My first experience with high performance driving was taking a two day autocross school many years ago run by a local SCCA club. Spent a year doing a ton of AX and then switched to attending HPDEs at numerous race tracks in my area (south central PA). Its an absolute blast and I highly recommend anyone who is a driving enthusiast check it out. Its easy to get involved - the best starting point is to contact the local SCCA or NASA club (National Auto Sport Association). Once you dip your toe in the scene you will quickly find there are tons of opportunities to get on tracks or parking lots all over the country. I don't pay much attention to the TX area but from following a few forums I now there is lots of activity in the DFW and surrounding area.

Attend a few schools and you'll quickly learn a ton about car control. Skid pad exercises are a great tool to teach under and oversteer and how to deal with them. AX is an adrenline rush 60 seconds at a time. You'll be astounded how quickly some of the experts are compared to your more humble times (at least when starting out). HPDEs on a big track offer unparalled excitement (in my book). Make yourself do it! Get out there - you won't be sorry.

 

SCCA here I come then.

Honestly, Road Course stuff has always appealed to me more than drag. It's cool with brute power with a delicate finess aspect, but Road Course seems to be evenly balanced.

And also pretty freaking cool.

 

Your car in its stock configuration will work just fine at AX. You will not have the ultimate traction that some of the others will have, but the advantage is that the car will give you lots of warning before it lets go. It will take awhile, anyway, to catch up with your car's capabilities. So, there's no rush on the mods.

Big track - the minimum you would have to do is flush your brake fluid (good idea anyway) and probably install some track style brake pads. The stock pads on an "06 will not do very well on the track. There is an amazing amount of pucker power when you go into a sharp turn realizing that your brakes have just gone away.

But definitely get your car out there. It's a lot of fun and you will learn a lot about controlling your car at speed.

 

I was at the Miller Motorsports Track on Saturday watching NASA Races, and its really nice. I wish I could have done their mustang driving course.

 

THANK YOU FOR STATING THAT!

Do you know how many people don't get that basic concept? I'm glad that someone with more credability than me stated it. It's common sense (to me) and basic physics but the average person doesn't think about that. They simply want taut suspensions and have zero concept about what that does to controllability of the car for the unexperienced....

anways /rant

 

JFitz, happened across your question, haven't been on the site in a while.

Anyway, check out www.thedriversedge.net. I've been running with these guys since 2005, and have learned a LOT over the years. You get to drive on a true road course over a weekend with an instructor in the car with you, plus class time. Really good guys that focus on safety. Plus you see lots of cool cars of all makes and models running together.

The closest track they run at in DFW is just outside Ft. Worth in Cresson, Tx. They also run at Texas World Speedway in College Station, as well as others.

 

good post i forgot about drivers edge. i havent been to one of their events yet but i have heard nothing but rave reviews. and the bastards were some of the first civilians to run at COTA!

 

2nd on "The Norm" as many forum watcher's know he is knowledgeable. I am 50 + years
and learn something new each day I drive, "easy goes it" is best. This forum can help too.

 

Yeah, they are a great, safe organization. I was one of the lucky bastards that ran in January!

It was a wet day though, so I didn't get to push until my last session. Search YouTube for Drivers Edge COTA and you can see lots of different cars that went. Add "Shelby GT" to see my laps. Not my best drive, not enough dry track time to push, plus they wanted us to keep our noses clean. We were trying not to upset the COTA folks.

 

yea bc god knows theyre looking for any excuse to kick clubs off of the track. the managment there amazes me with their incompetency. but man your lucky, i talked to a guy here in houston that runs with a blue c6 z06 and he was telling me all about it. well im jelly but next organization that runs there hopefully i will have an off wknd and the money to make it! o and are you going to be at MSR this wknd?