Bottom Line Up Front: I'm considering taking the 8 down to Thunderhill Raceway Park, in Willows, CA for a 18 July Track event. The cost is $190. For that money, you'll get 6 sessions of ~20 minutes, if I recall. More if the number of cars is smaller. Frankly, after 20 minutes of non-stop hard driving, you'll welcome the break. Also you'll have catered lunches, Gatorade, bottled water, snacks, and at the end of the day, open track until either 5PM or 'til the sun goes down. This track - and this event - is PERFECT for first-time track goers. Thunderhill is unique due to it having literally ACRES of run-off. The only hard impact points are along the straights (and one turn preceeding a straight). Seriously, if you crash your RX8 into a wall on a STRAIGHT you have 'other' issues anyway.


Situation: T.E.A.M Racing is organizing a track day at thunderhill raceway park - about 11-12 hours south of the Tacoma area. Ms. Bonni Weatherwax is the point of contact, her email is available on the site. I have participated with Bonni for a ThunderHill event, and can vouch for her professionalism and organization skills. She's not a crook. A major supporter - Adrenaline Racing - is run by a guy I know - he's quality as well. I'm writing this to help those who may not be familiar with the organizations involved with this event feel good about spending money.

Mission: Spend three days driving in my car.

Execution: My plan is the plan I went with last time. Leave Tacoma area on 17 July, no later than 6am. Drive through to Salem, OR and stop for breakfast. Hit the road and arrive in Willows around 6pm - allowing for fueling/potty stops as required. The night of the 17th is spent double-checking the cars, socializing...consuming water (pre-hydrating is a must). The morning of the 18th - get your butt up early, and get to the track. The evening of the 18th is more eating/car stuff and socializing. 19 July - leave no later than 6am, drive home.

Service and Support: There are at least two major hotels within 15 minutes of the track - right off the east side of I5, at Willows. Restaurants and gas stations abound, as well as the requisite Wal*Mart. When stopping for fuel within Oregon, one is not allowed to pump one's own gas.

Signal: It's helpful to bring FRS Radios for the caravan. Having the radios makes communication between cars available even in no-service cell areas. Since I don't have a cell phone anyway, it's my only option.

Safety: Enroute: Ensure plenty of sleep/rest the day/night prior. I typically drive at no MORE than 6-8mph over the posted limit; depending on conditions.
While at ThunderHill: Don't crash, and stuff. See TEAM Racing website for Tech sheets, and more information. Bonni will provide extensive safety information during the Driver's Meeting prior to the first session.


ThunderHill:



Take a tour:
http://www.thunderhill.com/VIDEOS/th...generalmed.wmv

 

Here's the very easy-to-follow route.

 

I very much want to drive Thundehill sometime, but I can't talk myself into 24 hours of driving (to and from) for about two hours on the track.

OTOH, I'm going to a driving school in Spokane during the last weekend of March--Signups and details can be found here. This is "only" four or five hours away, and you get four, half-hour sessions on the track on Saturday and again on Sunday. I talked myself into this one.

Let us know how you like Thunderhill!

 

But the adventure getting there is part of the fun. It's VERY worth it - as Thunderhill is a VERY VERY Fun track. I can't recall any of the area guys ever feeling like the long journey wasn't worth it.



I'll look into that spokane deal...looks like fun, too!

 

Hey Darin! Thanks for posting for us and thanks for directing me to this website! Just so you all know . . . our events also include catered lunches, a supply of Gatorade, bottled water, snacks, and at least two hours of track time. We also have volunteer instruction with downloads in the morning after the novice group comes in.

At the end of the day, after our regular sessions, we have an open track session until 5PM. At our last event, we were actually running a little ahead of schedule, so we had open track for over an hour! So some folks actually got over three hours of track time. WOAH.

And if for no other reason to come all the way down here, you'll get to hear me do my Cartman imitations (saying that in case Carl H. monitors this list, lol). :p

Our events just keep getting better and better each time. Darin, you will be delighted at the changes / additions we've made to our program. I hope to see lots of RX8s with WA plates soon. Okay, we'll even let those Oregon folks come if they want. Lol.

BW

 

Am I required to have had previous track time/driving instruction for this event?

 

No.

 

No, sweet. Im in. I'll have to schedule my time off.

 

Awesome!!

Here's a good in-car vid..

http://www.moesrealm.com/videos/2_lap_07.mpg

That video stuttering for me here..

this one may work better...

http://www.specmiatavideos.com/OLVid..._17seconds.wmv

 

***Cool!!! Bob Bundy is going, too, as well as Eddie Nakato. They are Miata folks, but they are coming down here, too. Bob lives in Anacortes and I think Eddie lives in Vancouver or thereabouts. If you guys want, I'll clue them in on this thread to see if you all can make arrangements together. Is it okay if I give them your guys' email addy?

