Detailed cost analysis: HPDE in a Miata

In case anyone's interested, after owning two track-prepped Miata's over the years and driving them out at Texas World Speedway, I finally got around to writing a detailed analysis of the cost-per-hour to track an early Miata. Here you go.

https://revsgarage.wordpress.com/201...day-addiction/

Also, in case you're curious, here's my comparison review of tracking an na vs an nb Miata, from the perspective of a new HPDE driver. https://revsgarage.wordpress.com/201...-and-nb-miata/

Comments, questions, critiques are welcome. Automotive writing is a passion and I'd like to get better at it, so fire away!

In reply to TheRev :

Is this gonna be on the test?

j/k...really neat article/work....very well written./presented

Ovid_and_Flem said:

In reply to TheRev :

Is this gonna be on the test?

 

j/k...really neat article/work....very well written./presented

I actually do teach for a living part time, and am asked that question frequently. The answer is no because then I'd have to grade it! I already have a end-of-spring pile of papers and tests on my desk to grade. These articles are my way to procrastinate ;-)

I popped into your blog.  Keep it up.  I'm now following it.  Look forward to your progress.

BTW TWS was one of my favorite venues during my RR days.  What happened to it?

TWS 

My very first track. Still hoping it reopens somehow.

Ovid_and_Flem said:

I popped into your blog.  Keep it up.  I'm now following it.  Look forward to your progress.

BTW TWS was one of my favorite venues during my RR days.  What happened to it?

Thanks for the follow! I share the sadness over TWS. I get depressed every time I pass it. It's being turned into a large housing development, with an elementary school and commercial space. At least that's the plan I heard about. It's been closed since August and large scale earth-moving has begun. The NASCAR oval is already breached on both sides. Flood cars from Hurricane Harvey were stored there during the fall and early spring, and it looked from photos like the road course was in pretty bad shape from all the heavy equipment. 

Here's a couple pics from this last year - one with all the flood cars, one after the cars were removed and they started taking out the oval.

I really like this. I'm going to refer to this when I try to get people into the track hobby :)

RyanGreener said:

I really like this. I'm going to refer to this when I try to get people into the track hobby :)

You sure you're not trying to scare them away? 

Great writing, and welcome to the forum!

I'm eager to see more.

In reply to Ovid_and_Flem :

Well, when people think this hobby costs hundreds of thousands, you paint a much nicer picture!

In reply to Floating Doc :

Thank you! Next post will be up tomorrow. I've got more ideas than time at the moment!

In reply to RyanGreener :

If it's still too much for them to afford, point them to Track Nights or Autocross. You're really getting affordable at that point.

You have a nicely laid out cost analysis, that paints a realistic picture of what the average guy spends. While my usual reply that it could be done more cheaply, you don't need coil overs or sticky tires, the reality is this is how most of us would upgrade a car.

There is one thing I will add, the longer you keep the car the cheaper it becomes, read pick a car you can stick with. 

I especially like that you have a dollar per hour rate for the track time.