I think one of the main reasons people have for not trying out something like a track day is that they don’t think they have the right car. The cars on TV look like spaceships; racy cars on the road are loud and menacing. That’s pretty much what I thought before getting into the sport. Why bother when I had just a regular car? Knowing what I know now, my opinion is that the best car for HPDE is the car you already have.
You don’t need a 400-horsepower Porsche to get on the track. In fact, a car like that will likely be useless during your first few track days. As a novice, there are a lot of things to learn about driving fast, and you will not be able to properly harness the capabilities of a vehicle like that. I’m guessing the car in your driveway right now is not that Porsche. Or, if it is, you probably have another “regular” car, too. Take that car. Whether it’s a sporty coupe, or a family sedan, you can enter it into an HPDE. I’ve seen non-sporty Honda Civics, a Lexus ES, and, at my last event at Shenandoah, an Acura TLX. My wife’s uncle is a club racer with the BMW Club. He races an E92 M3 now, but, when he first started driving he would borrow a friend’s Dodge Neon.
Knowing what I know now, my opinion is that the best car for HPDE is the car you already have.
The point is, the skills you need to learn when you’re first starting out can be practiced in any car. Learning the driving line, learning to scan the track ahead, learning how to enter and exit a corner are all basic tools that you need to be proficient at driving before you can step up to a proper racing car. In fact, it could be argued that the slower the car the better. There are so many things fighting for your attention during your first HPDE’s that it can really overload your senses. Having a slower car can actually help you take it all in at a reasonable pace.
There are some limitations based on the organization you run with. SUV’s, in general, are forbidden. Their high centers of gravity make them more likely to roll over. However, I have seen a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT on the track. Convertibles are also tricky. Many organizations allow them if they have a proper roll bar installed, some allow them just with factory rollover protection, and others strictly forbid them without a full roll cage. If you have a convertible, check the rules of your organization to determine if it’s allowed.
The best car for HPDE is the one in your driveway. Don’t let a “regular” car keep you from getting on the track if it’s something you’re interested in. It will be perfectly fine for learning what you need to learn. Plus, you will learn how to better control your own car in the real world and will become a better driver on the street. Sign up, grab your keys and a helmet, and get out there!
