[dradernh]

Originally Posted by Maynard

I recently read an editorial in one of the mags by an established instructor who was getting out of instructing for that reason - used to be that entry-, or even mid-level cars were NA, lucky to be putting out 250-300 whp. Now anybody with credit can show up for their first track day in a 4-500hp car that is easily capable of 120+ on straights, and it really ups the ante in terms of safety concerns (especially given the fragility of the brakes on some of them).

Yeah, there's a phenomenon known as things going way too fast. Novice and intermediate drivers experiencing that are like skiers going down slopes they have no business being on in the first place.

One thing that's nice about BMW events is that with the club's clear and stated purpose of instructing and training drivers to be capable at track driving they don't generally attract the type of driver who comes out just to run and gun.

Even with that focus, wrecks still happen, and on Northeast tracks with all their Armco and other immovable barriers it doesn't take much of a hit at all to really ruin a driver's day. I spun off the track once while going maybe 40 MPH, and I still managed to do $4,500 worth of damage setting the car up perfectly sideways against Jersey barriers. I wasn't moving very fast at all when I made contact, and I judged it to be a pretty good save compared to if I'd gone in nose first. I was very happy the bill wasn't a multiple of what it was. Still, I'd dearly love to have that $4,500 back!