track time? car clubs?
 

I was looking for a high performance driving event / track time recently and that got me to wondering...

What clubs do you guys run with at the track?

There is a boatload of BMW and Porsche clubs that book up all the track time here in the northeast - Lime Rock, Watkins Glen and Pocono. Then there is Performance Drivers Assoc in NJ and EMRA and Car Guys (but they are more mid east coast). Is there anyone else?

The Porsche and BMW clubs seem to be the only ones able to get weekend dates at the track. Do we need to join those clubs in order to get some track time?

That's usually because those clubs are a lot larger and can easily get the money to rent the tracks.

In my area, it's usually the Porsche and Audi clubs that rent the track out however, they allow anyone to sign up with them. You don't need to be part of their club, you just need to pay the fees.

I'm sure it's the same in your area. Just find out which club has the next scheduled event, and then contact the club. I'm sure all you have to do is register for the event with them. ;)

Running in one of the Porsche, Audi, or BMW track days is usually the best bang for the buck. Most are open to non-members but not all. It depends on the local chapter that is holding the event. Check with pca.org, bmwcca.org, and quattroclubusa.org. IMO, the PCA events are the most well organized and have the fastest cars (less holdup for FD drivers).
Also, check out the NASA HDPE's. They require membership to NASA.
After you've taken a driving school at a particular track, you can start doing open lap days. They have the most track time for the $, but instruction is often minimal. That's why I suggest taking a drivers ed at the particular track first.

Some independent clubs (other than Porsche, BMW, Audi, Ferrari, and NASA) are:

TracQuest, www.tracquest.com

Mazda Driving Associates, LLC www.mazdadrivers.com

Track Guys, www.trackguys.com

Motorsports Driving Club, www.motorsportsdrivingclub.com (shameless plug...sorry!)

i'm running the Glen in Sept. With:

www.trackmasters.com