Is anybody else going to the last AARRF track day of the season? I'm going. It's at the MN. Highway Safety Center in St. Cloud on Sunday 9-14.
I'm not sure if they are offering driver certification at this event so if you haven't driven one of these before, I don't think you'll beable to drive at this one. If you have driven at an AARRF event before, you should come out and join in the fun.
Go to www.aarrf.com for details.
Paul
Going to AARRF's open track day?
-
trahma
- has a blownup bomb
- Posts: 1247
- Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2003 3:47 pm
- Car: 2002 Malibu Blue ZX3
- Location: Minneapolis
- Contact:
I would love to go but after what happened with one of MNSC's members, I'm not very comfortable doing so. There's no wreckers, EMT's on hand, or anything of the sort. If any of the past 2 vehicles that rolled were any worse, the drivers may not have made it. Both of them were very experienced drivers and felt they were within their limits.
True you risk your car whenever you go on to a track, but I'd prefer the risk of losing my life to be lessened.
True you risk your car whenever you go on to a track, but I'd prefer the risk of losing my life to be lessened.
It's all about driving within the limits of your vehicle but even more importantly, within your limits as a driver. How do you find those limits? You start out at 70% and work your way up to maybe 90%. As you approach your limit mistakes become very noticable, back off. If your running at 100% and you make a mistake, that's when bad things happen. The key to having fun at an open track day is to not let others on the track influence your driving. If they are faster, wave them by. It's not a race. Your not getting paid or a trophy if you win. Your working on your driving skills, hitting the apex of a corner, finding the proper braking point... People shounld not be afraid of these events. It's all about having fun.
If the MNSC person you are refering is gst24, I know most of the details of that wreck. Not that experienced (3 or 4 track days), fast car (modified Celica GT-S), driving beyond his and the cars means. I'm not trying to put him down. I have read alot of his posts on MNSC. He seems like a nice guy but as Clint Eastwood once said "A man has to know his limits".
If the MNSC person you are refering is gst24, I know most of the details of that wreck. Not that experienced (3 or 4 track days), fast car (modified Celica GT-S), driving beyond his and the cars means. I'm not trying to put him down. I have read alot of his posts on MNSC. He seems like a nice guy but as Clint Eastwood once said "A man has to know his limits".
-
trahma
- has a blownup bomb
- Posts: 1247
- Joined: Sun Aug 10, 2003 3:47 pm
- Car: 2002 Malibu Blue ZX3
- Location: Minneapolis
- Contact:
PBZX3 wrote: It's all about driving within the limits of your vehicle but even more importantly, within your limits as a driver. How do you find those limits? You start out at 70% and work your way up to maybe 90%. As you approach your limit mistakes become very noticable, back off. If your running at 100% and you make a mistake, that's when bad things happen. The key to having fun at an open track day is to not let others on the track influence your driving. If they are faster, wave them by. It's not a race. Your not getting paid or a trophy if you win. Your working on your driving skills, hitting the apex of a corner, finding the proper braking point... People shounld not be afraid of these events. It's all about having fun.
If the MNSC person you are refering is gst24, I know most of the details of that wreck. Not that experienced (3 or 4 track days), fast car (modified Celica GT-S), driving beyond his and the cars means. I'm not trying to put him down. I have read alot of his posts on MNSC. He seems like a nice guy but as Clint Eastwood once said "A man has to know his limits".
As far as driving within your limits, I totally agree. I disagree with Lew's choice to not have certain staff on hand (such as EMT's). You should drive within your limits, but sometimes in finding the limits you over compensate. In the worst case, you could end up trapped under a burning car. If this were to happen at AARRF, someone would be in a horrible position.
I'd definitely be interested in checking out AARRF events, if I knew there were appropriate precautions taken. Just my thoughts.
I am of course going off of second hand knowledge as I myself have never been to an AARRF event, so please, correct me if I'm wrong.
You are correct on trying to find your limits. If you go beyond the limit in searching for that limit, that's bad. A person needs to stop at a point where you are still driving comfortably. These are our daily drivers and they need to make it home after an event.
