jekyl and hyde cars - are you with me?

So why is it that the more track time I have, the less I care about what kind of car I drive on the street? My answer is: Any car driven flat out on a track is more exciting than any car driven on the street. Or, the exototmobile driven at 3/10ths is less fun than the track beater driven 10/10ths (if we're being honest about it).

Once I am into a track car I stop obsessing about those perfect exotomobiles and my car life becomes the racer on the weekends and the A to B car during the week. Sure, I've tried the dual-duty thing, but that leads to more track time, then a dedicated track car on the weekends and a dull car the rest of the week. Am I alone in my split persoanlity car ownership or are you with me on this?

As a bonus thought I have observed that more track time leads to less speeding tickets. This one is not just me - my racing buddies have experienced this also.

Ive noticed the speeding ticket correlation.

I really dont spend enough time on any kind of track to comment in the exact vein you're thinking in, BUT..

I definitely do find that the longer i have been into cars the more i appreciate cars that do one or a few things well versus doing all things semi-well..

I now have FUN cars and practical cars. I have functional cars, and i have cars that give me something to work on when im bored. I have cars that i only like because of what i have done to them, and i have cars that i like because of how they come (stock).

I tend to judge vehicles more on their own merits now than simply judging everything on speed and turning.

I have an old Dakota with 238000 miles that looks like complete ass and always sounds like its about to throw a rod, and EVERY time i get in it i mention to my fiancee how much i love the design and the overall experience of it.

I own 4 turbo vehicles, but what i drive everyday is a 50+mpg Honda Insight that has a grand total of 63hp and has 288,000 miles on it.

So i think i have SOME similar thoughts to you.

Once again...the answer is....say it with me....Miata. Track car, point A to point B daily driver, whatever, it can do both very well.

Seriously, you're not alone I'm sure. I think it has a lot to do with a persons' life situation though. If my finances allowed, I would be right there with you. Have a fun track car and not really care what I drive to work. But no matter how hard I try to make it work, I don't have the funds to run HPDE events. Hell, I even bought an old ITB car for dirt cheap. I bought it in June, and it has never left the garage, even once. So, absent the track time, it matters a lot more to me what I drive to/from work. I'm hoping in the next few years that I'll be able to start getting back on track, and then I probably won't care what my dd is.

I don't believe in dual duty. The things I do to a race car have a high rate of success in ruining the way it looks and often its ability to get home under its own power. My race car has no lights, wipers, side windows or functional doors. It doesn't idle. It really only does one thing well - it goes around a road circuit.

I still like a nice older sports car to tool around in because I'm only at the track ~30 days a year and driving the tow rig gets tedious.

The fastest guys I know all drive minivans and trucks. They need something to ow a car to the track and hold spares and occasionally sleep in.

pinchvalve wrote: The fastest guys I know all drive minivans and trucks. They need something to ow a car to the track and hold spares and occasionally sleep in.

ANNND they don't have much to prove on the street, so they get fewrer tickets. My opinion; YMMV.

Mikey52_1 wrote:

pinchvalve wrote: The fastest guys I know all drive minivans and trucks. They need something to ow a car to the track and hold spares and occasionally sleep in.

ANNND they don't have much to prove on the street, so they get fewrer tickets. My opinion; YMMV.

I have found that to be the case, at least in my area. those that truly race don't have anything to prove anywhere else. they drive station wagons or vans or old beat up pick up trucks.

They also are the ones willing to talk to the other people (me included) who don't get as much time on track/at autocross and are willing to share.

I happen to drive a Jeep Cherokee as a daily driver, I am renovating my house right now so I need the utility of it. the plan was to sell it when I was done with the house and get a sportier car, now I am going to keep the Jeep and get a dedicated Race/track day/autocross car.