Anyone seen a Gallardo or other recent(ish) supercar autocross?

So in lock down I've been spending to much time on youtube and watched a fair amount of VinWiki.  I got to wondering about autocrossing a modern supercar or baby supercar.  I've always liked the Gallardo and it's R8 twin so I went looking for autocross info, not that this is a scenario I'll ever be likely to try myself.  All I can find is stuff on these 'super car experience' type things.  I can't find anything about people doing 'real' autocross with them.  I remember years ago when the Ferrari 360 was new someone took a Challenge Stradale to SCCA Nationals, but that's it.  Has anyone seen one of these cars at a regular autocross, or even better something like a regional or National tour?  If so how did it do, or look to do since driving in 95% of autocross.

Having instructed with one of those exotic car driving experience groups, the Lambo is a heavy car and has a lot of rotational inertia, making it hard to make fast transitions. The 360 is a much more nimble car but not Miata nimble.  The Lambo would make a good car for most tracks with better brake cooling though. I have no experience with the Audi however, but have seen them at track days. 

We had a Lambo show up to a autocross once. He was not very happy that I beat him in my FB. I tried to explain about seat time and practice but he was certain that he had to have actually beat everyone because his car was so much faster. We never saw him again. Pretty sure that's not a bad thing.

I have seen an R35 GT-R run years ago when they were newer. A guy brought one to an autocross out at the Danville airport. He/it wasn't fast but I think he was also a novice and I don't remember seeing the car at following events. Other than that I've seen a Maserati Quattoporte and a Challenger Demon at one, but neither had preregistered and did not run. I was really looking forward to that Demon attempting it...

There was a McLaren 570S on Hoosiers that ran SSM at Nationals once or twice. At the Finger Lakes Champ Tours there were a couple of S/Street R35 GT-Rs

We  had a guy bringing his McLaren but he's switched more to track days. Over the last 30 years I've been attending I've seen various Ferraris  and Lamborghinis show up but these big wide cars aren't the best set up for autocross.

As for the wounded drivers egos, yeah you get some of that but I think it's just more of a case of the cars not being well suited.

When I first started autocrossing there was a guy running a Mercedes 300 Gullwing............that was super cool.

Toyman01 (Forum Supporter) said:

We had a Lambo show up to a autocross once. He was not very happy that I beat him in my FB. I tried to explain about seat time and practice but he was certain that he had to have actually beat everyone because his car was so much faster. We never saw him again. Pretty sure that's not a bad thing.

 

Had a similar experience with some kind of Lambo and a Ferrari 458. I beat them both in my SW20. Another guy beat them both in a Cobalt. Neither ever came back.

There has been a Porsche GT3 that runs regularly at a the local events along with a GTR from time to time.

A couple years ago an F355 came out for a few events. I actually beat him in my stock miata once... in PAX on a rainy Sunday....

I've seen a few supercars of various makes at Philly region events over the years, but none with any regularity as far as I know.  The owners do seem to get a gut-punch in the ego. Some take it better than others. 

In all the years I autoXed with MSCC out of central Florida I can only recall a handful of true supercars ever attending.

Look if I come about the kind of money that affords me the opportunity to purchae and maintain a supercar, I'm probably going to take that Saturday or Sunday I have to play with it to a full on track day where I can fully utilize all the capabilities of that car vs. standing in a parking lot all day for 5 maybe 6 minutes of seat time. 

We've got a 911 Turbo S that comes out sometimes. I think he runs with other clubs more than ours, but he can drive and generally is close to the pointy end of the field.

Years ago a Diablo showed up at a socal event. Daddy bought it for the guy. I seem to recall reading  that there was some excitement as he lined up to do his runs. But he set, repeatedly, STD. 

Andy Hollis ran his One Lap of America McLaren at solo nationals once or twice in super street.

There are a few super cars in SSP.  I was gridded next to an R8 and a McLaren 720 at solo nationals 2018.  There was a Huracan in 2019.  They generally lose to the Corvette, Lotus, and Porsche GT3 drivers.  I think it is mostly a weight and width issue but the dedicated street prepared guys stick with one car for a long time.  I don't know if the supercar owners develop a car over 5 or 10 years in the same way..  The R8 was pretty close to a trophy in 2018 though.

