So I’m toying with the idea of taking my XR4Ti out to the Blackhawk Farms track night however I’m a little worried going on the track for the first time.
Has anyone been to one of these events and how crowded are they? Obviously I’ll be in the novice class.
Granted I’m not a total track newbie, I’ve raced bikes for many years so I know track etiquette and such.
i just wished they offered some instructors at these events.
GPz11 said:So I’m toying with the idea of taking my XR4Ti out to the Blackhawk Farms track night however I’m a little worried going on the track for the first time.
Has anyone been to one of these events and how crowded are they? Obviously I’ll be in the novice class.
Granted I’m not a total track newbie, I’ve raced bikes for many years so I know track etiquette and such.
i just wished they offered some instructors at these events.
NASA Great Lakes offers instructors to all novices (can’t get on the track without one). There’s a weekend in two weeks at autobahn, so should be relatively close as well. I’ve found the group to be very friendly, professional and safe. I can’t say the same for some of the other organizers around the area...
I just checked the dates for the Autobahn event which is in August and it’s the same weekend as the bonneville speed week that I’m supposed to crew for a buddy.
I've done a few track night in America events and they are pretty good. I also run spec miata and run at blackhawk, if nothing else make sure your brakes are as good as they can be.
The track night events bring a good mix of cars and people at different levels, you shouldn't have any problems.
There is instruction. It's just not in car.
GPz11 said:I just checked the dates for the Autobahn event which is in August and it’s the same weekend as the bonneville speed week that I’m supposed to crew for a buddy.
They’re doing another one in late sept in autobahn I believe. I don’t know how serious you are - if somewhat serious I like the format of NASA. You move up as you progress with the goal of getting you to be a racer. Other orgs do give you more seat time but as I mentioned a few of them I didn’t feel were as professional or safe.
Edit - never done anything with Scca except autox a decade ago in a different region so above comment isn’t on SCCA events.
Yeah, I’m just out to have some fun.
I know how much it cost to race bikes, I don’t even want to think about the cost for a car.
In reply to GPz11 : track night is supposed to be low pressure run what ya brung not racing but a lot faster than you’ll ever go on the street.
Black Hawk is a good track for that type of thing. You won’t get to insane speeds like you can at Elkhart Lake.
However I like Elkhart lake, Blackhawk is a good track for beginners. A nice clubby feel about it.
Milwaukee Region SCCA offers Thursday night track nights at the Milwaukee Mile. I believe they have ride along instructors.
So I normally run 32 psi for tire pressure, should I adjust for the track day?
GPz11 said:So I normally run 32 psi for tire pressure, should I adjust for the track day?
Tires?
Goodyear Eagle F1’s
225/45 17 front
235/45 17 rears
I have done 1 TNiA at Blackhawk. I felt it was well run and had a good time with it. I would be doing more but commitments and money are a big factor in my life and make it difficult to do more. And yes good brakes are a must. Flush out the fluid with DOT4 and get good pads.
All my brakes are fresh this winter, Mustang Cobra 13" rotors and calipers in the front and Merkur Scorpio discs in the rear with Valvoline DOT 3 & 4 synthetic brake fluid.
I'll be signing up for the July 24th event later today.
I'm a huge fanboy for TNiA, so I vote go.
I've brought 4 or 5 people to their first track events there. One of the nice things is that the advanced group guys can ride with anyone else, so if you have a buddy that can spot you, he can jump in. At least up here in the New England area, they've always been well run and the drivers have been pretty courteous and safe. I will say that since you have track experience, I'd recommend jumping into the intermediate group if there's still openings there.
The novice group is really for the guys who don't know the flags yet and are still a bit overwhelmed by just being on track. They often don't check their mirrors as much as they should and forget to point by a bit too long. For reference, most of my friends who I've brought to these events have been solid autocrossers for years, and they were ready for the intermediate group after one TNiAs. The two that had no autosports history I recommended staying in the novice group for 3-5 of them (depending on how fast they pick it up).
