Scott "Elder" Harrison
"Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional"
Staff member
Contributing Member
This information egregiously stolen from the NCRMC site. Pretty good summary:
Drive It Like You Stole It — Open Track
Article Number 3 in a Series
By Hugh Barber
So you’ve tried autocross, but you want more. Or you’ve gone to a race at Summit Point or VIR and you
wondered what it would be like to be out on the track, at speed. Well, an open track event might be just the
thing for you.
Open track events are conducted on race tracks all across the world. It is currently one of the fastest
growing motorsports activities. In the DC area, events are conducted by many groups. The Sports Car Club
of America (SCCA) calls their events “Performance Driving Experience” (PDX). The National Auto Sport
Association (NASA)) calls their open track “High Performance Driving Events” (HPDE). Summit Point Raceway
(our “local” track) holds their own events that they refer to as “Friday at the Track” (FATT). There
are several other groups, such as Track Guys, SVT Cobra Club, Track Club USA, the Shelby-American
Club, and MCA who also conduct open track events.
Whatever they are called, all open track events have some similar characteristics:
These events are not racing.
Instructors are available (and in some groups, required)
Participants are grouped by experience and ability.
There are strict “rules of engagement” for passing. Racing “behaviors” are not tolerated.
Participants are encouraged to drive within their ability and improve their car-control skills with each event
Car Preparation:
Although there is similarity across groups, each has their own specific preparation rules. You should obtain a copy of
those preparation rules several weeks before the event to give you adequate time to prepare your car. You will find
that the preparation rules are safety-oriented, rather than performance oriented. At a minimum, go through your car
and make sure that the cooling system, oiling system, braking system and suspension/wheels/tires are all in good
working order. Run fresh brake fluid with new, or near new brake pads. Tires should have no patches, cracks, or defects
and should be at the proper pressure. Most events will allow you to use your stock seat belts so take a good
look at them. Ensure that both the driver and passenger set of belts are in good condition and function properly. If
your car is a convertible, read your group’s preparation rules carefully. Some groups allow convertibles; some
don’t. Some groups allow convertibles with the addition of a roll bar (a real roll bar, not one of the “style bars” so popular
with many Mustang owners). Some groups require a mechanic to inspect the car for compliance; some allow the
owner to sign off. In all cases, the responsibility for your car’s compliance to the rules is yours and yours alone.
Make sure you are in compliance before you leave home. You don’t want to show up at the event and be told you
cannot participate.
Driver Preparation:
Generally, the minimum required personal driver equipment is a Snell certified helmet, long sleeve shirt,
long pants, socks, and closed-toe shoes. However, once again, check with the group who is running the
event. They may have different requirements. Some groups allow Snell “M” helmets (motorcycle), while
some require the more expensive Snell “SA” (auto racing) helmets. Note: Snell is an independent testing
foundation that releases new certifications every five years. The current Snell certification is 2010. Check
with your group to see the oldest year certification that is acceptable.
That said, there is nothing stopping participants from wearing driver equipment that exceeds the minimum
requirements. It is not uncommon to see participants fully suited up in nomex, with a HANS (Head and Neck
Support) device. It is entirely up to your personal risk/reward level (or the risk/reward level of your family)
and your checkbook whether you invest in additional personal safety equipment. In general, most folks
starting out do not buy higher levels of safety equipment until they have attended multiple events and
become “serious”.
There is an additional aspect of driver preparation for a track event. That is the “mental” preparation. If
you approach your first event with the notion that you will burn up the track and impress everyone with your
natural born abilities, well then you may have a disappointing weekend. However, if you approach your first
event with an open mind and a learning attitude, you will most certainly find the experience rewarding. If
you get “hooked” and pursue open track as a hobby, you will find that setting realistic goals for each event,
listening to feedback from your instructors, and driving within your ability are the keys to having fun, successful
weekends.
Costs:
Open track events are more expensive than an autocross event. Figure $200 to $250 for each day of track
(sometimes there are multiple day discounts). Even though, officially, track events are “driver education”
events, the insurance industry has caught on to this and your auto insurance policy may not cover you or your car
for any damage that happens while you are on track. If this is a concern to you, many events have separate insurance
that you can purchase to cover on-track damage. Figure $200 to $400 for a policy to cover you for a single
weekend of open track. Of course, once you become a serious open-tracker, you will have additional recurring costs
for things like tires, brake pads, etc. Moving forward beyond open track, both SCCA and NASA
have “Time Trials” events. These are competitive track events where participants race around the track against the
clock and the fastest time wins. As it is a competitive event, Time Trials has specific car classing systems and
enhanced car and driver safety requirements. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and drive.
