DrWho Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I started off with an FR-S, but right now I'm driving a Lotus Elise, number 196 with the Windy City Miata Club. Insurance rates have been completely unaffected. It's technically a gray area with autocross and insurance companies are using stricter verbiage in the contracts, but the short story is that you'd have a hard time breaking your car during an autocross event. There is separate racing insurance if you really want coverage while racing, which is recommended for track days. I've never purchased racing insurance and use that as extra motivation to keep myself focused on staying in control. The racing books I've been reading talk about how you can learn to drive fast without ever spinning out or crashing, so I'm working real hard on honing those techniques. You're well beyond the fast line by the time you're flying off the track, and there's a lot of margin inbetween. Here's a picture from my last event where I placed second, 0.6 seconds behind an Exige. The Exige was race prepped with another 100hp, racing slicks, and racing suspension. I was running on stock suspension with all season tires It was by far my best driving yet. Racing slicks alone would have been good for another 1 to 3 seconds on the track that day, but I've been holding off on vehicle upgrades until I've fully upgraded the driver. My car was good for another 0.5 second if I could have put everything together in a single lap. Daily driving, even in the winter.... 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunburnwilly Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 That's awesome DrWho , can you fit a small pair of KG's in the boot ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 17, 2016 Share Posted August 17, 2016 I think I could fit a Promedia system in the trunk. Does that count? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 Your car has a beard and a mustache. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I ran my 67 mustang last summer. There was a puff of smoke after the second lap so I parked it. Turns out I blew a head gasket. All fixed now, but I am putting new seals in the drivetrain because they were all dried out and also replacing the entire parking brake system. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J Free Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 I did Skip Barber about 15 years ago-they were Dodge engines at the time-good fun. I have a few friends who are instructors and a few others involved with SCDA. Did my first track day last month and had a great time. Lime Rock Park is my local track. I did a MINI sponsored event last week there on their autocross track, also good fun. I'm hoping to do a few more track days this year, but have to sort a few things on the car. Great stories here-and really dig the Lotus. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 13 hours ago, mustang guy said: Your car has a beard and a mustache. Well it was No-Shave November! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrWho Posted August 18, 2016 Share Posted August 18, 2016 13 hours ago, mustang guy said: I ran my 67 mustang last summer. Dang, I have huge respect for the guys in cars like that that are able to get up tight on the cones in autocross. What's the steering rack like on your car? I bet it's a fury of flailing hands to get through the slaloms. There was one autocross where a ploom of smoke billowed out from behind my car and I thought I had totally roasted my clutch - I was pushing through a slow corner so I dumped the clutch to throw the rear end around the hairpin and the engine just slammed into the revline and there was no motion on the car. Thankfully it turned out all that smoke was the inside tire spinning up to 40mph while I was going about 10mph....the plight of having an open-differential (and not setting the car properly going into the corner). So how'd you get your car home after blowing a head gasket? That's always my biggest fear at these events - especially when they're far away from home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mustang guy Posted August 19, 2016 Share Posted August 19, 2016 8 hours ago, DrWho said: Dang, I have huge respect for the guys in cars like that that are able to get up tight on the cones in autocross. What's the steering rack like on your car? I bet it's a fury of flailing hands to get through the slaloms. There was one autocross where a ploom of smoke billowed out from behind my car and I thought I had totally roasted my clutch - I was pushing through a slow corner so I dumped the clutch to throw the rear end around the hairpin and the engine just slammed into the revline and there was no motion on the car. Thankfully it turned out all that smoke was the inside tire spinning up to 40mph while I was going about 10mph....the plight of having an open-differential (and not setting the car properly going into the corner). So how'd you get your car home after blowing a head gasket? That's always my biggest fear at these events - especially when they're far away from home. It's an OE replacement gearbox with a pitman arm from Flaming River. Manual steering, manual drum brakes, 0.7" anti-sway bar front only, 4 spd toploader, 289 4V, all season radials, lap type seat belts and an 8" Ford rearend. All in all a great car to drive. You can feel everything. It could use a stiffer sway on the front, a sway on the back, coilovers all around and a 4 link in the back. Disc brakes and rack n pinion steering wouldn't hurt either. Might as well throw in a Coyotee motor and air conditioning while I'm at it. I didn't drive the car there. I hauled the car there on a trailer. The race was in Columbus which is about 2 hrs away. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Travis In Austin Posted August 21, 2016 Moderators Share Posted August 21, 2016 That sure looks like fun. I used to do a lot of that in my younger days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.