So you've proven that you can take your car down the quarter. You've done it hundreds of times, and it's getting to the point where miniscule power increases are starting to cost thousands instead of hundreds of dollars. You want to do some serious driving, so you start looking for other outlets-other venues where you can drive your car the way it was intended to be driven (or at least as shown by advertisements), without fear of recourse from the authorities. Being the smart person you are, you know that taking it to the streets isn't the answer. Taking it out to the local NASCAR track won't work either because, dammit, all they do is turn left. Fear not, for as long as the automobile has been around, people have been finding ways to test the limits of their machinery, as well as their own survival instinct (and the size of certain extremities). At least a few of the names synonymous with this domain should be familiar territory: Mario Andretti, Michael Schumacher, Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn. OK, those last few will be considerably vague to the average motoring enthusiast, but they are important figures in automobile history nonetheless. We're talking about road racing and open-track driving here, along with all the present iterations of the sport, including High Performance Drivers Education and Time Trial events, among others. Getting out there, carving up corners, making late-braking moves, and driving your vehicle at 10/10ths-a term often used to describe the physical limit of both man and machine-is easily within grasp of everyone who picks up this magazine.
The Path Less TakenRoad racing doesn't have the same allure as it did, say, back in the post-World War II years, but there are still a lot of clubs, sanctioning bodies, and organizations that hold road racing events, HPDEs, and TT events all over the country. They're out there; you just have to peel back the onion a bit. And don't lie-we know there are those of you out there who are interested in jumping ship over to the "corner carving" crowd. We will keep this user anonymous from a Fourth Gen message board:
"Hey guys, I have run into a tough decision lately. To make a long story short, I have decided that I like drag racing as a hobby, but the competition I really wish to pursue is in time attack/road course stuff."
Well, this is the right place for you, my friend.
As with life, people always take different paths to get to what they're seeking. Generally, though, HPDEs are a good starting point for anyone looking to get out on the track and learn how to make a car hustle around a road course. They can also be the perfect venue to hone the skills necessary for wheel-to-wheel road racing.
The name says it all: High Performance Driving Education. This is where other drivers and racers will show you the techniques required to beat the hell out of your vehicle on the track. One of the more popular organizations running HPDE events is the National Auto Sport Association, which has 11 regions across the country holding events. NASA is a for-profit establishment that has developed quite a following in recent years, especially with its "farm system" of developing HPDE drivers who often go on to race competitively in various NASA series. A typical NASA event weekend has two or three full days of on-track activity, with racing interspersed with HPDE sessions. More specifically, NASA (as well as most other HPDE-holding organizations) has four distinct classes, or groups, for differing skill levels. As an individual progresses up the NASA (or other) HPDE ladder, he or she will move through each of these run classes. Group assignments are determined at individual events, and are based purely on skill and experience.