J Berk

Just want to follow up on a thread I started in this forum a little over a month ago about joining NASA and HPDE.

I just got home from the event at Thunderbolt (just one day for me...tonight I am trick-or-treating with my kids!).

I had a great time....had a wonderful instructor and really enjoyed the variety of cars !

The people I spoke to were all super nice and the event was very well run....the novice school was really great (thanks to the Doctor that ran it...he was really a good choice for 'teacher'!).

It was also fun to watch a real race mid-day !

I will definately be doing more NASA events next season !

Thanks again !

cannon1000

I've been thinking of joining NASA in addition to PCA. Thanks for the feedback. I may wait until I have actually done a de event to begin with.

Garylimey

Wished I could have been there! Nice group of people

J Berk

I really enjoyed myself and I also very much like the fact that I can register for one day of a two day event. Allows me to be more flexible with family time and still get a track day in !

This was my 7th overall DE over the last 3 years....in retrospect there are slight differences in style between my PCA experiences and this one with NASA but none that would make me hesitate to recommend begining your DE experience with one over the other.

There were plenty of people this weekend who'd never been on-track before...they all had smiles on their faces at the end of the day.

wanna911

Cannon, NASA SE runs good DE's, but they are very crowded, sometimes your instructor may have two drivers and is driving themselves which is a lot for one person in one day. PCA is a good place to start, may want to look into BMW and Audi club where you don't have to be a member but there are usually quality instructors in your make of vehicle. Also Chin is membership based, but they do an excellent job of pairing students with instructors of similar makes.

You may want to come out to a PCA event and do taste of the track which is basically parade laps at speed limit pace.

Minoclan

I have been saying all year that I loved my Nasa days. I also did Hooked on Driving. It is as much fun and we all went out for lunch, compliments of HOD. A lot of the same people came to HOD as were at Nasa. I know what events I am driving next year. Sadly, after many years I only did one NNJR event, and didn't have fun. However, it was fun hanging out with all of the NNJR guys that came to NASA. I am seeing a pattern here.

Gary R.

Not around here it isn't. We do something, when schedule permits (usually at lunchtime), called "Track Tour" that allows you to do a few laps (in whatever car/truck/minivan you have) at a very low speed with a pace car in front of you. Our "Taste of the Track" is done in an instructor's car mingled in with a novice or beginning advanced run group and is run at full "DE Speed". I've done quite a few for our ToT guests and while I don't terrorize the novice group I do make it plenty interesting when I have a little open track...

buckwheat987

I've done both...If you are a true beginner I suggest you stick with the PCA first.

I can PM my reasons if you wish.

jrgordonsenior

What I've really loved about running with NASA is beiing able to run with different marquees besides just Porsches. Love beating up on the overpowered Corvettes, etc....

wanna911

Our "Taste" is both, driving at 50mph and 1 ride with the instructor along with some classroom sessions. He's probably a peachstate member if his location is current.

I was just thinking that if he's on the fence about DE, that would be a perfect sort of test without jumping all the way in. Should be enough to make a decision.

Gary R.

That's a great deal, I like the idea of a short classroom session also.

mhm993

Hooked On Driving is really great esp. for beginners. In the northeast the HOD is run by Joe Mills who is one of the best PCA instructors I have ever had. You get tons of track time, class instruction taught by really top notch folks, and you spend a lot of time with your in-car instructor. It sounds like a minor point but I think it is great that everyone gets to eat lunch together at HOD events esp. when the instructors have more than one student. It gives the students and instructors some time to talk about the driving and other stuff as well.

PCA is always great and good bargain for track time. Most of the regions do allow non-Porsches and some even allow non-PCA members. If you choose your regions wisely you also get a ton of track time at a PCA event.

I attended my 1st NASA event this weekend and had a great time. Thx to all there.

If you ever want to watch a full day of racing with cars ranging from historics to big open wheelers in larger classes of similar cars, SCCA can't be beat.

Now its down for the winter and time to clean the Miata, whether or not it needs it...

-- Mindy

white924s

Hey Joe - it was good meeting you on Saturday.

I was also at the DE on Saturday and had a fantastic time. It's a lot of fun to get out on the track with the wide variety of vehicles that PDA attracts, and I feel like I've learned a lot from the 2 PDA events I've done so far. I'm looking forward to doing some more next year as well as some PCA DE days hopefully