How'd you guys get into this...

Just wanted yto know how most of you guys got into lapping and circuit racing? I've always been into drag racing since we had built up my old Golf but never got into lapping.
I was just up at the Tremblant race track this weekend and they had Porsche day. I always had respect for guys that have kickass cars that put'em on the track (Dragging) but this was my first time really seeing guys with Porsches and Ferrari's actually driving these cars like they are supposed to be driven. So damn awesome, i was blown away to see that most of the cars that were on the track were also driven on the street and were not just driven by rich guys who need to fit an image.
I'd like to possibly get into the sport myself next summer when i'd possibly either sell my civic or do up my suspension a bit more on this one.
Anyways to anyone that does this kinda racing my hat goes off to ya, such an awesome sport.
What would be my first step into getting into the sport?

AinSophAur said:

Just wanted yto know how most of you guys got into lapping and circuit racing? I've always been into drag racing since we had built up my old Golf but never got into lapping.
I was just up at the Tremblant race track this weekend and they had Porsche day. I always had respect for guys that have kickass cars that put'em on the track (Dragging) but this was my first time really seeing guys with Porsches and Ferrari's actually driving these cars like they are supposed to be driven. So damn awesome, i was blown away to see that most of the cars that were on the track were also driven on the street and were not just driven by rich guys who need to fit an image.
I'd like to possibly get into the sport myself next summer when i'd possibly either sell my civic or do up my suspension a bit more on this one.
Anyways to anyone that does this kinda racing my hat goes off to ya, such an awesome sport.
What would be my first step into getting into the sport?

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i suggest you to start by a driving school like Trac racing . you have 1 theorical course and 2 days of pratical course with your car after that you will know if you can do it and if you like it !!! abd the Trac school is a very good school to start with .

to give you an example i was a dragracer before and i was attracted by solo 1 and road racing . so i decided to take the Trac racing school and set myself after the experienced . i like it so much that after the school i stop doing dragracing and start doing solo 1 . since i start doing solo 1 in 2002 in went dragracing maximum 3 time !!!! i found myself a new passion and hobby *tu*

For an event at Tremblant at the end of September check out this:
http://www.borg.com/~neq/
The Audi club is doing it and all makes are welcome. Don't need to modify your car.
This event is highly structured with classroom instruction and with an instructor assigned to you for the whole event. Similar to a Porsche event that you saw but even more safety oriented.

If you just start out lapping and doing the track thing.....you should do the Trac racing school then do some open lapping at St.Eustache and work on controling your lines. Then hit some SOLO1 to get some experience at the larger tracks like Sanair and St.Croix and the glen..........T

remblant is best done when you know what your doing and are safe at it, you can get into alot of trouble out there if you make simple mistakes.......

The Rennsport Porsche Club of Montreal as well as the BMW Club Quebec (all makes of cars invited) regularly organize events at Le Circuit Mt-Tremblant. Properly structured, safe and mature with 30 year experience. No show-offs to put other people's life in danger on the track, any agressive move will have you pit for a discusion with the chief onstructor. 2 hours of classroom instruction and 4 to 5 sessions on the track per day. Tremblant is a very nice track. No concrete wall to surround you, high speed corners with a lot of runaways. If you have nothing to do, just drop by Wednesday and Thursday 11th and 12th of August and see how we do things. The Boston chapter of the BMW Club will be there. 140 cars.

Then, after having learned the basics, you can go lapping by yourself or do Solo1/Solo2 with LAPS and CADL.

To reply to your question, I got involve back in 1989 when a buddy brought me out to a Solo I at Sanair.
I was impressed as you were and said to myself, I have to do this.

My first event was with CADL (Solo II) at the IKEA parking lot , back in the days when Sunday shopping happened in the US only. I was late for registration and was turned away *fag* . However, an experienced driver asked me if I would like to ride shot gun in the competition....I said...you bet .
I was hooked.

My first real event was in Cornwall later in the year "CLCA" I believe, and i finished dead last *banghead* .
From there, it was a few seasons of CADL :bigup: and then later with LAPS :bigup: . By 1995 I tried roadracing with the FAQ..until 1998. Then I got into Pro racing with Rainman in the SCCA World Challenge :bigup: :bigup: :bigup: .

Now i do about 30events a year, ranging from Solo II regional all the way up to roadracing in the states.

I believe that Solo II :bigup: is the best place to start....from there, the sky is the limit...or your budget!!!

AinSophAur said:

Just wanted yto know how most of you guys got into lapping and circuit racing?

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tired of getting tickets! So I asked myself:"where can I go as fast as I can without getting a ticket?". Then I found out about LAPS and didn't stop since! :bigup:

BBQMAN said:

My first real event was in Cornwall later in the year "CLCA" I believe, and i finished dead last *banghead* .

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So you still finish last or what? :bigup: *tu*

I hope to get into this next year. I really wanted to do it this year but I am just getting my car set up...

I started with CADL Solo2. It's a great way to start to learn the car and its abilities and as well your own. It's cheap and pretty safe and its great to practice your reflexes.

