Pitlab77

iTrader: (3)

I'll talk to david hedrick (he was out at the last event)

I know has started setting up a miata class at the local Porsche club events. Its fun having all sorts of prep level miatas there.

spoolin2bars

iTrader: (1)

i think you guys are assuming we never auto-x. i think most all of us started out auto-x'ing. i started ax'ing heavily in 2003-4. ls swapped crx, later turbo'd crx, then a big whp mitsu. galant, and my miata as soon as i got it in spring of '07. i'm pretty damn good at it. point is, i can't see spending all day for 4-6 one minute runs. if i'm taking the day or weekend off from work, it's gonna be for some high speed action... hours of it!

tann3r

iTrader: (6)

This man speaks the truth. I started autoxing in '99 w/ a '99 civic si. once it was stolen, as all civic si's are, i bought the '99 miata i still have today. I'm no slouch at the cones and parking lots stuff, but i'd rather spend my free time at a real track where i'm a sad panda if i see speeds under 55mph for any period of time.

Nothing against autoxers, but if you want a series to compete in, do what spoolin did and start one!

sixace

Since I'm the one that brought up the ax, please remember that it was brought up as a suggestion to PROMOTE PARTICIPATION in TxMC, since that's what they do it in the original series.

Just because you do not care for it does not mean that others do not, and those that are just starting out, or who have never tracked, but do attend ax, may see it (TxMC) as a way to dip their toes into the track experience, and participation grows, potential sponsors notice, and good things happen.

Geez. Sorry to try and help. It's not like I suggested adding drifting, drag and rally events to the schedule.

The art of promoting events lies within looking beyond what you personally prefer to do.

Meh. Whatever. It's all good. I'll still do the ax thing between track events. It's close, cheap, and miata are there in force taking down the "faster" cars.

spoolin2bars

iTrader: (1)

nothing wrong with making a suggestion dan. but there's also nothing wrong with stating why we don't care to do it. like i said the 10 other times this was brought up (you weren't the only or the first) who's driving 5 hours to do it? how is someone wanting to do auto-x gonna see what the track event is about? in cali. the auto-x happens right there in the cali. speedway's parking lot. real easy, here, not so easy.

Double O 86

I agree with SixAce; let's add drifting, drag and rally events to the schedule.

But really, we haven't captured all the track guys yet, so there's no reason (yet) to go after the autocross guys. Let's find a way to recruit the many Texas track Miata drivers who have yet to participate.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Yes, I'd like to rally my car since it's so easy on mechanicals.

spoolin2bars

iTrader: (1)

i've done a couple rally-x events. super duper fun. only problem was the car was filthy inside/out afterwards. also had a slow leak in my factory wheels after i aired them down and dirt got trapped in the bead. but that didn't show up till the next day. we lost access to that property though so that sux.

ZX-Tex

iTrader: (15)

I need three. Got into the 1:29s today. The track was cold. That is my excuse. Seriously though I was having trouble getting heat into the tires despite playing with tire pressures. I really want to get a pyrometer.

jacob300zx

I won't be autoxing anytime in the near future. It is an absolute waste of my time compared to roadracing. I get more track time in one day than an autoxer gets in 1 year.

Pitlab77

iTrader: (3)

It can be a waste of time, that I why I stopped going to HOUSCCA events and only do the local porsche and bmw events. More seat time, less cost.

I guess i'm just trying to see how I or others could get in on the party as Grad school has really taken over more of my life than I expected and I have lost wrenching time. I also still find it hard to want to take my only car out to a course where It could be balled up.

How many of you guys seriously track you only car. I think more people would get involved if they did not feel like they would damage their ride to work on Monday, but I guess that is a different discussion and not what this thread is about.

Hopefully I can come out to watch and support you guys this next year in a feasible way.

jacob300zx

Others can join the party by showing up. I'm not trying to spend all season talking to people that are being puss's about how safe a hpde is. If they are curious they can come watch any event in Houston, Dallas, Austin and by that I mean any track day. You either have the ***** to run or not. 99% of people who think autox is the **** are not doing tack days. This is like discussing cigs vs splifs, I'd rather have a splif. No offense Pitlab77 but why didn't you run any of the events? I respect sixaces opnion on doing autox, because he actually came to events this year. It still doesn't negate the fact that most people aren't going to drive to another city, spend the night, get up early, to work/wait in line for 6 minutes of driving. For me its all about track time vs family time, roadracing is the answer.

Pitlab77

iTrader: (3)

Why I have not run.
1) When I came out to watch the event at MSR-H I was gun ho and ready to try to set up my car for steet class. I did not have a bar so I did not.

2) Grad school got in the way. My weekends are now 60~70 school work or work-work, 5% church, 25% me time.

3) Paying for grad school with cash money. about 4k a year. Bye car budget (Another reason I got RE-11's instead of another set of R compounds for one of my AutoX wheels).

4) My job does not allow me to take days or time off to go race (plus I always have a ton of papers to look over or lessons to plan). Its hard enough to get a Dr. apt with out them wondering why i'm not at work. Plus I have to come back and clean up the headaches that happen when a substitue is my room.

