Research and backroad driving have prepared you for the track? Watching an autocross has made you decide that it's not fun? I apologize in advance for this comment, but you have no idea what you're talking about. Right now you are coming off as nothing more than an armchair racer.
I didn't say I would go out and be an expert by any means, but I think I can hold my own enough to be considered totally average. I know where I should on the track, where I should start to brake, throttle modulation, where grip runs out to name a few things. Obviously I don't have it all covered, but I wouldn't be the one to show up to the track and hold
everyone up. :lol: I've trashed around a good amount of cars in my life, so it's not just my own that I've learned from and about. Now, the one thing that I could not prepare for is the other cars out there, and the unpredictability that comes with that. I'm not someone who jumps into something and then finds out how I do, I look into it for a while and learn as much as possible. It should be noted, we use the full road on these runs, not just the "I can stay in my lane really well" type of thing. I've probably seen MAYBE 20 cars out there on the 30+ times we've gone out there. It's not a track, but it does provide a good basis to try and find the line and braking points. I'd probably end up watching an event or two just to learn the track and ask some questions to those in the front before I got out there myself. I'm just that type of person.
No offense, but a half-decent driver in a decently set-up CRX would walk away from a Camaro in a corner. A friend of mine (whom I mentioned earlier in this thread) had a CRX with suspension, decent tires, and a swap (170hp at the crack, if that) and we've gone out with many different cars. No one could even hope to keep up with that little ol' Honda. No one.
Poor phrasing by me. By "kept up," I didn't mean I was on his ass in every corner, but I kept within a reasonable distance. On a track, lap after lap, he could no doubt put a good amount of distance between him and I with any decent amount of turns. However, there was enough balance between straight and turn to keep me competitive. That right there is why I prefer road racing to autocross, balance. Personally, I can never have too much power. If I did decide to venture into another form of racing, I'd like for it to be something where I could stretch the cars legs while still having to deal with tons of twisties.
Again, I never claimed him to be an expert, nor his car to be an all out, no compromise track car. It was built with handling as it's purpose, but was far from the most impressive car out there. He also wasn't a perfect driver, like you seemed to assume I said he was. He was an above average driver with a good car for the task, nothing more, nothing less. If he was better and his car was setup better, I'm sure it would as ugly as if we went to the dragstrip, but those were not the circumstances and I had a ton of fun that day.
People know what they like, and what they don't. I'll give autocross a shot from the driver's seat some time, but I am 99% sure it will be a 1 time thing. It just really doesn't doesn't appeal much to my liking. If I decide to stretch my budget a bit, I might just end up in a C6 Vette here in the next 6 months or so. I've always said I'll venture into road racing once I get into a car worthy of it. But again, I won't just be jumping into it and hope I'm good. You can never research too much, or ask those better than you too many questions.
Like I said before though, I like straights. I'll most likely end up in another f-body as my next car so I can buy a house sooner (than if I stretch the budget for a C6). I've began to get a plan for a turbo setup together, shoot for some 130+ trap speeds and go have some fun on the streets. I'd love to attend TX2K12, not that I would even be in the neighborhood of 90% of the stuff there, but that's more my scene. Any organized race involving turns is a good 2 or 3 years out at the most. I'd rather put that kind of money towards an eboost2 or the damn $1,500 hair dryer.
Not that it matters, but have you ever heard of Sam Strano?
With that said, I'll let this thread get back on topic. Feel free to PM me if you'd like to discuss this all further. Like I said, I don't take this internet stuff too seriously.
edit: This would be a whole lot easier if you could just go on a cruise with us and make the decision based on facts rather than words on a computer screen and inferences made from that.
edit2: I do have a GoPro Motorsports HERO gathering some dust, maybe I'll put it to good use soon...