Eric S

Out of the half a dozen promoters who put on DE events in California (mostly northern) who do you like to run with best????

What do you like about how they organize and run their events?

What are your favorite tracks to Run?

Martin S.

I have always heard good things about the Golden Gate Region of PCA. They have some great events...I ran Infineon with them years ago. They are very safety conscious (This is good) and they want their drivers to be well trained. There are other clubs up there...I don't know them personallly si I will reserve any comment.

Tracqust runs events in NoCal...they too are very safety conscious. Safety for their drivers is their #1 concern! You can get an instructor to ride with you every session...and you can ride with the instructors during their run sessions. Out of control and erratic drivers are given one (1) chance to calm down...and if that doesn't work, they are asked to leave. I have instructed for 4 TracQuest events, 1 at Infineon, 2 at WSIR and 1 at Buttonwillow.

My advice...before you do Big Track events, get your feet wet in autocross. Speeds are much lower, the consequences of a mistake fairly minimal and the investment in safety equipment minimal. Get Hank Watt's Book, Secrets of Solo Racing: Expert Techniques for Autocrossing and Time Trials (Paperback) by Henry A. Watts. Hank is a NoCal guy...I think is is associated with the PRC (The Porsche Racing Club).

Read Hank's book, and read it again. If you intend to do big track events in NoCal such as Thunder Hill, Sears, Laguna Seca, get the safety equipment regardless of whom you run with:
1. Roll bar,
2. Race seats where the shoulder harnesses thread through the seat. You can always put the seats in just for track days,
3. 5 or 6 point harnesses
4. Snell approved full face helmet
5. Fire extinguisher.

These are all the items you are going to have to purchase to do a Time Trial with PCA GGR and or Porsche Owners Club (POC). POC runs Laguna Seca this month and Thunder Hill in October. http://www.porscheownersclub.org Note you will need a special license to run with POC. You have to do a one day school and 3 events at the Streets of Willow, their home track for their Short Track Series. This would be worth the drive from Napa.

Good luck with your driving (Read Hank's book!)

mooty

come to tracquest. 9/13-14 sunday and monday at thunderhill. you will have a lot of fun.

Wreck Me Otter

Make that 8/14-8/15 mooty.....

JackOlsen

After you get the book, you can sit in Hank Watts' classroom with about ten other guys and drive with him out on the racetrack. He's the chief instructor for a great northern Californian group: Northern California Racing Club. They also run time trials and (in conjunction with ARC) wheel-to-wheel races. Their last event was last weekend, and me and a friend drove our 911's 500 miles north to attend it. We had a blast.

Their next event is September 30 and October 1, at Thunderhill.

jrgordonsenior

Hi Eric,
My $. 02.....

If you're just starting with instruction and DE's, go to a small track environment rather a large, fast track like Laguna. You'll have much more time to learn and absorb all the lessions you'll be subjected to. I think that's why the POC short track school is so effective. In performance driving it's all about seat time, and you learn more if you take the steps incrementally.

BTW, POC is holding their semi-annual driving school at Streets of Willow on Saturday, September10th. Sunday the 11th is a regular DE event so you No Cal guys & gals could participate in the school Sat., and drive in the DE Sunday all on that great short track. You won't be disappointed!

mooty

Make that 8/14-8/15 mooty.....
_________
LOL, i was thinking about the "bonus" track days wife allowed on my birthday.

Martin S.

The POC driving school on Saturday is good...follow up with the event on Sunday where you'll drive in the Yellow student group...you will peg your fun meter.

Inn at Lancaster is cheap....grub is good and great camaraderie amongst the drivers. The event is less than $150 a day.

Sitting in a classroom with Hank Watts...that would be a treat. Hank is truly a legend in his time.

FamilyCar

Maximum exposure, minimum cost award: Golden Gate Lotus Club - lots of racer types seem to run w/ them to sort their cars or practice.

Friendliest Award w/ P-car centric instruction: LPR's Coastal Driving School - like hanging out w/ family. Less competitive environment than GGR. Hi fun factor. Another Hank run operation.

Best club to introduce your disinterested partner to a HPDE: Audi Club, Golden Gate Chapter - hosts a great dinner w/ auction, 1/2 day car control clinic for newbies. Cars look prepped for a concours event rather than a track event. This is where I'll bring my kids when the're ready to be introduced to the track.

Best mix of street machines: Northern California Racing Club - lots of driving here too, as you can run in your own group and the run group below you. TTing is fun and you get an entire 20-25min session to establish you best time.

(I obviously have a NorCal bias)

Martin S.

Luis Obispo county and south, call the upper part of the great state of Cali, NoCal...never NorCal. You can thank Jim Rome of the Jim Rome show for this...its not my invention.

SoCal Man

Eric S

And then there are those from down south who say Frisco. I like to just refer to it as The City.

Hey guys, Thanks for the input. I have only run with a couple of groups @ DE events and am definately interested in what else was out there. Also helps me to find more available track dates that work for me.

FamilyCar

Sheesh. OK. Lived in "Cali" - does that really means Northern California? - for 40+ years and never knew not to call Northern California "Norcal." Cheers.

NoCal guy

trumperZ06

Hhmmmmm... Why don't Y'all just call it the...

LEFT COAST ???

Todd at TracQuest.... puts on good events. Shorter tracks (fewer corners) with less speed, are better for the Newbe's. Too many things to remember on some of the longer tracks.