GT-350_merged Posted May 12, 2007 Report Share Posted May 12, 2007 I saw There was some questions about the where's and how's of Open Track Days, below you will find links to different pages that will allow you to find open track events in your area. But FIRST of all join the Shelby American Automobile Club http://www.saac.com/ Look through the SAAC web site and read up on the open track info........... Then get involved in your local chapter........These folks have been doing this since the mid '70's. Also don't foget the Special Vehicle Team Owners Assosation (SVTOA) Also I've attacted links to a couple of "Open Tack Primers' In this link first link I have discribled some of the things you will need to do to your car to prep it for a day or two at the track..... http://forum.shelbyautos.com/index.php?showtopic=1102&hl= OPEN TRACK DAY LINKS National Auto Sport Association HPDE (High Performance Driver Education) http://www.nasaproracing.com/hpde/index.html Track Schedule http://www.trackschedule.com/ Motor Sports Registration https://www.motorsportreg.com/pap/eventlist.cfm Chin Motor Sports http://www.chinmotorsports.com/default.asp Safe Motor Sports (No Instructors) you must get sponsored…….by a member http://www.safemotorsports.com/ Martin Sports Car Club (Autocross) http://www.martinsportscarclub.com/ SCCA (and more) Autocross http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/auto-x-r...2-schedule.html Open Track Action Serach Page http://www.opentrackaction.com/event_search3.php Red Line Track Events http://www.redlinetrackevents.com Focus Challenge http://www.focuschallenge.com Speed Trial USA http://www.speedtrialusa.com TracQuest http://www.tracquest.com This list plus more….. http://www.tamparacing.com/forums/auto-x-r...-resources.html OPEN TRACK PRIMER Nor Cal Shelby Club Open Track Primer http://www.norcal-saac.org/ot/primer.pdf TRACK GUIDES Laguna Seca http://www.norcal-saac.org/ot/laguna.pdf Sears Point http://www.norcal-saac.org/ot/sears.pdf Thunderhill http://www.norcal-saac.org/ot/thillnew.pdf Open Track Article from Motor Trend A few years ago............ Racing Fast 'n' Cheap: Open-Track Days High-speed racing--bargain prices By Neil G. Chirico Like many couch-potato racers, you've watched Formula One or NASCAR on TV--and whispered to yourself, "I could do that." Well, it's time to get your butt off the love seat and go for it. It takes no more than a car, a helmet, and a hundred-dollar bill to get you zooming around a real racetrack, chasing those Michael Schumacher-inspired dreams. Open-track events provide a fun, safe environment in which to learn the limits of your car, perhaps evaluate recent performance modifications, and, most important, improve your abilities and defensive-driving skills. There's no sanctioning body for this type of action; a promoter rents a track, you pay a fee to play, sign the liability release, and that's that. Participants bring their own cars, which keeps costs down and makes it easier to translate on-track learning to the street. Car preparation should include an oil change, an inspection to make sure the brakes have at least 50-percent pad life remaining, air-bleeding of the brake and clutch lines, a check of all fluid levels, a retorque of the wheel lugs, and a general checkup of anything else that could potentially become a problem once you're at speed. Consider removing the spare tire to maximize the weight to power ratio. At many events, convertibles will require rollbars to participate. Depending on the promoter, no additional safety equipment is required, other than a helmet (rated SA-2000 or better; motorcycle helmets are typically not allowed). The venue may or may not have a safety inspection on the premises; the smart bet is to prep your car before arriving. A typical open-track day starts out with a mandatory drivers' meeting. Run groups generally are divided by the driver's experience. There are groups for every comfort level: beginners to advanced and levels in between. Each run group usually gets between 20 and 30 minutes of track time per session. Expect four to five drive sessions in a day. That translates to more than enough track time for you to be thoroughly exhausted from the level of concentration, the rush of adrenaline, and the wear your body will take handling g-forces it's not used to dealing with. Some events provide instructors to aid the learning process and may qualify as defensive-driving courses, which can lower your insurance premiums. Lap timing sometimes is available, allowing you to compare your performance with others without the risk of swapping paint, as was the case with the www .focuschallenge.com event we ran in. Running an open-track day in your daily ride or weekend toy may not be quite like hot-lapping Sir Michael's F1 Ferrari. But that takes a few more dollar signs and a lot more zeros. Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stump_breaker Posted May 12, 2007 Report Share Posted May 12, 2007 Texas Motor Speedway is having an open track tonight. $30 for three laps and then $10 for a pic in victory lane. If we can we might go thonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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