Locally, there are about 4 or 5 GT3s that make it out to at least an event or two every year.  The Porsche club does a good job with autocrosses and there is some crossover into SCCA events.  Some are fast and some are slow.  One has a national championship and he is pretty fast.

I would think that that which makes them stable and safe at 150 + mph would work against them in any sort of fast transition course.

Horses for courses as they say.

Pete

The Ego gut punch is going to come into play regardless of the event type.  We've all been to track days or races and passed newbies with high end cars. I think it comes down to what a few of us have said that there are better places to use these cars.

For cars like Z06s, ZL1s, Mustang GTs, GT-R etc yes I think some of those people get their egos wounded. How do you explain to your buddies that a 12 yr old girl in a go kart stomped your 450hp car.

We have a very weak auto-x locally. However, lots of supercars are present at our HPDE that I attend quite frequently. 

Not sure quite how "supercar" it is but we had a guy come out in a BMW i8 a couple of years ago.  I drove it for a run and it was just terrible.  He never came back either.

Scca nationals 2017,2018 years have had mclarens, and r8 v10's in SSM I was gridded  next to one of the mclarens. There's always a HART nsx in SS. They seem to do ok on big nationals type courses. Would be difficult on a smaller local lot. 

Tom1200 said:

When I first started autocrossing there was a guy running a Mercedes 300 Gullwing............that was super cool.

Those cars are simply incredible when you consider they were designed in 1948.

Shawn the car looked and sounded fantastic and the guy drove it hard.

Jay_W said:

Years ago a Diablo showed up at a socal event. Daddy bought it for the guy. I seem to recall reading  that there was some excitement as he lined up to do his runs. But he set, repeatedly, STD. 

STDs from autoX?   Apparently, autoX is different down South. 

ojannen said:

Locally, there are about 4 or 5 GT3s that make it out to at least an event or two every year.  The Porsche club does a good job with autocrosses and there is some crossover into SCCA events.  Some are fast and some are slow.  One has a national championship and he is pretty fast.

My brother has a 356 kit car and has run with his local PCA club. Their rules are completely different than SCCA. His insight was that the Cayman S was the car to beat.

Tom1200 said:

The Ego gut punch is going to come into play regardless of the event type.  We've all been to track days or races and passed newbies with high end cars. I think it comes down to what a few of us have said that there are better places to use these cars.

For cars like Z06s, ZL1s, Mustang GTs, GT-R etc yes I think some of those people get their egos wounded. How do you explain to your buddies that a 12 yr old girl in a go kart stomped your 450hp car.

My lightly modded GTI hurt some egos the last couple times I hit the track. I was all over a newer supercharged Mustang everywhere but the front straight. That I expected. Running down a Testarossa or a new 911 was unexpected both for me and their drivers. They both reacted poorly. The 911 refused to let me by for 4-5 laps but finally relented. The Testarossa succumbed to pressure from me and a guy in a FoST and went off coming out of the Corkscrew. That was Exciting. 

BTW: I hope I'm not coming across as bragging. That isn't my intent at all. I KNOW that most of you are fast than I'll ever be.

CAinCA said:

My lightly modded GTI hurt some egos the last couple times I hit the track. I was all over a newer supercharged Mustang everywhere but the front straight. That I expected. Running down a Testarossa or a new 911 was unexpected for me and their drivers. They both reacted poorly. The 911 refused to let me by for 4-5 laps but finally relented. The Testarossa succummed to pressure from me and a guy in a FoST and went off coming out of the Corkscrew. That was Exciting. 

I had a lot of fun chasing down and passing a C5 Z06 in my Contour SVT at a track day many years ago. In the morning, at least. By the afternoon sessions, the driver had a lot more confidence, and the tables turned in a rather decisive fashion. 

DirtyBird222 said:

In all the years I autoXed with MSCC out of central Florida I can only recall a handful of true supercars ever attending.

Look if I come about the kind of money that affords me the opportunity to purchae and maintain a supercar, I'm probably going to take that Saturday or Sunday I have to play with it to a full on track day where I can fully utilize all the capabilities of that car vs. standing in a parking lot all day for 5 maybe 6 minutes of seat time. 

That is you... what turned me off of track days was getting stuck behind people in supercars walking through corners, and then not giving a point by on the straight, which was at once the only place I could pass, and the only place where I wasn't stuck behind them because I was in a 100hp crapbox on gummy rubber.  Then the straight ended and it was back to being annoyed.