nsx2tall said:
I'm interested in getting involved in road racing (time trials, #2 on the pyramid of speed), as my driving habits with the NSX are getting dangerous and I need a safe (or safer) outlet. I'd probably do 2-4 events per year. Can I safely run the NSX without trashing it or should I look for something less emotionally taxing (read expensive) to buy for track use? My '96 is in great shape with 33k miles and nice black paint so it seems to me to be a bit foolish to track the car at this point. I don't have any track time so I don't even know if I'll like it, but given my driving habits I'd find that hard to believe.
My first idea is to do a track day with cars provided-- something like Fox Valley's Lotus school though I'd worry about fitting in the car. If I like it (and you know I'll like it!), buy something like a WRX STI or an EVO VIII for $20k or an El Cheapo '85 vette or Celica something for around $4k-5k and do weight loss and suspension upgrade. The WRX and EVO would make acceptable daily drivers too.
Second choice is to track the NSX first and move on to something else from the prior list, hoping that no damage occurs to the NSX.
Any suggestions?
Randy
HI Randy,
You're likely be just fine running a few days with the NSX. Looking farther out thou at the big picture, I think it is more about what you are trying to accomplish. Would you be running more to 'get your feet wet & for fun' or more for serious 'seat time & instruction' ? It is often a balance.
Across most all forms of modern motor sports, IMO Road Racing is the ultimate equalizer for both drivers and autos.
If your initial intention is just to get your feet wet and have some fun.. well hell.. I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone that would initially complain about running a slower pace in a higher end exotic versus a death defying pace in a lower end track rat. One might be running 1:40 in a 360 Challenge with a truck, trailer, tools, and pit crew and getting passed by rental cars but I bet they are still having more fun then most everyone else out there doing it. Even when Paige brings down his Enzo and rents out the whole track for the day, I would wager that he still likely manages his risks more carefully than with his "budget racer", the Exige.
The point being like anything else, such as maybe flying, even thou you have to more carefully assess risks and run a slower pace because you know you have to bring your hardware home in one piece, it's still a hell of a lot of fun to get that type of seat time, and take in the sensation of piloting higher end hardware, and frankly, having fun is what HPDE's are ideal for, not setting lap records on the few occasions when traffic is light towards the end of the day.
On the other hand, if your intention is serious seat time & instruction, and you want to be the one lapping F430's in a civic on street tires.. well.. you'll definitely learn more, get the most seat time, and likely run fastest in a car that is within budget and you're not concerned about always having to bring home in one piece. Even the pros make mistakes and come across unforeseen circumstances during the learning process, what is relevant is how fast you can get back on your feet thereafter and climb back into the seat.
While there are exceptions to every rule, when it comes to speed most will tell you that money truly talks, but usually unless your personal racing budget is substantially high, a good weekend track rat likely won't be your expensive later model NSX, Noble, 360, Murci, Esprit, GT2, GT40, or other higher end, cleaner street legal exotic. While you may see these types of vehicles show up here or there for their occasional club track days, outside of a few individual exceptions you usually won't be seeing them show
every possible open track day.
Aside from the cost of these types of vehicles and maintenance.. just the expendables such as club memberships, track fees, gas, hotel fees, travel expenses, starbucks, tires, fluids, alignments, brake pads, etc... can get really expensive really quick even over just a handful of open track days, let alone sanctioned wheel to wheel racing which is about 5X more expensive.
If you decide this is for you, and your goal is truly to improve your mad driving skillz to where they would be competitive in even the lowest ranks of sanctioned racing.. well.. attending a race school would be a great start, then I would recommend picking up a dedicated track rat that works for you and is within your budget.. need I provide links to the S2K, BMW, Miata or Civic forums? :biggrin:
resting on the driver's head. I'm sure that would never happen with you, but to keep those silly rule-makers happy, you may need to remove the bottom seat cushion, which is fairly common.
