thunderhill session
08-15-2012, 04:28 PM
#51
I used to do lots of canyon run for many years. I did bear creek road, page mill, de anza road (near the dam on steven creek), and few other that I was invited too. I didn't learned hardly anything from driving hard on back road at all. I learned more about my car characteristic and my driving skills in one event from auto x than I ever did all those years in back road driving. I used too think I was a hot shit, until I competed in SCCA auto cross. So now, I stop spending my time on touge.
The transition from hard core street racer to auto x was a gigantic gap for my skills as I learned by getting spanked by a lady driver driving a stock car in stock class. Then I dedicated myself to improved my driving. Took me a year to learned how to be fast and competitive (other may take less time to be faster). Then I bought my s2k and took it too UFO auto x and ran into Mac88, Voodoo, and few other s2ki drivers that do track/auto x. They showed me how s2k suppose to be driven at the limit and I had 5 years of auto x back ground.
There is no way I can stand on my brake for a almost 2 second on the public road to set up for the turn 1 at thunder hill and many other corners on the track. I was during almost 110 mph on the straight away and I never ever came close to 100mph on any back road driving (I'm a noob and slow as hell out there you can go faster with better exit speed than me). I spun out at decent speed few times and didn't hit any thing in both of my track days and auto x. If I ever spend out on touge, my car would be in lots of damage. I never have brake fade once when I'm out on my touge run because I'm not hard enough on my brake.
Track and Auto x let you explore your limits in a safe environment and provide lots of room for mistake (not mistake free, some one manage to hit a pole in auto x). Touge there's no run off room and being on public roads you don't know who's sharing the road with at all times. Vehicular slaughter with land you in 10 years in jail.
If you're think you're fast I highly recommend try out auto x. If you can in top 5 finisher with more then 5 drivers that day in B stock or STR class with your s2k then you're impressive. But most likely you're be last or the bottom of the list.
BTW, I missed having street cred too, but all that street cred is nothing when you're getting spanked by a lady and old dudes at the auto x event that showed me I aight shit!!!!
The transition from hard core street racer to auto x was a gigantic gap for my skills as I learned by getting spanked by a lady driver driving a stock car in stock class. Then I dedicated myself to improved my driving. Took me a year to learned how to be fast and competitive (other may take less time to be faster). Then I bought my s2k and took it too UFO auto x and ran into Mac88, Voodoo, and few other s2ki drivers that do track/auto x. They showed me how s2k suppose to be driven at the limit and I had 5 years of auto x back ground.
There is no way I can stand on my brake for a almost 2 second on the public road to set up for the turn 1 at thunder hill and many other corners on the track. I was during almost 110 mph on the straight away and I never ever came close to 100mph on any back road driving (I'm a noob and slow as hell out there you can go faster with better exit speed than me). I spun out at decent speed few times and didn't hit any thing in both of my track days and auto x. If I ever spend out on touge, my car would be in lots of damage. I never have brake fade once when I'm out on my touge run because I'm not hard enough on my brake.
Track and Auto x let you explore your limits in a safe environment and provide lots of room for mistake (not mistake free, some one manage to hit a pole in auto x). Touge there's no run off room and being on public roads you don't know who's sharing the road with at all times. Vehicular slaughter with land you in 10 years in jail.
If you're think you're fast I highly recommend try out auto x. If you can in top 5 finisher with more then 5 drivers that day in B stock or STR class with your s2k then you're impressive. But most likely you're be last or the bottom of the list.
BTW, I missed having street cred too, but all that street cred is nothing when you're getting spanked by a lady and old dudes at the auto x event that showed me I aight shit!!!!
08-15-2012, 04:48 PM
#53
Join Date: Jul 2009
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A well written opinion on the matter.
I can't say my experience in the canyons mirrors yours. Ive learned a ton out there especislly following people faster than me and experimenting with different set ups.
However my void with no track or auto x experience won't allow me to comment about comparing those to canyon driving in the same way you were able to.
I can't say my experience in the canyons mirrors yours. Ive learned a ton out there especislly following people faster than me and experimenting with different set ups.
However my void with no track or auto x experience won't allow me to comment about comparing those to canyon driving in the same way you were able to.
08-15-2012, 06:01 PM
#54
Good post tbbsrr. Worth mentioning though, there is no way to get better at auto x other than actually doing auto x. The same goes for touge, track, karting, whatever. They are all extremely different from eachother and everyone's experiences are different as well. No one should feel bad about being slow in auto x against people with more experience. Just as someone with only auto x experience shouldn't feel bad about being slow on the mountains, or in a stage rally for an example of an official motorsport.
