Has anyone participated in the SpeedTrialUSA track days? They have one coming up August 12 & 13 at Buttonwillow. Seems like a fun track and it is only $200 for both days. http://www.speedtrialusa.com/index1.html
They also have some dates planned in November and December at Willowsprings.

I posted something about STUSA before...

IMO, they have improved a lot since the early days of including drifters. Back then it was terrible. These days, they hire a chief instructor, Mike Peters of NASA, to run the show. Mike is a very exuberent and inspiring speaker/instructor and he emphasizes 3 things: safety, safety and safety. Tommy still organizes the events.

They are decent for the price and I am looking forward to their August event. It will be extremely hot though. Be sure to check your coolant etc prior to the event.

For a comparision of STUSA and the rest of the event organizers in So Cal, visit here (http://www.vsengineeringtrack.com/track_org.htm).

I plan on replacing the water pump and thermostat & housing prior to the event. So hopefully I will be okay.

Thanks for that link

Anyone been to buttonwillow. I guess the first day they are running the full course (3 miles), then the second day it is course #27 or something, about 1.7 miles. Looks like it should be fun

Has anyone participated in the SpeedTrialUSA track days?



Yes. They are dumbasses. The lead instructor's claim to fame is "I did a 3-day at Skip Barber." The instructors are clueless. And, they don't allow passengers, which was the whole reason I went... to instruct a friend.


But, I suppose if you're just looking for a bit of track time alone in your road car, and blatant incompetence doesn't infuriate you, they'll do.

Yes. They are dumbasses. The lead instructor's claim to fame is "I did a 3-day at Skip Barber." The instructors are clueless. And, they don't allow passengers, which was the whole reason I went... to instruct a friend.


But, I suppose if you're just looking for a bit of track time alone in your road car, and blatant incompetence doesn't infuriate you, they'll do.

I felt the same way about the SpeedTrial event I attended at Gingerman this year. Actually I felt the same way about the Chin event at VIR last year in Dec. Once you get used to well run events like a BMW CCA or Porsche club event then I guess you become spoiled, everything else just seems loosey goosey.

-Carlos.

The lead instructor's claim to fame is "I did a 3-day at Skip Barber."

Mike is better than that really. I don't think he used that card as a group leader in NASA HPDE3.

Is there any timing at SpeedtrialUSA events? Hopefully they use the standard AMB transponders. Speedventures will be at BW on Friday the 11th so I was thinking of going all 3 days.

Looks like all asian imports... am I gonna get black flagged if I don't drift at least one turn each lap? :dunno

I am looking at SV on Friday too. Might skip the Sunday event though....BW west loop just doesn't look exciting to me.:stickoutt

Don't think there's timing. But if you have one of those GPS based system...go for it.

Looks like all asian imports... am I gonna get black flagged if I don't drift at least one turn each lap? :dunno

Just worry about holding up traffic. j/k :stickoutt

Asian imports are still cars nonetheless. We are all there to enjoy driving on the track. There were times I was the only BMW but who cares. Don't let some of these CRXs, Miatas fool ya. They can be mighty fast on a track like BW.

Just worry about holding up traffic. j/k :stickoutt

Asian imports are still cars nonetheless. We are all there to enjoy driving on the track. There were times I was the only BMW but who cares. Don't let some of these CRXs, Miatas fool ya. They can be mighty fast on a track like BW.

I've had CRX's smoke me, and I've blown by Evo 8's/S2k's, and even a Noble M12. The car means very little with a varied driver group like this...

Mike is better than that really.


No, not really.

I went to streets of willow event last year and they were allowing passengers that day. The event wasn't bad except for the fact that there was tooo many people there and not enough track time...

but i think that was the last day they allowed passengers in non-instructor cars because a WRX crashed into a cement wall, the guy was driving with his girlfriend and it wasn't a pretty site..

I haven't been to a CCA event yet, so I wouldn't know how those are run. Besides the event at California Speedway in October is $595. I am just looking to get some track time. It seems like they offer decent number of sessions. For $200 it can't be that bad.

Bump to promote event. Sign up soon fellas!

I will never attend another Speedtrials event. TOO many cars. How the hell do you allow 35 cars on a track as small as streets of willow. They have the lowest price because they run more drivers.

When I attended one of their events. The organizers had friends on race prepped civic driving on the track. They would pass any where any time they wanted to.

I was almost hit on a COOL DOWN LAP as one of these civics dive bombed me coming out of the bowl as I was waving to a corner worker. My complaints to the race organizers were ignored.

There are too many cars, too many young drivers with more ego than skill, too many incidences.

Last year.

A STI driver drove into a wall. Snapped his cheap 4 point harness and put his face through the steering wheel, which had the air bag removed. His passenger was his girlfriend. Both were injured and last I heard he was still in the hospital months after the crash.

A corvette driver with less skill than talent decided to do cartwheels thru the chicane.

At least this was my experience.

I prefer Speedventures much more strict and the driver talent is much better.

STUSA has been beaten to death on this "safety" topic.

I was in your shoes 3 years ago when I was a track novice. Same stuff. Race prep cars in novice groups. These days things are different.

But then again, you are entitled to your views.

STUSA has been beaten to death on this "safety" topic.

I was in your shoes 3 years ago when I was a track novice. Same stuff. Race prep cars in novice groups. These days things are different.

But then again, you are entitled to your views.
My experiences were in advanced group. An unsafe pass should not be ok in any group.

If you want to pass me do it on a hot lap. Don't dive bomb me on a cool down lap.

The "safety" topic has been beating to death because for some reason it keeps coming up with speedtrials. Why do you think that is?

Looks like Saturday only now. From their webpage, ridealongs are okay at Buttonwillow outside of Beginner group.

I'm going, as is my girlfriend (94is), and my old college roommate, his brother, and his friend (VWVortex guys). Anybody else on here?

Yeah I will be there. I need to send in the registration form though. I'll be running in the beginner group. The track looks like it should be fun though.

Looks like Saturday only now. From their webpage, ridealongs are okay at Buttonwillow outside of Beginner group.


yeah...I spoke to Tommy about the ride-alongs. Figure that should attract more folks to sign up. Rules will be enforced nonetheless. Irrational drivers will be black flagged. :nono

Cool. Co-worker of mine's son is getting into cars (he's 18), but he drives a Del Sol with big stickers on the side, rimzzzzzzzz, madtyte bass, etc... He wants his kid to meet up with me at an auto-x or track day and get a ridealong, learn about what cars are really meant to do, get him interested in actual automotive stuff, not ricer crap. This'll be a good opportunity, I'll let him know.