2020 MT.net West Coast Track Day Organizer Showdown
#29
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Speed SF is a good club and they typically have a Thunderhill day in September. I also wonder if we could be a big enough group that we could serve as an anchor for an enterprising club to build an open weekend around. For example if Speed SF was going to do a day at T Hill, they could make it a weekend open to their whole club, but x spaces reserved for us ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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#33
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I'm happy to sign up for some "special event". But in my experience, I'm never organizing one of those again.
I think we should just pick a day, show up, and have a good time.
I think we should just pick a day, show up, and have a good time.
#34
2020 track day calendars are starting to get posted, here's a few candidates for Thunderhill:
- Monday March 30 -- GGLC 5-mile. This will probably be 3 run groups, lots of track time, and relatively inexpensive. Downside is that it's a bit risky for rain and the 5 mile track (IMHO) isn't the best Thunderhill config.
- Sat/Sun April 11-12 -- NCRC. They're doing the 3 mile on Saturday and running it backwards (llihrednuhT!) on Sunday. I've never run it backwards -- supposedly it's a bit iffy in a few corners due to runoff that isn't there. Also, NCRC is 4 run groups, so you get less track time than GGLC.
- Thurs/Fri April 30 - May 1 -- Hooked On Driving. 3 mile on Thursday, 5 mile on Friday. 4 run groups and more expensive than NCRC, but higher quality track time (less traffic).
- Sat/Sun May 2 - May 3 -- NorCal Shelby Club. 3 mile both days. Also 4 run groups, and they don't allow passing in corners even in the advanced group. They do typically have a formal driver's school at this event though, which is good if there are folks who want to come who don't have much track experience.
- Thu May 14 -- GGLC. This is Thunderhill West (the new 2 mile track). Should be the same 3 group, cheap format as the March event. Mid May starting to get warm in Willows.
- Sat/Sun June 6 - 7 -- HoD again. I think it's 3 mile both days (probably one bypass, one cyclone). June will be warm, likely in the 90s.
I'm going to skip July and August because those months are brutal in Willows -- 100+ is normal, 110 is not unusual.
- Sat/Sun Sep 12-13 -- more HoD. Same as June event.
- Friday Sep 18 -- NCRC. (There seems to be some disagreement about the date on this, it's listed on the Thunderhill site as Sep 18, but on the NCRC site as Sep 25 a week later)
- Thursday Sep 24 -- GGLC. The only GGLC 3 mile event, I think.
- Sat/Sun Oct 2 - 3 -- Shelby Club again. No driver's school at this one, otherwise same as April event.
- Thurs/Fri Oct 8 - 9 -- HoD. Another 3 mile / 5 mile combo.
So this points out a couple of other considerations. Do people have a preference for which config to use? IMHO the best one is the 3 mile (cyclone or bypass). The 2 mile is fun as well, but slower and tighter. The 5 mile tends to be expensive and can be a bit much all at once if you haven't been there before. llihrednuhT is kind of off-the-wall.
Also, are folks looking for just a single day event, or is there interest in amortizing the towing cost by doing 2 days in a row? I like to do this, and I'm only towing 380 miles round trip, not 2000! There's even the option to do 4 days in a row in April/May if you go nuts. Personally my preference would be one of the HoD weekends or the September GGLC date.
--Ian
- Monday March 30 -- GGLC 5-mile. This will probably be 3 run groups, lots of track time, and relatively inexpensive. Downside is that it's a bit risky for rain and the 5 mile track (IMHO) isn't the best Thunderhill config.
- Sat/Sun April 11-12 -- NCRC. They're doing the 3 mile on Saturday and running it backwards (llihrednuhT!) on Sunday. I've never run it backwards -- supposedly it's a bit iffy in a few corners due to runoff that isn't there. Also, NCRC is 4 run groups, so you get less track time than GGLC.
- Thurs/Fri April 30 - May 1 -- Hooked On Driving. 3 mile on Thursday, 5 mile on Friday. 4 run groups and more expensive than NCRC, but higher quality track time (less traffic).
- Sat/Sun May 2 - May 3 -- NorCal Shelby Club. 3 mile both days. Also 4 run groups, and they don't allow passing in corners even in the advanced group. They do typically have a formal driver's school at this event though, which is good if there are folks who want to come who don't have much track experience.
- Thu May 14 -- GGLC. This is Thunderhill West (the new 2 mile track). Should be the same 3 group, cheap format as the March event. Mid May starting to get warm in Willows.
- Sat/Sun June 6 - 7 -- HoD again. I think it's 3 mile both days (probably one bypass, one cyclone). June will be warm, likely in the 90s.
I'm going to skip July and August because those months are brutal in Willows -- 100+ is normal, 110 is not unusual.
- Sat/Sun Sep 12-13 -- more HoD. Same as June event.
- Friday Sep 18 -- NCRC. (There seems to be some disagreement about the date on this, it's listed on the Thunderhill site as Sep 18, but on the NCRC site as Sep 25 a week later)
- Thursday Sep 24 -- GGLC. The only GGLC 3 mile event, I think.
- Sat/Sun Oct 2 - 3 -- Shelby Club again. No driver's school at this one, otherwise same as April event.
- Thurs/Fri Oct 8 - 9 -- HoD. Another 3 mile / 5 mile combo.
So this points out a couple of other considerations. Do people have a preference for which config to use? IMHO the best one is the 3 mile (cyclone or bypass). The 2 mile is fun as well, but slower and tighter. The 5 mile tends to be expensive and can be a bit much all at once if you haven't been there before. llihrednuhT is kind of off-the-wall.
Also, are folks looking for just a single day event, or is there interest in amortizing the towing cost by doing 2 days in a row? I like to do this, and I'm only towing 380 miles round trip, not 2000! There's even the option to do 4 days in a row in April/May if you go nuts. Personally my preference would be one of the HoD weekends or the September GGLC date.
--Ian
#36
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Great info Ian. +1 on Aarons point. Weekend is the way to go.
I think we should put the Sept 12-13 weekend in our calendars as a tentative plan. Seems like the best weather, and the best opportunity. Driving the 3 mile both ways is something everyone should experience.
I think we should put the Sept 12-13 weekend in our calendars as a tentative plan. Seems like the best weather, and the best opportunity. Driving the 3 mile both ways is something everyone should experience.
#37
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I love the idea of doing a weekend with two track configs. I could probably suffer through the parties and all that carrying on for the chance to drive what could feel like two tracks in a row.
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#40
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I'm supposed to work with speed ventures that weekend but can work around that. Beyond that, the fact that's nationals may possibly make it difficult.
The HoD May event would be the same price (right?) and runs the 3 mile and 5 mile configs, perhaps that'd be another option?
The HoD May event would be the same price (right?) and runs the 3 mile and 5 mile configs, perhaps that'd be another option?