Want to drive fast on a Track? If you are interested in exploring your limits and the car's on a track (the twisty kind) then HPDE events (High Performance Driving Experience) are just the thing. There are a variety of ways to get your car on a track and an equal number of organizations who will help you out. Typically these events are 1 or 2 days at Summit Point, Pocono, Watkins Glen, the new New Jersey Motorsports park, Lime Rockand a few others (I'm only listing tracks in the Northeast here but these events occur all over the country). There are no special requirments (i.e. you don't need to have a competition license) other than a coupe (no verts unless you have 4pt roll bar), mechanically sound, helmet, etc. Drivers are broken into run groups so newbies run with newbies, experienced with experienced, etc. You generally will have an instructor in the passenger seat most of the time - until you are in an advanced group. The event includes both high speed on track and class room sessions. Almost always there are no-pass rules in use (i.e. its a school, not a race) and you must be waved by to get around a slower car in front of you.

It is recommendedyou have lots of brake pad (preferably a high performance pad) and high temp brake fluid to prevent brake fade.

I have signed up for two HPDEs so far and will probably sign up for a couple more. If anyone else in the Northeast is interested please reply - it would be very cool to have a few Stang brothers out there.

May 22nd - Pocono - www.hookedondriving.com
July 14, 15 - Summit Point - www.trackdaze.com - this is a 2 day, good bang for the buck.

 

Do you have a link for anything in NJ?

 

Pocono is not far from Jersey - 2hrs from Pt Pleasant.

The only track I'm aware of closer is:New Jersey Motorsports Park www.njmotorsportspark.com- in southern Jersey. Its opening this summer and hence there are not very many HPDEs at it this year. www.HookedOnDriving.com is holding an HPDE there on Sept 15th. NASA Northeast(www.nasanortheast.org)is holding one on Aug 5th and 6th, registration is not open yet.

There is also a new "private" trackcalled Monticello Motor Club www.monticellomotorclub.com- in the NY Catskills.It looks like a beautiful track (or at least will be, they are still constructing it) but it will be very hard to get any time on it I think.

 

I'm intersted in the going to one of the Pocono events. Thanks for posting I knew they had track days there just never knew who was running them. I've never been to one before do you need to be a member NASA?

 

For this particular event (May 22nd)the answer is No, youdo not need to be a member of NASA. Pocono, of course, is a race track. For the most part, the owners and operators of race tracks do not themselves offer 'driving schools' (there are some exceptions). Usually a Group rents the track for a day and then they hold the driving school. Depending on the group, they may or may not require membership. For example, any events put on by a regional Porsche Club often require membership or at the least, ownership of a Porsche. Any events put on by NASA usually require membership. But events put on by "TrackDaze" and "HookedOnDriving" do not (they are not clubs, but commercial enterprises, much like Skip Barber). Does that help?

I've learned the trick is finding these groups - there are a ton of them and some are pretty obscure, check out "Group52.com" or "www.northeastiron.org". I know there is another member of this forum who is going to a HPDE event in Aug put on by the regional BMW club...go figure.

 

I'm originally from JT just south of Pocono, and I've never been to one of these. Also looks like Pocono might be the best bang for the buck.........why are some tracks near 600 and others like pocono 285? Also is there a rain day thing or a rain check for your money

 

Yep - prices are all over the map, totally depends on the organization who's putting the event on and the location. Some events are two days and hence you'd expect them to cost more. Generally these events are run rain or shine unless the track is shut down for unsafe conditions.

 

I would be interested in this, but the wheel to wheel racing scares me a bit. I know you said people arent supposed to pass, but like if someone else hits you, will they pay for your car too? I'm scared of having someone out there in some beat up miata trash my car and then having to pay for the repairs myself. Am i just being a baby?

 

LOL - yes you are being a baby. Seriously though, HPDEs are not about racing, they are safer than driving on the street with all the idiots out there. Somewhere on the HookedOnDriving website it states they have had 2 accidents in 6 years. Thats 1000s of cars that have not had an issue. Much higher probability of getting hit on the streets. Come on out and join the fun!

 

I ran the circuitcross at VIR earlier this year and had a lot of fun. What scared me though was that about 20% of the drivers were being wreckless as hell and going off the track. Maybe it was because they are all used to autocross or something. Some guy who must have been 70 years old jumped his rx7 twin turbo off the track and had to get towed back onto the track and then the rest of the way around it. Maybe I'll come out and watch one first.