While performance car owners want to track their rides, this is one reason, I suggest that street cars remain on the streets. What a way to wreck a premium ride. Over many years of racing and attending open track days for fun. I have seen this happen numerous times.

Be careful on the track.

The driver had traction control off and was drifting around a corner into a straightaway. He over corrected, started zig-zagging, slid sideways into the barriers, and then the car rolled up on its side. The driver was okay, but I imagine quite upset about wrecking his Corvette C7.

 

I hope his track day insurance will cover that!

 

Exactly why my Jag has not seen a track day yet.
With my Audi or my Lexus, insurance was $80 -$90 for the day.... Last i checked, they wanted almost $300 for my XK.
Sadly that makes those events just a tad too costly for me now...

Sigh, maybe someday....

 

WOW... I would gladly spend the 300 though... you imagine if you did that to your XK and it was all on you!?!? adios.... total loss...

 

and a lender still requiring payment

 

Glad to hear he was Ok. I bet that will buff out.

 

Not a chance I would do this to my Jag or myself... God help me so!

 

There is a reason that miata's are the number one raced car in the world!

I also recommend, old e30/e36, Z3 coupes and old boxsters as track toys. You can get them cheap and not worry so much if you trade paint every now and again.

 

When I raced SCCA events the Spec Miata class was one of the largest groups on the track. They are very cheap to run, cheap to buy, and a great way to get your thrills on any open track day.

 

From someone who crashed two perfectly nice street cars on racing track; Stay away from tracking your car if you have a competitive nature. Trying to set new lap records or fighting to pass an other care can and will lead to crashes. I finally learned my lessons and went for dedicated race cars which are generally less expensive to buy and a lot less expensive to fix after crashing them.

As to crash practices; over correction tends to lead to more serious crashes than under correction. Since I raced (and spun out) for many years, I learned the following; if the tail end of the car is beginning to slide out, try to correct by counter steering. However, if the spin exceeds roughly 45 degrees, you generally can not recover it. My best practice was to simply straighten the steering wheel at that point, lock up the brakes and hope the best :-). If you, on the other hand, keep turning on more counter steer, the final and opposite spin will be far more violent as the first set of tire(s) regain traction.

 

I have an NASA and SCCA license... the XKR is scary on the track. That kind of HP should be reserved for people getting paid to race. If you want to have fun then a get a car to track that you can improve your skills in.

This is the great debate. My 7 year old loves when I go fast and always wants me to but when I won't she questions the reason for having a fast car. My response is two fold. Ego and perceived power. I also tell her that part of being cool is knowing you can and not having to prove it. This is on the street. She's 7 so luckily I am indeed still "cool" in her eyes - especially if she wants something!

On a track - the most fun is had when your skill is at the point that you can push a car to it's limit. Pushing a 500+hp car to the limit is very dangerous if you cannot control it. Getting sideways in a lower power car that is light and tossable is far more fun. Not as great for storytelling to talk about racing a 150hp car as it is a 500hp car but infinitely more fun.

I have 4 blackbelts and did "private security" training for offshore security when I got out of the military(Army Ranger) as well as some amateur MMA (I was much younger and dumber - well younger). Training with someone your ability range is a lot more fun and fruitful than someone in a higher weight class or skill level where you stand no chance. Chess is the same thing... its just not fun when you're beaten in 4 moves every time. You don't really get to participate like that. We can all mash the gas pedal on the straights but few can manage an apex properly. You'll never learn if you're afraid to wreck a car that you don't have the means to replace without impact to your finances.

Be safe and do it in a way where you get better. My $0.02...

 

Starting off with an inexpensive car is a very good idea, but as with boats, some do move up! Here's a group that did, and they take their driving very seriously. All very experienced on track, no passing without a signal first from the car to be passed to ensure there's a meeting of the minds, car being passed lifts off the throttle to allow a clean and safe pass, no tailgating the guy ahead, 10 manned marshal stations around the track using flags to communicate with drivers, emergency equipment at the ready. Very seldom do I see a car go off at these events, and I suspect most are prepared for a full loss if it should happen as track day insurance is only now just coming to Canada.


Chasing Porsche and Ferrari just never gets old, and my favorite is the Challenge car at the end. Select full screen and 720P in the bottom right of the video screen for a clear video. Enjoy!

 

Nice driving at 140 MPH.......

I am however quite surprised the Viper SRT does not have "paddle shifters".

Also good to see you wearing a helmet. Smart move.

Be safe. Enjoy!

 

That video was hoot!

 

The Viper team has fought to keep the car as analogue, elemental and engaging to drive as possible. Auto tranny, paddle shifters, electronic rev matching manuals, ect just aren't part of the plan. That will likely have to change over time to meet demand, but for now those of us who desire this type of driving experience are very lucky indeed!

 

It is interesting to me how many people with rev-matching paddle-shifted automatics never actually use these features. I cannot even seem to find a comprehensive list of cars with automatic transmissions or DCTs with good paddle shift action (like current Jaguars). I know more and more cars are getting this sort of technology, and I think it's great. But sadly, it might also lure me away from the Jaguar brand.

 

I'd use the XKR's paddle shifters the odd time, but it seemed kind of pointless since it could do it just as well without me, so I didn't both with them usually.

 

My Porsche Cayman PDK 7 speed auto with paddle shifters in Sport Plus mode is totally AWESOME!

 

Ah yes. Seems like that's the beginning of the end for many drivers.


Cheers
DD

 

Turn that baby off and at a good, challenging track you are likely to find out that you are not the driver you thought you were.