BobbyC

Screw DE and Racing...I wanna hit that babe in VR's avatar

FGL28

This thread is still going on? It is like this. ANYBODY WHO MAKES FUN OF GUYS GOING OUT AND HAVING FUN IN THINGS LIKE A DE IS A TOTAL TOOL. Sure a DE builds ego but if you are as good as your ego thinks you are then you should have nothing to worry about. I had lunch with a couple of the hot drivers in the zone and they were as I thought, they did not put down any drivers.

One thing that does strike me as kinda funny, guys who drive at their level are driving perfectly for themselves. Something that is not true about some of you guys. I truly feel for you instructors with egos like some of these guys it is a wonder you could fit in the cockpit.

Veloce Raptor

Irony.

BostonDMD

Yeah Bobby......I want to be the numero uno driver for Ferrari next year.......
We probably have the same chance of hitting our goals.......

BobbyC

^ Nah, I can prolly buy my way in like a "gentleman racer"

DarkSideDE

I just want to remind some of you that when you are on the track - you empty your mind of everything and focus on driving that track...

Think about it - when the world is awful, the economy down, everything you know being attacked - whatever -- you get to the track - and with every fiber of your mind and body - you concentrate on doing your best. I guess it really doesn't matter if that is DE, Racing or just your weekend warrior having fun.

By the way - earlier in this thread someone asked who do AutoXers get to pick on - the answer was drag strip racers - and they pick on street racers -- LOL -- at least that's what I've been lead to believe via the Mustang Club...

See you at the track one day.

TheOtherEric

One thing I learned early in this hobby is to NOT publicly criticize or generalize about people for having "lesser" skills like doing just autox, or drag racing, or running in slower run groups, or whatever. It's just an unwritten rule IMHO. Everybody has their own budgets, time constraints, skill sets, committments, etc. Like someone said, in the big picture we're all just driving around in circles out there.

So if somebody wants to run Hoosiers at a DE, fine, why not if that's what you want to do? It doesn't mean they're bad or stupid or something -- we all enjoy this hobby in our own way.

Along Colin's lines, the only person I hate is the guy who won't get out of my way. Otherwise who cares.

NaroEscape

OK, so I had no desire to read 14 pages of this, and at this point I can't imagine that this simple question has gone this long, but I'll add my 2 cents anyway... probably already been said 100 times...

I started racing 3 years ago. No, DE's are not the same as racing - it's very frustrating to have set passing zones. But...I still like to do DE's. Until someone is paying me lots of money to race, I will never have enough seat time.

I use a DE weekend for Education (remember DE does stand for Drivers EDUCATION). for example, after all this time, I still cannot heel/toe correctly. don't laugh, it just doesn't feel right. So I started using the DE's to practice. I also use DE's to learn the limits of my car OFF LINE, like taking a turn all the way around the inside (when nobody is around me, obviously).

A racing weekend is way more expensive than a DE. For one, race registrations are MUCH more. I use new tires for a race, used ones for a DE. Support? Yes. If my car is not working right in a DE, who cares? I'm not trying to beat anyone, many times I don't run 10/10ths anyway in a DE. But I do in a race. Plus, with an enduro, I need a crew to help fueling. No, i don't pay for big time race team crews and all, but it's still more than a DE.

I do 3 races and probably 5 DE's a year. I have nothing against DE people - I'm one of them. I just use my DE weekends for MY type of education....

jacksonrw

This is a sad thread
i have read a few calling out the arrogance of DE guys....lol
what hypocisy

I have done DE's for many years and works hard as a volunteer to support the efforts. As I do aspire to race someday and will do it someday, I will remind myself by reading this thread to never look down my nose at the whole experience.

I would never have consider racing had it not been for DE's. I would never have a place to test and tune my car if it were not for the DE's and I would never have met what are today my very best friends if it were not for DE's

Some of my mentors in the process rose up the ranks in DE's, became and still are great racers and pour their heart out with me as instructors in DE's.

What an absolutley amazing thread.

C.J. Ichiban

the unique situation some of us have here locally is that we can just go to the track for open track days as members- it's actually even cheaper than running with PCA for DE. there is way less traffic, and after a few months you get to know everyone, their cars and their skills. it's more like a race weekend test day.

due to lucky geography, this is how I got my start on the track- I'd done probably 6 months of pretty regular open track days (and 2 or 3 one on one full days with an instructor) before my first pca DE. if I'd just waited to do DE every 2 months when it is available, I never would have accumulated that much experience in such a short time. Especially because it allows you to go over the limit and make mistakes (MSR cresson has only 2 or 3 sections that bite in 3.1 miles) with little to no risk of damaging the car.

from a $ perspective since someone brought that up- the typical open track day at our track is 80 dollars. even better- you can go on totally random weekdays!

so I will say that it is not generally the DE person but the DE experience that some people get sour on. people want to challenge themselves, have fun, etc but the reality is that renting a track is expensive if you do it alone- PCA rents the track and 120 people show up to defer your costs, of course you will get stuck in traffic eventually.

Veloce Raptor

In fairness, this does not count what it cost you to purchase your membership nor the monthly dues you pay.

+1 to Richard's post directly above yours.

C.J. Ichiban

your right, it cost 3k for a lifetime membership...compared to some of the ridiculous stuff people get charged on the east coast...that's nothing! 100 bucks a month when you drive 4-8 times per is pretty worthwhile as well...

Veloce Raptor

Yup, if you use it a lot, it's pretty dang cheap!

C.J. Ichiban

that's what she said.

Veloce Raptor

when the bed broke...


Click here