waddisme

I have only done the drag racing thing one time, but it was fun. I prefer to road race. For about $250 give or take $50 you get more than 2 hours of high speed cornering, braking, 4th gear top speed runs, and the occasional pass of a Ferrari, Porsche, Mustang, Miata. Here is a vid of a lap at VIR. Oil was running hot, so had to cruise in 4th a lot. New oil cooler has fixed that.

http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...008Dec1lap.flv

Chemdawg99

Looks like you had fun!!

Who says you can't road race an A4

TheCartel

Sig says it all.

Chemdawg99

I'd say so

happa

Drag Racing. Love the sudden rush, yea it only last a few seconds, but leaves you wanting to go more and more

argonaut

For me road racing (HPDEs) is by far the most fun - its high speed, it lasts a long time (20-30 min sessions), it has variety in cornering and braking, you get to pick on *** and German cars :-). But...and its a big BUT: its very expensive. The entry fees are only part of it. The consumables cost a lot also: rotors, pads, tires, fluids, gas, etc.

AutoX is a lot of fun and only costs about $35 a day. But, you only get 4-6 (~1 min) runs (sometimes more) for that. And, you have to stand around a lot - you'll spend at least 30% of the day "working" the cones.

I've drag raced my Mustang and that was a lot of fun, but it comes in much smaller (and cheaper) doses. Haven't tried the Vette yet, Its got 100 HP more and weighs less, should be REALLY fun!

C5 Pete

Having a vert, I cant do HPDE with my car without a roll bar
I go to the Test and Tune nights and drag race it. It's cheap and a lot of fun.

If I had a coupe or FRC, I would participate in HPDE, but it is a lot more expensive.
A day at the 1/4 mile is about $25 or so.
A day at the road course is at the minimum $250 plus Brake pads and fluid, and oil change.

I am very fortunate to live 30 minutes from both a drag strip and a road course venue. Someday I might buy a coupe just to race and keep my vert as a weekend cruiser.

Bill Dearborn

On a cost per unit of time spent on the track Autocrossing is probably the cheapest. Depending on the organization conducting the event you can get anywhere from 4 to 10 minutes driving. If you run the pure stock class you can get by just driving the car to the event and paying the entry fee. You will tend to wear all 4 tires. Some places even have loaner helmets. Autocrossing is a lot of fun and you really do get to run the car hard and use all of its acceleration, braking and cornering potential.

Drag racing you get several 13 +- a couple of second runs in a day. You will usually only wear out the rear tires. Hard on the drive train but other wise you really aren't using the car hard. It doesn't even get that hot. You get a rush at the start but after that all you are doing is going for a high speed ride in a straight line. In a Vette its hardly noticeable.

HPDE will will be an order of magnitude more than the other costly for two days of track time. You will get anywhere from 80 to 160 minutes per day on the track at speed if somebody doesn't do something to close the track for cleanup of fluids, debris or a wrecked vehicle. Along with that car prep is more involved. Brake bleeding each time you go, checking all of the nuts/bolts on the suspension/steering. Making sure the cooling system is up to par as the car will get very hot. You will also have accelerated tire wear at all 4 corners. Easily the most thrilling of the three. I get a kick out of the drag racers who show up and want a ride around the track and then get sick in the car because they didn't realize when running on a road course you go fast around corners as well. They always say I know what its like to go fast. At some tracks track dogs go faster through some corners than a Vette will go across the finish line on a drag strip. You just don't pull Gs accelerating forward you pull them when braking hard and when cornering hard. Autocrossing has this just not at high speed. It really brings an adrenaline rush.

Road Racing in Sanctioned races will cost a minimum of $45K per year to be competitive on a national basis. More intense than HPDE with the thrill of wheel to wheel competition.

Bill

black98c5

I enjoy taking my car down the drag strip, but I would like to try some Autocross this year just to switch it up.

