hsmith

Anyone recommend well organized safe clubs to run DE's in the Northeast? I primary run with SCDA and while i do like them, i'm tired of constantly being held up by old spec miatas and other slow cars in the advanced group. The skill level and car speeds are vast. Last time i was there i barely got a clean lap for almost an entire session. I live near Lime Rock so i really like running there due to the convenience. Are there any clubs that have run groups based on experience and lap times? Maybe that would help

LuigiVampa

I'm biased but PCA Connecticut Valley Region is who I drive with consistently. Great group of people and we are Porsche only at Lime Rock. No miatas to deal with!

hsmith

Thanks for the suggestion. Never ran with PCA before. I may sign up for the 9/12 event @ Lime Rock.

brownan

Check out NEQ Chapter Audi Club. I co-CI so am biased but people like our events. We have a July and August WGI event as well as a few others. They're on MSR.

ELange0322

Holding my breath and keeping quiet - people's experiences are all slightly different.

A mostly, it's where you make a connection with the people you run with and build some bonds that last. I run with many regions (mostly Rennsport, Niagara, some of the BMW Boston events, NNJR for a couple events, and Hudson Champlain as well as some Trackmasters days and Group 52 this year).

Ran an event recently and just wasn't "feeling it". Need my friends around and actually need some traffic both slower and faster. Can say that there are groups (Rennsport) and individuals (Betterley, Katz, Kane and Keller) that have pulled me in in a way that is amazing. I plan my season around those events and regions and people.

You will find amazing drivers in EVERY region. Some more so than others, and in particular those that tell everyone they are better than everyone else. Hopefully, you do this because you love it and because you want to be the best you that you can be. Find those that are interested in. Your development, regardless of level, rather than telling you hope much better they are, and seek constant improvement in yourself and align yourself with the best drivers in that region you can find.

I ran in an event this last weekend with a group that I consider to have about the best core of drivers that I have been privileged to be associated with - and there will always be a few that just don't give a pass. Happened to me and others far to often this weekend, but it's all manageable. Came into the pits and created space., Got a car number and spoke with 2 instructors I asked to ride with me. Others spoke with management as well. Control what you can and align yourself with the best PEOPLE possible. The rest all works out in the end.

Sorry - one region that I most frequently run with has maybe 7 of us at the last event all running together with multiple people all passing each other each corner. OBVIOUSLY this is advanced run group stuff. Point is that it wasn't about lap time and no one was being help up. It was 7 of us all within 1 corner of another all with a pass each corner (giving or taking). Corners workers were applauding us at the end of session and we cheered them too. Was amazing in the paddock and the pub later as well....

Don't get tuned up is my advice. This is supposed to be fun and you are supposed to enjoy it. It's easy enough to figure how to make that work.

FWIW - I had the fortune of recently meeting Luigi. Great guy and exceptional driver. He had a recent thread on some stuff that went on in a race he was in, and I posted the same thing. Didn't sound like he was having fun, and maybe needed to get back to that (actually I said that's why I am not considering racing). I can tell you, that as good as he is - and not just him, but the BEST drivers, will always give you the point in a DE environment, and will enjoy buyout desire to play on track. Off track too...

Good luck.

ProCoach

Great post, and great crew to hang with...

gbuff

Great post--I've run with many of the groups named for years and they are among my absolute favorites, as well as the people named.....and you can add Lange to that list!

Gary

SWK6Cup

+1000 ^ ELange- great bunch, classy group, quality drivers! That is what makes an event a truly great one!

paradocs98

May want to try Chin or Hooked on Driving. Chin's events are very well-run. And when I ran in advanced at LRP with HOD a couple of weeks ago, I was one of the slow-pokes running 1:02-1:03s as I was acclimating to the new car. There were plenty of fast cars in the group, although there was some bad behavior early on (not giving point-bys, passing without point-bys, dive-bombing people in corners). Probably your best option for LRP is to join the Drivers' Club there...

ProCoach

Chin and LRDC are good options.

LuigiVampa

Is there another Luigi Vampa on RL with a white Martini Cayman because you can't be talking about me?

Thanks for the kind words and I very much agree with your post about running with different groups.

Group 52, at which I had the pleasure of meeting you, was awesome! Cool eclectic people and awesome cars. I didn't have one single problem out on the track the whole time I was there which is surprising as there was a huge disparity in speeds from the various cars out there. I think the one consistency was everyone had some measure of skill regardless of the cars speed and handling.

The NASCAR guys were a hoot as they would go screaming on by and so were the more exotic cars.

Getting back on point, being with friends, people you know you can trust with a late pass, are a huge part of the events for me. With CVR we regularly have food and beers when the track goes cold after the event. Gourmet franks and beans, tacos and meatballs heroes are some of the favorites all served with craft beers!

hsmith

Thanks for the recommendations. I checked Chin and it doesn't seem they go to Lime Rock. Also it seems HOD is no longer visiting LRP this year. Also I agree joing the LRDC would be ideal however I'd rather be racing than paying the price of admission/annual dues. I could get several Skip Barber MX5 cup race weekends for the price of the senior membership and could even do an entire season for the individual membership.

ProCoach

You asked what the best car clubs were to run DE's with in the Northeast.

LRDC is one. The quality of the track time is different and the level of driving skill and etiquette IS what you're looking for. It was an answer to your question.

HOD, NASA and Chin (the latter to a lesser extent) are all under the franchise model (except for David Ray's original HOD region on the Left Coast), so experiences/philosophy/core constituency will differ from region to region, as it does with volunteer marque club chapters and regions.

I have found the most consistent experience with the small volume, higher event fee groups like Group 52, David Murry Track Days, Joey G's days with AP, Kojote Sport, Peter Argetsinger's days at Sebring and a few others.

Generally, the entrants are better vetted (although none are as good as they started out), the level of awareness is higher and, when I work with people on a very intense, one-on-one program at the track for a day or two days, we can completely structure our schedule without regard to published "run group," which makes our program MUCH more effective. People seem to smile more, too.

With that freedom comes responsibility, however... You pay your money and make your choice.

hsmith

Thanks for the feedback and I appreciate your recommendations. I agree that i'm sure LRDC is probably what i am looking for however given the price I guess i'm looking for more of an event to event type club. I will consider the others you mentioned. Thank you

ProCoach

Looking forward to your event reports! It helps all of us!