Racetrack Stuff

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DTMiller
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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by DTMiller » Mon Nov 19, 2018 3:21 am

Something broke. I'd turn the wheel what I normally do and the car would just sort of meander left but when I turned right it was fine. Got the car home and put that corner in the air and I was able to move the wheel around in space with my hands; I'm guessing a ball joint (and hoping, those are easy and cheap) but it could be the shock which wouldn't require a suspension upgrade which the car definitely needs, but it would be dumb to spend any money and end up where it is now. But I'd much rather spend that much money on other things.
2002 Guards Red Targa, Fister exhaust, H&R Sport Springs, semisolid motor mounts
1997 MX-5 track car
Friday at the Track, Chin Trackdays, SCCA WDCR Novice Classroom Instructor, SCDA, Audi Club Potomac, TrackDaze HPDE Instructor
June 16, 2017 Funland GoKart Champion (6:13 p.m. main event)
Willing to risk life for track time

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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by DTMiller » Tue Feb 19, 2019 5:47 am

Here's a super fun thread on Rennlist (dammit):

https://rennlist.com/forums/racing-and- ... ility.html
2002 Guards Red Targa, Fister exhaust, H&R Sport Springs, semisolid motor mounts
1997 MX-5 track car
Friday at the Track, Chin Trackdays, SCCA WDCR Novice Classroom Instructor, SCDA, Audi Club Potomac, TrackDaze HPDE Instructor
June 16, 2017 Funland GoKart Champion (6:13 p.m. main event)
Willing to risk life for track time

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Einsteiger
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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by Einsteiger » Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:00 am

It seems the prevailing attitude is similar to gambling in Vegas: if you can't affort to lose it, don't bet it. It would indeed suck if your car was taken out by some inexperienced, or bone-headed, or a stupid-aggressive driver...but I doubt there is any legal precedent to receive damages. Dumb question, but don't some carriers offer track insurance? Or is that just track DAY insurance - for DE's, etc.? I'll never come to grips with spending the kind of money that club racing involves. Must be my Scottish roots. :)
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1999 C2 - Vesuvio Gray Metallic
Eastern Kansas

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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by gnat » Tue Feb 19, 2019 8:25 am

That thread covers why you won't regularly get me out there DT.

It's a ton of fun and I'm glad I experienced it, but I simply can't afford (emotionally) to write the 996 off. I have considered picking up a second specifically for the track, but while I could financially write it off it would be a one and done thing.

After our toodle around the track in your toy car I did consider looking at a Miata, but (seriously no offense to Miatas, they are impressive!) it just doesn't do it for me. I think I need to love the car to be interested in tracking it and that puts me back to where I already am with her car...

I would never offer to cover someone else's damage even if it was my mistake, but I would make sure they are OK and offer at least some token assistance. I would, however, never expect more than an "Are you OK?" from another driver.

As with the rest of life, if you can't pay, don't play.
Einsteiger wrote: Tue Feb 19, 2019 7:00 am Dumb question, but don't some carriers offer track insurance? Or is that just track DAY insurance - for DE's, etc.?
Yes you can get spot insurance (track day) or full policies. Both are not exactly cheap so many seem to go without. I get it (and did it) for entry level DE where the expectation of contact is minimal, but once you are at levels with free passing (and especially Cup racing!) my opinion is that either you are carrying the coverage to make you whole or you can write it off and start again. Either way you shouldn't be on internet forums bitching about how you think someone else should be paying for your car...

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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by DTMiller » Tue Feb 19, 2019 9:33 am

Yup.

For me it comes down to I don't get to decide what you drive on the track and therefore I can't be responsible for bad outcomes even if it was my fault (excluding, as always, legitimately intentional action) because otherwise it necessarily becomes a game of russian roulette with your finances and who decided to bring what to the track that day. I brought what I'm comfortable writing off, I advise you to govern yourself similarly.

I've told this story before, but the Miata cost me about what a year of track insurance would have cost me for the 911. I'm now 3 years ahead of the game (and that's not including the VAST consumables cost disparity).
2002 Guards Red Targa, Fister exhaust, H&R Sport Springs, semisolid motor mounts
1997 MX-5 track car
Friday at the Track, Chin Trackdays, SCCA WDCR Novice Classroom Instructor, SCDA, Audi Club Potomac, TrackDaze HPDE Instructor
June 16, 2017 Funland GoKart Champion (6:13 p.m. main event)
Willing to risk life for track time

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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by DTMiller » Fri Feb 22, 2019 7:30 am

Spent yesterday's 48* day being productive around the house and getting things in shape for the coming spring at the house.

