minutes, wipe out an OEM brake system, go through tires, etc., . You can get in over your head real quick like you can with snow skiiing. I prefer road racing and hauling *** around a road course. It's a still water that run deep. I find drag racing boring like I do Major League Baseball. Others feel the same about what I like.

Deamon2002

iTrader: (3)

Hmm had no idea this thread was still alive. I understand completely this is not "GT4", and when I say 2-3 hours I mean a 2-3 hour stay at the track, not total lap time, I am refering to several heats over a 2-3 hour period. I've driven for 2-3 hours straight and can say that is ridiculous, I don't see how formaula 1 drivers do it. And you need not worry about me "bombing down the track", this is simply a figure of speach I used. I didn't mean "***** to the wall" all out driving. I am very humble with my vehicle and my driving. All in all, I would have liked information to a track where I could spend 2-3 hours there for a few heats, not non stop driving. This driving being done in a controlled manner, until I could find out my limits, and my vehicles in a safe and controlled envorment. Not hauling @$$ down 820 in a Civic doing 120+ in high traffic situations. And lastly if these suggested tracks are inhabited by people of your stature, mitchntx, who make accusations and assumptions before gathering all information, then i would not like to attend. Thank you everyone for your information, I hope you all have a completely safe and enjoyable time at said tracks, I will not be there.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Just basing my "accusations and assumptions" based upon what you stated you wanted to do. If you can't take criticism here, I doubt you could with an instructor in your car.

I can't read your mind nor can I interpret your posts. I take posts for face value.

And FYI ... most folks that attend these events are very similar to me ... I have witnessed numerous drivers who couldn't (or wouldn't) check their egos at the gate, being asked to leave the track ... typically because of other driver's complaining.

So, it appears you will be relegated to that stretch of I20 between 820 and the I30 merge.

Deamon2002

iTrader: (3)

I can take critism especially from an instructor that will most certainly knows better than I. And as far as the other drivers that couldn't check their egos, that is just sad. No thank you on the 820 stretch, my whole intent in asking information about the road race courses was to find a place where I could do spirited driving. Seeing as how it is illegal and stupid on public roads, this won't be something I would do. And FYI ... I can see now, reading back, how my posts could be confusing. I assure you that my intent is not to start an argument, nor be critisized by someone who does not know my person. It seems there is enough of that floating around on this site from what I have read. My previous post was to simply state that your readings of my posts were inaccurate to my intent, and that I didn't want to involve myself in one of the many countless E-arguments and bashings that occur on this forum and others. I've read posts where a thread escalates into a fist fight if time and place were permitting, this is utterly foolish. The statement that you will not see me at a track is most likely true. Events in my life have taken a drastic escalation and this is no longer feasible. Again I hope you have a good time at said tracks, and god willing sometime in the future may you teach me how to drive on such a course.

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

Fair enough. And for what it's worth, I now understand.

Based uponj this statement and looking at your current location, I hope the best for you and may you have a speedy return.