I tried lapping at Mecaglisse with CADL last year and I loved it and it suited my style of driving, Solo2 is a lot of fun but lapping was more my thing. So this year I got into lapping with TLC, it's a different experience but things that you learn from Solo2 still apply in lapping and it's great to lap around with other cars on the track. I miss the Solo2 experience from time to time though.

Ever since I started Solo2 the amount of tickets I got dropped by like 90%. All my need for speed goes in the track and once you've tasted a road circuit or a Solo2 track the street just don't cut it anymore (road conditions, curbs, other dumba$$e$ driving, ricers, etc...) so I've slowed down alot since. So it does pay back, less tickets. *tu*

I’ve always been a bike-guy. As soon I got my first “real” job I went into a motorcycle dealership and bought a brand new bike. Back then, I was driving a 10 years old Toyota Tercel (1.5 litres, 12 valves, 3 speeds auto) and I did’nt need more. Actually, I learned to drive standard shift cars only in 1999…

Nothing could EVER compare to the thrill of riding my bike.

Then one day, a new guy at work was talking about the Rallye Defi St-Agathe. He was a former rally pilot himself. Ended up going to see my first ever rally with this guy, in his beatup Talon Tsi (turbo AWD) with wich he did some pretty amazing stuff on gravel… I was hooked !

I sold the bike and traded my Swift for a 2002 Impreza and did a series of navigation rallyes in Quebec and Ontario. We rounded up a group of semi-hard-core drivers and went on nightly stints on deserted stretch of roads. We here the first “privaters” to rent the Mecaglisse asphalt track.

A year and a half ago, I got a job working in Europe. There are race tracks all around my place here. But little gravel roads. So I started lapping, did some basic trainning. I read a lot about all aspects of performance driving and car dynamics. I discovered that there is a lot more to lapping than just going fast around a track. I had the chance to lap on lots of great circuits here. Today I’m wondering if I should get a daily drive/week-end lapper car or a shit box plus a full race car… decisions decisions…

T-spec said:

So you still finish last or what? :bigup: *tu*

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what. :bigup:

Kolia said:

Today I’m wondering if I should get a daily drive/week-end lapper car or a shit box plus a full race car… decisions decisions…

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get a POS and a full race car
some ppl dream
some other have the chance to live their dreams.

Pour ma part j'allais au cegep avec un ami qui avait fait une session de Solo 1 en 2001....Puis je suis allé avec en 2002 pour voir de quoi ca avait lair....Sanair Journée ecole/trainning de laps en debut de saison....En revenant j'ai mis ma voiture a vendre et jme suis acheter un civic en 2003...depuis ce temps la j'ai fait du Solo1, Solo2, Solo trial, surtout du Lapping et quelques sessions d'excursion hivernal...

D3rELiC said:

get a POS and a full race car
some ppl dream
some other have the chance to live their dreams.

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Buy a POS and build a race car out of it. Just pic a good chasiis. CIVIC 5thgen

Or a CRX, or a Wrabbit 2.0 16V, Golf, somthing like that.

Then when your finished you can have a POS/Racecar with a nice new Subaru next to it.

i'd love to find myself a Rabbit or a CRX. The wheelbase is damn good for cornering however they suffer from the wrong wheel drive prob. How are the front wheel drive cars doing up on the track? I know some ppl put their Type R's up on there and they swear by'em.
Also... whats the diff between Solo1 and Solo2? its it just a different class of racing requiring a different liscense?

AinSophAur said:

i'd love to find myself a Rabbit or a CRX. The wheelbase is damn good for cornering however they suffer from the wrong wheel drive prob. How are the front wheel drive cars doing up on the track? I know some ppl put their Type R's up on there and they swear by'em.
Also... whats the diff between Solo1 and Solo2? its it just a different class of racing requiring a different liscense?

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In short:
-Solo1 is lapping on a road circuit. Times are compared between competitors.
-Solo2 is tracks made of cones on road courses or parking lots, more technical. Times are also compared between competitors.

You can always get a LSD for the Rabbit or a CRX, it'll make a nice difference and help the wrong wheel drive issue. ITR's have them stock.

You can build a neon for under 5k If you do the work yourself. You'll get an amazing handling car for the price

95-96 Neon 800-1500$
Mopar X rate springs- 220$
Koni Yellows- 900$
Sways- 300$
Bushings - 200$
Brakes- 150$
Tires -500$
Misc suspension parts- 250$

Wieght redux Free , If you want to get nuts Jegs has roll cages between 129-259 US

I am just missing a good set of sways for my car.

Solo 2 is more my style

doesn't your track Neon get an LSD?

neonracer98 said:

You can build a neon for under 5k If you do the work yourself. You'll get an amazing handling car for the price

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Well for 5k I don't know if you can call that amazing! Speak to D.Gosselin and he will tell you that it takes more $$$ to make a Neon handle as well as a Honda.
He is still looking for amazing and he is the fastest neon racer in Quebec!!! :bigup: