Wanna Drive at Daytona?

[pdub]

Hooked on Driving, the outfit that I've fallen in love with by procedure alone....they let me move up in class based on how many times I've run road courses with instructors in the car. Their program is somehow more fun, based on fun. The safety rules are the same, all the same stuff but it's just more fun. They feed you lunch, catered, as part of the entry fee. They have a bottomless cooler of water bottles all during the day. And at the end of the day they break out coolers full of beer for whoever wants it (I haven't partaken, got to drive to somewhere for the night after that).

They are running the Daytona International Speedway relatively soon. The BIG track. The whole NASCAR thing, not the road course inside the track. They'll be there for 3 days. The entry fee is $1200 for three days.

Red's sleeping, waiting for brakes. $1200 is mighty steep, but not really for three days. If that's on anybody's bucket list, drive your own car at Daytona....there's the chance.

I could find out on the first or second lap how fast Red could really go. I used up 4th gear at the Ohio Mile, but there's 5th gear. Surely not much more there. And doing it over and over again for 3 days I might blow Red up. But that's a unique opportunity. I won't do it, but it's sitting there....a bucket list item that won't come around often.

[Barry Donovan]

that would be a dream. I would hope you try it out.. within grasp.

[BigBlockMopar]

Sounds like great fun, blasting around on the big one.
I would like to have a go at it with one of my finned 50s/60s cars, but only when it's been somewhat built for this kinda thing.

[studemax]

Go for it, P!

[oldsman496]

my legs are detachable, I'll fit in a suitcase. I can turn a wrench. i'm funny when i hurt myself. i do that often...just sayin'. i don't eat much either.

[pdub]

Go for it, P!

Naw, I don't think so. Too pricey (but worth it if you want to blast around for three whole days) and I can't get off of work those days (I've already looked at it).

I don't get the three days thing. That's a whole lot of a bit too much. Well, I can't go anyhow, but three days? Whether your stuff blows up or not, 20 minutes on any track is a lot when you're a weekend warrior. Three days at Daytona?!?? Good grief.

Just sayin, whoever wants to go should sign up and get there. It's a seriously Bucket List item. Yeah, I would but I can't. I would if it was ONE day, and if I could. Shoot, I'd need about ten laps, if that many, and be able to say I'd done it.

[Damon23]

I got to do three laps at Charlotte during the 50th anny of mustang in the 89 vert. That was neat but we were told to keep a reasonable speed. I drive down the track in Daytona by mistake getting into the track during the turkey rid run one year. The guy told me go in, take a right, go down and you'll see the entrance. The guy on the other end about had a stroke as I was coming down.

[Jimbo17]

Driving at Daytona was a great experience.

My sons and daughter along with my wife signed me up at the Richard Petty Driving School for a Christmas present a few years ago.

I only got to run 7 laps by myself and of course they had taken the gear out of the car so that at the end of the back straight a way it was only pulling about 6,500 rpm's and they said not to run up in the top lane of the track. The driving instructor also said that as long as I maintained a 4 car distance he would keep going faster so I thought I understood the rules.

The only way I knew how to go faster was to run up higher on the track and just drive a little deeper in the corners and on the 5 lap all of a sudden the 4 distance between us went down to two cars at which point I moved over so I did not run over the instructors car.

Turns out on the 4th lap I ran 147 mph and on the 5 lap they radio the instructor and told him to slow me down because I was approaching 160 mph

It is a wonderful experience but the next time I think I might like to try Rocking-ham because their program gives you 17 teen laps for about the same price.

The instructor asked me if I wanted to do the ride along program first with him and I said hell no.

Jim Hill

http://www.nostalgicracingdecals.com

[ratpatrol66]

DO IT!!!

[Deaf Bob]

Grow a pair.. It is just a motor.. Easily replaced..
Superman'll help ya, NO DOUBT! Never met the guy.. But pretty sure he WILL HELP!

Remember what I said in an email.. Don't wanna be sitting in a rockin chair with your gray hair gumming to the nurses, "Damn! I shoulda ran Daytona when I had the chance".
$1200 for 3 days plus food is pretty sweet!

[Dan Barlow]

I will be the one lone person to say , not a good idea . Three days is long enough to build your nerve up enough to get you killed . Now if we had been able to talk you into a roll cage.....

[Deaf Bob]

You gotta go at minimum 100 mph to even get up on the track surface!

[mike343sharpstick]

I've been on the Daytona track on a motorcycle, in 1999 I participated in the year end 'Race of Champions'. it's an intimidating and completely unique experience.
I would assume they are running the oval with the road course in the infield.
$1,200 is a bit steep, but if you are a fan of Nascar and/or sports car racing and want to be on that track, this may be worth it.

A quick note from my first few minutes in the track. I arrived, went in the gate, started setting up for the weekend. I didn't think too much about the huge wall I noticed surrounding the place. Then a practice group went out... Hey, that's not a wall, that's the track!

Frist few laps on the banking are odd to say the least, when you get up to speed it's not a big deal. I think the minimum speed to stick to the banking is only 70 or 80 mph. The hardest part is getting your brain wrapped around what's going on as you haven't likely done this type of banking before. When on the Banking, unless your going 150ish or more, The bumps aren't lateral, like a normal corner, so what bumps on the banking do is simply compress the suspension. On a bike it's odd as when on the banking all tucked in, the chin of your helmet bounces off the tank for each bump.

Add to all of this the bike/car screaming at red-line in top gear for what seems to be an eternity when your on the oval!

Tough call, just thought I'd give you my impressions to help in your considerations. Good luck!

[ratpatrol66]

You gotta go at minimum 100 mph to even get up on the track surface!

I would set the cruise control at 100 and and be smilin ear to ear!

[DanStokes]

I've driven on high banks at the GMPG high speed round track and at Transportation Research Center (now Honda) in Ohio (a 7 1/2 mile oval). (Honda might still call it TRC, IDK.) It is, for sure, a weird experience until you're used to it. The GMPG track will take you around with no hands on the wheel if you're going the right speed for the lane and if you're not it'll move to car to the right lane for your speed. It feels weird but works great. I never tried "no hands" at TRC. Once you get used to it it's almost a letdown, "Is that all there is to it?" I suppose a track designed for racing instead of testing might be a bit different experience.

Dan