You are also correct in your perception of lack of safety personal and equipment. They have a pickup, tow rope and fire extinguisher that's it. It is probably ok for most cases but not for that extreme case.
AARRF trys to run safe events but there is always some inherent risk.
Peace.
You are also correct in your perception of lack of safety personal and equipment. They have a pickup, tow rope and fire extinguisher that's it. It is probably ok for most cases but not for that extreme case.
AARRF trys to run safe events but there is always some inherent risk.
Peace.
The AARRF track day was great fun as usual. About 50 cars showed up so a pretty big crowd. I knocked 4 seconds off my best lap from last year. Tires and bolt ons make for a noticeable improvement in track performance. By the end of the day a lot of people had gone home and you could run back to back to back sessions if you wanted. The chicane on the front straight kept getting wider and wider until the end you didn't even have to let off. 105mph down the front straight, wooohooo. I did 78 miles of on track driving. Talk about getting your moneys worth. My shoulders are sore today from steering under the heavy G loads.
The Focus was very competitive against all the front drive imports (Hondas and Volkswagens). I was as fast as a supercharged Miata so gives a general idea of how competitive the Focus can be. It doesn’t stand a chance against the AWD cars. There were three sti’s, one evo and probably ten WRX’s. They pull so hard through the corners it’s unreal not to mention their straightaway speed.
I did sustain some damage to the Focus. On one of the sessions some one hit a cone at the chicane so when I came through the cone was blocking the track. I hit it with left front tire, kathunk. Two laps later I here more noise under my car. Turns out it was my left inner fender well falling off from the cone damage. Oh well. If that's the worst thing that ever happens on track, I'll take it.
Again, these events are great fun if taken with the right attitude. It is the most seat time for the money in Minnesota.
The Focus was very competitive against all the front drive imports (Hondas and Volkswagens). I was as fast as a supercharged Miata so gives a general idea of how competitive the Focus can be. It doesn’t stand a chance against the AWD cars. There were three sti’s, one evo and probably ten WRX’s. They pull so hard through the corners it’s unreal not to mention their straightaway speed.
I did sustain some damage to the Focus. On one of the sessions some one hit a cone at the chicane so when I came through the cone was blocking the track. I hit it with left front tire, kathunk. Two laps later I here more noise under my car. Turns out it was my left inner fender well falling off from the cone damage. Oh well. If that's the worst thing that ever happens on track, I'll take it.
Again, these events are great fun if taken with the right attitude. It is the most seat time for the money in Minnesota.
Just a few more tid bits.
There were only two domestics at this event. My Focus (kind of a domestic) and a late 80's early 90's Mustang. The Mustang set the fast lap of the day. This thing was a beast. 335-40 17's on all four corners, fender flares to cover the rubber, racing suspension, hugh brakes and the best part, 5.0 bored and stroked to 347ci with a vortech supercharger plus an inner cooler. He was putting out over 500hp on 92 octane. Also the guy driving is a damn good driver to control that monster. Never put a wheel off all day.
You guys should a least come and spectate at one of these events. After seeing one in person, you can decide if the risk factor is worth it. I personally feel safer at one of these track days than on the freeway in heavy traffic doing 70 mph with a bunch of people driving like morons. This is a much more controlled environment. The only idiot I have to worry about is the one behind the wheel of my car, Me.
There were only two domestics at this event. My Focus (kind of a domestic) and a late 80's early 90's Mustang. The Mustang set the fast lap of the day. This thing was a beast. 335-40 17's on all four corners, fender flares to cover the rubber, racing suspension, hugh brakes and the best part, 5.0 bored and stroked to 347ci with a vortech supercharger plus an inner cooler. He was putting out over 500hp on 92 octane. Also the guy driving is a damn good driver to control that monster. Never put a wheel off all day.
You guys should a least come and spectate at one of these events. After seeing one in person, you can decide if the risk factor is worth it. I personally feel safer at one of these track days than on the freeway in heavy traffic doing 70 mph with a bunch of people driving like morons. This is a much more controlled environment. The only idiot I have to worry about is the one behind the wheel of my car, Me.