The advanced groups that I've run with have all been really good drivers, and point by immediately where safe and use good car-to-car communication. Some of them are quite quick, too.
Go, have fun, grab a burger afterwards with a (new?) friend, and enjoy the best way to spend a weeknight I've found.
OK, You folks are a bad influence, I'm signed up for the July day.
LAPS track days also run events at Road America, and Blackhawk Farms too IIRC. They are a fun, friendly group to run with, and have in-car instruction available. Something to consider if you "get the bug" to do more track events after trying out a TNiA.
Blackhawk Farms can be rough on brakes, so be sure to have proper pads, and fresh fluid.
Cool, thanks I didn't know about LAPS.
In reply to GPz11 :
Nice guys--- ask for Shawn Young, and tell him I sent you. I've run with them at Road America in the past, and it's always a well-run, fun group.
In reply to WonkoTheSane :
Just to offer a differing perspective, I've probably done 10-12 track days in a turbo Miata (not a slow car) and I'm still quite content in the novice group at TNIA. I've run with other guys in novice group who have more experience than me. I've not had a single issue getting a point-by from someone, and it really lets me focus on developing the fundamentals of driving.
I've also run the intermediate group, which was mostly fine. The problem is, that's the group that ends up being home for the 50something guy with the brand new Z06 or Hellcat who doesn't have much track experience but "knows how to drive". Sorry to perpetuate a stereotype, but the shoe often fits. These are the guys who I point by in the straightaways, then slow me down in all the turns. There are also some legitimately fast guys in this group, and I spend most of the session pointing them by. You can learn a lot by trying to follow them.
So I'm probably the definition of an intermediate driver by their standards, but I'm in no rush to get in the intermediate groups. I turn my best/fastest/most enjoyable laps in novice.
I've been a regular at the TNiA events at Palm Beach International Raceway. As others have said, these are more laid-back than some other lapping events. I have enough stress in my life. When I'm at the track, I want to relax, not drive in my mirrors because I don't have a GT3 Cup.
I also love the weekday format. I drive down, run my laps, and then come home that evening. For me it's still a 12-hour chunk of time (it's 3 hours each way), but I'm not dealing with a hotel.
Our local schedule skipped July (the event would have been July 3), but I expect to be back there in August.
Well, I've got new struts on order along with an oil cooler set up to be installed before the 24th.
Will call Uhual for a trailer too.
ShinnyGroove said:In reply to WonkoTheSane :
Just to offer a differing perspective, I've probably done 10-12 track days in a turbo Miata (not a slow car) and I'm still quite content in the novice group at TNIA. I've run with other guys in novice group who have more experience than me. I've not had a single issue getting a point-by from someone, and it really lets me focus on developing the fundamentals of driving.
I've also run the intermediate group, which was mostly fine. The problem is, that's the group that ends up being home for the 50something guy with the brand new Z06 or Hellcat who doesn't have much track experience but "knows how to drive". Sorry to perpetuate a stereotype, but the shoe often fits. These are the guys who I point by in the straightaways, then slow me down in all the turns. There are also some legitimately fast guys in this group, and I spend most of the session pointing them by. You can learn a lot by trying to follow them.
So I'm probably the definition of an intermediate driver by their standards, but I'm in no rush to get in the intermediate groups. I turn my best/fastest/most enjoyable laps in novice.
Sorry, I missed this reply.. That's awesome that you found your groove :) I wonder how regional it is? I haven't had too much experience in the intermediate groups, I generally drive in advance or novice. I hope my original post didn't come across as too negative, as even the novice groups around here are generally well behaved and polite, and I still have a good time riding with people in there. It's just where you're most likely to get caught in a train because one guy hasn't emptied his mirrors in a lap or two.
You can get instruction in car if they've enough staff in place. At the Heartland Park Track Nights there are generally quite a few instructors to get help from.
SLGGR said:You can get instruction in car if they've enough staff in place. At the Heartland Park Track Nights there are generally quite a few instructors to get help from.
Cool, that'd be nice.
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