Looking to Become Better Driver
 

are there any tracks or anything like handling course in or around Houston that I can check out? i know for a fact im not pushing turns as much as i can because coming from a 2000 ford taurus its a bit intimidating and i want to be able to control it. thanks

Motor Sports Ranch Houston (MSRH)


http://msrhouston.com/

What the heck?! Man you must lurk around a lot here if you are in the grapevine area since 2008 and I've never seen you at any of the DFW meets or threads!?

lol alright thanks ill be sure to check it out :icon_tup:

Really not so much lurking. I'm an SCCA racer, I've raced RX-7's in EP for a while, moving up to an RX-8 finally, just purchased a street car RX-8 as well. Also have a 3rd gen street car. I've been on RX-7club.com.

I have my own business, kids, and all my free time is spent racing or preparing to race. I have a shop out by TMS that I spend most of my free time at.

This weekend I'm heading down to MSRH to drop off a car, so I'm always on the move, with either family stuff or race stuff, no time just to hang out.

You guys have fun, maybe I'll make a meet one of these days!

you would be better off starting at Solo/Autocross than at the track:

http://houscca.com/solo/

I agree - start off with autocross first - lower risk to the car, only takes up one day, low cost, etc. If that doesn't quite scratch your itch for thrills then step up to trackday stuff :)

There are quite a few fun tracks near the Houston area (defined as ~2hrs), and if you're willing to travel a bit more some fun stuff near the DFW area too.

I run with NASA-TX - http://www.nasatxracing.com/ and http://www.nasaforums.com/viewforum.php?f=26

Can I just say Kudos to having the most valuable first topic of any member within the past few years. heh. (not being sarcastic either)

thanks, okay ill look into autoX. why would it be better? i always thought you had to do a lot of suspension work compared to just taking a stock car around a track?

nevermind i was thinking rally lol

So long as the car is in good mechanical shape, it'll be fine as-is for autox and only need fresh high-temp brake fluid and a bit more agressive brake pad for track use (I consider brakes as part of safety equipment, so a slight upgrade to make sure they can take the heat is in order I feel).

I have had alot of fun tracking and autocrossing a stock RX8, esp on tracks where the RX8 as-delievered is quicker than my actual race car :)

nice, alright cool ill def be looking into the prices are a lot cheaper

gl with tracking, i got a couple of buddies that do it, really tear their cars up pretty bad.

Autocross is a great way to get your feet wet, I did a bunch of autocrossing back in the day, I'm just too impatient for it in my old age. Spending the entire day for only a few minutes on the course just didn't do it for me. I'm always out by TMS, so I do stop and watch, and enjoy doing that for an hour.

The Drivers Edge ( http://www.thedriversedge.net/ ) had 135 cars at Motor Sports Ranch in Houston last weekend. They are one of the best groups to get some novice track time with. They will assign you an instructor who is an experienced driver, and he will be with you all weekend. My son and I have done several weekends with them.

No racing activity is completely safe, there is always a risk that you will hurt the car, and maybe even yourself. Groups like NASA, Drivers Edge, SCCA and others make it as safe as possible.

well, if you don't take care of your stuff like checking the oil & not overheating the thing, drive over your head and go spinning off into god knows whatever is out there off track every chance you get, follow everyone you can as close as possible so you get rock chipped to death, etc then yes you can really tear up a car quick.

If you use some some sense, it's not bad at all. A ding or three here & there from rock chips, go through tires & brakes a bit quicker, but who cares these sports cars are MEANT to be driven in enviorments like this :)

YMMV

Autocross is a bit harder to mess the car up at, but you still can mess it up a little there too (rock chips & cone scuffs you'd have to buff out later being the worst of the typical stuff you see - BFD imho).

- KB, been at this autocross stuff since 2001, track stuff since 2005. The worst damage I've ever done to the car in that time (excluding wtw racing stuff) were maybe a dozen or so tiny rock chips from track stuff, some cone scuffs that I had to buff out, and one cone scuff that didn't quite buff out all the way (hit a cone sideways at about 55mph).

PS - Driver's Edge is one I've heard mostly good things about. Alot of our current instructors with NASA also do D.E. as instructors. I would assume that the Texas region in general is like alot of other places where the pool of instructors isn't as big as you'd think and that alot of instructors do so for many clubs & events - Driver's Edge, NASA, Marque based clubs like PCA, Track based clubs like TWS's, etc.