Taking your normal non sportscar to a track day?

Anyone taking their normal non really sporty car to a track day? Was it still fun? Worth it?

My buddy just got a 2015 WRX and I plan to co-drive autocross with him. But if we do an HPDE in order to co-drive I would need to run a different run group.

He is a total novice, I have done about 6 days on the track but over many years and not in his WRX or anything in my current fleet and not at the track we are looking at (VIR)

I could either run the yellow group in his car, or I could go in the green/novice group also but run my 2011 E350 that is stock except for pilot super sports

I did my first track day in a almost stock 93 nissan altima.( had 366K miles at the time)

definitely worth it, was a ton of fun and would do it again if i had the same opportunity.

Well, sleepyhead has done One Lap in a Fit, a Mini Clubman, and an Acura TL, none of which rise toward the sporty end of the spectrum.

I ran my camry once. Still had fun, just in a different way.

Its kinda like hooking up at last call. Still good, and nothing to bitch about, but could be a lot better.

I'd think an E class on PSS would be a riot.

I haven't drive an E class, but my impression is that they're reasonably sporting. If you're willing/able to take it around the track at 80%, it'll probably be fun. If you push it too hard, it'll just understeer and chew up the tires, though.

I wouldn't take a stock Prius to the track, OTOH. That sounds like no fun at all.

I drove my gs430 at mid-Ohio on pilot sports. It was fun. 3800lbs of it. The brakes were the weakest link and took a pretty good beating. I beat up on a guy driving an Alfa 4c but then he was about 75 years old, a total novice, and driving an expensive car on track. ;)

I would say it depends on the entry costs. I think mine were about $125 or so. Much more than that and I'd not have gone for it.

I ran a weekend of HPDE at Road Atlanta in a Cobalt I rented at the airport. Yes, I bought the insurance. Had a 99 MPH speed limiter and was certainly a momentum car. Was entertaining trying to see how much of the track I could run with my foot to the floor and trying to go over 99 MPH down the hill before 10A. I did go 4 off coming out of 10B but kept in it and returned to the track.

I am registered for a trackday on June 9th. My MG needs some work before then to run at the track. My 350Z needs some work before then to run at the track. My Elantra needs no work in order to run. If I don't get time I will just run it. It will be less fun then the other two cars but more fun than staying home.
You have to take it a bit easy on braking zones as unless modified generally normal brakes do not like track duty but nearly any modern car will be more than adequate to blast around a track for some 20min PDX sessions.

What is this "normal non sporty car" of which you speak?

I would choose the e350 over the subi.

This guy does. https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/build-projects-and-project-cars/2005-chevrolet-malibu-v6/60988/page1/

I'd like to try a six speed Accord V6 coupe on the track.

Am I the only one who saw "E350" and pictured a Ford van?

Tom_Spangler wrote: Am I the only one who saw "E350" and pictured a Ford van?

Nope!

wow, so much to respond to in one post...

re:codrus... so, there's a instructor down at VIR that runs around in a Prius C (formerly a gen 1 Fit, and some other stuff)... so, it's all about perspective.

re:Nick... I've seen that malibu in person, on the track, and it's pretty quick... and looks entertaining... even if the mustang drivers "don't get it"

And, mazdeuce, the numbers on the TL indicate that it was slightly more sporting than my stripped out, coilovered, exhaust, flywheel and clutch'd '94 Answer.

And for the OP... Yes, I've tracked an '08 Fit and humiliated enough 911's in the rain at CMP to encourage everyone to just take what you've got... whatever you've got. In a lot of ways that's the better application of HPDE, 'cause then you're learning the dynamics of your car at the limit. Also, I've done the "share a car thing" at VIR... which can be hard in the summer (it never really gets a chance to cool-off), and it's a bit more fun to run in the same group as your buddy. Just make sure the brakes in the Merc have hi-temp fluid at a minimum.

I'll have to keep an eye out for when y'all head to VIR... dunno if I'll drag the TL on track.. but it's nice to get out and leave the sleepylings with the grandparents

Woody wrote: I'd like to try a six speed Accord V6 coupe on the track.

