How many hours of track time do you guys have?

[turtlevette]

I'm thinking i have around 20 hours since i began track days in 2001. I'm just trying to get a feel for how i compare to others ie. how much of my slowness is due to my car and how much is due to needing more seat time. I suppose i could rent a more modern track car once to see if i fare any better.

[xstar]

Total track seat time in our lives? or did you mean this year? I'd be very jealous of you if you already have 20 hours in 2006.

edit:
Personally, I have 53 track days and hundreds of hours karting... Talk about investing for the future...

[turtlevette]

total experience.

[brucesallen]

These years I get 40-50 days per year on track.

[JackFFR1846]

I only have a hundred something days.

That's why Bruce laps me 10 times in a 20 minute session.




Take an instructor out with you....or several (one at a time in your car). Any of us will give you an assessment that you are near the limit of what the car can do or that you still have a lot left to do.

I would guess that any of us could gain a lot if we were on the track for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week.

jack

[DanDarcy]

I did one school session in 2003 with a Z06, than did 6 events in 2004 and 2005 with the Mustang for a total track time of 15 hours. This coming year looks like I will only do 3 events .

[turtlevette]

These years I get 40-50 days per year on track.

this is what i thought. There is a lot of disparity in experience levels as well as the cars and tires.

Some more modern and stickier tires will help but every instructor that ever rode with me hated my car except for Brad P. and he was a little crazy.

[Don P]

Actually, this is a very good question; one that most COMers (and others getting into motorsports) ask themselves from the very beginning.

Some things to think about that don't need to be necessarily replied to in this public forum would be what expectation does one have for getting involved in this fun thing we do. Maybe it's to drive around (the track) 'at speed' without fear of getting a ticket and just having fun doing that; or perhaps leading to a segue into competitive motorsport competiton beyond the time trials that COM conducts, and/or stayng with the TT context.

Initially many enter our sport thinking more about the car - and "what she'll do" (we've often heard from potential members that "as soon as my car is ready I'll get on track with you guys"); the next phase which usually happens rather quickly is a realization that it's more driver than car. Once there, with some amount of driving competence achieved the car then indeed can become the gating factor in becoming quicker (against the clock and others). So mods go on the car, and the driver starts the next phase of learning how to drive with the newer performance potential. And this cycle can go on and on. The basic point is it's mostly driver, and the driver should be able to extract the maximun performance potential from any given vehicle. The time this takes varies significantly.

So, if one is asking could I be quicker with more track time or a "better" car then I would suggest more seat time in whatever rig one's driving. A driver usually knows when s/he can deal with more performance potential from the vehicle.

I'd also support Jack's advice of having an instructor ride along and provide some feedback.

I'll also make another suggestion at this point, and that would be the next time on track just think about driving, forget about your car, their cars, think only about being smooth, safe and consistent on the line.

Best wishes,

[enjoythemusic]

Actually, this is a very good question; one that most COMers (and others getting into motorsports) ask themselves from the very beginning... think about driving, forget about your car, their cars, think only about being smooth, safe and consistent on the line.

Excellent post!

[MiataSteve]

Actually, this is a very good question; one that most COMers (and others getting into motorsports) ask themselves from the very beginning.
Best wishes,

Well said Don. You don't have to be beginner to ask yourself that. Just when I think I am doing real good, some SpecMiata driver blows by me.

Keep at it, learn the limits of your car, keep giving point by's when appropriate, and you will keep having fun and will keep improving.

[brucesallen]

Also, most of the experienced drivers in COM are with COM because they love to help and many are instructors. I still enjoy a brand newbie student at least as much as a more expereinced student because I can see such rapid progress and exhiliration at the end of the day

[kfoote]

I'd guess I have driven somewhere around 150-200 total track days. Last year was 25ish, though most were only one or two sessions per day.

I run with COM because I like to see how fast I can drive around in circles.

COM is a very good value as far as track time for the entry fee goes, while still having a competitive basis for existing. Though I've run fewer COM events in the last few years, all things considered, I'd ratehr run a COM event at NHIS than an SCCA race at Lime Rock, if both events were to take place on the same weekend and there was no other alterior motive.

[Bane of Tires]

Not enough! I only have about seven days under my belt so far.

I agree wholeheartedly with Don that driver skill is the best "mod" for any car. I was absolutely floored by how much I could get out of a damn-near-stock car after my first track day.

That's also why I hesitated to replace my suspension. I know that I need to work on me more than anything! I replaced the suspension only because: my shocks were on their way out (after 92k and a bunch of track days and autocrossing...what junk! ), I was already in ST and decided to just replace the whole magilla. I can't wait to test the new setup in a little bit!

That's related to Don's post too. Had I known a few years ago what I know now, I wouldn't have modified my car at all. I don't think modifying a street car is such a hot idea, unless some part of it wholly inadequate for street driving. You just can't appreciate track-ready bits on the street.

[grovefromnh]

33 years with COM = ??? hrs seat time

[enjoythemusic]

I agree wholeheartedly with Don that driver skill is the best "mod" for any car. I was absolutely floored by how much I could get out of a damn-near-stock car after my first track day.

Amen, there is no substitute for seat time. Always get a chuckle at guys on the public roadways who tell me they can drive because the Xbox/PS2/etc proves their ability LOL

That's also why I hesitated to replace my suspension. I know that I need to work on me more than anything! I replaced the suspension only because: my shocks were on their way out (after 92k and a bunch of track days and autocrossing...what junk! ), I was already in ST and decided to just replace the whole magilla. I can't wait to test the new setup in a little bit!

Oooh, that sounds like a challenge

(Said in good, friendly humor) So, are you feeling lucky, punk? Well, are you?

Ok, seriously, same here as the suspension parts on the car here is based on decades-old bits/technology [original design of car is 30 years old(!)]. Not saying newer is always better, yet agree a nice 'refreshing' of the suspension can be a very good thing. If you are at the early April COM NHIS event i'd be more than happy to show you what happens when you open wallet R-E-A-L wide as there are virtually no true 'off the shelf' parts per se for the car here.

That's related to Don's post too. Had I known a few years ago what I know now, I wouldn't have modified my car at all. I don't think modifying a street car is such a hot idea, unless some part of it wholly inadequate for street driving. You just can't appreciate track-ready bits on the street.

On this i agree, and also disagree to a point. My well-seasoned track rat friends say a street car is for the street and a track car is for the track and the two never really mix.

Worse still if you drive the track car on the streets a lot with all these frost heaves, pot holes, etc. While it is great to improve the car, there is a point where a street car has limitations to be an acceptable road car grocery-getter while a pure track car has no such limitations.

Of course one could always be wrong and judging from the winter tweaks and refresh you could question my sanity in general

FYI: will probably buy a nice open wheel spec SCCA racer at the end of this season. At some point the street car here just gets too damn costly to maintain for the track