mwvettec5

After many years of wheel to wheel racing w/ the SCCA (V-8 Gt-1 cars), I'm feeling the urge to take my fairly clean C6 to a track day or HPDE.

I'm curious how many of you may have (had) reservations about "buggering up" your nice street car on the track ???.

My Corvette is NOT a show car, but I'm "waffling" over putting it on track vs. buying a dedicated track car (C5, Cobra kitcar, Miata, etc).

Really like the idea of driving to the track, not looking forward to a tow truck, trailer, loading, unloading and etc - "been there and done that" !!!

Anyone out there had same / similiar thoughts ???

THANKS,

Emery

Gary2KC5

My moto is "stay out of the pea gravel". Some times you just have to just drive 9/10's. I still prep with track pads & tires and trailer to events but detune for the street when I get back. I just do 4-6 events/year. Still driving @ 9/10ths is a lot of fun and you can still put down decent lap times.

Bill Hetzel

If you track your street car, there's always the possibility of messing it up. I've seen guys come in with 2 rolls of masking tape put on the front, behind the wheels,etc. of their new Z06. Then they do one off course and mess up the paint where the masking tape isn't on. I was an instructor with a guy who put his new Vette sideways off the track in the morning session and spent most of the day with screwdrivers prying the stones between the rim and bead out.
That being said, most of the people at the HPDE's stay on the track and go home with big smiles.

The only time I track my Vette is as an instructor, lead-follow with the novices at slower speeds. Then on the last lap I push it and have to tell myself "hey idiot, don't take it off the track".

Since you're a GT-1 driver, you know how to stay on the track. But will you be satisfied not going 110% like you do in the GT-1? When I come off the track in my street car, I usually say " Well, that was fun, BUT."

Really like the idea of driving to the track, not looking forward to a tow truck, trailer, loading, unloading and etc - "been there and done that" !!!

Yea, that's the only thing I don't like too. Especially at the end of a weekend with a 6 hour drive home.

AU N EGL

Imagine if you will ( Rod Sterling voice)

Mild manared normal male, takes is so called clean street corvette to the track. Thinking that he will take it easy to keep the car clean.

Once on the track that GT1 race driver mentality comes out it is either,right food on the floor, thottle or brake, there is no in between.

And so our story begins, What will he do?????

robvuk

He will get a spell checker.
Sorry Tom, I couldn't help myself that time.

WNeal

Couple of Nicks maybe VS More fun than sould be legal


I struggled with that very thing, for about 10 seconds.
**** the little nick

Drive it like you stole it !!!!!!!!

UstaB-GS549

I have been doing HPDE etc. with my "nice" cars for 20 years now. I think they get just as many stone chips etc. on the street. They always clean up nicely.

Gatorac

I get much more enjoyment from driving my cars then looking at them.

Drive it drive it drive it. I probably won't own it for more then a couple of years anyways.

A little patina on a car is good anyways...

codename Bil Doe

Cars are not investments. Real estate, stocks are. I am so **** about my cars that I don't let ANYONE lean on it, sit in it with dirty clothes, bring food or drink of any kind into it (including transporting takeout), wait 30-45 minutes after smoking a cigarrette before sitting in my car, and constantly warn people about scuffing the doors, watch your helmet when you sit down.

07 C6 Z51 M6: White / Red

ss lines, hawk hp+ pads, T1 front sway, full race alignment, CCW classics with 315 A6's, vararam, melrose headers w/z06 exhaust, 160 tstat, tune, lap belts with anchors among other mods, claybar & rejex.

Doesn't matter how pretty your car is. Damage can be fixed; but, cars were meant to be driven.

Who is to say you don't get clocked by a 2x4 that falls off a work truck driving down the road?

JDIllon

We all think that way, then you, put on your helmet,(first mistake) start the engine, pull into the hot pits. And all thoughts of the street car are gone. Good thing this is not a race,this is not a race! this is not a race!!! this is not a race???? NO decision here, where is the next HPDE. As soon as I find a inexpensive track car that runs like my Z I will buy it, then you have two cars to maintain. The Z is too much fun on the track. LOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!!!!! JD

Red Gump

I took the opposite route from you. I bought the c5 and did a track day, then started modding...and modding...and modding. now it's not quite scca legal and not so fun to drive on the street. can't afford to race it for fear of crashing and expensive (to me) wear items so I bought a spec maita.

I still do track days in the vette but man it's fun racing the miata.

outnumbered

Nose Bra, Clear spray Bra, shelf paper and Rejex. It's a little extra effort before and after and event but has been very successful in keeping the finish nice.

The windshield is another story. Sandblasted!

Enjoy!

outnumbered

You had to go there. I love my spell checker.

elh0102

I started doing HPDE events 5 or 6 years ago, with an E46 M3, and also had a C5 ZO6 and a second M3. All were street cars with no track prep other than the standard fluids and brake maintenance. I recently bought an '06 Porsche 997S, and it's been on track three times now. I only do a half dozen or so events each year, and a dedicated track car just isn't in the immediate future for me. The Porsche is by far the most expensive car I have tracked. And I should add, on my budget, it is a very expensive car. Although I am placed in advanced run groups, I drive relatively conservatively, don't run in the wet, and do whatever is necessary to stay away from folks who concern me. Sometimes, there is more testosterone than brain matter at work with some drivers, and I just stay away from them. Of course, even the best maintenance and diligent caution cannot prevent some incidents. I've been lucky and had no problem so far. Cars like these are hardly worth owning without enjoying them on track. I don't mean to be critical of folks who enjoy waxing their garage queen, but that kind of ownership just isn't for me. If insurance or other factors force me off the track, I probably will not own a high performance car.

Oyishdog

I have a c5 for the track and a c6 for the street...I cannot stand driving the c6 on the street, zero to the next stop light is not what I call enjoyable + the roads around here are horrible. I am thinking about dumping the c6 for something more practical for daily use...And something that can tow better then my dakota.

The Spark

I think I got more damage from driving on the highway/street than on the track.

With that said, I did not want to take my 50th Anniversary Edition to the track because I want to keep it "forever". So I bought a track car. I drove my 03 to the NCM last month and got some new rock chips in the hood and rocker (and I'm ultra careful about not following cars too close or driving in gravel). I ran my track car 4 hours on the track last weekend and only had some oil and smears on the paint. Cleaned off easily.

Up to you.

sothpaw2

Amen. To me, a sports car is a paper tiger if you can't begin to use it's capabilities and enjoy it in its element (the road course--as opposed to the 1/4 mi). You can't do that on the street--it's not safe. There is always a chance that a pedestrian or animal will jump out in front of you; or, a car could be stopped just over the hill where you can't see it. At the track, you have flag men to avoid that. If I didn't want to track the car, I might get something better looking like the Jag XK8.

rikhek

I track my very nice street car at least once a month. R compound, race pads, 6 points suspension upgrades, etc. and I drive it hard. After every event I spend about 4 hours cleaning it up and transforming it back and it stays a nice street car. Taping is a waste of time. Been there done that. It's just a car.

Rick

P.S. Just got home from Hallett about 3 hours ago, tomorrow will be transforming.

linutux

My C6Z is my daily driver and I've definitely gotten more cosmetic damage from the 13,000 street miles than the 1,000 track miles.

If you're worried about the paint job, just tape it up and go!

TooManyIDs

For me, that's what it comes down to. I'm just as ****, if not more, than anyone else, but if the car doesn't get exercised, it's not worth owning, I'd buy something else instead.