sm

With all this talk about DE's and spring coming (not soon enough), how much does an average weekend of DE's with the PCA cost?

Thanks and hope to see you guys there!

dgz924s

SM...Fees will vary depending on the track and club. A general cost would be in the 2 to 3 hundred range. Early registration cost the least. At the tracks out here it runs 225.00 give or take, for two days. There may also be a small fee for affiliates around 10 bucks or so. Then you have the other expenses-Travel,hotel, etc. Go to the web site of the group that is running the DE and get the cost off the registration forms. There will also be tech forms you can peruse to see what you will need for DE. GL! Dallas

User 41221

Entry fees are usually a little bit more than $200. Prepping the car usually hits my wallet for around the same, once I flush the brakes, align the car and then look underneath and replace various bushings, etc..., but is typically a one time cost for the summer. Tires will wear according to brand, your enthusiasm and number of events you do, but a set of track rubber should last the casual DE enthusiast for 6 or so events, and will cost you around $6-700 for a set of Kuhmo V700's.

Not the cheapest thing you can do, but about the most fun!

Regards,

944Fest (aka Dan P)

Mid-Ohio DE with the NOR PCA is $300, I believe.. but it is worth mentioning you are running on a serious track.. not a Putnam or Beaver.. Events on the lesser venues are usually cheaper.

ian

What ever you end up paying, its worth it....

DE's are great fun, teach you a lot, and there is no better use of your p-car....

Matt

PCA DE events at Lime Rock, the Glen, Pocono tend to run $100-120 or so per day, one of the great bargains on the planet.

Check the Metro PCA website for your home region's schedule and prices, as well as the other regions that run at the tracks you might be interested in. There's lots of cross-region participation, and you can run with any region you want, as long as there's room.

Above all - the events tend to fill up fast, particularly in the novice/beginner groups, so look carefully at the registration procedures for each region, and get your applications in on time.

Leme know if you have any questions -

Matt
CT Valley Region

sm

Thanks for the replies <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" />

Lime Rock will probably be the first track that I visit as I always hear how great it is; it's close too.

Right now I have street tires on the car - Yokohama AVS DB - and will probably stick with them unless some cash grows on the few trees we have here in NYC.

Now all I have to do is R&R the crank seal and the car will be set <img border="0" alt="[jumper]" title="" src="graemlins/jumper.gif" />

Matt

Don't worry about running on street tires, most of the people in your run group will be on them. And I think it's a lot more productive (and fun) to spend the rent and grocery money on additional track days rather than on track tires...

yarin

Poconos is April 12th/13th. I plan on participating.

Z-man

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">Originally posted by sm:
<strong>...Right now I have street tires on the car - Yokohama AVS DB - and will probably stick with them unless some cash grows on the few trees we have here in NYC....

</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana,Tahoma,Arial,Helvetica,Geneva">It is a good idea to stick with street tires, especially for your first event (and first year of DE's) If you start with R-compound rubber, you may be faster than others in your novice run group, BUT, you will learn less!

Street tires are best for the beginner track driver for the following reasons:
1. Street tires have more 'give' at the limits: the break-away point on street tires is very noticable, but on track tires, there's less warning before a spin.
2. Street tires are cheaper to buy: as a newbie, you won't use track rubber to it's fullest extent, so don't waste the $$ to get them! (IE: You'll be plenty fast on street tires)
3. Your driving ability won't be even near the limits of your car, let alone your tires! Improve the driver first, and then look to small mods. (Note: I bet a expert driver in a stock Neon can run circles around me in my 944S2 on the track!)

That said, here's what it cost NNJR members to participate in DE's at various tracks: (Note, unless indicated, events are TWO day events)
Lime Rock: $225.00
Pocono Short, North Course: $150.00
Pocono Full course: $225.00
Mid-Ohio: $285.00 (3 days)
Mosport: $225.00 (3 days)
Watking Glen: $180.00 (2 days) $250.00 (3 days)
VIR: $285.00 (3 days)

Note that these are last year's prices, but they probably won't change. (check:
<a href="http://vista.pca.org/nnj/track.html" target="_blank">http://vista.pca.org/nnj/track.html</a> for up-to-date details).

Also factor in food/lodging. I've found Lime Rock hotels to be very expensive, ($150-200 a night!) due to the location. You may want to find a roomie for those events! Watkins Glen, on the other hand, has more affordable hotels (try $50 a night!)

Hope this helps!
-Z-man.

PS: You have to be a PCA member in order to participate in their DE events, BTW.