My First Road Corse Review

SO I've been autocrossing this year quite a bit. Fell in love with it because my car actual stands a chance instead of taking it to the drag strip and getting dominated by everything including scooters. A buddy of mine told me to check out a road course. Yes it was more expensive he said, but you get allot more track time and it’s more fun. I decided, the hell with it, I'll do it. So this weekend I made the semi-long trip down to A&M and begin my first road coarse experience. All I can say is WOW!!! So put everything in perspective, I'm running a 91 who civic with and automatic transmission and rear drum brakes. One of the worst setups you can have for stuff like this. We had to play in the rain this weekend, thank good for FWD. That was really the only thing helping the car this weekend. The track I went to was one of the fastest courses in Texas, with two LONG straights. The car did struggle quite a bit in those areas but around the bends, it was definitely holding its own. Now here is what I've come across

Pros:
Great track time
Instructors are VERY helpful
Much higher speeds
Teaches you how to really read a course

Cons:
Usually it takes up your whole weekend
$$$
Will wear out your tires/brakes/fluids ETC. faster the autoX


All in all, I think I've become a track junkie. I was going to get rid of the civic this week while also picking up a C5. Well after this weekend I feel back in love with the civic, and now as a result, I'm going to have to see if I can swing to cars. Damn you HONDA AND YOU ENGINEERING!!!

Welcome to the group. Now, just get a car with a proper transmission. I'd love to track a dirty CRX.

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Originally Posted by mr brg

Welcome to the group. Now, just get a car with a proper transmission. I'd love to track a dirty CRX.

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Granted I was in the green group because it was my first road corse, the car held up remarkably well. The Auto Transmission holds me back more on the auto cross circut then the road course. The thing that hurt me the most on this track was the lack of HP. Really the only car passing me consistantly was a modded Audi RS4. Plus that was the guys 4th track day, so I would expect him to at least be decent. I want to see what this car can do on a track that doesn't have the length of straight that TWS has. I'll be at eagels on the 24th just to see.

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Originally Posted by BenRomans04

Granted I was in the green group because it was my first road corse, the car held up remarkably well. The Auto Transmission holds me back more on the auto cross circut then the road course. The thing that hurt me the most on this track was the lack of HP. Really the only car passing me consistantly was a modded Audi RS4. Plus that was the guys 4th track day, so I would expect him to at least be decent. I want to see what this car can do on a track that doesn't have the length of straight that TWS has. I'll be at eagels on the 24th just to see.

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ECR likes a little power from what I hear. You need to run Hallett for more equalization. I may run at ECR on that weekend too.

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Originally Posted by mr brg

ECR likes a little power from what I hear. You need to run Hallett for more equalization. I may run at ECR on that weekend too.

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Yeah I heard that as well. But this is definitley a fun new experience that I will continue to participate in. Already got recommmended by my insturctor to move into the blue group after 1 weekend...kinda scared though because that usually means faster cars and better drivers.....

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Originally Posted by BenRomans04

Yeah I heard that as well. But this is definitley a fun new experience that I will continue to participate in. Already got recommmended by my insturctor to move into the blue group after 1 weekend...kinda scared though because that usually means faster cars and better drivers.....

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You'll be fine.

Try HHR if you want a course where power isn't quite as necessary.

But track days are fun for sure :)

Congrats! MSR is great for momentum too.

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Originally Posted by mr brg

You'll be fine.

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I hope so, :crossfingers:

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

Try HHR if you want a course where power isn't quite as necessary.

But track days are fun for sure :)

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Yeah they are. Hope you come out on the 24th. One day event for 165, it's too bad.

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Originally Posted by Nails

Congrats! MSR is great for momentum too.

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Thanks!

Congratulations on your experience. Sounds like you were at Texas World Speedway with Driver’s Edge this weekend?

I think the Civic will be for sale about ten minutes after you get back from your first track day or autocross in the C5. If you think a fwd slushbox is fun on the track, wait until you drive a powerful rwd car with a proper gearbox. :wink:

Eagles Canyon is definitely a horsepower track. More than TWS, in my experience. TWS has one long main straight, but the rest of the track is surprisingly good for momentum cars with a variety of corner speeds. Eagles Canyon is predominantly 50-60mph corners leading onto long straights, which sucks donkey balls for momentum cars.

MotorSport Ranch, Harris Hill Road near Austin, and Hallett up in Oklahoma are great tracks, imho. All are definitely more entertaining tracks for low horsepower cars. That's not to say that ECR is a bad track, I just think the other three are more suited to momentum cars.

The Driver’s Edge puts on great events. However, if a one-day event is more to your liking, check out Apex Driving Academy at MotorSport Ranch, Eagles Canyon public track days at Eagles Canyon, or COMMA events at Hallett.

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Originally Posted by altiain

Congratulations on your experience. Sounds like you were at Texas World Speedway with Driver’s Edge this weekend?

I think the Civic will be for sale about ten minutes after you get back from your first track day or autocross in the C5. If you think a fwd slushbox is fun on the track, wait until you drive a powerful rwd car with a proper gearbox. :wink:

Eagles Canyon is definitely a horsepower track. More than TWS, in my experience. TWS has one long main straight, but the rest of the track is surprisingly good for momentum cars with a variety of corner speeds. Eagles Canyon is predominantly 50-60mph corners leading onto long straights, which sucks donkey balls for momentum cars.

