DE, Why Bother?

[Trackrat]

Some folks are of the opinion that DE has its limits. If you tweak your car enough, you are wasting your money and should just buy a "race car". Real men (and ladies) graduate to wheel-to-wheel racing.

While always willing to keep an open mind and change my opinion at any time I enjoy DE and Time Trials and choose not to move to wheel to wheel for the following reasons.

1. DE is no pressure and very relaxing.
2. Lower cost of participation. Much fewer consumables.
3. Less chance of car to car contact.
4. Less chance of catastrophic crash due to wheel to wheel contact.
5. A DE car can be and usually is street legal. A pure race car is not street legal. A Cup car can never be street legal.
6. DE gives you a whole lot more track time and events during the year to participate in.
7. You can make any changes to your car that you like as there is no rule book to restrict you.

During my GT3RS build project over the winter, adding a cage, new suspension, race exhaust I frequently worried if I was going too far over the top. Folks asked me if I was just wasting my money on a street car.

But I must say, I now enjoy DE more than ever and the car is a pure joy to track. Plus I have the reward of tuning the car exactly as I like it. To me DE is as valid a pursuit as anything else?

What do you think about this topic and what is right for you?

[landjet]

I wholeheartedly agree. I have no need to race to prove anything. I enjoy the camaraderie of the club and experience enough adrenaline to be satisfied. My main objective is to have fun and bring the car home in the same condition it went. Plus I've made some great friends along the way.

[bman]

Originally Posted by Trackrat

I frequently worried if I was going too far over the top.

Over the top? You?

In hindsight, I went too far with my Cayman. JRZ's, GT3 Brakes, LCA's, etc...It's still driven on the street but it's not comfortable. I considered stripping it and adding a cage but decided it's not the car I want to race.

I don't intend to do much to the GT2. It's a perfect balance between street and track.

There's a good chance I'll have a cup car one day but for now I am enjoying DE's. My wife is also DE'ing so it's great way for us to get away and spend time together with friends.

[mooty]

great post trackrate.
i have been and still am in both. let me shed some light here.

1. DE is no pressure and very relaxing: yes, indeed. i dont like to hire track support, i am cheap. but without track support. it's EXTREMELY tiring. and i am in very good physical shape with 6 miles runs daily. u chk and recheck everything. tire management is crucial. i have practice tires, qual tires and race tires. so every session, i need to swap tires.


2. Lower cost of participation. Much fewer consumables: indeed. you drive until tires cord. i drive a few HC then i need new tires.

3. Less chance of car to car contact.: yep. BSR hit 2x already. 13 13 rules whatever, if you race, you will rub. or like me, be rubbed.

4. Less chance of catastrophic crash due to wheel to wheel contact.: i haven't had one. but it's a matter of when, not if.

5. A DE car can be and usually is street legal. A pure race car is not street legal. A Cup car can never be street legal.: yes, street legal technicaly but you dont really want to drive your blue car on street much. i dont drive my stripper or BSR on street anymore. but in a pinch i can, cup car i cannot.

6. DE gives you a whole lot more track time and events during the year to participate in.: right on. but to fix that issue. i will run with GGR at BW in both club race group and red group. of course i am not sure the car can be driven that hard that long. so wild mind is now thinking getting a dually and two car trailer. that's two cars for ME for a weekend. but as you all know. i am mentally unstable.


7. You can make any changes to your car that you like as there is no rule book to restrict you.
that's exactly why i hate to pick a class then buy a car. i like to pick a car then race. i dont care about winning $5 trophies. if there's a $10M purse at the end of the day, i be interested. but for $5 i like to do my OWN rules and fun.

[Trackrat]

Originally Posted by mooty

great post trackrate.
i have been and still am in both. let me shed some light here.

that's exactly why i hate to pick a class then buy a car. i like to pick a car then race. i dont care about winning $5 trophies. if there's a $10M purse at the end of the day, i be interested. but for $5 i like to do my OWN rules and fun.

More good stuff, thanks John! You have been/are doing both so valuable feedback.

Let me be clear that I am sure I would love some wheel to wheel and may yet do it but I thought it might be helpful to air the topic and discuss it rationally

Interesting to read the thoughts and opinions.

[jenk12m]

I have nothing against racing and would like to race one day just to do it. But when you think of all the money that goes into racing and like mooty said, there's no 10M purse at the end of the day, that's tough

[PJS]

Wait... I am not racing at my de days?

:-)

[landjet]

Originally Posted by pjs

wait... I am not racing at my de days?:-)

[FTS]

I don't think I'll ever go racing wheel to wheel, somehow just does not capture me as an attractive activity. I agree with all of the above comments about DE; it is a relaxing activity for me as well, I push it when I want the way I want.

However, competing is quite attractive. All my driving since late teens have been in either some sort of stage rallying, hillclimbs, autox or timetrials. To me it is tremendously gratifying to pursue to magical perfect lap on a given track, and once I get it, which I never do actually, I am done with that track. That's how I get the need for competition out of my system.

I am hoping someday, as a Register, we will be able to organize time trials across the US or even abroad. That, to me, is very exciting. For now though, just going to the track with friends, driving together, getting drunk at night together, is more than satisfactory.

