Track racing

[mus27]

So i want to join either SCCA or ACNA so i can get into an organized group for track time. Does anyone on this forum in the northeast take part in track time by the following two organizations? Did you take a driving class prior? any info would be appreciated.

[dewey527]

i am in the northwest and will be attending an event held by the local audi club this wknd. i checked into the racing school and it was going to cost around $800 to get my log book. i am paying $140 for the entire wknd (de, autox and lapping) and will get a log book that will get me into lapping days but an instructor will still have to ride with me. and that is all i know. keep you posted.

[V-8]

I'm not in the Northeast, but I'm with the SCCA and NASA. Are you looking to actually race your car, or just get it on the track during open track days? SCCA club racing requires a novice competition license, at a minimum, which usually means some sort of school is involved.

If you just want to do open track days then it's just a matter of joining an organization that hosts them (if required), signing up for events, and going out and having some fun. You can work with instructors during the events to improve your driving, and with NASA you can actually work your way up to a novice competition license this way. The SCCA doesn't organize open track days as far as I know, they primarily do racing and solo/autox events. ACNA and/or NASA would be good organizations to join for open track days. Also look into Hooked 0n Driving.

Some links that may help you:

NASA Northeast Region:
http://www.nasanortheast.org

Hooked On Driving Northeast schedule:
http://www.hookedondriving.com/category.cfm?category=1

[channad]

also check out speedventures.com but NASA and ACNA would also be good. I just joined ACNA, so I'm waiting for the next event

[Louis J.]

What kind of experience do you have? If you're completely new to motorsports, there's various ways to get started. The cheapest and easiest way is to start doing something light like autox. You don't need anything but your car and it'll put you in touch with guys who have experience and can talk with you about getting involved in track events.

If you get hooked, you may want to try doing a DE (Driver's Ed) with a local club (Audi maybe?). It'll put you on the track with an instructor and you'll get some class time on the basics of racing.

Racing school is fantastic but can be very expensive. I did a one day course on Formula Renault carts and it set me back $1,200. Great instruction but not cheap.

I also caution you to jump blind into a racing club. There are some clubs that have too many "young, dumb, full of cum" guys driving ricer civics who may see a noob in an S4 as an easy target. Try to align yourself with the Audi club if they're active in your area or talk to the Porsche Club (PCA). Guys in those clubs are generally older and more responsible, if not because they're more experienced, at least because they have a lot more to loose if they damage their/your car.

Last word of advice: If you track, you've got to be prepared to walk away from your car. If you're leasing or making payments, this may not be for you. It's a safe sport but accidents happen every day and your insurance company won't cover you. Two weeks ago a buddy of mine from the PCA club turned his 996 GT3 into a parts car during a Porsche-only event. No kidding.