Road Racing is like Crack Options

[Hornswoggler]

It doesn't have to be a roadcourse to gain disciplined car control skills.. with either some auto-x schools or LOTS of auto-x seat time, you can build a very similar skillset. Both HPDE (High performance drivers education, I won't use the term "racing", as these are non-competitive events designed around learning) and auto-x have their pros/cons with much overlap. If you want a real impression of how they compare, be sure and talk to somebody who has done both. I have my preference and have always had respect for the driving skills for those who are very good at auto-x.

If all somebody has done is spirited street driving on their own, I will say that 98% of those drivers will be absolutely humbled at their first couple auto-x or HPDE's as they might be getting passed by much slower cars. Spy might have been in the other 2%, lol! Then again, with more practice and maybe a lil chassis tuning, he can close that 4 second gap to the stock-power SRT-4 on street tires. Power isn't everything and it takes a performance driving experience to realize this. Spy, how accurate would you say my statement is saying that spirited street driving and HPDE are at two different levels? I think there is a pretty big gap, especially once you climb the ranks into intermediate and advanced run groups, its just not safe to consistently push those levels without run-off room and safety equipment.

I agree, some people may have the talent, and others not so much... with a lot of people falling "in between". Take sports for example, it is always a mix between natural talent and disciplined practice. With enough of one, you can usually overcome the other... but to be at the highest level, you need a lot of BOTH!

I have no idea your auto-x experience, my earlier comparison is between street-only drivers who think they have mastered driving, and those with disciplined driving education. Big gap there. Auto-x school would count as driving education, i did not mean to leave them out in my initial statement.

Either way, the smack talk is fun and I think we can have a good time with it. It does bring publicity to these type of events (auto-x, hpde, etc) and gets some good conversation going. Looking forward to seeing a few of you at the track next year, and if there is anything I can do to help you beat my laptimes, I would be thrilled! (i.e. in-car instructing, preparing for first event, data analysis, etc.). This is a fun hobby and I want to see everybody get the most from it.