ArtOfRuin
ArtOfRuin Reader
1/2/09 3:29 p.m.

I've only done one track day in my entire life. Is this legit? Should I sign up for it?

noisycricket
noisycricket Reader
1/2/09 3:35 p.m.

Is that the one where you have to pay a non refundable $34,000 to be entered?

Looks worth it, if you have the coin.

ArtOfRuin
ArtOfRuin Reader
1/2/09 3:41 p.m.

Actually, I just looked at the signup conditions: $45,000. berkeley that!

Carson
Carson HalfDork
1/2/09 3:53 p.m.

I also noticed, while watching last season, they are automatics. What is up with that?

noisycricket
noisycricket Reader
1/2/09 4:53 p.m.

Real automatic or DSG?

I forget if they eschewed H-gate manuals in favor of DSG, or planetary gear-and-torque converter autos in favor of DSG, but SOMETHING got recently axed.

Either way, they replaced something that sucked mechanically.

Carson
Carson HalfDork
1/2/09 5:00 p.m.

I googled it, they're DSG gearboxes.

Sometimes I forget about those fancy technology things since my newest car is almost as old as I am.

It just surprised me watching the race coverage when they were leaving the paddock they reached down and selected "D."

garyp
garyp
1/2/09 5:30 p.m.
ArtOfRuin wrote: Actually, I just looked at the signup conditions: $45,000. berkeley that!

$45,000 only gets you in the door. You have to pay for your own travel and lodging expenses, and the damage deductible is something like $7,500 per weekend. Given that you're on track with a bunch of 20-something year old kids with red mist in their eyes, the chances of you getting through the season without damaging a car at least once are pretty much nil.

garyp
garyp New Reader
1/2/09 5:30 p.m.
ArtOfRuin wrote: Actually, I just looked at the signup conditions: $45,000. berkeley that!

$45,000 only gets you in the door. You have to pay for your own travel and lodging expenses, and the damage deductible is something like $7,500 per weekend. Given that you're on track with a bunch of 20-something year old kids with red mist in their eyes, the chances of you getting through the season without damaging a car at least once are pretty much nil.

YaNi
YaNi New Reader
1/2/09 5:31 p.m.

If we were supposed to road race with automatics, God would have put one in the Miata.

I also noticed the entry fee. For the money I would rather rent a Porsche 911 for a week and go on the Gumball Rally.

noisycricket
noisycricket Reader
1/2/09 5:37 p.m.

if an arrive-and-drive was $10k then $45k gets you four and a half race weekends in a season.

So, again IMO, if you have the coin, it doesn't look like a bad deal.

I have bad news for YaNi as well :)

ArtOfRuin
ArtOfRuin Reader
1/2/09 5:45 p.m.

In reply to noisycricket:

I don't have the coin. I thought that was implied by the "berkeley that!" I wrote in big, bold letters.

maroon92
maroon92 SuperDork
1/2/09 7:09 p.m.

If I had the money, I would be all over it.

I may need to start a sponsor search....

CivicSiRacer
CivicSiRacer Reader
1/3/09 1:45 p.m.

I watched some of the series on Speed when it aired in December. Definitely cool. But you have to be younger than 26 (If I remember right). One of the racers got punted every weekend. You feel so bad for him because it was 3-4 weekends and eventually had to drop out because he couldn't afford the $7500 deductible every weekend. I think he had to borrow money from family and friends.

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