Experience w Audi Club HPDEs?
04-17-2014 | 01:19 PM
#16
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 909
Likes: 11
From: Northern Nevada
I guess I am going to be the only negative review. But I have first hand experience with this Audi club as this is the the NEQ chapter of the Audi club and I had my first track experience with them way back in 1999 and I just ran with them last year at the same event.
Short version is do not go if you are an advanced driver in a Porsche.
You will spend half the time coasting in traffic and never get to push yourself or Porsche. I attended the May event in 2013 as an advanced driver in my GT3 RS and regret it. If you want to boost your ego passing and lapping every single car on the track multiple times then go for it.
Also the closing speeds between myself and the rest of the advanced group were scary. Also don't expect them to drive their mirrors so you'll be waiting for point bys.
Here is a 13 min video if you want a taste of the traffic/speed differences. This video was later in the day, so you can imagine how bad the morning sessions were. I tried to stage first to avoid the traffic and of course the blue Miata gets in front of me that I lapped multiple times! So the first few laps don't have any trains or multiple car passes so jump ahead to at least 5 min:
Short version is do not go if you are an advanced driver in a Porsche.
You will spend half the time coasting in traffic and never get to push yourself or Porsche. I attended the May event in 2013 as an advanced driver in my GT3 RS and regret it. If you want to boost your ego passing and lapping every single car on the track multiple times then go for it.
Also the closing speeds between myself and the rest of the advanced group were scary. Also don't expect them to drive their mirrors so you'll be waiting for point bys.
Here is a 13 min video if you want a taste of the traffic/speed differences. This video was later in the day, so you can imagine how bad the morning sessions were. I tried to stage first to avoid the traffic and of course the blue Miata gets in front of me that I lapped multiple times! So the first few laps don't have any trains or multiple car passes so jump ahead to at least 5 min:
The OP should contact the chapter and find out what kind of cars and speeds to expect in the group he'd be running in.
04-18-2014 | 12:14 PM
#19
Thread Starter
Rennlist Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 1,786
Likes: 417
From: NY
Ha!
Good to know. Lime Rock can be prone to trains anyway, so this could be very frustrating.
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Good info. Ends up that even five weeks out this event is completely booked, so I'm going to do the Glen with Chin instead. Can't wait!
I guess I am going to be the only negative review. But I have first hand experience with this Audi club as this is the the NEQ chapter of the Audi club and I had my first track experience with them way back in 1999 and I just ran with them last year at the same event.
Short version is do not go if you are an advanced driver in a Porsche.
You will spend half the time coasting in traffic and never get to push yourself or Porsche. I attended the May event in 2013 as an advanced driver in my GT3 RS and regret it. If you want to boost your ego passing and lapping every single car on the track multiple times then go for it.
Also the closing speeds between myself and the rest of the advanced group were scary. Also don't expect them to drive their mirrors so you'll be waiting for point bys.
Here is a 13 min video if you want a taste of the traffic/speed differences. This video was later in the day, so you can imagine how bad the morning sessions were. I tried to stage first to avoid the traffic and of course the blue Miata gets in front of me that I lapped multiple times! So the first few laps don't have any trains or multiple car passes so jump ahead to at least 5 min:
Short version is do not go if you are an advanced driver in a Porsche.
You will spend half the time coasting in traffic and never get to push yourself or Porsche. I attended the May event in 2013 as an advanced driver in my GT3 RS and regret it. If you want to boost your ego passing and lapping every single car on the track multiple times then go for it.
Also the closing speeds between myself and the rest of the advanced group were scary. Also don't expect them to drive their mirrors so you'll be waiting for point bys.
Here is a 13 min video if you want a taste of the traffic/speed differences. This video was later in the day, so you can imagine how bad the morning sessions were. I tried to stage first to avoid the traffic and of course the blue Miata gets in front of me that I lapped multiple times! So the first few laps don't have any trains or multiple car passes so jump ahead to at least 5 min:
Thanks for the replies, everyone. Good info. Ends up that even five weeks out this event is completely booked, so I'm going to do the Glen with Chin instead. Can't wait!