HAHAHAHA just kidding; spent it installing my new to me much better racing seat in the Bomx5ter. Went from a ratty as all hell old seat to this halo seat. Required quite a bit of hammerin on the transmission tunnel (hammerin a tranny, where's slakker when we need him) but it's in with just a little rub on the door by the seat wing:
IMG_20190221_161701.jpg
IMG_20190221_161701.jpg (398.71 KiB) Viewed 2532 times
Still need to adjust the length of the crotch strap but everything else looks good to go. The bolts mounting the seat mount to the floor were tricky; the seat is too low to reach anything under it to hold the top of the bolt while I tightened the nuts so I held the end of the bolt with some pliers while tightening the nuts and it snugged up really well. Considering adding a second nut to lock them together to keep the first one from coming loose, especially with all the rattling and vibrating a track car sees in action. Thoughts on other options? I'd like to preserve the ability to remove the seat if I need to do so...
2002 Guards Red Targa, Fister exhaust, H&R Sport Springs, semisolid motor mounts
1997 MX-5 track car
Friday at the Track, Chin Trackdays, SCCA WDCR Novice Classroom Instructor, SCDA, Audi Club Potomac, TrackDaze HPDE Instructor
June 16, 2017 Funland GoKart Champion (6:13 p.m. main event)
Willing to risk life for track time

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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by OceanBlue2000 » Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:59 am

How dumb do you have to be to post about paying for a crash, while not paying for your own crash? The internet knows everything, dummy.

But that thread basically sums up why I only took the 996 on the track once. With raising two kids, a house that's a 100 years old, etc. etc. its not that I couldn't afford to pay the damages if I put it into a wall, but I have a million other priorities right now. And all these cup guys sound like dicks, to be honest. "A 944 is a disposable car." Go screw yourself.
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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by FRUNKenstein » Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:28 pm

OceanBlue2000 wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:59 am How dumb do you have to be to post about paying for a crash, while not paying for your own crash? The internet knows everything, dummy.

But that thread basically sums up why I only took the 996 on the track once. With raising two kids, a house that's a 100 years old, etc. etc. its not that I couldn't afford to pay the damages if I put it into a wall, but I have a million other priorities right now. And all these cup guys sound like dicks, to be honest. "A 944 is a disposable car." Go screw yourself.
+996. At this point in my life, the DTM method is the only racing that makes sense. Maybe someday (but realistically not) I'll have the kind of disposable cash to throw at cup car racing. But then I'm sure I'd be a douche also and these guys just don't sound that fun to be around. Seems like a constant pecker measuring contest.
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1987 928S4, Guards Red
1987 951, Guards Red
1973 914 2.0 Bahia Red

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Gone but not forgotten: 1975 914 2.0, Laguna Blue; 1999 996 C4 Aerokit Black; 1990 964 C2 Guards Red; 2006 955S Arctic Silver

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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by OceanBlue2000 » Fri Feb 22, 2019 3:11 pm

FRUNKenstein wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:28 pm
OceanBlue2000 wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 9:59 am How dumb do you have to be to post about paying for a crash, while not paying for your own crash? The internet knows everything, dummy.

But that thread basically sums up why I only took the 996 on the track once. With raising two kids, a house that's a 100 years old, etc. etc. its not that I couldn't afford to pay the damages if I put it into a wall, but I have a million other priorities right now. And all these cup guys sound like dicks, to be honest. "A 944 is a disposable car." Go screw yourself.
+996. At this point in my life, the DTM method is the only racing that makes sense. Maybe someday (but realistically not) I'll have the kind of disposable cash to throw at cup car racing. But then I'm sure I'd be a douche also and these guys just don't sound that fun to be around. Seems like a constant pecker measuring contest.
“Your GT3 is pretty good I guess, but I don’t know how you race in anything but a GT3RS. Seems a waste of time.”
Mike
Strange things I have in head, that will to hand.
2000 Ocean Blue 996 Carrera 2
1982 928 (sold)

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Re: Racetrack Stuff

Post by TheDeckMan » Wed Feb 27, 2019 6:56 am

OceanBlue2000 wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 3:11 pm
FRUNKenstein wrote: Fri Feb 22, 2019 1:28 pm

+996. At this point in my life, the DTM method is the only racing that makes sense. Maybe someday (but realistically not) I'll have the kind of disposable cash to throw at cup car racing. But then I'm sure I'd be a douche also and these guys just don't sound that fun to be around. Seems like a constant pecker measuring contest.
“Your GT3 is pretty good I guess, but I don’t know how you race in anything but a GT3RS. Seems a waste of time.”
Ran into similar attitudes when a whole pile of 355 Challenge cars showed up at a DE event, I was running my Audi TT track car which was way faster than the 355's. One of them attempted to pit maneuver me on the straight at Lime Rock, was lucky that I was on my toes with how he was driving and not giving any point bys. I have got a couple insults about my poor hair dresers's squashed Beetle, until it rains or snows...then it is a different story :lol:

On track days it was pounded into my head early on that there is nothing lost in giving a point by and finding out if the other car/driver really are faster or they just think they are faster.

I have been looking at cups for some time, almost pulled the trigger on one then the 997 dropped in my lap for a deal I could not pass up. Leaning towards the next one would be a 6Cup to just do the occasional DE event and perhaps eventual vintage when looking for more gentleman type racing. The knock out drag out sessions with the fast cup guys seem to burn through parts and cars like they are beer cans, not a great place to play with cars we care about.
996TT - Widowmaker Project -RWD, UMW Tune, H&R RSS, Phenix Engineering Control Arms/LCA's, GT3 6 Pistons, SpeedTech 3" X-Pipe, Ported Headers, 997 GT3 Shifter, GT3 Buckets, GT2 Clutch/PP, GT2RS IC's, RSS Roll Bar, GT3 Brake Ducts, Joe Toth Aero/Ducts, Champion Thrust Arms
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