95spiderman

awful to hear about accident but thank god no one hurt and thanks for sharing. my hpde is similar to those posting here. 20 yrs from beginner to instructor. never had accident but spun 3 times, all in gt3 due to mechanical issues. I too used to chase lap times last one being under 1 minute at limrock in gtr about 5 yrs ago. since then ive been tracking a stock street lotus elise. initially I had to give up on lap times bc car was so low hp and wasn't happy about it. now that ive gotten used to it, im more than satisfied driving around track with top off giving plenty of point byes. I get about10 track days out of tires and pads along with about 3000 street miles/yr. its very different driving a 180 hp car at 7 to 8/10s than pushing 500 hp to your max ability but it doesn't have to any less fun or rewarding.

im not sure what to make of the idea to have a dedicated race car for hpde due to safety reasons. obviously, it is safer for the driver than a street car but is that really what hpde is about? im don't think I want hpde drivers pushing to their max with a feeling of invincibility inside a full cage. that is what competitive time trials are for, in addition to obvious wheel to wheel racing.

I went to nring about 5 yrs ago and couldn't believe no one used helmets on track. the germans thinking was the helmet would lead to over driving accidents more than it would help in head injuries. thought they were crazy back then and I used a helmet the 1st day myself. then 2nd day I started to understand where they were coming from and drove without helmet. maybe that philosophy to have less safety equipment along with more driving within limits is better than the converse.

uberm3

Truth - We have the same saying road racing motorcycles. After nearly a decade of competitive racing (bunch of podiums, 23 crashes from 30mph to ~140mph, a couple of broken bones, half a dozen race bikes - breaking one bike in half), I don't bring anything on track I'm not willing to walk away from on fire after throwing the match myself. Often when the SHTF (and it will) that's the best possible outcome. For some people thats a GT3. For me its a dedicated track car (a swapped E30 BMW with a full cage cheap and safe). My GT3 will be used for spirited drives and street enjoyment.

Glad all were safe. Cars can be replaced. People can't.

RobbieRob

Rich, glad you are ok, like others have mentioned, that is the most important thing.

KBS911

Glad to hear that you are well. A scary incident, indeed. Thank you for the very sober and analytical discussion of your incident. Food for thought. My track buddies and I have often discussed how much we want to push a street car. A couple of us stopped running Daytona because it was just too damned fast, and the consequences of an off at the speeds a modern GT3/RS is capable of at that track without a real roll cage and safety equipment were deemed just too much of a risk. For the most part HPDE's are a safe and fun way to exercise your car within limits, but there is a point of diminishing return regarding risk and reward in a street car, and peer/personal pressure can often obscure the difference.

85Gold

abiazis

Everyone contemplating at buying a GT3 for the track and a new hobby should be required to read this post so they can make a better informed decision for that purchase so they know the real story.

Glad the OP is okay and no one was hurt.

Obturate

There is a really difficult transition, I feel, at the spot where I believe the OP encountered trouble (if it is the same as the posted video). The tendency for the rear to come loose unnerves me. I have been able to take the preceding turn full throttle and hang on but I have never felt comfortable at the bottom of the hill.

montoya

kyrocks

tasman

I rarely track anymore and had the hit the wall experience which made me reevaluate the whole thing like many others. Never timed myself because i wasn't doing it for that reason and didn't want to be pushing for that last tenth.

Just want to hang out and do the above. No illusions though anytime you are on the track even at 8/10's stuff happens. Cant control others, fluids, etc. Bottom line if you can't leave it on the track don't bring it and have the insurance. Just my 2 cents

Obturate

Everyone on the track are high achievers with a competitive spirit. It's hard to dial it back and be content with others being quicker.

m3bs

95spiderman

cannot disagree more and this is exactly where hpde goes wrong. you cannot 'win' a track day so there should be next to no competitive spirit. competition is for time trials and racing not hpde. as i said earlier, ive been at this for 20 yrs from novice to instructor and i used to get the red mist in my eyes all the time but ive learned to put it away. i might be slowest car in instructor group w my lotus but im have just as much fun and very confident my greatest chance for a mishap will be on the highway driving home afterwards.

Obturate

95spiderman

oh ok for sure in racing. btw, thats a really nice cayman