My first HPDE

Awesome!

Met my instructor, checked in, teched and about to do drivers meeting. Instructor was very welcoming. So far it's a little like when I started shouting archery. Admit you don't know anything , listen and take it easy. 
I'll try to update here and there. 

The day was so busy updates were t really possible. Track classroom, rides with 2 instructors. It was awesome. I had a great instructor and I can't thank him enough. I made really nice improvements through the day and had a great time. I think I only scared my instructor once with a wonky shift that made the car rather loose. I caught it though and didn't do that again!

The Miata was awesome at this track. Palmer is a tight track with a lot of elevation change. After spending a day at the track and 570 miles in that car I think I know why it's the answer. 
I appreciate the encouragement and tips from here, especially hydrate. I don't know if I have ever drank so much water and Gatorade in my life and I am still dehydrated!

Great to hear about your day on track. It sounds like you have swallowed the hook and will be back.

After driving a Miata at the track the first time I wanted to throw rocks at my RX7's. The only problem with tracking a Miata is once you catch someone on track, they have to figure out they need to lift so you can pass them on the straight. It is fun passing people in a car that costs the same as a clutch job on their car though.

I was in the green group so the instructors were good about having people pass for the most part. There was a BMW M8 that was not so yielding and he pulled my hard on the main straight but other than that I rode him like a pony! 

One of the coolest things was a ride along with my instructor after my first session to show me things. He was really good and talked me through a lot of things by demonstration. It was fun to go that fast. Then later in the day I rode shotgun in that BMW. It is a 135 but it's full race with a Anze suspension, wide body front end, slicks, tuned, etc etc. It seemed an order of magnitude faster. Straight away speed on the Miata was ~100 mph and this car was ~135 mph. Even with that we got caught and allowed a 911 to pass that then disappeared quickly. 

Just a totally awesome experience. 

In reply to NY Nick :

Hahaha. Yeah the fun of riding with an instructor for the first time and seeing how effortlessly they can out-drive you.