Gauging Interest: Reno-Fernley Track/Driving School Day
 

SECCS is thinking about planning a Track Day / Driving School at Reno-Fernely Raceway this spring.

No dates or cost yet. We need to make sure there's sufficient interest before planning. We are in touch with The Next Level driving school that operates at Reno-Fernley, and the track owner, so we may be able to setup a specific day for us, or simply take over one of the already scheduled schools. Depending on demand, we can do a 1 or 2 day school, and hopefully avoid Fridays since many people have to work.

We're hoping for April or May, on a weekend that avoids Reno Region SCCA AutoX. We figure we'll need about 15-20 drivers, at a cost around $200 each.

Please let us know if you're interested, what days would be best for your schedule, and if you'd like a 1 or 2 day event!


Latest Info:
Reno-Fernley is expanding! There is an additional 1.2 miles of more technical track that should be availible in May! I'm in contact with the track's school trying to hammer out a date. We're currently looking at an August event due to scheduling conflicts with Reno SCCA AutoX.

Here are our scheduling options:
Sat, July 24 - Potentially conflicts w/ Summer SCCA Test-n-Tune
Sun, July 25
Sat, July 31 - Potentially conflicts with Lovelock Solo1 Trials
Sun, Aug. 1 - Potentially conflicts with Lovelock Solo1 Trials
Sun, Aug. 8
Sat, Aug 28
Sun, Aug 29

Pricing will hopefully come in under $200 per driver. Please let me know what dates work for you!


Interested Parties:
sperry
MattR
MikeSTI
STIwish - pending vehicle
ArthurS
SubyDude (via NASIOC)
JC
Pat R
Jerry C (via NASIOC)
zspeed +1
Kostamojen
kidatari (via I-Club)
BAN SUVS
GotBoost? (via I-Club)
WRC-STI (via NASIOC)
Egan
OneManArmy (via NASIOC)
Lowball
Theo
MikeK
100 (via NASIOC)
pdqwrx +2

I'm interested, a 1 Day would be fine for me, and prefered actually. weekend a must.

Matt R

Unsure yet. Ill let you know soon enough though.

I'm still IN

Ill go if I have something to drive.

I would like a 1 day better then 2, but if 2 days was required I guess that would have to be ok also 8)

I might go if it's middle to late may. You can all tremble at my non-turbo all season tire fury. :P

Would it be open to non-Subaru rear-wheel-drive cars?

If so you can put my name on the list for one or two days.

Of course! Subaru not required! :lol:

I'll go pending lots of things. Like a vechicle, money, and um... thats about it :lol:

Which basically means I probably couldn't do it till the Summer.

ME and my brother might go if we can find extra money. My 3rd baby is due mid April so mid to late May is better.

Welcome, Pat R!

(I won't jump in until i know what vehicle replacement i have.)

Thanks Debbie!

I saw a brand new S2000 at Bill Pearce the other day... :)

Is that what you're driving?
It's a sweet car, isn't it?

In like Flynn.

I'm in (1 day event)! I replied at nasioc as well.

well we are atleast over 15 now :D

Well, I'll bet once things are planned, we'll lose at least 1/4 to cost/date conflicts. But I did send an email off to the driving school to let them know we've got a group interested.

Yes, I have an '00 S2000. The '04 version has a bigger engine w/ lower redline, bigger wheels, softer suspension, and a clock.
You should go test drive the one at BP if they'll let you.

:shock: so does that mean the '03 didn't have a clock?

sounds like a challenge I should look into. :wink:

Boy, they're really stepping up the luxury equipment there with the addition of a clock.

:lol: just adds weight :lol:

A clock was included with the 2001+ models.

Who needs a clock? If you're behind the wheel of an S2000 then it's obviously time to floor it! :D

When I bought mine they were all sold well before they were even put on the boat. In fact, the first time I saw an S2000 in person was the day I picked mine up-- three months after I had placed a non-refundable deposit on it. I don't know if that's still the case, but it's worth a try.

By the way, Bill Pearce Honda sucks! Their service dept. is not familiar with the nuances and intricacies of the S2000.

well I'm sure if thats the car you wanted to go with you could find it some where now

Ill probably go anyway, even if its $200... I will make it like a 3 day thing and have the cabin open for people to stay in who come from the bay to make it a easier drive in the morning :)

wow, this seccs track day idea is going to be awesome. Matt and Scott, again, good thinking to get some momentum going on this.

Pat & Mike, right on with the clock comments, don't need the weight, and it's time to floor it, 'specially on an open road with the top down. That's a future dream, have a car where i can drive with the top down.

I was just kidding with the clock comment, geez... :lol: Everyone should know if I had my druthers the OEM's would offer lightweight racing models of performance cars straight from the factory, no sound deadening, no A/C, no radio, no interior, no nothing.

Alright, I just got more info from the driving school via email:

So it looks like our goal is 10+ cars for a 1 day school.... or 20 to take over the track! :twisted: I think $175 for a 1 day intro school is a pretty good price. My only concerns would be a lack of instructors, so I'm hoping we can get some of the experienced drivers to act as additional ride-along instructors. Dean, how does one go about setting that up?

