dsb

In Norcal? Want to track your car in a safe/fun enviroment?

Check out the link below. Thunderhill is one of the best yet safest tracks in CA.

Taken from THDS:
Our School is a High Speed driving event on an FIA class road track with a licensed racing instructor. You drive, they teach. In 1.5 hours of lecture and track orientation, plus 5-20 minute high speed driving sessions, you'll learn and practice "line", threshold braking, car control, consistency and smoothness. You'll learn a few new things about yourself and your car and you'll acquire knowledge, experience and respect for the art of car control.

https://mbworld.org/forums/showthrea...55#post1776755

Fifth Ring

I highly recommend these events. In addition to the "education" it's just plain fun. I will also turn you on to a whole new definition of performance. You will find yourself thinking more about grippy tires, suspension and brakes, and less about horsepower, sound systems, ride height and 19" wheels.

It will make you realize how silly it is to race on public streets. Even if you don't care about the risk, you will realize that on the street you're not even coming close to your car's limits (and you can't given that public streets are not set up for racing). Tracks are set up to let you run at the limits, and over the limits. After a couple of days at a road course, street racing seems ridiculous, and you spend a lot of your time (and money) thinking about and preparing for the next track day.

AWDman

SECONDED. i cringe sometime when i read the "kill" stories. at risk of ruffing some feathers i'd say you may even completely forget about drag racing.
i'd encourage anyone with a c32/c55 to do at least one event. if you don't push-the car in stock form will be able to handle it. you will just need a helmet (cheap as 150 bux).

PC Valkyrie

I agree with the previous 2 posts. It is great fun and a relatively safe way to take your car to the limits (max. acceleration, max. braking, cornering at speed, etc).

I recently took my C55 to a track meet. This was only the 2nd time I've ever gone to the track. It was challenging at first to learn the proper braking zones and racing line to hit the apices. But as the day went on and I became familiar with the track, it became great fun. I could feel my pace improve lap to lap. It's a wonderful feeling when you are able to hit apex properly and accelerate out briskly.

Here is a video from within my car to document the experience. With the "slow in, fast out" principle, I rarely drove beyond the limits of the car. Despite some tire squealing, I managed to pull over 0.9g's briefly at some corners. At the end of the long straightaway, I hit about 170-180km/h before very heavy braking for a 90 degree turn at around 90km/h.

http://nudehacker.org/shannonville1.avi

It's great fun, and I would love to do this again. After a day like this, it takes away ALL desire to drive fast on the streets.

dsb

Thanks for the posts!

I truly hope it entices some people to give it a go. You three made excellent points. I went from street racing (drag) to AutoX to road course. The road course is by far the most technical and rewarding experience.

Drag is almost all about power. AutoX is almost all about control. But a road course truly combines it all!

SACAMG

Funny that Thunder Hill is a topic this morning. I was just asked by a friend who just bought a Porsche Boxer S if I wanted to go to Thunder Hill this October. I have not been on this track, but have watched others, and it looks like a lot of fun. I think I will try and set a date sometime soon with my Boxer S friend. I will post my date here and see if any No. Cal. ////AMG guys would like to go. Here is the link: http://www.thunderhill.com/

BTW, street racing is just plain dumb, you risk too much for the little joy it brings. I also own a couple of race karts, these things really help with increasing your seat time at tracks, and they give you about 8/10ths of what a race car can give (scaled down of course). Mine will top out at 70 MPH and pull over 1 G in the corners. Once you have ridden in a kart, you realize that your luxury car is a quite a compromise and is built for comfort. I use my karts as my race tool. This also helps me calm down in the streets.

Although taking your ///AMG to the track sounds like fun. Hope to see you out there someday soon.

AWDman

here's some vid shot by a fellow CART track day participant Tom. he's following me and is prob 5 secs quicker pocono north. Tom's a very good driver and i need better rubber to keep up....

the vid starts on front straight through the banking ...this is where i loose time as car starts to scrub sideways...esp kicks in (even if tured off) and kills speed. eventually 130 before braking for dogleg then very hard braking for hairpin. vid ends as i back out to let tom by on straight.

hankook or hoosiers next yr, should drop 4 secs....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olydfrsGwFc

lime rock tomorrow..."a day to learn a lifetime to master".....looking forward to it. will work on my line through big bend....tricky double apex.

CynCarvin32

I would be there but the 7 hr drive to and from is just to far for me these days. That makes it a 2-3 day event and I cant get free for that long . \

Thats why i stick to so-cal tracks.

I did drive the SLR at Thunderhill and it was an AMAZING track. I have to get back sometime soon.

ClayJ

Thunderhill is a great course.
Its availability throughout the year makes it even more so.

Fifth Ring

A lot of clubs (including Audi Club) and tracks will not let convertibles run on track unless they have an aftermarket rollbar that gives clearance over the driver's helmet. Most convertibles are ineligible. For Audi, that precludes ALL TT Roadsters.

AWDman

the only club in my area that allows convertibles is the poughkeepsie car club. the ferrari club will allow the f430 and 360 convertibles but those are the only exceptions that i am aware of.......targas are the only way to have open air driving and track capability. ie any ferrari GTS, 993, 996 or 997 911s targas would work.

re convertibles -the aftermarket bar has to pass the broom stick test also, has to be certified. back in 2004 i bought a honda s2000 for track events and went through hell trying to find a bar that would alllow operation of top and be actually safe.

AWDman

i ended up doing 1:08.4, about 2 secs faster that previous time. cold air helped and i also was pushing faster through the esses. mad wheelspin cresting the uphill. feels like i'm catching air!