Anyone else going to the Speedware lapping day at Pacific Raceways this Thursday?

I'll be there, just wondering if they'll be any other 8's there.

 

I'm going to the Proformance track day tomorrow. Speedware did a good job at the one Speedware day I went to, but I get much more track time, and less traffic, with a Proformance day, so I tend to frequent them. Plus, I can get an instructor for an hour or so, and work on some things with expert tutelage.

Have fun, and let us know how it was.

 

I would, but I will be in Detroit!!

I always miss these events due to my job - uggg

 

I'm annoyed at how much money Proformance wants from you before they'll let you just do a track day. Seemed to me that you were in the $600 range and two training days before they would let you out on your own. I've done 10+ track days back when I lived in the Midwest but it didn't look like that would count for anything.

That's probably why they have less traffic

I'd love to get some instructor time, but $1K is a bit high to pay for it.

 

No question that the price of admission is high. They charge $475 for the entry-level driving course, and require you to get a 1/2 time coach the first time back, adding another $150.

I suspect, however, that Don would listen to reason, and if you have significant experience he respects, he'd let you do one of his days, provided you had a coach the first time (to evaluate your driving).

I had never done a track day before Don's first school, so it worked out fine for me. And there's no question that the Proformance track days give the best combination of "seat time to dollar spent," and quality instruction.

 

I've been considering doing a track day or two this summer. So far I've been looking mostly at the Alpha club track days. Basically I'm looking for a sub $200 track day at Pacific Raceways. Anybody have any recommendations?

Also, anybody have any experience with the stock tires on the track? I know they aren't ideal for grip, but is one track day going to use them up, or will I still be able to get plenty of life out of them on the street?

 

Well, it kind of depends on your level of experience. If you've never done track driving, a good school, with full time instruction, is a must, IMO. The Proformance school is an excellent one, and also gives you the entry into their track days, which have a $175 price tag, which comes out to less than $1/mile on a typical day (I always seem to get 175 miles in Proformance days, and I usually call it a day an hour early).

If you have track experience, Alfa days are good, but there's limited track time for the money, and I think they provide instructors for newbies. There are occasionaly track days at Bremerton, but I don't think they include any instruction.

Stock tires are fine for starters. They give more warning that they're about to give out than track tires, but you will put significant, ugly wear on them in a whole day of lapping, which, after a couple of track days, severely limits their use on the wet streets. Once I realized I was hopelessly hooked, I bought extra OEM wheels (can be had quite cheap on the board) and track tires. I also use DOT4 brake fluid, and racing brake pads.

 

Come on down to Portland . The most expensive track day is 135

 

Just got done with my Speedware day yesterday.

First, it was very well run. Ran on time, and they gave you plenty of free water and lunch, two of the best saftey items on a hot, sunny day.

I got reasonable track time too- 2 full hours, about 150 miles.

The 8 did awesome. I ran in the intermediate group since it's been a few years since I've tracked, and it was my first time in the 8. I was on stock tires, with shocks, sways, and brake pads (Ultimates). I literally never got passed all day, and I passed a Viper, Porsche, C6, modded RX7 on race tires, etc. Clearly the driver is 90% of that equasion, but no part of the RX8 was holding me back.

The brakes on the 8 are phenomenal. I could more than make up for the HP difference in other cars by braking that much later. They give you so much confidence and are so repeatable. The neutral handling means you can trail brake a bit, and the recovery from a bit of ham-handedness is just so easy in the 8, which gives you the confidence to push it a bit more.

I actually thought the stock tires did well once heated up. I started at 35 PSI and was at 46 PSI after my first session! They got really gooey and stuck much better than they normally do on the street. They didn't wear as badly as I thought they would have, but they do have a lot of weird edges on them now and some channels are filled up a bit. I'm sure a bunch of heat cycles won't be awesome for them either.

Overall, I had a great day. One guy didn't- he flipped his 318i with a Chevy motor end over end a few times when a guy in front of him dumped oil all over the track. Everyone was fine but the 318 is history.

I had three guys come up to me during the day and ask "what the hell have you done to that thing?" after being in my session. Nobody really knows how well the 8 handles, so people are blown away when they see one hanging on their butt in a big sweeper and then it's still there in that 20 MPH hairpin after the straight.

I will say this- Speedware days are not for complete beginners. No instruction at all, and a short driver's meeting. If it's your first time on a track, choose an Alfa or ProFormance class. You'll learn an amazing amount, and you'll be much, much faster than just sliding around all day.

 

Thanks for the report; good writeup!

 

Second that. I've been going back and forth on whether or not to take my 8 to the track this year, and that just helps push me right over the edge. Are you planning any other track days this year? I'd prefer to attend when other 8's are there.

Track driving isn't new to me, but it's been 6 years since I've raced and the only thing I've had on the track since is my motorcycle. I don't really feel like I need a full day of instruction, but it would be nice to have an instructor for 20 minutes or so just as a refresher. Sounds like maybe the Alpha track days are the way to go for what I'm looking for.

 

I'll hit one or two more this year for sure. Don't know which ones yet though. Speedware has 3 more this year.

A guy at the track yesterday was really into the Alfa program, plus they give you a card showing you know what you are doing which helps with other clubs. I may end up doing that too- I think they have a session at Bremerton soon.