I'm also leaning towards May 1st for the day since that fits in after the April Reno AutoXes and before RIM (May 7,8,9). Other days available (as far as the Reno AutoX schedule) are April 3 and April 10, unless we're willing to try and get the track day in at the end of March, which would be the weekend right after the Buttonwillow track day... probably too soon.

May 1 sounds good now lets get 20 cars 8)

Is this a track day or a school? From the ET email (and their website) it sounds more like a school for beginners only. What about those of us with more track experience? Would this be a waste of time/$ for us?

Can you guys give us some more details on what exactly you're proposing for this event? I assumed it would be similar to other HPDE's I've attended where you have different run groups based on experience level.

I'm the same way. I'm thinking about selling the S2K and picking up a Lotus Elise instead.

Holding the school on May 1st sounds cool to me.

HELL YEA!!!

The problem with an HPDE w/o instruction is that Reno-Fernley requires some sort of license or authorization from the owner to get out on course. Basically you need to have track experience, and be able to prove it, before they'll let you out there. I'd like to set up non-instructional sessions too, however I'm not sure how that will work, I'll contact the school and/or the track to find out more. There is an issue of insurance. SECCS does not have it's own coverage, so we need to be under somone else's umbrella. Most HPDE's are in association with a more formal club, such as NASA or SCCA. We're attempting to do this under the umbrella of the Next Level Driving School, so we simply may not be able to setup non-instructional laps. Of course, if you have track experience, you should be able to run Tes-n-Tune whick would put you on course with other TnT cars inbetween the class sessions, but I would bet you'll get more track time in the Intermediate or Advanced classes than the TnT because the class sessions work out to be about 30 to 40 minutes, while the TnT sessions are 20.

Another big reason for the school, is that we have lots of people w/o a lot of track experience in SECCS, and we want to try and get these people up and running. Once you've done the beginner class at Reno-Fernely, then you're eligible to run the Test-n-Tune days whenever you like, so we want to get as many people eligible as possible for future Test-n-Tunes. Plus there's always the argument that there's *always* something to learn from an instructor, even if you're an instructor yourself.

Count me in for 1 day

Scott, that's fine. I believe in instruction as well and I surely don't know everything (despite what I tell my fiancee).

I just did not want to be stuck in a beginner class if that was all they are going to offer. If they are offering intermediate classes as well, then I'll definitely attend.

There should be beginner/intermediate/advanced classes at the prices listed above in the email I posted. Of course nothing's set in stone yet, but we're doing what we can to get enough people interested to pull the 10% discount, and hopefully a track to ourselves, since that will increase track time for everyone in the classes.

You guys got home pretty quick!

Zoom Zoom's not just for Mazdas.

I'm down with a one or two day event.

Lowball

I would be up for a day or two!

theo

The more days the better! Well, maybe just 2.

Event planning has kinda been on the back burner with the I-Club track day, and my extensive overtime at work lately. Now that Buttonwillow is over, I think we'll be able to get things rolling again with Reno-Fernely.

Chances are the event will be a Saturday only, however, I'll bet the track will be available for test-n-tune on Sunday too.

Okay, some more info!

I've been emailing back and forth with the school trying to hammer out a date that will work for both our schedules.

Here's the list of dates they have available that don't conflict with one of our already scheduled events:

Sat, July 24 - Potentially conflicts w/ Summer SCCA Test-n-Tune
Sun, July 25
Sat, July 31 - Potentially conflicts with Lovelock Solo1 Trials
Sun, Aug. 1 - Potentially conflicts with Lovelock Solo1 Trials
Sun, Aug. 8
Sat, Aug 28
Sun, Aug 29

How does everyone feel about these dates? I'm thinking this may need to be a late August event. I wonder how friggen hot it will be out at Fernley!

Another option would be to make this a weekday event, since it will cost a little less, and we'll have plenty more options as far as scheduling. I'd really like a Saturday event so Sac and Bay Area people can come up Friday night and not have to take a day off work.

Our new goal is to get 30 people for the event, so we can take over the track for ourselves. I think I may be able to get several people from here at work that have some crazy fast cars, plus all the people that have already expressed interest, I think 30 is possible!

I am interested! Any date is fine by me except July the 24th ... I would kind of like to go to the autocross school that day since I am so n00btastic

I like the timing of the July 31/Aug 1 dates.

A agree that's a good weekend, however, if SCCA gets Lovelock cleared as a Solo1 Trials site, then I'm going to want to do that for sure. Solo1 Trials = AutoX++. Not quite a Solo1 event, but there should be some good high-speed racing going on!

I thought you need a full race car to go to solo 1? Cage, fire suppression, the whole bit.

Yep.... this is a Solo 1 Trials event. It's like halfway between Solo1 and Solo2... uses most the saftey regulations of a Solo2 event (only major difference is that open top cars are required to have a roll bar), but on a faster course. However your site has to be approved by the SCCA for use in a Solo1 Trials event, and that's what we're waiting on for the Lovelock Airport.

When you set a date I would love to come up from Stockton. Would this be a Subaru only event? I have several track buddies with 240sx's that would love to come.

Later
PDQWRX

Not Subaru only, all are welcome!

We can set a date as soon as I get some more feedback. It's looking like I'm just going to have to pick one myself and say, too bad if you can't make it, ya'll had your chance! :P