It's time for planning a 2006 Colorado track day and I'm giving plenty of advance notice to get as many involved as possible. In the past, we've run a traditional High Performance Driving Experience (HPDE) complete with driving and accident avoidence exercises, before we moved to the road course for a turn-by-turn walk through and follow-the-leader lapping sessions. Depending on how many 'newbies' we get, we'll reprise this format. But if it's all experienced drivers, we'll consider going to lapping sessions immediately.

LaJunta Raceways is located in SE Colorado and is a 1.4 mile road course. It's not a particularly difficult course to learn, but it can be plenty fast. 90-100 MPH speeds on the front straight in a 350Z are possible and turn one is flat out once you learn the line! Another positive is that LaJunta is THE best bargain in North America, with track rental fees confirmed at $35/per car!

Also confirmed are the following dates: Sunday, February 19th with a back-up date the following weekend. Some of us are planning to drive to LaJunta on Saturday afternoon and stay the night (it's about a 2 1/2 hour drive from the Denver metro area). There is a Holiday Inn Express as well as other accomodations in town, so it would be worthwhile to take a relaxing drive and get up with plenty of time to get to the track.

As usual, there is NO advance fee involved, simply post up here if you have definite plans to go. Mention whether you plan to stay the night (we'll get a caravan going) or drive down the day of the event. We'll work out the logistics and check the weather forcasts as the date gets closer. Questions? Post 'em up!

 

Sweet!! I'm in. I shouldn't have any problems with the date, so unless the weather is bad, I'll be there. The last time was awesome. While Denver was getting stormed, La Junta was 60 degrees and sunny, and the track empty except for the five of us. This is absolutely the best track time for the dollar opportunity in the U.S. I'll drive down that Sunday morn and meet you guys at the track.
David, thanks for setting this up, the timing is perfect!
Will

 

I'm in! And I'll be joining the caravan down the day before...I think it'll be worth it to get an earlier start at the track (since the sun goes down at 4 this time of year) and to not have QUITE as long of a day on Sunday with the drive back home. Plus the chance to sample La Junta's ROARING night-life with my Z-car homies the night before the track day makes this a no-brainer.

Thanks for putting this together, David. Can't wait!!!

 

I'll be there...........and maybe we can party the night before at the bar at the hotel.............which might be Gary's hotel room.

I'm looking forward to it. Just checked the weather forecast for that day and they are predicting warm temps................just trying to be optimistic.

Mudd

 

After the huge RUSH of responses, we have Resolute, GaryM05 and Mudd, so far. All relatively hard-core track fans and experienced drivers, to the man. Hard to believe that none of the other Colorado Z drivers (especially those who are new owners) are willing or able to put on a minimum amount of time and money to begin improving their skills and really experience their cars' performance on a dedicated track.

Did I mention that we've never had so much as a scratch put on one of our Zs at one of these events? While I don't pretend that any HPDE is without risk, our format is designed with safety as the highest priority. The real risk is to one's ego: you may not be as good a driver as you think and motorsports can be a great forum for learning about yourself and your machine. So get out the calender and check out what's going on in February (probably nothing)!

 

First, I would like to thank you David for puttin this event on, again! As one who's experienced these awesome teaching/fun sessions many times in the past, I can say without question, "This is what you bought your baby for in the first place, Boys & Girls!".

Before my first track event with you, I thought I was a pretty good driver, and one who knew my car fairly well. I couldn't have been more wrong in my life. People spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to go to driving clinics to learn the same skills you teach at these track events.. for FREE! Your enthusiasm for teaching us wanna-be-racers is only matched by the pride you get from seeing the lights come on in us.

If I can swing some issues by then, you will definetly see my BY there. For $35 all day, it's a steal.

Also, I would like to thank you for posting this event on the other (cooler) site!! Come on fellas, I have biased reasons for saying that... k?!!!

 

Well said Don...............and thanks David for setting this up.

BTW..........David, did the mudd a flung all over your car come off ok, I forgot to ask. And for those that have no idea what I'm talking about, it's another reason why I need more seat time on the track, to keep from going of the track into a mudd pit sideways and throwing crap all over the side of my friends' cars.

Mudd

 

David,
I don't know what the schedule will bring for Feb. but I would like to attend and spend Saturday night in the thriving metropolis of La Junta as well. Can I ask you to once again extend the offer of your wheels and tires for the event? I will still have my snows on then and if I could use your extra wheels that would save me some time and money. I promise that I will care for them as if they were my own.

 

Thanks for the comments guys. It still looks like it's the Z pilots who have experienced these events who are the ones signing up! That they had a lot of FUN and still drive their cars should give a clue as to what to expect. BTW- Mudd is the only Z driver who throws mud on my car (and lives to tell about it) and has direct experience with a racer's reflexes saving his a$$. LOL!

Craig- I'm currently using my Rays and Toyo T1Ss as my winter setup. You're welcome to use them for LaJunta, but I'm afraid the rear tires may not have much tread left.

 

Okay, we'll play it by ear. Maybe the weather will cooperate and I can just put the summer tires back on for good. I was target for a march changeover so maybe we'll get lucky. Thanks for setting this up.

 

I can't firmly commit yet, but do really want to go. Will check and see, but my desire would be to head down the night before.

Daryl

 

Hmmm.... got to thinking and remembered my track pads are buckled and cracked. Shame too since they have plenty of material left. I might finally buy a digital camera soon, and will take pictures for those who haven't seen the fine build quality incorporated into $300 Porterfield R4 pads.... so, anyone happen to have any pads left in decent shape. I still have my old RedStuff's, but they don't have much left on them. Of course, LaJunta really isn't that hard on the brakes so they might do fine, but I thought I'd ask. Thanks,
Will
EDIT: what's the other site do you guys prefer to go on?

 

I want to go but I am not sure if I will be able to make it yet.

 

Sounds great, thanks for setting this up David!

I don't think I have anything planned for that weekend, so I should be in.. I would also like to take the caravan up on Saturday, but I need to make sure I can get away for that long.

BTW: I am a newbie, so some instructions and practice would be very beneficial.

 

Resolute,
Are you using stock calipers? If so I have some Hawk hps that have about 1/2 the material left. You can use those if they fit.

 

Thanks Dave, I'm glad to hear that the HPDE track days are on. I'm very interested, but need to plan some things before I decide. Tires and brake pads and my budget are fighting again. But the cost of the event sure makes it tempting, so does spending a night in the one of the most exciting cities in the world, J/K. It does sound like a good group will be there, so maybe we'll be able to invade the local bar.

If you don't mind, put me in the 'maybe' catagory.

Thanks again Dave,
David

 

Tires and brake pads and my budgets is an issue for me too. I plan on putting pads on it the next couple of weeks. Tire is the biggest problem since they cost the most but I was plan on changing those in Jan.

 

I'm in (even if it means missing the Daytona 500)--never driven on a track day. I assume roadsters are ok?

 

Thanks for the offer. I'll let you know closer to track day, but I think I can swing a new set of RedStuff from Courtesy. If not, I'll probably take you up on the offer. Thanks Again!
Will

 

I will answer for David since I know the answer.

All Z's are ok. New, old, hard top, soft top..........they all are ok.

Mudd