TGT Track Day Meetup

[alexrex20]

While we work on the TGT 4x4 Meetup, I figured I'd plant the seed for a TGT Track Day! This is where you can bring your daily driver or your track toy to a racetrack and drive around like a hoon! We don't encourage reckless driving, but sometimes people run out of skill...

There are many tracks that would be centrally located. Off the top of my head, I would recommend Texas World Speedway in Bryan (my home track), or Harris Hill Raceway in San Marcos. There is also MSR-Cresson in... Cresson, and MSR-Houston in Angleton. A track day at Circuit of the Americas would be awesome, and I will be attending one next month, but they're priced pretty high.

If you just want to get your track on, MSR-Houston has a run-what-ya-brung type of track day once a month for $75. Open to the public, follow the simple rules for clothing, and pass through tech inspection. And you'll get about 1.5-2hrs total track time throughout the day.

TWS also has quite a few HPDE (high performance driver's education) events with different sanctioning bodies. They typically charge about $300 for the weekend, or $125 per day. I prefer NASA-TX to SCCA, but you can run with whomever you want.

I know there are quite a few track whores in here. Let's set something up! ROLE CALL!



Also, I will be able to give ride-alongs at TWS or MSR-Houston, and maybe at COTA. If you just want to come out to ride shotgun in a Z06, then that's fine too!

If this is setup at MSR-Houston, it will be a long drive for ATX/DFW/SA but they have a karting track as well. So whether you bring your full-size car or just want to race around a track in some FAST karts, there will be plenty to do.

 

[mitchntx]

Have the bumps been fixed at Harris Hill?
It's been a couple years since I've been there. I like H2R a lot ... just wish the track was in better shape.

TWS ... it can be intimidating just like TMS.

I hate Houston ... hate it.

Cresson ... the 1.7 is the safest track in the US. Glass smooth and lots of smooth run-off for those moments when the driver runs out of elbows. If there is a turn at Cresson, it WILL be off camber.
Add the 1.3 new section and the track gains a whole lotta teeth. I've seen cars at the fenceline along 377.

Eagle Canyon ... simple track and not very technical, but absolutely hell on brakes.

If it were up to me, I vote for Cresson. It's a 15 minute drive for me. Anytime but April ... it's hell-month for me.

Louis at LG Motorsports has built a set of custom coilovers for the CTS-V and I'd like to wring it out a bit.

 

[alexrex20]

AFAIK, the bumps are still there. The last time I was there was in June. I'm a huge fan of TWS, and not so much of MSR-Houston. If I'm going to drive an hour to Angleton, I'd rather drive 1.5hrs to Bryan.

I'd also be up for MSR-Cresson, if that works out better for whomever is attending.

Lou is a good guy and makes great products. I had quite a few of his parts on my last Vette - drop spindles, coil-overs, sway bars, etc.

I'll have to check the schedules for TWS and MSR-Cresson, then post them up here.

If it turns out that just the track whores will be attending, I vote for a COTA track day. It is an AWESOME track, very fast and very technical.

 

[alexrex20]

Of course, if we do MSR-Houston we will have a shop to work in, if needed. My w2w racecar is stored there. Full tools and a 2-post and 4-post lift.

 

[SublimeZ]

I might be down for this, depending on date and finances. (and yall promise to not make me look too bad :P)

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I would LOVE to go and do a ride along. Then depending on the price, and the track setup, maybe take the ol family ride out there. I've always thought it would be cool to take my personal ride on a track, but then again I would HATE for something to happen to it and it's not really what you would consider a track-type vehicle anyways lol...But yea-give us a date.

 

[TheDan]

I'm very interested...

then again I would HATE for something to happen to it and it's not really what you would consider a track-type vehicle anyways lol...

Well, the nice thing about a track is that there's usually plenty of room to run off. You can still be safe while pushing it a bit.

 

[alexrex20]

I would LOVE to go and do a ride along. Then depending on the price, and the track setup, maybe take the ol family ride out there. I've always thought it would be cool to take my personal ride on a track, but then again I would HATE for something to happen to it and it's not really what you would consider a track-type vehicle anyways lol...But yea-give us a date.

You'd be surprised at the kinds of things people show up in... lol

 

[Texas1911]

My body is ready ... need to change some fluids on the Subaru but it should be OK. I need to tune the valving on my shocks, it'd be a good opportunity.

 

[alexrex20]

Here's the list of regional events held by NASA-TX

Jan 19-20 Motorsports Ranch Houston
HPDE, Time Trials, Racing

Feb 16-17 Harris Hill Road
Comp School, Open Lapping, Instructor Clinic

Mar 16-17 Motorsports Ranch Cresson
HPDE, Time Trials, Racing

April 19-21 Texas World Speedway
HPDE, Time Trials, Racing, Enduro

September 20-22 Texas World Speedway
HPDE, Time Trials, Racing, Enduro

I will be at all of these.

Note that Harris Hill in February does not include any HPDE.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

You'd be surprised at the kinds of things people show up in... lol

I roll in a 04 Chevy Blazer. I'd be concerned about it either breaking the ass end loose and knocking into a wall, or just flipping if it was going through a turn, hit a bump in the tracks imperfection, and then things went wrong from there. I dunno-I love that thing and have put it through some stuff, but gawd I'd hate to do something to it that was hard to get an insurance claim on!

 

[alexrex20]

I really would prefer TWS. They have a HPDE weekend usually twice a month, from here on out.

 

[alexrex20]

I roll in a 04 Chevy Blazer. I'd be concerned about it either breaking the ass end loose and knocking into a wall, or just flipping if it was going through a turn, hit a bump in the tracks imperfection, and then things went wrong from there. I dunno-I love that thing and have put it through some stuff, but gawd I'd hate to do something to it that was hard to get an insurance claim on!

If you can pass the safety inspection, they will let you on the track. But I would not recommend it in an 04 Blazer. I guarantee you will cook the brakes within 3 laps (though probably in the first lap), even with new rotors/pads/fluid.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

That's all I need to hear! I'm putting new brakes and rubber on it with my tax refund. My tight-wad ass would have a heart attack if I went through brand new brakes in a day!

 

[alexrex20]

By cook the brakes I mean you will overheat them and sail into the runoff because you could not get it slowed down in time for the turn.

But yes, track days use up lots of consumables like tires, brake pads and sometimes rotors, and fuel.

 

[alexrex20]

Bump

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

I would imagine once you cook your brakes, the effectiveness of them for daily use is pretty much shot, right? Wouldn't they get kind of a glaze to them?

 

[alexrex20]

BUMP!!!

I will be at MSR Houston for Red Meat and Race Fuel May/23 - a Thursday.
http://msrhouston.com/events/rmrf

It's open lapping for MSR members and their guests. Ride-alongs are free if you ride shotgun with me.

 

[Shotgun Jeremy]

May 23- got it. I'll see what I can do.

 

[SOliver]

I'm down for riding shotgun in that slow Vette of yours, Alex. I'm 08GTCS from TGF by the way lol.