My on board @ Circuit of the Amercias

[DR_]

Thanks. Yep those are the Direzzas ZII singing. They get noisy as they age but they still grip pretty good.

[guru]

Damn I wish I would have got a chance to ride with u...... felt obligated to ride with the msr guys cause they were letting me share garage space. Learned a lot from you and it was a pleasure meeting u. Made up some time on Sunday and found that fuel starve u mentioned in 16-18 on only 2 dots missing. Best was 2:49 with traffic. After watching your video I can see where I can make up more time.....can't wait till next year!

[GSS138]

Track is Gorgeous. Can tell it was keeping you guessing a little bit! Thanks for the video.

[wstar]

Yeah 16-18 is a killer for fuel starve conditions in the 370. You need the CJM fuel starve thingy

[TexasChuck]

I looked at the COTA web site, and all I could find for driving your own car, is $2500 a day. And one of the Houston Z guys did this recently. So, if anyone has any info on this for $375 to $400 , I would like to know more.
Thanks,
Chuck
I drove the MSR track south of Houston recently, with the guidance of an instructor, and enjoyed it. I do feel there were areas of the track that were not maintained as well as should have been. Coming out of turn 5, there was a strip of fresh asphalt with good size spots, about an inch deep, that had come out. I was concerned about it tearing up my tires.

[wstar]

Originally Posted by TexasChuck

I looked at the COTA web site, and all I could find for driving your own car, is $2500 a day. And one of the Houston Z guys did this recently. So, if anyone has any info on this for $375 to $400 , I would like to know more.

Basically, every once in a while a DE-type group runs an event there. Usually it's in-demand and pricey even then, and you have to keep an eye out on all the groups and message boards out there to catch them. The one I went with earlier this year was MVP TrackTime, and the recent one that DR_ and guru hit was run by the BMWCCA. Driver's Edge did it early last year, but not this year.

DE groups that normally charge ~$300 for a weekend at cheaper tracks will end up charging more like ~$1000 for a weekend at COTA. It's not their fault, or COTA's really, it's just a much more expensive facility to run. It's gargantuan in scale and involves a lot more staffing, etc.

Also, I'd hold off on hitting a COTA event at all until you've done several at other tracks, for a number of reasons. It's a far more intense and abusive track than most of the other local ones, so you really want to have yourself and your car ready for it in a way that only other track weekends can prepare you for. That and you want to make the most out of your relatively expensive and rare trips there.

I drove the MSR track south of Houston recently, with the guidance of an instructor, and enjoyed it. I do feel there were areas of the track that were not maintained as well as should have been. Coming out of turn 5, there was a strip of fresh asphalt with good size spots, about an inch deep, that had come out. I was concerned about it tearing up my tires.

MSR-Houston is a great track to learn on. It was my first, and I'm headed back there in about 10 days! It's got a nice blend of turns (slow technical stuff, fast sweepers, hairpin, big constant circle, etc), and most importantly it has huge safe runoff areas everywhere but the front straight. It is a little bumpy, but pretty much *every* track around here that runs DE events it a little bumpy (except for COTA). The bumps are good for you in the long run, they teach you how to drive smooth and control traction

[TexasChuck]

wstar..... That's good information. I've only had that brief experience on a track at MSR. I went to the DE website and looked at the info for Apr 5&6 at MSR. Maybe I will be able to come out and be a spectator.

[DR_]

Two HPDE events at COTA scheduled later this year.
Edge Adventures, who is a spin off of the Driver's Edge is on June 28-29 (will be hot)
Chin Motorsports November 15-16 (should be perfect weather)