[killer_bluebird]

I'm starting to make arrangement and plans for my first HPDE and need help deciding on what to do. Here is the link to the event. http://www.racenasa.com/infopages/INFOPAGE...OHIOAPRIL06.htm

It's a 3 day event. I'm trying to decide whether to do 1 day, 2 days or 3 days. It seems like the 2 hotels closest to the track are already booked, so I made a reservation on the nearest one 10 miles away (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/banghead.gif) . I guess it is better than a 1 1/2 hr drive. I would be signing in for HPDE1. I've been to open track events before, but have never been to a driving school type event so I'm not sure what to expect.

So the dilemma is do I just go Friday knowing that there are not going to be as many people and learn as much as I can then and skip Saturday and Sunday? Go to the Saturday and Sunday events only or go all 3 days? Cost is a consideration $460 for a weekend of learning is certainly cheaper than a 3 Day acura course at mid Ohio but is not cheap either, I mean including lodging gas and equipment. I do understand that if you want to play you have to pay, I just want to be able to optimize my learning experience. Is it better to take one Day lesson at a time then look for open track days to practice before taking another lesson or Am I going to be able to continue learning as I practice during the 3 days. I do not want go to work on monday morning in a comatose state either. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)

Also is is worth it to rent a transponder on your first event? I'm hoping Nelson post some open track days dates before this so I can shakedown the car as I've been busy all winter tweaking the car. Sorry for all the questions but any and all suggestions are welcome.

[killer_bluebird]

I'd say don't worry about lap times at this point.

My guess is that Friday will have fewer folks than Saturday or Sunday. I'd try to hit Friday and Saturday only, then have Sunday to relax, get the car cleaned up, etc....

How many times have you been to the track? HPDE isn't really a driving school per se. It's more of open tracking with an instructor and a little bit of classroom time and feedback time.

Jason

I was leaning on doing Just Friday and Saturday myself however. In the registration page there is not option to do this. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/mad.gif) Its either Friday or Saturday and Sunday together. (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/sad.gif) See here https://www.nasaproracing.com/nasa_event/sh...w/?event_id=306

Can I call and Sign up just for the 2 days that I really want. I like the idea of having sunday to relax and clean up the car and swap rotors and pads. Since I daily drive my bird. (My Mother in Law wreck my beater) I'm planning this year to only do HPDE events and open track days as I want to learn and practice as much as I can before starting to compete. Next year I'll do some HPDE's and TT, hoping to get a dedicated full racecar or co-drive the following year God willing.

I've been to 2 open track events last year. First one got me familiar with the place despite the fact I was overdriving the car, because I didn't know what I was doing. At least I learned to feel when the car was pushing, Modulating the throttle on exit (the torque in this cars can get you in trouble easily) and learning to let the car "slide" smoothly from one turn into the next with minimal steering input.

The second event, knowing how little I knew, I hooked up with a guy in a race prep 944 and he showed me the correct line. After follow the leader he let me ride shotgun with him. That helped a lot seing how to enter the corners and sensing how the weigth was been tranfered correctly etc. So I focused in smoothly running around the track. Even though I started very slow, I was getting faster everylap. After that I was hooked so here I am.

Sorry for the long answer (IMG:http://www.frrax.com/rrforum/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif)