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Mid-Ohio Rental Anyone?


Sparky
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if we have never been on a road track would we have to do anything extra?

 

Remember that as much as you might think so your not Michael Schumacher and you can't drive like him your first time out!! I'm sure the people working at the track could have some pointers for us first timers and as long as we take our time and not try to set any lap records. I plan on just having fun and taking my time and not wrecking my car.

 

Like said above I think the most important thing is "BRAKES"!! Make sure you have good pads(meaning they should probably be new or near it), have your system bleed to make sure it's not leaking and in good shape. Your engine oil should be completely topped off to ensure you don't get so low that in a corner it drains away from the pickup(I've seen what it does to an engine when it does this) and all the rest of your fluids are good.

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I agree with those above. NASA HPDE @ Mid-Ohio is the best bet. You will have an "instructor" in the car with you. Once you learn the ropes, you can go out on your own. It's a safer approach on a safer track.

 

For one day it's about the same price and you get to drive on a world class track. Plus you will spend less money on gas to get there. I also doubt you'd want to drive up there, drive the track, and drive back the same day. So you have to factor in hotel cost when going to Nelson.

 

I doubt my car will be ready to go this year. So these are just suggestions for you. :)

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I looked into Mid Ohio vs our SCCA autoX event held at national trail last year for the GTOAA, it was indeed incredibly expensive but would have been worth had I thought I could've fielded the cars. This avenue and group makes it much more viable. I'll get the word out if this looks like it will happen to the GTO community, lots of road racers out there.
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Agreed, easy round trip, maybe 150 total miles max from Columbus.

 

Mid Ohio is the best kept secret for geting close to race cars. Only a little more then an hour north of Columbus, beautiful rolling hills road course, most pits are OPEN for all but big buck pro weekends.

 

If you haven't been there you are missing a huge opportunity to watch great racing and check out the cars up close. Find the NASA and SCCA race weekend schedules for good times to go... oh, it's free!

 

Ron

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if we have never been on a road track would we have to do anything extra?

 

I've been dreaming of driving on Mid Ohio for a couple years now but haven't been sure how. So I want to expand this question...

 

Besides making sure your car is in good running condition, do you need to be an SCCA or NASA member to join? I, too, have never driven on a race track or auto-x course but have dreamt of being Michael Schumacher lol. I don't really care what the price ends up being, I'd jump at this opportunity of I just knew what hoops I had to jump through, first.

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i'm already on top of things with my car. the clutch fluid has been flushed already. new brake pads, and tires. i have a road race seat and will be ordering my hard bar and harness in the next week or so. the brake fluid i was holding off on untill it gets closer to race time. and it hasn't been nice enough to drive to work and do it for awile.

 

i was meaning more along the lines of having an driving instructor ride with us and what not.

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That's the "ideal" thing to do, and if you don't feel comfortable being on a track for the first time without one then definitely do an HPDE or 2 before this event may happen.

 

AJ, I don't think I'll make the 1st Mid-Ohio HPDE but I WILL be at the 2nd one and you should come do it as well and likely we won't be doing a day at Nelson until late summer it seems.

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for bike days, join up on Ohio Riders. There are quite a few guys that frequent track days at Mid-Ohio as well as other resonably close tracks. I belive a couple of them are instructors as well.

 

Yes, it's time to put the integra on the track.

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ben, as long as i can fit it in with the autocross. i plan on hitting every one of them.

 

on track i don't have a problem driving alone. its just like when i raced motocross for all those years, i didn't start out fast but with more track time the better i got.

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You can count me in for anything you can arrange. Shit, I paid $400+ for the Richard Petty Driving Experience and my ride lasted all of about 15mins at Chicago Speedway. I'd gladly pay that for a few runs on a real road course driving my own Mustang! Hell yeah!

 

P.S. You crash it you bought it ;-) Imagine trying to explain to your insurance company that you "accidentally" hit a guardrail coming out of chicanes, but it "wasn't my fault, I was bumped from behind"....LOL

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One thing I haven't seen anyone post about on here as far as needs for the track is a helmet. Most tracks, do require a current SA2000+ rated helmet. This means no Motorcycle helmets, though if a Nelson Ledges day is the way to go, you may ignore the motorcycle part, just a Snell rated helmet is all you need...

 

Also, as far as convertibles go, you must have a functional roll bar. Driving with the top up is not proper roll-over protection. ;)

 

Here are the general rules for Nelson Ledges, as displayed on their website in addition to preparing rules and such that if you're serious on going, it's worth your time to read through a couple times before you register:

  • ALCOHOL IS NOT PERMITTED.
  • Absolutely no aggression/road rage is tolerated. One warning is given then you will be asked to leave the property.
  • Track time will be between 20-25 minutes per session. This is for your safety.
  • A helmet is required. (Snell approved motorcycle is OK)
  • All open cars and convertibles must have a roll bar, reinforced factory rollover protection; similar to a Porsche Boxter or BMW M3.
  • Proper attire is required. This is defined as sleeved shirt, closed-toe shoes and long pants. NO shorts, tank or halter- tops, sandals or open-toed shoes are allowed; shoulders, legs and feet must be covered. Again, this is for your safety.
  • We do allow a passenger, over the age of 18 and helmeted, in the car with you.
  • There is a Drivers Meeting prior to the beginning of the FunDay. This is important, so please attend.
  • For your safety, it is important to listen and comply with track personnel.
  • Please check your car thoroughly prior to going on the track or have a mechanic do so prior to coming to the track. Check brakes, brake line, hoses, cooling system, tires, power steering system etc. Under track conditions, belts and hoses do break, so do not take a chance on missing the day with a broken part.
  • All participants must be over 18 yrs old, carry a valid driver’s license, and have current auto insurance.
  • We reserve the right to refuse service.

I think I made it to all of one open lapping day last year, I need to fix that this year, so I will probably be found at Mid-Ohio at least once, as well as Nelson Ledges and hopefully a couple other tracks. Like some others here, this will be on top of a fully planed season of Autocross and Rallycross with a couple other races and track days in between....My girlfriend's gonna wish it was winter time again...and she HATES winter! ;)

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