If it's anything like the TL (i.e. prior to 2012 {?} Accord), then it should be a hoot... based on my own experience with the aforementioned Acura

Have you done track days before? Not that it really matters if you have or have not, but in HPDE 1 I've never seen a genuine new track driver touch 5/10ths of their car or tire limits - so for the first time out I don't any performance category/tire/car modification matters period - full stop. Really if the limits of the tires and car are pretty low - all the better. Track driving is about managing physics while looking ahead and avoiding bone heads.

In short swap the brake fluid, bleed the brakes, and go. It doesn't matter what you're in.

*edit reading comprehension fail - I say yes - lower limits make it safer to play around I think.

Me: Big Willow Focus SVT 1 time Circa 2002

Streets of Willow 4 times Focus SVT Circa 2002-2003

Buttonwillow Raceway 13CW Miata 1 time Circa 2014

Autocrossed the miata for 2 seasons approx 20 events with BMWCCA region of San Diego 2014/2016

Currently I am in Raleigh NC having relocated around October of last year from San Diego California.

The Events: Thinking about the SCCA night at the track events in July (Charlotte Motor Speedway) or August (Carolina Motorsport park Kershaw SC) and the VIR date in question is Sept 9-10 memorial HPDE being put on by the Tarheel Sports Car Club.

The car: My 2011 Mercedes Benz E-350 Bluetec. It handles well, I don't think traction control/dsc is fully defeatable which is annoying and the automatic tranny is also somewhat annoying but diesel torque means if it holds a gear it tends to move pretty good for a big girl. I did a couple runs over to Palm Springs to go to the private race track out there when BMW opened their experience center and it acquitted itself well even prior to the PSS tires. The brakes continue to impress me on the car but I would still put in high temp fluid before any track work since there is little to no negative in doing so with your daily driver that I am aware of.

In reply to Woody:

Tom_Spangler wrote: Am I the only one who saw "E350" and pictured a Ford van? Nope!

I thought the same thing. At a track day years ago, an instructor took me out for af few laps- in his F350 crew cab. I learned a lot about the importance of taking the proper line in that truck. He hustled that thing around the track faster than many of the cars.

Of course since NC only does a safety inspection on diesels I am tempted to do the DPF delete so I can run a malone power tune on it because who doesn't want another 50hp and 100+lb ft of torque

When I first joined the SCCA I saw photos of an elder gentleman's 2006 Scion xB out on Mid Ohio for a PDX. His face was full of smiles.

When a friend's SVT Focus crapped out at Summit Point (long time ago) he went and rented a Pontiac Sunbird. WE flogged that thing mercilessly for the whole rest of the day. It was a terrible car, and it was even more terrible on the track - but we were still laughing like idiots while three wheeling it around with the tires howling and the brakes on fire.

You can have fun in anything for a little while.

Tom_Spangler wrote: Am I the only one who saw "E350" and pictured a Ford van?

I thought the same thing. I don't think Bondurant ever used Econolines but the van ride is a staple of their curriculum. Clicky Link

As far as the original question is concerned. I think track time is fun no mater what I'm driving. I've never done a track day in a non-performance car but I've done reconnaissance laps prior to HPDEs that I was instructing at in a variety of rental vehicles ranging from a Mazda 6 to a Dodge RAM 1500. I've done instructional laps in my wife's S60 Volvo and my F250 Powerstroke.

The F250 is great for demonstrating heel toe technique since passengers can see my feet easier than in most cars. It's also good for demonstrating the use of weight transfer and trail braking to get a vehicle that prefers to understeer to rotate on entry.

My point being that you can learn stuff and have fun exploring the performance envelope of pretty much anything so, I'd run whatever is available.

That recommendation comes with a few warnings.

Pay attention to your brakes and tires. Non-performance cars are often equipped with brakes and tires that aren't really up to the rigors of a track day and if you push either to the point of failure bad things can happen.

If you don't have a trailer and whatever you're tracking needs to get you to work on Monday be smart and dial it back a bit. Yes, I listed that one twice.

The only car I got motion sickness in was a students bone stock Camry.