MotorSport Ranch, Harris Hill Road near Austin, and Hallett up in Oklahoma are great tracks, imho. All are definitely more entertaining tracks for low horsepower cars. That's not to say that ECR is a bad track, I just think the other three are more suited to momentum cars.

The Driver’s Edge puts on great events. However, if a one-day event is more to your liking, check out Apex Driving Academy at MotorSport Ranch, Eagles Canyon public track days at Eagles Canyon, or COMMA events at Hallett.

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Yup drivers edge. Haha. I was thinking that would happen after this weekend. I was blowing by some corvettes this weekend and even a GT3. Some people just should be allowed on a track with those cars. The driver of the GT3 (who was probably 60+ years old) said he learned something very valuable that he wanted to share with the class. He proceeded to tell us that you could keep your foot on the floor and just pivot you foot from brake pedal to gas pedal..............I think everybody in the room all at once wanted to strip this old man of his license and his car.

We were all beginners once :) I dig seeing some older folks get out with their nice cars and have a good time, and I like instructing them because they a) really want to learn, b) listen and c) don't usually freak me out. :)

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Originally Posted by BenRomans04

Yup drivers edge. Haha. I was thinking that would happen after this weekend. I was blowing by some corvettes this weekend and even a GT3. Some people just should be allowed on a track with those cars. The driver of the GT3 (who was probably 60+ years old) said he learned something very valuable that he wanted to share with the class. He proceeded to tell us that you could keep your foot on the floor and just pivot you foot from brake pedal to gas pedal..............I think everybody in the room all at once wanted to strip this old man of his license and his car.

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going to no read what anyone else said and jump in here

"Cons:
Usually it takes up your whole weekend
$$$
Will wear out your tires/brakes/fluids ETC. faster the autoX"

Track days takes up about the same amount of time as a autox depending on how far you are from ether or.
$40 for 4-8 laps of autox vs $125-200 for ~60 laps. more seat time for less money at a track.
a day mineral wells autox is about the same tire ware as a day at a road course.

right there is all the reasons i gave up on autox.

Welcome to the track day club

Tires are one thing.

Gas, brake pads, rotors and fluids are all $$ items for me.

I'll spend $100-200 in gas for a weekend (the Evo is a thirsty beastie and track gas isn't cheap). Front pads last 4-6 track days, $160-250 depending on the pad. Rotors last a year or two, $700/fronts.

Of course, in a Miata, these consumables are significantly cheaper.

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

Tires are one thing.

Gas, brake pads, rotors and fluids are all $$ items for me.

I'll spend $100-200 in gas for a weekend (the Evo is a thirsty beastie and track gas isn't cheap). Front pads last 4-6 track days, $160-250 depending on the pad. Rotors last a year or two, $700/fronts.

Of course, in a Miata, these consumables are significantly cheaper.

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I won't even tell you all what my car did on gas this weekend, you'll hate me.....I didn't even use an entire tank for the whole weekend.

You'll use more once you start going faster. :wink: My old Prelude only got about 8 mpg on the track. My FD? 3 mpg.

The RX-8 burns about a 1/4 tank per 20 minute session. Maybe 6 mpg.

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Originally Posted by goofygrin

Tires are one thing.

Gas, brake pads, rotors and fluids are all $$ items for me.

I'll spend $100-200 in gas for a weekend (the Evo is a thirsty beastie and track gas isn't cheap). Front pads last 4-6 track days, $160-250 depending on the pad. Rotors last a year or two, $700/fronts.

Of course, in a Miata, these consumables are significantly cheaper.

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Yep. I ran basically a year on one set of rotors, two sets of pads. What kills me is the sticky tires I'm addicted to. I figure I get about 4-6 hours out of a $1200 set :(

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Originally Posted by altiain

You'll use more once you start going faster. :wink: My old Prelude only got about 8 mpg on the track. My FD? 3 mpg.

The RX-8 burns about a 1/4 tank per 20 minute session. Maybe 6 mpg.

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This :)

I got 7mpg out at the Texas Time Trials this weekend... which is the same I get at ECR.

The instructor said I was pushing the car abourt as hard as it could go. Running only 12 second slower then A buddy in the yellow group with the same car, but a K24 swap and he's completely stripped.

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Originally Posted by BenRomans04

The instructor said I was pushing the car abourt as hard as it could go. Running only 12 second slower then A buddy in the yellow group with the same car, but a K24 swap and he's completely stripped.

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I was out there as well. I am one of the instructors. My student in your run group had a black M3. I remember your car. Black with gold FSP and 27 and 127 alphanumeric lettering? You were doing very well. As PP have noted, your front wheel drive just eats up new rear wheel drivers in the rain. My student had to have the nanny system on the whole time, but it was expected as he was SOOOO greeeeeeeen. Glad you came out there. I promise you this one thing, because of the rain, you are leaps and bounds ahead of where you would have been if no rain with regard to your driving skills. I had the black SM with yellow wheels and NEW FULLTREAD RA1s. I think my times, via my newish V-Box, thanks Ken-O, were around 2:12-2:18s. I had a blast. Hope to see you out there more often and as Iain has stated, there are many other options for Driving Event Sponsors, especially if you do not want to take up a whole weekend.