Cozmo

I didn't click on the poll. I've taken my C5 to the 1/4 mile track once. I don't think that qualifies me as a racer.

blk04z

Drag race! Love it but I do wanna get on a road track. Ran mid 10s last season lokoing for low 10s this season.

napacruzerc5

Autocrossed since the 70's. From a Toyota Corolla, various Fiats (124 Spyder, X1/9's stock and prepared), Pontiac Fiero GT, Formula B (Alexis open wheeler with 1600cc Lotus twin-cam), prepared Datsun Z - then my real love a 1968 B-Prepared Corvette roadster. 80's and 90's Northern CA B-Prepared vettes kicked a.. Strong class sometimes 10-deep at local events. Usually in the bottom half of the class but I could taste first in class on occasion. Loved the torque of that small block 350. Came in 2nd at the 1986 SCCA Solo II National Championships. Lost 1st by 1.5 seconds with my best run on the 2nd course carrying a 2-second pylon penalty. Damn...could have been Champ. I still know which pylon I hit on the last corner no less.

Dragged my '68 Toyota a couple of times. Wonder what the 1100cc 4-banger, 60HP? ran back then? Didn't have lights...just arm drop and flagger at the line.

Still doing autocross with the local Corvette clubs. I have vowed not to road race or time trial unless I can afford to replace the vette after a shunt. Don't see doing that in the near future.

Cumnhot

I have been bracket racing since 2002. I have two purpose built cars, one being an 82 S-10 and the other a 71 Nova. I must say that the challenge of competitive bracket racing takes much study, mental training, a helluva lot of damn good parts and gives "me" a satisfaction like no other. I have had my C5 for a month now and it will go to the track to make a few passes just to see what it will do and that will be it. To be honest, I really don't need to be behind the wheel of my Vette on the street. I tend to cut it loose and have been running some mph's the the law doesn't allow! LMAO! At this time, that is just the chance I'm going to take. I do however want to put my Vette through the "curvy" paces just because I know that is what it was built for. Barber Motorsports Park is about 45 minutes away and Talledega isn't that much further. Anyone in the Southeast know of a day at Talladega where you can cut loose your ride?

Purerock105

I was into the drag strip first from 1999 to about 2001 for about 100 passes down the track, then I got into the road course with Sebring, Homestead, and Road Atlanta within reach. Absolutely loved it. I even took my SVT-Lightning to Sebring for an SVTOA event. It was fun, but not pretty.

Yes, HPDE's can get expensive, but if it becomes your primary hobby like it is for alot of guys, you budget and plan accordingly. Work, and other hobbies with the family pulled me away from all forms of racing. Haven't been to a track event since Sebring in 2004.

Interestingly, I've only autocrossed once. It was fun, but not enough to get me really into it.

Konstantin

drag racing is more about the car, road racing is more about the driver i think. i do both, but once it got too expencive to go faster in 1/4 mile i decided to try road racing, and you do not need a faster car than your buddy to have as much fun road racing ( i do not compete, just some lapping days and friendly matches ).

- Kons

SharkByte

I haven't been racing yet but I'v been thinking about taking a performance driving class. Always loved drag racing and I'd love to try autocross but first I need to learn to drive...

itzza427

Test and Tune as often as I can fit it in (about 5 times last year) Get to see what I and the car can do legally! Best R.T. .001 and .006 best E.T.13.08/110.23 stock on Goodyear runflats (do have a Blackwing and Corsa touring). Would like to try cutting some corners,,but cant afford to spend a lot on track days,,and don't know where to find one!! Gateway International has a road course ,,but don't know anyone that has ever run there. Our club USED to know some of the old management and got to do a few "tour" laps on the oval and onto the road course,,but that was years ago,,New ownership stopped that!! Was fun sliding the old shark around some of the infield hairpin curves!!!

Glennm27

I checked all 3.

I drag raced my C5 for a while with my club more as a social thing. It got boring for me.

I also auto-crossed and road raced the C5 alot and loved it.

I now road race my C6 and Auto-x a Honda Civic Si.
Road Racing is a blast. Finding the right lines around a track, passing other cars at 150 and late breaking into a turn. It's all a great rush.