A National Track Tour 2025 in a 2020 Transit Connect Canceled??

[LostInTransit]

A National Track Tour 2025 in a 2020 Transit Connect Canceled??

My only option is to get the support of other car clubs or forums like this one in an effort to be allowed to drive our van on any selected nationwide track. With your support, as a minimum, we would need at least $2,600 or 26 ppl at $100.00 a pop to rent the only track that would allow the van on the track is the Firm in FLA.

If this is something you'd like to have done or take part in, post you comment below saying you want in on this.. Then we'll have to work up some sort of track fund for all those participating in these types of events. Thats short of creating a gofundme or using the patron accounts to help fund these track events. I'm personal am not willing to tie our bank account into either of these types of services.. so my offer of 100.00 still stands and the tracks can be located anywhere nation wide. Please give advance notice of this event so that we can make plans to attend.

 

[WannabeST]

$100 is a cheap price on a track day. Wish I was local, I would pay and be willing to instruct. Unfortunately we are on opposite sides of the US lol

 

[WannabeST]

If it ever makes its way out here on the west coast let me know. I've hosted about a dozen track days as a one man show (including tracks like buttonwillow, chuckwalla, willow springs and more) and I of course instruct and work closely with lots of organizers. Every track does things a little differently but I am more than happy to help.

 

[kevinatfms]

Id be interested. MD also so could convoy down if things get setup. Id trailer my car though with my F150.

FWIW, there is moehpde.com that offers NJMP track days for $3999 for 10 participants plus $365/each additional participant. You may want to talk with them before heading all the way down to The Firm in FL. Its only 3 hours from Washington DC so significantly closer.

https://moehpde.com/private-group

 

[rallytaff]

I used to teach at that venue in Florida. I was the only instructor to NOT have a pupil crash during the training.

 

[kevinatfms]

Another option in the meantime, check GFE Trackcross for events at Summit Point in WV or Dominion Raceway in VA.

They make exceptions dependent on what the vehicle is. The van would i think be accepted knowing you are lowering it and making it wider. Email Jon Felton at Jon@getfastevents.com for more information and submit pictures of the van as run. He will let you know if it will pass tech or not.

It isnt a track day but more like autocross on a track. A to B competitive time trial style event. The courses run 3/4 to 7/8ths of Jefferson/Shennandoah/Main circuits so its nearly a full lap with timing of each run. You dont need to "work" resetting cones and such which makes it a bit easier on you.

Id also ask them about a class for Fiesta ST based vehicles. They did an event with single class with Tacoma X-Runner trucks which was very cool to see. Maybe they will allow a class of 10 ST based vehicles if we got enough together?

 

[kevinatfms]

Not to be a dick but you didnt read what i wrote about Get Fast Events and emailing Jon Felton. I didnt say to ask him about an ST specific event. I said to contact him about running the van in one of his Trackcross events. They run SUVs at these events with permission so the van with an ST suspension should be a pretty easy sign off.

If he approves of the van running a trackcross event then we can setup for anyone wanting to go to an event in this forum. Figure out which event suits as many people as possible then post in here who is attending, who has signed up and who do they think will be the fastest.

If you want to get on track and go fast, then Trackcross is your avenue. I highly suggest taking what you can get versus pace laps at another event which limits you to 60mph(ish) due to insurance regulations. Trackcross gets you on track, as fast as you can go, with nothing to stop you from hitting 100+mph in certain sections.

 

[kevinatfms]

..and I replied to you with "I do not care for trackcross" or going fast. I was happy with going the speed limit for at least 10 mins and yes I emailed Jon and his reply wasn't very favorable. in fact I'll never visit summit point ever again based on his comments, and yes stop being a dick about this. If one doesn't want to read about my hardship and or comment after then avoid my topics in the future. Consider yourself ignored..

the best comment i've gotten from this thread was when WannabeST said he's willing to work up something for us in CA. Sadly CA is not on our list or favorite places to drive into. i'll take my chances at the track car shows and then be escorted around like everyone else.

So let me get this straight......you tried to put together a "NATIONAL SOLO TRACK TOUR" without actually doing a track event?

No one knows what hardship you have other than its an ST swapped van of some sort and they wont let you drive it on a track.

You dont care for going fast yet want to go on track? If you want to do parade laps then go to any SCCA event and do parade laps. Not a single person took your demeanor as just wanting to drive highway speeds on a track. The enthusiast you are clamoring to wants to go to a track event to wring the ever living shit out of their car to see how fast they can go.

Ignore me all you want but your original post is NOTHING like what you are proposing.