BW

 

Bonnie - I'll post up to the Gearheads list..

 

By the way Cam . . . don't worry about it being your first day -- that's why we have instructors. You're going to have a total BLAST!!!

 

Ive been looking forward to this type of track day ever since I drove my 8 off the lot.

I was thinking of doing a weekend intruction, but its almost $500 and not as much track time.

 

Man - I'm out of town that week!

Have fun :D

 

***Well, I've been looking forward to SEEING and RX8 on the track since they came out. I really admire the heck out of those cars (I know, I am not a typical Miata owner, oh well). Looks like Darrin is going to let me 'beat on' his RX8 a bit when he comes down -- I can't WAIT! I love driving new-to-me cars -- it just makes me a better overall driver -- who couldn't use that?

Anyway, where are you having to pay $500 for a weekend? Certainly not at PIR unless you're goint to 'what's his name's' school (can't honestly remember the name -- even though there were flyers posted all over the place, even in the restroom, when I was there a couple years ago). But there are plenty of other weekend schools that don't charge so much. I recommend you go to the track's website (Pacific Raceways [formally SIR] or Portland Internation Raceway -- you'll have to do a search, as I don't have the URLs) and look up their calendar. When you see a club running on a weekend, check them out and see if you can get some instruction. Very few schools will charge that much for a weekend, even down here in California, on Laguna Seca!

Can't wait to meet your car . . . I mean . . .you! :D

BW

 

***Dude . . . time to change plans / suddenly come down with the flu / your great grandfather has died (for the ninth time), or something. This would be SO COOL to see a band of RX8s, coming all the way from WA, to this event! I think we need to set up a special RX8 corral if this keeps up. Wouldn't that be cool? Come on RX8s! Get down here!

BW

 

Cam . . . I like your avatar, lol. :p Be nice if we have some S2000s show up, you hear? Hehehehe. <evil grin>

 

I was a little of on price. $445 at http://www.proformanceraceschool.com/.

This one is only a half hour from me.

However Cascade Car Club holds events at PIR and only costs ~150. I may do that one as a warm up to Thunderhill.

Dont sweat the links to the raceways, Ive got em bookmarked.

Yeah, I think the avatar is funny. I have no animosity towards Hondas or their owners.

BTW, I saw on the Team site if you pay before 4/4/05 (?) that you get $15 off the $190 price. Is that still correct?

 

(CAM wrote BTW, I saw on the Team site if you pay before 4/4/05 (?) that you get $15
off the $190 price. Is that still correct?
>***************

***Yup . . . in order to ensure the April event, I am taking early bird
registrations. By the time July rolls around, we'll likely have a very full
grid, or else I'll have enough paychecks to cover the difference. So
YES -- the deal is defintely ON -- and THANKS for noticing! Another deal -- if you get five drivers to attend, you get a freebie day. Just a thought.

See you in the sizzlin' hot summer! Hope you guys can take the heat! Lol.

BW

BW

 

Heat...ha.

I lived in Phoenix for 25 years. I laugh at your heat. bwahhahahah

 

***Ahhh . . .alas, in Phoenix you don't have the humidity factor going on. Last time I was in Phoenix (Prescott side), it was 110 before I even really noticed it. Up here in the Sacramento area, 95 gets ya in an uproar -- because it's so stinking HUMID! I can't imagine what a 90+ day must be like for folks in Georgia, Florida, etc. -- and don't even want to find out, lol.

I liked Phoenix .. . despite its smog problems crawling in from the L.A. basin, my allergies nearly vanished for several days. And as a geology major, the scenery was breathtaking, as well. I can't believe you moved from AZ to WA! Must have been quite a difficult transition. I bet a woman was involved with that move, eh? :p;/

BW

 

does that mean anyone who goes because of this thread counts towards 'darin getting 5 drivers to attend'??

:D

 

***Well, yes, actually. If you get five drivers to note that they were referred by you -- that aren't already signed up, mind you -- including those on this thread who are planning to go, then yeah, you'll get a freebie. The drivers can only be referred once -- no cross referrals! Lol. And the drivers don't have to be just on this thread, Darin -- you can get friends, whatever, to sign up, and it's the same deal.

BW

 

It turns out that I can't go that weekend anyway, but, for future reference, it would be far more attractive to me if it were a two-day event, rather than a one-day event. That's just a long way to go for only a couple of hours on a track. Is there any chance that there can be a two day school sometime?

 

Two-day events are generally reserved for large groups, like the SCCA or NASA groups. Small groups like ours are not typically given such attractive dates. You can always go to http://www.thunderhill.com/calendar.html to see if there are any schools coming up. Let me know if you plan to go, and I'll try to at least swing by -- Thunderhill's only about an hour and a half from my house.

BW