[CWS]

DEs are great and I will continue to do as many as schedule allow. That said, I'm focused on getting PCA license and going racing. There's a whole other set of skills that goes into racing and I'm looking forward to learning and refining them.

Bottom-line, any track time is good track time. Just get out there and do it.

[24Chromium]

Racing has been my dream for about 10 years (can't believe it's been that long ago that I got a race license and never used it). However, it is prohibitively expensive for me. I have zero support as far as a crew (no wife or kids) and I've got no truck and trailer. It's still just a dream...

[mooty]

^ dont worry. since u blame me for not asking if you wanted my trailer, i offer you my very nice truck for sale. i now subscribe to BIGGER is better philosophy. went truck shopping this afternoon. i think i want a peterbilt....

unless you are PJS or belong to truck cult, i think i got the nicest truck on norcal tracks, until my next truck. and i plan to put RS badge on it.

[PJS]

"unless you are pjs"

:-)

Denali hd 3500 ftw (it's all about the air conditioned seats - truck version of a cool suit)

[FTS]

[Dell]

My journey from DE student all the way to racing seemed to be the logical path. I'll explain the "seemed" part of that statement in the following paragraphs

I started my DE career and was immediately hooked. I had no idea such a thing existed where you could take your car to a race track (like the pro racers do) and legally participate in such a dopamine and adrenaline rush.

I quickly moved from student to Red solo within a year and was told constantly by every instructor and peer that I should really try racing with the skillset I had. The problem is I had no idea what the skillset was. The analogy (and pardon the faux NASCAR one) I would offer is I drove like Cole Trickle from Days of Thunder. I was quick, but I had no idea why or how I could be fast. So, I began trying to find out exactly what it was.

Being the pragmatic thinker in the way I approach a situation, I started creeping baby step after baby step to find out exactly what the car does with various inputs. Then when I fully felt I understand the physics of a car I started to take the car into situations that were abnormal (i.e., offline, bailout, braking too soon/late, throttle too soon/late, etc, etc, etc). I wanted to be able to fully understand so that EVERYTHING on track became 100% unconscious.

After heading to the slippery slope of making the car "better" with suspension, brakes, etc., I realized the envelope edge became smaller and smaller with the margin for error almost nill. This created a style of driving in me where my respect for speed and the danger that comes with it is one that is very healthy. Meaning what exactly? I do NOT take risks outside my ability for fear of wadding up a 6-figure car. This (taking risks outside your ability level) is the one thing I see in new solo drivers all the time as well as advanced students. Their brain seems to think they can do something that their true ability will not allow.

Scroll forward from the transition from DE to racing. I actually regret this more than anything but feel it is a learning experience that will benefit others.

When I decided to go racing I sold my GT3 to buy a purpose built race car. I decided that I wanted to buy a car based on class rather than a car I really want. I found a class that routinely had some of the largest participation. I bought the car that fit in that class and one that somebody else had prepped.

My first race weekend was a little overwhelming. I had no idea how much talent and fast drivers there were. My first practice session was baptism by fire. I had no idea that practice was more intense that the most intense red session a DE could throw at you. Now I'm hooked.

Won a race and did very well in the others that first race weekend. Next race was the 6 hour haul to Road Atlanta for my next race weekend. Once again, did very well and won both in the rain and the dry.

Then I had several months before the VIR race to sit down and plot a course where I wanted to go in my racing career. That was the downfall. I started thinking about all the money I was spending on racing and worse yet, what I could have done with all that money. I was never putting my family finances in jeopardy but that money spent was quite the reality check. Over the next year of building a race car, dealing with a race shop that seemed to always over promise and under deliver, spending money that you just can't get back and I made the decision to stop racing. When you ask yourself what all that money got for you, if you truly listen to your gut, you realize that got you very little. Don't get me wrong, the rush of racing WTW is amazing and nothing in DE will get you that feeling. But what are we racing for? Bragging rights on Rennlist? Seriously? I already proved myself and my ability. I know I have a high level of ability. I know I am well respected by my peers on track. When you realize that you do not need to be at the top of the time sheets to garner that respect, your life will be much more stress free.

I truly love instructing and decided that I was going to get back into DE's once again. I had no idea how much I missed DE's until I went back. I have a new outlook on DE's. Going to a DE is almost like going on vacation where racing is like going to work. The stress level at the DE is almost non existent. The money spent is just a fraction of a race weekend. I have learned how to give point-by's .

I now drive my weekend car (996 Turbo) at track days. It is virtually stock in every way. I run 3 point belts! I don't feel the need to push it to the limit and I will NEVER mod it like my past cars. That is a refreshing feeling. And the best part? I have just as much fun in a virtually stock Turbo that I did in a very well sorted GT3. The moral to that story is that you don't have to dump tons of $$$ into your car to have the same level of fun.

At the end of the day, I now enjoy track weekends more than I thought was possibly and the cost compared to my race habit has flushed my bank account in the black

Sorry for the long winded reply but the journey was one that I hope somebody can get value from.