 

[LostInTransit]

Somehow SCCA got a hold of my email and was wondering about what we're attempting to do with the van. According to the spokesman, he said their track nights is where cars/truck are escorted on the track for a 20min track tour. Trouble is, I'm not ready to renew our SCCA license which would hinder my ability to drive the track even though the tracknight host claims it's free to drive on the track.. he didn't tell me I have to be an SCCA member. Which takes us back to 1996, while at New Hampshire Motorspeedway, where back then I was a member and was allowed to drive our 1995 VW jetta TDI on the track..

The catch 22 here is, even though the host of these tracknights or car shows have said that I'm allowed on the track with an escort.. those tracks I've contacted have banned our van from being on their tracks. tracks like Summit Point, Poconos and New Jersey Motorsports Park. So who supersedes whom here.,. One says I can while the other says I can't..

With 2 other options left, The easiest route would be to pay for the car show wait till the events of the day is over then be escorted on the track afterward. My only stipulation with this is that I would want to be the last car/van at the end of the line. This way I can maintain the speed but distance myself from others just so that the photographers I hire would get full pics of just the van on the track. The only other option would of course mean I'd have to locate at least 28 ppl willing to spend 100.00 per to rent a track for the day. The firm has confirmed this but finding 28 ppl willing to take part in this has bene difficult.

 

[SteveS]

Track Night In America from SCCA does have vehicle rules. The vehicle has to be wider than it is tall. https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/pages/racecars

This one criterion is probably why nobody will let you take the van to a track day. It's too much of a rollover risk.

 

[SteveS]

Oddly, the SCCA etc says that they allow for big trucks, tow trucks and SUVs etc on the track.. yet they are not willing to allow a small van on the track..

Those vehicles are not there to do fast laps. They aren't going to tip over. (With the exception of SUVs. Those can do fast laps because they aren't prone to tipover, Jeep Wrangler excepted)

When a semi or tow truck is on the track it's there to work.

You are wanting to do track days, which by definition means driving around fast. That is what they are not going to let you do because the vehicle is too prone to rolling over. That's why you can't even autocross a regular non-ST Fiesta. Doesn't meet the required calculated index.

 

[LostInTransit]

@SteveS according to "Jack" via SCCA tracknights.. he's not talkign about an open track event where you driving with other cars at higher speeds.. he's talkign about in a single file behind a pace car and he's also said that this is free but has not admitted if we have to pay to enter the track grounds.. I suspect we do or will plus this would mean I should renew my SCCA license to be order to do this free.. So no I'm not planning on going "fast" other then what they limit our speed to which could be 60 MPH. I've also requested that I be the last car in this convoy as I can distance myself from the others as hired photographers can get a solo pic of the van on the track.

 

[WannabeST]

Most tracks over here on the west coast are only $10 to get on to the facility, not sure how much east coast tracks are but I wouldn't worry too much about that. Here on the west coast, the gate fee is typically not something the event hosts have any control over.

 

[LostInTransit]

Again, @WannabeST you've been very helpful with these details while others haven't been. what's confusing in my eyes is I'm getting two different responses from many tracks.

 

[LostInTransit]

The last word on being able to put the van on the track.

I just got an email from the SVRA which is hosting the vintage car show and at one point said they would like to have/feature our van at their show. However, they and others have said that they or the tracks are not willing to allow or van on their tracks. Thus this goes to show one that even though they allow for trucks, tow trucks and at one point larger cars/truck etc on these tracks, in their words, our van is being singled out and not being allowed on any of the SVRA, SCCA or MOE tracks nationwide.

I still have one hope as the Firm has admitted that they will allow the van on the track assuming I'm able to acquire 26+ ppl willing to help rent the track. I feel that I'm being singled out by these tracks for what some bad apples may have done in the past. This is a very disappointing day for those track I was hoping to attend and watch these events.. Sadly I will not be renewing my SCCA licenses and I'll not be attending any of these race events in the future because of this dispute. Thus ending any association with any and all racing after many years of being involved with racing since back in the early 70's. My family grew up on race tracks meeting people like Richard Petty and Al Unser Sr and Al Unser Jr has now it's all come to an end.

Thread Closed Till Further Notice.

 

[WannabeST]

For $2,600 I would go ahead and rent the firm. Even if you can't get 26 fiesta st drivers specifically. I would imagine you can get 26 drivers from any sort of car just to get seat time. On my 19th birthday I rented out a drift track that never saw time attack driving on it. I still managed to get 40 people to pay $80 (back in 2019) $100 for a 1.6 mile track should be do able with enough word of mouth.
A similar track here locally is streets of willow, it's also a 1.6 mile track. I payed around $6,500 (2021) and $7,200 (2022) for my birthday rentals. I'm sure the prices are now closer to $8k if not more. (their website prices are not up to date, willow springs is bad with social media)

In short;
TLDR; Firm at under $3k sounds like a really good deal. I would personally do the rental and do my best to get word of mouth to get drivers in. Trying to lock in drivers without a confirmed date will be challenging.