cosmos

I just got an email from Tracquest that they are having a special for Infineion this coming week.

Two run groups @ $250 a day or $500 for two days. I don't know what I would do with that much track time. Two groups people, @ SPIR. Thats just a stupid amount of time on that track.

Again, I have NO affiliation with them, I am just passing along information that I got in an email to fellow Rennlisters who may want to go to the track this week.

fahren affair

I don't know what I would do with that much track time. Two groups people, @ SPIR. Thats just a stupid amount of time on that track.

thats a good deal. i haven't been to infineon née sears, in way too long a time--it's got me thinking. btw, you wrote that tongue in check i'm sure. there's no such thing as too much track time

Holger B

I got the e-mail too, but I interpret it differently...

"SPECIAL REDUCED PRICE RUN GROUP OFFER FOR TRACQUEST EVENT AT INFINEON ON DEC. 6-7!

If you're someone who has done at least 5 track events and want to run Infineon at a bargain price, it's your lucky day. Due to extremely low participation at the TracQuest event at Infineon this coming Monday and Tuesday, I've decided to do something I've never done before: have only two TracQuest run groups (a Faster group that runs under Red group passing rules and a Slower group that runs under Blue group passing rules) instead of three and turn the third run group into a reduced price, no-frills, relatively advanced special run group. Here are the details:

1) There will still be only three run groups total, so each group will still get at least two and one half hours of track time each day.

2) The cost to run in this special group will be $500 for both days or $250 for one day rather than the current $800/$480 TracQuest prices. Because of the substantially reduced cost, neither the elaborate TracQuest banquet on Monday night nor food and drinks at the track will be included. However, you may buy lunch and/or banquet tickets if desired.

3) There will be no instruction in this special group.

4) The special group will run under TracQuest's Blue (Medium) group passing rules, which are passing anywhere with a point by, only on the straights on the right or left without a point by (although everyone should give point by's all the time, since communication is what keeps people safe on the track at a DE event)."

Still seems like a good deal, but it's 3 run groups and no frills.

mooty

i got email as well, i interpret it same as holger. there will be two groups that pay the higher price with instructions and dinner/lunch etc. and then a THIRD group that has no instruction and/or food. there' s a total of THREE groups.

cosmos

Yes, after re-reading it, Holger and you as well Mooty are correct. I sort of jumped the gun a bit.

Holger B

Also, the forecast is for rain those 2 days:
http://www.weather.com/weather/local...ocalUndeclared

mooty

how about 12/15 at laguna seca with track masters. that should be fun too and i think weather is supposed to be dry.

cosmos

You over there with the Silver car....

Holger B

Sorry, I don't make the weather or the forecasts. Don't shoot the messenger.

The 15th @ LS is a possibility.

AW

I'll be at LS on the 15th. I'll be testing my Radical after its yearly maintenance.... Yoohoo!

Arnaud

John D.

Folks in Cali crack me up..!!!! Rain??? Heck - up here in the spring and fall DEs - we have to worry about SNOW!!!! Ever try throttle steering with studded snows on an open-course road track?? Quite the adventure!!!

Honestly - I've instructed a LOT of students in the rain (real RAIN - like "buckets", raining "cats and dogs - leaving "poodles"" all over)) well, you know... 99.99% of the time - students actually learn more then they would in the dry - and gain MUCH more confidence by virtue of learning to be smooth, getting a real sense of car control and the line. Even driving in the Instructor's group - I enjoy it, as it gives me time to focus on other areas I want to work on...

BTW - the forecast calls for "showers" out there - not even "rain"!! Sheessshhh....

Wish I could be there - but the 3000 mile commute on track tires would probably be "too exciting"



Best to you!

John D.

996FLT6

If required to open up windows in the rain-yuck. Was at T-Hill last weekend. 1st session with wet track-stupid to short an apex-spun from there in the mucky mud. Live and learn. Took me 3 hours to clean up my car yesterday : (. Looks very clean now : ). Damn why are trackdays on the times I'm working : (. Regards. Mike PS-hate to imagine spinning off at Infineon-my friend tells me not to run the GT3 there but damn it's what it's for.

Todd Serota [TracQuest]

Well, you did factually, but not conceptually. It's correct that there will be 3 run groups, but people will actually get more track time than if there were 2. Here's why.

First, it's not going to work as I envisioned in my special offer because only 2 people have signed up for the special offer so far. No problem, though - they'll just be slotted into my normal 3 run group structure, in the Medium or Instructor/Fast group. As for track time, the event is less than empty. I've got a whopping 5 cars signed up in the Slow group and 16 in the Medium group at the moment. As TracQuest veterans know, when attendance is small (it can even be a good bit larger than this), I quickly allow people to run in multiple run groups. This will happen right after lunch on Monday, which means it will essentially be that way for the entire event. The way it works, drivers can run one group up or down. So, Slow group drivers can drive in Slow and Medium, Medium group drivers can drive anywhere, and Instructor/Fast group drivers can drive in Instructor/Fast and Medium. What this means is that Slow and Instructor/Fast drivers can drive for 1 hour out of every 1.5 hours (and go out as a passenger for hot laps during the other 1/2 hour) and Medium group drivers can drive literally the entire time, coming in only for the checkered flag at the end of each session.

As far as the weather goes, in my experience, it's very difficult to forecast the weather in Sonoma/Napa, even relatively close to the time of the forecast. I've done this event at Infineon for 3 years now and have found that even forecasts the day before have been wrong. Not to say that it won't rain, but I wouldn't asume that weather.com's forecast is exactly what's going to happen. Of course, that's easy for me to say.

Holger B

Agreed that the weather is difficult to predict. I hope it works out for the best for all involved.

However, I've driven a number of tracks in the rain (which I agree can still be a lot of fun and an excellent learning experience), but I wouldn't do that at Sears Point. The margin for error there is less than at most tracks and I've seen & heard of a lot of expensive offs there in the dry. Too risky for me in the wet, but if you take the right precautions you can still have a good time.

Todd, hopefully the weather guys will be wrong and everyone will have a blast. With the turnout so small, that may be the case rain or shine.

Todd Serota [TracQuest]

Hi Holger:

A lot of people feel as you do about Infineon, but here are two things to think about, based on my experience there running three of my own events there over the last 4 years and instructing at about 6 more over that same time period for other groups. First, I'm not so sure that drivers are more likely to go off in the wet than in the dry. When it's raining, the testosterone pretty much stops flowing and drivers are much more likely simply to go slowly and learn, figuring they're not going to go very fast no matter how they drive. Second, drivers are obviously going a lot faster in the dry than in the wet. Even assuming arguendo that one is more likely to go off when it's wet, when cars go off in the dry, they hit a lot harder.

Not trying to talk you or others into anything; that's unlikely anyway. Just food for thought.