Leave your Racing for the Track

[luc]

The biggest reason tracks everywhere are shutting down is the value of the land. Always has been and always will be. If the track owners don't sell to the developers outright, then they drive up property values to the point that the track owners can no longer afford the taxes and are forced to sell. I wish these developers would go after golf courses and leave the tracks alone. Golf courses take up a lot of land just like a track does, but there are thousands of GC's in this country, way more than what is needed.

I don't condone street racing at all, but I'm not surprised it happens. People with hopped up cars need a safe place to go and when the tracks keep getting shut down, they will find a place to race.

Well, California must be a unique case, we have 7 road racing tracks and more have open than closed in the past 30 years
Thunderhill
Sears point
Laguna seca
Buttonwillow
Willows springs
California speedway
Chuckwalla

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[MISFITGT]

Back when I used to own my 2016 Ecoboost, people tried to race all the time. I literally had to tell the girl that I had just started dating that the car gets a decent amount of attention, and people will either attempt to race it, or compliment it. She didn't believe me until the very first gas station we stopped at someone walked up and complimented it. Every other day when I would drive back home from college some idiot would attempt something. That alone started to make me not enjoy the car (I originally enjoyed that happening, but it got old after two years).

 

[I Bleed Ford Blue]

Well, California must be a unique case, we have 7 road racing tracks and more have open than closed in the past 30 years
Thunderhill
Sears point
Laguna seca
Buttonwillow
Willows springs
California speedway
Chuckwalla

I should have clarified, drag strips, not tracks.

 

[Prodigal]

I’m just surprised the driver who videoed the accident had zero verbal reaction. Just listening to sports radio, witnesses 2 cars blow by him, crash into a third, cars disintegrating everywhere, sparks flying and nothing, nada, not even an “oh $hit”. Guy is as cool as a cucumber.

 

[Cordero1]

https://www.npr.org/2022/12/13/1142598789/drivers-crashes-drugs-alcohol-nhtsa-study

A recent article regarding impaired drivers, drugs and alcohol.

https://www.wdbj7.com/2022/10/10/2-men-arrested-dui-after-lamborghini-street-race-ends-fiery-crash/

A race which ended badly in Denver, October this year. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

Consider at any given moment, how many people driving are under/over-medicated (incorrectly dosed, prescription), drunk, under the influence of illegal/legal narcotics, physically or mentally impaired.

The most obvious threat I feel at any given time is the ever-increasing number of people on their cell phones or infotainment systems. Talking, texting and surfing the Internet, oblivious to everything around them. For many, it's completely acceptable to not pay attention while driving, drift into another lane, off the road or drive at inappropriate speeds (too slow for the posted limit) while conducting their personal business.

A couple of months we were called in to work on a Sunday morning. One of our coworkers showed up stumbling, no hard hat, steel toe boots, or safety glasses. He fell over twice. Tried to put on a fall harness before I told him he was not going to be climbing anything. Turns out his Dr put him on new meds & was 3xs over a safe dose. Good thing he lives down the street from the plant & it was a Sunday morning with considerably less traffic.

 

[swoop1156]

I once was driving around Atlanta in my old Raptor that was limited to 99mph due to the tires. I was flat-footed on the floor, as fast as I could go, still getting blown by the majority of traffic. Sometimes it's more dangerous to not speed. I feel unsafe setting the cruise at 70 these days where the limit is posted at 65 due to people flying up on me and not paying attention.

 

[Egparson202]

I once was driving around Atlanta in my old Raptor that was limited to 99mph due to the tires. I was flat-footed on the floor, as fast as I could go, still getting blown by the majority of traffic. Sometimes it's more dangerous to not speed. I feel unsafe setting the cruise at 70 these days where the limit is posted at 65 due to people flying up on me and not paying attention.

Very true. It’s not always and only the absolute speed. The disparity in speeds is often the real danger.

 

[IanKar]

"With great power (Mustang) comes great responsibility"...

 

[RandomTask]

These guys should go do some track days. Once you’ve done that, speeding/racing on the roads is just kinda boring.

 

[MISFITGT]

Had this this morning:


(Couldn't find the "is this my life now post"

 

[babrams3]

Losing drag strips, golf courses....my god what is there to live for anymore

 

[Snakebyte]

I learned from my motorcycle track days, that when I did track days, my desire to push limits on the street reduced substantially. Track days were a totally awesome thrill. So much so that the thrill was enough to savor until the next track day.

Crashing on a super speedway as I did will get one's attention for sure. One can learn from a track day how quick a fractional second of mental lapse (by you or another driver) can take you beyond your ability to control the results. You can build a healthy respect for interacting with other vehicles, as you have no control over them on the track, just as you have no control of other folks on the street. You generally become a more defensive driver.

You also tend to become wise about the thrill of risks versus reward....or risk versus expensive repairs, or even risk versus recovery from your injuries, and potential loss of income while recovering.

I learned track days are far safer than the street. Why? They move immovable objects away from the your racing/travel line, everyone's going the same way, you don't risk a ticket, and yet you can go as fast as you absolutely dare.

One also develops a new sense of alertness. When you have a close call on the first track day for the season (especially when you get too hot into a corner on cold tires on the first lap), you tend to become a more alert, wiser driver from that point forward. That of course can translate into safer driving on the street.

So my recommendation is seek out track days to become a better driver on and off the track.

 

[luc]

I learned from my motorcycle track days, that when I did track days, my desire to push limits on the street reduced substantially. Track days were a totally awesome thrill. So much so that the thrill was enough to savor until the next track day.

Crashing on a super speedway as I did will get one's attention for sure. One can learn from a track day how quick a fractional second of mental lapse (by you or another driver) can take you beyond your ability to control the results. You can build a healthy respect for interacting with other vehicles, as you have no control over them on the track, just as you have no control of other folks on the street. You generally become a more defensive driver.

You also tend to become wise about the thrill of risks versus reward....or risk versus expensive repairs, or even risk versus recovery from your injuries, and potential loss of income while recovering.

I learned track days are far safer than the street. Why? They move immovable objects away from the your racing/travel line, everyone's going the same way, you don't risk a ticket, and yet you can go as fast as you absolutely dare.

One also develops a new sense of alertness. When you have a close call on the first track day for the season (especially when you get too hot into a corner on cold tires on the first lap), you tend to become a more alert, wiser driver from that point forward. That of course can translate into safer driving on the street.

So my recommendation is seek out track days to become a better driver on and off the track.

You’re 100% right on all points
I will just add that after pushing your limits on a race track, driving fast on the street become such an uninteresting and almost bland affair that can’t even start to compare to the thrill that is experienced on a road racing track

 

[DRAGOON]

These guys should go do some track days. Once you’ve done that, speeding/racing on the roads is just kinda boring.

You’re 100% right on all points
I will just add that after pushing your limits on a race track, driving fast on the street become such an uninteresting and almost bland affair that can’t even start to compare to the thrill that is experienced on a road racing track

I can attest to the track thought process as that’s the place to have fun with the car. No speed limits, no traffic lights, no law enforcement, everyone going in the same direction and like minded enthusiasts enjoying their cars. That’s what gets me back to the track, I still get butterflies as I put my helmet on & get in the car, hearing the 1st call to the grid, let’s GO !! Butterflies gone, stint focused !! That mentality keeps me smart on the streets as that’s where street driving happens, not track driving.

 

[AZlb5.0]

In my day of street racing we would go to areas where it was just us. We would race and if someone got hurt it was just the guys who put themselves at risk of harm. Usually shitty back country roads next to refineries or business complex. Kids now a days keep getting dumber and dumber.

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