[Shotimes] OT: Ebay discount coupons ...now SOLO

[Donald Mallinson]

agreed you get timing feedback in autocross, but there really is almost 
no comparison between autocross and driving on a real racetrack.  The 
skills you learn at Autocross are helpful, but they don't fully prepare 
you for high speed events. Only more practice will do that. 

I don't need a timer on my car to know when I have done a better lap 
than before.  I may not know down to the 10th of a second, you I can 
feel it and so can most people.

And I don't agree you need to burn up $300 tires (if talking the very 
best race tires, you aren't getting four of them for that, and maybe not 
even two) in a day.   Maybe if you are talking about doing a 6 hour 
enduro but during a typical lapping day (four sessions of 20-30 minutes) 
you have to have something wrong to totally use up a set of tires.

And you do NOT need the ultimate tire to have as much fun as the next 
person.  I don't worry about what anyone else on the track is doing, I 
work to make myself better and kick up my fun factor.  I can run real 
race rubber for several track days.  Heck my last set lasted more than a 
couple of years.  I did maybe 2-3 events a year on those tires, and they 
still have tread, and I am going as fast as most in similar cars, if not 
faster.

Once you get into high speed track time, you realize that some race 
tires are a real bear to run.  Just like street tires, some of them are 
forgiving, some don't give you any warning and there are those in the 
middle.  The Yokohama EX100's that I run on the '96 V8 SHO are really 
superb tires to have fun with.  High stick factor, they telegraph well 
before the let go and are easy to gather back up.  Also you can plan on 
doing a couple of years (maybe 6-10 events?) AND drive them many 
thousands of miles before you spend more money.  Race rubber is another 
step up but not necessary to have as much fun as you want to have.

And I haven't bashed autocrossing and I don't remember that happening on 
this list much or it being a big issue.  I have recommended it many 
times, but it is true for most people, high speed track time is a whole 
new game and many former autocrossers love it best.  And yes, there are 
some that just don't like it, there is a MUCH bigger danger factor in 
the high speed stuff, even just a lapping day.  It isn't for everyone.  
No, there isn't a bunch of autocross bashing here, I still go to events, 
but it is now much easier, at least in the middle part of the country, 
to find a race track day, than an autocross.

Don Mallinson


Leigh Smith wrote:

>Agreed with one exception.
>To be really competitive means running race rubber and going thru $300 worth
>of rubber in a day at the track. Makes for a $500 weekend. That was my
>point. If you just want to go have fun, well that's different...
>If you want to really learn to drive, that's also different. Admitedly you
>get big chunks of track time road racing, but you get almost no timing
>feedback. Since you get timing feedback every run in autocross the driver
>feedback and ability for driver improvement is much greater.
>If someone really wants to improve their driving skills, and be competitive
>at the same time, autocross is hard to beat.
>It's a much better driver education tool than track time.
>Running either type of event on street tires, is less expensive, but
>basically precludes you from being competitive, unless they are ruled out.
>It's also much easier to learn to drive well on race rubber because it is so
>much more consistent.
>It does seem that there are more track venues available these days than
>before, and that's a good thing. And if some just want to go have fun,
>that's fine.
>I just don't understand the amount of auto-cross bashing that goes on on
>this list.
>All forms of racing have their advantages, they just vary in which specific
>skill they teach or thrill they provide.
>"You can make any car go faster by improving the driver"
>Lee
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