I want to start doing more racing with my RX-8, I do alot of Drag racing but I want to get more into road course racing. I completed the Skip Barber three day course, which I highly recommend a little over a year ago, and I even have my SCCA liscence. I want to do autocross but with the bodywork I have done to my 8, the cones don't seem very friendly. And wheel to wheel racing is out of the question because hitting another car is worse than hitting the cone. So I've been reading up on the N.A.S.A site and have been studying the info on time trail events but it has left me still with one question. Do they run the timed laps alone or is it as a group or with other cars on the course? I need an event were I don't have to worry about other cars or body kit damageing cones, what do you guys think?

 

I'm sure it's set up so you don't have to pass anyone on the timed run.

SCCA has time trials as well.

 

time trial is a school group that track your time. so you have to run it with other cars.
the only thing different is that you set your lap time and run it as close as possible.
you could rent your own track so you are the only one driving it, it only cost a few gran.

 

They provide you with a transponder. You see your own lap times after the session.

 

NASA has different levels of road course driving. The HPDE sessions, are not racing, but it sounds like you just want track time, since you want to minimize the chances of contact with another vehicle.

The HPDE sessions are great, there are rules for when you can pass another car, and everyone is grouped according to experience, so that a track noob like me, is not out there with a track pro like the instructors. I learned a lot about driving, about my car, and about me, and the day was accident free.

NASA also has actual timed racing, but your chance of contact goes up tremendously, since there are no rules about overtaking and being overtaken. There were a lot of accidents during those sessions.

NASA as a whole is a great organization to get involved with.