has thscc ever thought of doing something like this?

Stephen Westerfield · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:29 pm

It's charity laps for the Ronald McDonald Charity. They did the same thing the Friday before our April event last year. You are correct though, the Arial Atom rides are taken in the passenger seat.

Chris Halweg · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:30 pm

Bernie Baake wrote:

Charity laps buy you nothing as far as hpde, tt, or racing is concerned. Without an instructor in the car the laps are just killing time. If you haven't done an HPDE and think you'll get something out of it you're mistaken. HYPERDRIVE is classroom and a track session with and instructor. Granted all instructors are not equal as witnessed by the video. As a novice, charity laps will only teach you bad habits that won't work at high speeds
IMHO

Granted I see your point, but you're are not precluded from having instructors in the car. You may even be able to have a classroom session beforehand. If attendance, effort to set up, and club cost are at issue then charity laps may be an alternative.

To be honest I can not afford a track day or weekend, so I'm not the person you are looking to recruit anyway. The key would be to get people involved in the track program/events and not just waste your time.

Bernie Baake · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 4:57 pm

Thats the point, Chris, to get people involved in the track program. Doing parade or charity laps is like running an auto cross at 10mph maximum speed, it would entice no-one to join auto cross. To get hooked you have to drive at speed.

Jason Tower · **Joined:** Wed Jun 11, 2008 3:31 pm **Posts:** 1173

Bernie Baake wrote:

Thats the point, Chris, to get people involved in the track program. Doing parade or charity laps is like running an auto cross at 10mph maximum speed, it would entice no-one to join auto cross. To get hooked you have to drive at speed.

or ride at speed, the type of person who would enjoy track events would probably get just as much of a thrill (maybe more) from riding shotgun with a more experienced driver.

clinehall · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 5:50 pm

Jason Tower wrote:

Bernie Baake wrote:

Thats the point, Chris, to get people involved in the track program. Doing parade or charity laps is like running an auto cross at 10mph maximum speed, it would entice no-one to join auto cross. To get hooked you have to drive at speed.

or ride at speed, the type of person who would enjoy track events would probably get just as much of a thrill (maybe more) from riding shotgun with a more experienced driver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=updyPbEJ ... ture=share

steve remchak · **Posted:** Mon Feb 27, 2012 6:50 pm

clinehall wrote:

Jason Tower wrote:

Bernie Baake wrote:

Thats the point, Chris, to get people involved in the track program. Doing parade or charity laps is like running an auto cross at 10mph maximum speed, it would entice no-one to join auto cross. To get hooked you have to drive at speed.

or ride at speed, the type of person who would enjoy track events would probably get just as much of a thrill (maybe more) from riding shotgun with a more experienced driver.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=updyPbEJ ... ture=share

i get that same reaction from my wife on I-40.

i can't say that i have ever really enjoyed a ride along. they usually make me nauseous.

clinehall · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 8:23 am

Maybe this will get VK on board with the idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RiSY95X ... re=related

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:44 am

clinehall wrote:

Maybe this will get VK on board with the idea

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RiSY95X ... re=related

My wife might not approve, but I surely do!

Stacy King · **Posted:** Mon Mar 12, 2012 12:24 pm

I'd be very curious to know if those hyper drives actually turn in to weekend entries. I've ran multiple scenarios in my head and on paper, and every one of them have come up with the same result: more trouble than they're worth.

It's a great idea... but one-session $50 entries don't help the bottom line much. And from a logistical standpoint, could prove to be nightmareish as far as instructors are concerned.

I haven't watched the video above, but my guess is it wasn't actually an instructor. Was probably a racer or HPDE4 driver who they asked to sit in.

Mark Barnes · **Posted:** Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:31 am

I have been at a few events that use the hyperdrive format. They usually have a single session for this group if it is big enough or add it to the green run group. They use the same instructors as the other run groups (i.e. real instructors not just somebody that stayed at a Holiday Inn). The hyperdrive people are required to go to the drivers meeting, have all the same safety checks and gear, etc. In short, this is the first session for a new green student.

I have had a few friends do this and now they are regular HPDE participants.... Many turned their one session into the whole day or weekend.

If you want to get new people in, first you put them out on parade laps, then give them a ride with an instructor, then a hyperfest then they sign up for an HPDE. Not a lot of people can swing a $1000 for a full weekend to see if they like the track stuff.

my 2 cents.

steve remchak · **Posted:** Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:47 am

speaking of parade laps. apparently there is a whole culture of folks that exclusively do parade laps. i spoke with a dude at VIR that had a Vette. he said they even have a strategy to get "tire smoking hot laps" (his words, not mine). apparently these guys get in line together and then work together to allow enough room for blasting down the track.

whoodah thunk?

i know i pissed the Vette dude off as i tucked up under him in the sentra and jammed him tight behind the pace car. oh well. :lol:

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:52 am

Well done, Steve. Well done!

Kevin Harvey · **Posted:** Thu Apr 05, 2012 9:56 am

At the Ronald McDonald Charity laps event last Friday while I was pumping 165 gallons of 93 octane, I couldn't help but watch all of the folks doing the parade laps and think, "This is the automotive highlight of their year". And just think how many of them went to work on Monday bragging about "racing" at VIR!

We had one young metrosexual come by our pits in his 240SX asking for help with his, "pinprick leak in the radiator hose from racing all day." (say that with a lisp).

Racing???? I went out with Jim in the Sandford & Son truck for a shakedown during the RMcD laps and we might have hit 70 - tops!

Mark Barnes · **Posted:** Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:09 am

Just remember, if we didn't have these parade lap guys out there to compare to, how would we define our own coolness?

I was kinda fun though having all the people coming up to check out the Chump Car while walking past the shiney Corvette parked just behind us...

Vincent Keene · **Posted:** Thu Apr 05, 2012 10:14 am

I can see merit (gaining future HPDE students for our program) if the hyperdrive was limited to say, 10 cars. However if their one session turns into a high dollar parade lap type deal because of 30 cars, it could seem like just a waste of money.

Just my $0.02

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