5) The more I see the cars, the less it seems like people are taking they DD or only cars out there. I know its an HPDE and it is relativle safe but I have to get to work/class and do not have the time to fix my car if something were to go wrong.


6) I have no garage at the moment. Sucks working on my car unless I visit my parents and kick them all out of the garage.

Trust me its not that I do not want to, and its not about being a puss. I just find it almost impossible to fit in till i'm out of grad school. What sucks about other types of racing are the same things that allow me to participate in them at the moment.

jacob300zx

No offense but life is too short to be scared of tracking an old miata. You can make any event at MSR-H or TWS. Any event in Dallas or Austin would require a 4am leave time and a 12pm return time. If you crash your miata or blow it up lots of people would help you find a way of getting it back home. Grab a $500 beater for a daily. I'm a little jaded on people's excuses...

1% chance of crash and burn miata<miata challenge glory



Example:
1:00 am spoolin and I leave Corpus in the S2000 packed to the gills
6:00 am arrive at TWS to locked gates, pop tent at entrance
6:15 am its really cold
7:00 am spoolin farts in a one man tent, it stinks, I dream of racing in a garbage dump
8:00 am the sun is warm
9:30 am dad arrives in his miata and wakes us up
10:00 am eat crappy breakfast
11:00 get gas
11:45 get special batteries for go pro
12:05 pm get to track
12:15 pm unload car, talk **** to Hustler
12:25 pm roll fenders with pipe
12:40 pm try to explain NASA doesn't run colors, tell her I'm black diamond, tell my Dad to lie and say he is an instructor
12:45 pm driver meeting
12:50 pm we all agree that she likes to hear herself talk
1:10 pm make fun of lord helmets and emo jeans
1:30 pm on track
5:45 pm leave track
7:00 pm stop in random town for dinner, get hit on by 50 year old cougar, dad gets hit on by 19 year old teen, spoolin suspects ruffie in pizza
7:30 pm get coffee
8:30 pm get coffee
9:30 pm get coffee
10:00 pm autox the **** out of a deer, scare spoolin
11:30 pm home, cracked out on coffee but tired

Pitlab77

iTrader: (3)

No offense but get of your high horse. I'm glad you can make those events, if you noticed it is other things that are preventing me the most for making events, not fear. I've even tried to buy and fix up a track beater miata with a friend to spread my time commitment thinner. No go with anyone so far.

My work and school is what is keeping me the most. I'm tired of people saying "it must be nice to get __insert time school is out here___ off." Most people do not realize how much work it is, or how much I have to take home with me or do on the weekends. If you can respect that, good. If you can not thats fine too. This is not a tread to bash one thing or another, or one person or another. If you have an questions or comments hit the PM box I will most gladly have a conversation with you.

There is a difference between making and excusse and having a reason.

Lets not dump on this thread.

spoolin2bars

iTrader: (1)

i've driven my only daily driver car since 2006 to over 50 trackday events. not once did i worry about wrecking my only car. if i thought that way i wouldn't drive on the street since it's much more dangerous driving to an event than being in one. it wasn't until this year that i actually started towing to a few events as my car has become less and less street friendly as i pull parts from it. i also have been juggling work, taking care of my elderly father (alzheimers and other age related problems), working on my car, scraping together cash to do this. (i literally throw all my change everyday into a mickey mouse piggy bank) i also do side jobs installing performance parts, tuning ecu/suspensions to help pay for my addiction. to tell you the truth, these trackdays are the only thing keeping me sane right now. it's my time to unwind and focus on nothing related to my day to day grind. i don't think you've done a trackday to know what your missing, otherwise you wouldn't be arguing with jake about this. honestly, after putting on events locally with scca or pca since 2007, i know all the excuses or reasons why someone can't do this or that. whatever you wanna call it, i really don't care. i'm not saying this to be a dick, i just don't have time to save everyone from a non-tracking life. i've got a bunch of people already tracking to care of. don't get me wrong, the more the merrier. i would love to have you or anyone come play with us. but it really doesn't matter why you can't come, only that you can't. and if that's the case why even say anything. there has been a group putting on drift events in houston that i've been trying to attend for the last year and a half. when i see a thread for an upcoming event i don't post that i wanna go but can't because a,b,c,d,. only if i was able to run would say anything, like "count me in" or something.

jacob300zx

Lol, I didn't realize how busy you are. Your right maybe the big track isn't right for you. I'm sure you will find time another year.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

Yep, I've wanted to do this ever since I was a little kid. My life is easy compared to 90% of this board but it's one of the few times I can get work and politics out of my head.

If you're worried about your car making it home, I have enough spare parts in my trailer to build a car so you're fine there. I must admit that it's going to take some cajoling to get my to TWS in August.

jacob300zx

ugh, I don't know if I want to go in August heat vs CW.

hustler

iTrader: (6)

CW and a bikini mister. Pun/lulz