For the record, I have never met a single "hard core street racer" who was actually fast in the mountains. Actually, I have never met anyone who was actually a hard core street racer either. If they say they are, just stop listening to anything they say after that.
People who are fast are out there for one reason and one reason only, to get better at driving. Nobody is out there challenging others to races on a regular basis, they just aren't. The best drivers are out there all alone when the roads are completely empty just enjoying themselves.
You are absolutely right about the track/auto x being a safer place to learn the limits of your car. It is all about your attitude though. Most will learn them much faster at the track as well, that doesn't mean you can't safely (relatively) learn on the mountains as well. Mountain driving isn't about learning the limits of the car though, at least for me. It is simply about having fun and becoming a better driver.
For the record, I have never met a single "hard core street racer" who was actually fast in the mountains. Actually, I have never met anyone who was actually a hard core street racer either. If they say they are, just stop listening to anything they say after that.
People who are fast are out there for one reason and one reason only, to get better at driving. Nobody is out there challenging others to races on a regular basis, they just aren't. The best drivers are out there all alone when the roads are completely empty just enjoying themselves. You are absolutely right about the track/auto x being a safer place to learn the limits of your car. It is all about your attitude though. Most will learn them much faster at the track as well, that doesn't mean you can't safely (relatively) learn on the mountains as well. Mountain driving isn't about learning the limits of the car though, at least for me. It is simply about having fun and becoming a better driver.
08-15-2012, 07:51 PM
#56
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I will also emphasize that there is a really cool community of people out driving in the hills. I've made friends on the side of the road at 4AM, and that common bond of driving that we share has turned into solid friendships. It's really a niche passion that not everyone can fully appreciate.
08-15-2012, 08:59 PM
#57
Former Moderator
I'm not one for driving at night and Casey can testify to that lol if I can't see I don't go.
I can't say that I'll ever stop driving on the street, it's how I was taught to drive.
I love the Street
I love Auto X
I love the Track
There are dangers to all three, the passion overcomes the risks taken, I hope I never loose my passion for driving.
Can we all just love that? Who's down for a reacharound?
Can I be first?
I can't say that I'll ever stop driving on the street, it's how I was taught to drive.
I love the Street
I love Auto X
I love the Track
There are dangers to all three, the passion overcomes the risks taken, I hope I never loose my passion for driving.
Can we all just love that? Who's down for a reacharound?
Can I be first?
08-15-2012, 09:08 PM
#58
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Professor Touge Emeritus
Posts: 8,570
Likes: 0
Received 9 Likes
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I'm not one for driving at night and Casey can testify to that lol if I can't see I don't go.
I can't say that I'll ever stop driving on the street, it's how I was taught to drive.
I love the Street
I love Auto X
I love the Track
There are dangers to all three, the passion overcomes the risks taken, I hope I never loose my passion for driving.
Can we all just love that? Who's down for a reacharound?
Can I be first?
I can't say that I'll ever stop driving on the street, it's how I was taught to drive.
I love the Street
I love Auto X
I love the Track
There are dangers to all three, the passion overcomes the risks taken, I hope I never loose my passion for driving.
Can we all just love that? Who's down for a reacharound?
Can I be first?
08-15-2012, 09:17 PM
#59
Former Moderator
madmaxblaster, glad you had fun
Check this out
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/926...#entry21379662
Found here
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/759...-thread-links/
Check this out
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/926...#entry21379662
Found here
https://www.s2ki.com/s2000/topic/759...-thread-links/
08-15-2012, 09:19 PM
#60
Former Moderator
Originally Posted by macr88' timestamp='1345093175' post='21940857
I'm not one for driving at night and Casey can testify to that lol if I can't see I don't go.
I can't say that I'll ever stop driving on the street, it's how I was taught to drive.
I love the Street
I love Auto X
I love the Track
There are dangers to all three, the passion overcomes the risks taken, I hope I never loose my passion for driving.
Can we all just love that? Who's down for a reacharound?
Can I be first?
I can't say that I'll ever stop driving on the street, it's how I was taught to drive.
I love the Street
I love Auto X
I love the Track
There are dangers to all three, the passion overcomes the risks taken, I hope I never loose my passion for driving.
Can we all just love that? Who's down for a reacharound?
Can I be first?