Helpful links:
WDCR-SCCA www.wdcr-scca.org/
NASA Mid-Atlantic http://www.nasaracing.net/
SVT Cobra Club www.svtcobraclub.com/
Track Club USA http://www.trackclubusa.com/
SAAC http://www.saac.com/
MCA http://www.mustang.org
Track Guys http://www.trackguys.com/
VIR http://virnow.com/
Summit Point http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/
Drive It Like You Stole It — Open Track
Article Number 3 in a Series
By Hugh Barber
So you’ve tried autocross, but you want more. Or you’ve gone to a race at Summit Point or VIR and you
wondered what it would be like to be out on the track, at speed. Well, an open track event might be just the
thing for you.
Open track events are conducted on race tracks all across the world. It is currently one of the fastest
growing motorsports activities. In the DC area, events are conducted by many groups. The Sports Car Club
of America (SCCA) calls their events “Performance Driving Experience” (PDX). The National Auto Sport
Association (NASA)) calls their open track “High Performance Driving Events” (HPDE). Summit Point Raceway
(our “local” track) holds their own events that they refer to as “Friday at the Track” (FATT). There
are several other groups, such as Track Guys, SVT Cobra Club, Track Club USA, the Shelby-American
Club, and MCA who also conduct open track events.
Whatever they are called, all open track events have some similar characteristics:
These events are not racing.
Instructors are available (and in some groups, required)
Participants are grouped by experience and ability.
There are strict “rules of engagement” for passing. Racing “behaviors” are not tolerated.
Participants are encouraged to drive within their ability and improve their car-control skills with each event
Car Preparation:
Although there is similarity across groups, each has their own specific preparation rules. You should obtain a copy of
those preparation rules several weeks before the event to give you adequate time to prepare your car. You will find
that the preparation rules are safety-oriented, rather than performance oriented. At a minimum, go through your car
and make sure that the cooling system, oiling system, braking system and suspension/wheels/tires are all in good
working order. Run fresh brake fluid with new, or near new brake pads. Tires should have no patches, cracks, or defects
and should be at the proper pressure. Most events will allow you to use your stock seat belts so take a good
look at them. Ensure that both the driver and passenger set of belts are in good condition and function properly. If
your car is a convertible, read your group’s preparation rules carefully. Some groups allow convertibles; some
don’t. Some groups allow convertibles with the addition of a roll bar (a real roll bar, not one of the “style bars” so popular
with many Mustang owners). Some groups require a mechanic to inspect the car for compliance; some allow the
owner to sign off. In all cases, the responsibility for your car’s compliance to the rules is yours and yours alone.
Make sure you are in compliance before you leave home. You don’t want to show up at the event and be told you
cannot participate.
Driver Preparation:
Generally, the minimum required personal driver equipment is a Snell certified helmet, long sleeve shirt,
long pants, socks, and closed-toe shoes. However, once again, check with the group who is running the
event. They may have different requirements. Some groups allow Snell “M” helmets (motorcycle), while
some require the more expensive Snell “SA” (auto racing) helmets. Note: Snell is an independent testing
foundation that releases new certifications every five years. The current Snell certification is 2010. Check
with your group to see the oldest year certification that is acceptable.
That said, there is nothing stopping participants from wearing driver equipment that exceeds the minimum
requirements. It is not uncommon to see participants fully suited up in nomex, with a HANS (Head and Neck
Support) device. It is entirely up to your personal risk/reward level (or the risk/reward level of your family)
and your checkbook whether you invest in additional personal safety equipment. In general, most folks
starting out do not buy higher levels of safety equipment until they have attended multiple events and
become “serious”.
There is an additional aspect of driver preparation for a track event. That is the “mental” preparation. If
you approach your first event with the notion that you will burn up the track and impress everyone with your
natural born abilities, well then you may have a disappointing weekend. However, if you approach your first
event with an open mind and a learning attitude, you will most certainly find the experience rewarding. If
you get “hooked” and pursue open track as a hobby, you will find that setting realistic goals for each event,
listening to feedback from your instructors, and driving within your ability are the keys to having fun, successful
weekends.
Costs:
Open track events are more expensive than an autocross event. Figure $200 to $250 for each day of track
(sometimes there are multiple day discounts). Even though, officially, track events are “driver education”
events, the insurance industry has caught on to this and your auto insurance policy may not cover you or your car
for any damage that happens while you are on track. If this is a concern to you, many events have separate insurance
that you can purchase to cover on-track damage. Figure $200 to $400 for a policy to cover you for a single
weekend of open track. Of course, once you become a serious open-tracker, you will have additional recurring costs
for things like tires, brake pads, etc. Moving forward beyond open track, both SCCA and NASA
have “Time Trials” events. These are competitive track events where participants race around the track against the
clock and the fastest time wins. As it is a competitive event, Time Trials has specific car classing systems and
enhanced car and driver safety requirements. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and drive.
Helpful links:
WDCR-SCCA www.wdcr-scca.org/
NASA Mid-Atlantic http://www.nasaracing.net/
SVT Cobra Club www.svtcobraclub.com/
Track Club USA http://www.trackclubusa.com/
SAAC http://www.saac.com/
MCA http://www.mustang.org
Track Guys http://www.trackguys.com/
VIR http://virnow.com/
Summit Point http://www.summitpoint-raceway.com/