Cascade Crew

Red Bird

Im looking into driving at a track day at either Portland int'l raceway, or pacific raceway in seattle. this next spring/summer.
has anyone driven either course? it looks like you have to go to a driving school at both tracks to get on track, anyone have any experience with road course track days?
I am getting tired of autocross, theres just not enough seat time.

Dewey316 · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 4:33 am Post subject:

Team Continental comes highly recomended by Alloy. I am sure he will be happy to post up more information.

I am not sure, but TC and ProDrive may be the two places to start with. Many of the other auto clubs put on driving schools, you might be able to sneak in with them. NW Quattro Club, BMWCCA and Porsche all useualy have driver training days.

I need to get with Mike and Paul, but the three of us have been talking about doing TC together.

iansane · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:47 am Post subject:

I took the Proformance driving school a couple years ago at Pacific Raceways. It was FUN. The didn't bombard me with a lot of stuff, just the basics and then got you out on the track with an instructor (I got lucky, mine was a hot blond). We spent the morning (9ish to 11ish) doing drills and practicing skills in cone sets and such. After lunch was 20 lap sessions with the instructor critiquing what we've learned, suggesting a better line and making sure we weren't being stupid.

It was FUN. Of course, I was in my moms 'vette so that helped.

Dewey316 · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:54 am Post subject:

aaron_sK · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 8:59 am Post subject:

He didn't pick up his Judge either.

You'd think the ladies would love a guy driving a Ferrari. Squint

iansane · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:08 am Post subject:

flea · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:13 am Post subject:

ladies do love a guy driving a ferrari, but more than that chicks dig a carnivore. The more Tofurkey the hotter the car needed. I don't know what to say if the man can't seal the deal with the Vette/trans am/Camaro/ferrari thing he drives he may need to invest in a Bologna sandwich.
You don't think Fred Flintstone got that smokin hot redhead cause of his car do you? oh no, it was the brontosaurus burgers.

90droptoproc · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:43 am Post subject:

there is wisdom in those words Very Happy

and coke sprayed on my screen...thanks Laughing

flea · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 9:56 am Post subject:

well its true.
every time my wife gets a little mad at me I make go cook me up a pork chop till shes happy again. Been married almost 21 yrs. Cool

alloy · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 12:18 pm Post subject:

The Team Continental school is the best in my opinion. It's very well run and organized, and very safe. When I went through it they had only had one accident in 27 years of running it. In 1963 a guy banged his porsche fender on turn 9.

You start with a ground school the evening before. Ours was at a room at the portland zoo. Then early the next morning was tech. The cars that failed were about 70% no battery hold downs, next was low or spongy brakes, and stupid little stuff like bald tires and broken windshield If my car wasn't prepared for previously I'd call and get a list of things. they look for.

In the morning you start out with the instructor riding with you. He shows you the track and the lines you should take. And down the front straight is a row of cones. That is the ONLY place you can pass. If you try anywhere else you will be ejected from the school. As I said they are very tough on safety. I got three separate sessions with my instructor

In the afternoon you are let loose by yourself. That's if they deem you safe to to that. I got another three sessions alone. Had to go get fuel between sessions. Can't believe how much you go through with the pedal on the metal there.

After there was a pizza party and the instructors went to the front and brought the students up and said how they did. I enjoyed that part since I was seasoned autocrosser of about 5 years and got a 95% score.

I have to say this was the fun most I've ever had in a car with my clothes on Wink

Red Bird · Posted: Mon Dec 07, 2009 2:00 pm Post subject:

I checked out team continental, and for the money that is definitley worth the drive down! I am looking to try somthing new. autocross is fun, but when you dont have a local club to run with, it's a lot of work, time, and money to get about 6 or 7 minutes out on course. maybe we can get a group of us to go if others might be interested, it'd be awesome to cruise the road course with pack of thirgens lol. Im def game.