Folks, I am looking for some information on local HPDE and track day events that are scheduled at BIR or other road course this coming summer. Questions I have, 1) Did anybody here attend PCA - Nord Stern events in past? I didn't ask, but looks like PCA only welcomes Porsche owners, is that correct? 2) Did anybody here attend BMW Club HPDE/Track day events in past? I know they allow cars of other makes to attend their track days (provided a driver training event had been attended first). 3) Is it cost effective to attend the club sponsored HPDE/Track day events, in comparing to just going to BIR HPDE events? BIR charged $29x ish for their events last year. I like BIR sponsored events more as I won't be ridiculed for taking my Subaru there for an HPDE event. Also BIR events are safer due to restrictive overtaking rules. I noticed there are some local driving instructors on this forum. I am hoping to hear from at least some of them. Please enlighten a noobie here! Cheers!
I don't know much about BIR, haven't been up there myself. But you may want to check out http://www.findtheline.com. I attend these at MAM, which is about a 5-6hr drive. Also very save, and not restricted to what car you drive.
I have been a Nordstern member for over 10 years and you need a Porsche to belong to the club. You can bring other car makes to events if you are a member in good standing. (after you complete their driver's training) Another option is Quattro club events. I helped as an instructor with them in the 90's and they have a good group of people. I believe they will allow you to join the club as a non-voting member if you do not own a Audi, but you can still partake of driving events. They have events all over, so it is the easiest way to drive Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta if that interests you.
Ah, never heard of mid america motorplex before. But this is great info! Their track days seem more reasonable as well. I just found about blackhawk farms (South Beloit, IL) which is 5-6 hours away as well. Thanks for the info! I am glad I posted the question here.
Aha! So it's an elite club! I checked out the Quattro club and signed up for their ice driving event this coming weekend! Another great lead! I will keep an eye on their site for their HPDE events. Thanks much! :cheers:
MAM is nice if one is new to open track type events. Basically the course is in the middle of a field and there is plenty of run off almost everywhere. Also find the line is a very laid back group to run with. I can't speak for bmw or pca clubs but I, along with a few friends, ran with the mustang club at road america the past 3 years and they have been nothing but inviting. None of us own mustangs.
First welcome, its nice to see another driver on the board. As with anything there is always room for improvement regardless of your experience. I am currently Instructing for www.Northstarbmw.org part of the BMWCCA. We have low speed and high speed events all year round. The club also invites celebrities to Holiday dinners and every two years the club hires a Professional to work with the Instructors. A benefit of having your own personal Instructor is they are yours for the weekend and you can real start working on nailing down some specific techniques for the weekend. In addition to the classroom sessions. Seat time is no longer an issue in most clubs these day and with the economic issues the clubs are working very hard to keep attendance up. Our next event for 2009 is Jan 11 Teen CCC. The next Winter event is Jan 31. The rest of the season has not yet been posted. I don't drive a Subaru to these events anymore, but the club still considers me the unofficial Subaru or AWD Instructor. LOL Cost effective: Will depend on what your goals are. There are those who consider seat time to be the deciding factor when it comes to improving their track driving experience. But there are some of us who believe without guidance and specific criteria your training will be redundant and man and machine will exist as two entities. And thats okay too! Check these out: www.MVPTrackTime.com www.northstarbmw.org http://www.glacierlakesqclub.org/ MAM is one of the friendlier tracks where you can safely test the limits because its flat and very open, lots of run off room. You can view the whole course from the bleachers and its technical enough to keep you entertained.
Mustang club sounds great! I got a buddy with a stang who likes to track his car as well. I will keep an eye open. Thanks!! Wonderful information, Musashi. Thanks much. I knew there are some instructors here on the forum. Let me just say this, I learned a lot from the instructors I got to work with at BIR. I learned so much from the few laps I took at BIR with Ron and Bill. You guys (instructors) have lots of racing experience and nothing can replace that. I would rather spend few hours at the track with an instructor than full day by myself. I will keep an eye open for the HPDE events. I am still a novice. I've got a long way to go before I can fully enjoy a track day by myself.