04-18-2014 | 04:25 PM
#20
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 7
From: 1 hour from Lime Rock Park
Based on my experience with both clubs the intermediate CVR Porsche group is safer, faster and more skilled than anyone I witnessed in the advanced group with NEQ Audi.
04-18-2014 | 08:46 PM
#21
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 2,801
Likes: 165
From: Ann Arbor, Michigan
I've instructed at more than 50 Audi (including NEQ, Daytona, and Golden Gate as mentioned above) and 50 PCA DE's. They are more in common than they are dissimilar. Great people, great drivers, and great cars in each. Quattro has more emphasis on teaching safety. PCA has more emphasis on going fast. The 2 are not necessarily dissimilar. I'd go to either without hesitation...obviously, I do!
04-18-2014 | 10:05 PM
#22
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,165
Likes: 0
From: Chicagoland
The Chicago area Audi Club is a great set of guys. For a first timers they have a great program, learning car control, etc in an auto cross format before they go out on the track. They also run a teen school which I hear is good.
When I have run with them, tons of track time.
When I have run with them, tons of track time.
04-18-2014 | 10:11 PM
#23
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 1,223
Likes: 7
From: 1 hour from Lime Rock Park
I need to clarify a few things just in case my post/video was taken the wrong way.
I never said anything negative about the people. I agree with you 100% great people, and they run safe events. I have recent first hand experience with NEQ at Lime Rock. There are a few factors that you might be forgetting. It is more expensive since NEQ Audi only has a single Lime Rock event each year(CVR PCA has ~15 not including club race never mind all the other local chapters that run at LRP as well). Audi club has a lower db rating than Porsche club. 86db is lower than most factory Porsche exhausts...add to this the traffic/trains in "advanced" and it is lacking in value compared to a PCA event. I was trying to save the OP from wasting his money like I did.
I've owned 6 different Porsches and 10 Audis in the last 15 years. I got bit by the track bug with NEQ Audi Club back in 1999 in an A4. I currently own 2 new Audis (I custom ordered both) and an old Porsche race car(see sig). I am a huge Audi fan but after tracking them I quickly realized that heavy under steering under braked Audis are great all year round daily drivers here in New England, but they are NOT track cars.
I know from first hand experience Audi Club events are great for a novice driver in an Audi vehicle. If this was Quattroworld, Audiworld, Audizine or Fourtitude and the OP had an Audi I would have said go go GO! But he is an experienced Porsche owner/driver, familiar with Porsche run DE events asking on Rennlist if he should attend.
Those of you posting about other Audi Club chapters/regions/locations/tracks aren't answering the question as the OP specifically asked about NEQ and Lime Rock as a skilled Porsche driver but it doesn't matter now as the OP has posted above he is not going to attend this event.
I never said anything negative about the people. I agree with you 100% great people, and they run safe events. I have recent first hand experience with NEQ at Lime Rock. There are a few factors that you might be forgetting. It is more expensive since NEQ Audi only has a single Lime Rock event each year(CVR PCA has ~15 not including club race never mind all the other local chapters that run at LRP as well). Audi club has a lower db rating than Porsche club. 86db is lower than most factory Porsche exhausts...add to this the traffic/trains in "advanced" and it is lacking in value compared to a PCA event. I was trying to save the OP from wasting his money like I did.
I've owned 6 different Porsches and 10 Audis in the last 15 years. I got bit by the track bug with NEQ Audi Club back in 1999 in an A4. I currently own 2 new Audis (I custom ordered both) and an old Porsche race car(see sig). I am a huge Audi fan but after tracking them I quickly realized that heavy under steering under braked Audis are great all year round daily drivers here in New England, but they are NOT track cars.
I know from first hand experience Audi Club events are great for a novice driver in an Audi vehicle. If this was Quattroworld, Audiworld, Audizine or Fourtitude and the OP had an Audi I would have said go go GO! But he is an experienced Porsche owner/driver, familiar with Porsche run DE events asking on Rennlist if he should attend.
Those of you posting about other Audi Club chapters/regions/locations/tracks aren't answering the question as the OP specifically asked about NEQ and Lime Rock as a skilled Porsche driver but it doesn't matter now as the OP has posted above he is not going to attend this event.