I bought my Evo to enjoy every facet of it's performance. This month alone has consisted of a 2 day road course event, an auto-x, and drag racing each of the last two weekends. Four weekends of racing, and I still get 25 mpg on the highway and I drive it everyday. You should do what you enjoy and what is within your means.

The reason you don't hear about 1/4 mile times of those other cars, is that most of them are on roadcourses. At the two day DE I did the first weekend of the month, I was the only Evo there yet there were more BMW's and Porsches than I could count. You don't buy a $100k Porsche to go to the dragstrip, that's not what it's designed for. Same goes for the Evo, but since dragracing is cheap and easy, not to mention a somewhat uniform ruler to gauge performance that's what most on this board do. It's the American way, If I had a decent shop with a 4 wheel dyno near by, I would probably never go to the strip. I would rather hit a roadcourse than anything else. It does help that I have 8 within a 4-6 hour drive from me.

 

^I've done one track day at VIR and I would give my right ******** to do it again with my evo this time. Unfortunately, school, bills, and work barely leave any free time. But I agree whole heartedly.

Another thing I've noticed with the people that I road race with, they aren't nice about things up here at all. I remember having a discussion with my friend Max who runs at VIR, roebling, Road ATL, and other tracks with his dad Bill. They are autox beasts around here and are well known in the areas they work with. We discussed mods one day and he completely scoffed at me and blew me off assuming that since I did not track the car, that my mods were worthless, I was a horrible driver, and that I was below him in every humanly way. Then once I got out there to drive on the track with him, he and dad just kinda rubbed it in how bad I was and how much my car deserved better. I dont get it? It was like I tried and tried and they still shut me down.

I in fact remember conversations like this: "Man, i really would like to get some stainless brake lines it seems like my stock pads and lines are causing fade and compliance after all this time out here." - me "Why? Its not like you're ever going to do this again, and even if you do you don't need them they are above your level right now and you should just stay stock and go back to autox" -Max "Uhh alright, i can see your point but i just want to do everything I can to make my car alot of fun to drive and as reliable as possible, I also think I want to try the ferrodo pads once the stock ones go" "Dude, I need those pads...YOU don't." Etc Etc

Moral: If you road race, and you've got a friend who is just breaking into it, don't give them a hard time, be supportive. It makes me feel like a piece of dog sh*t when i finally go out there and put my helmet on.

/rant

 

Man, that max guy sounds like a real ***. Find some new road racing friends.

 

all the years i road raced motorcycles, it was much the same. some people are just dicks! they are the best and you don't know s*it. at least motorcycle road racers are a little more down to earth... motorcycles are cheaper to race than cars, everyone has had a least 1 near death experience (a great equalizer). you just need to find some new track day buddies.. genuine enthusiasts, love to drive cars, all cars and like to share info... they are out there.

 

what the hell do you mean start with suspension? The evo already is a handling MACHINE, what it lacks is straight line speed. 13.4 in the quarter is quite slow compared to a lot of sports cars.

 

Definately find some new folks to hang out with! I've been racing on 2 and 4 wheels for over a decade. Of course there are always some a-holes here and there, but by and large the people I have met at the racetrack have been the nicest, friendliest, most helpful folks you'd ever want to meet. At Putnam earlier this month I was talking to a guy with a 700hp, caged, race-prepped 911 turbo that he pulled in a trailer behind a $200k motorhome. After a few minutes of Q&A about his car (which was AMAZING) he asked what I was driving, then asked to see it. He spent more than a couple minutes talking about my car and what I had done to it. That's why I keep going back.

 

Evo owners who haven't gone to a proper road course are missing out A HELL LOT

Do give it a shot at least ONCE in your life.

But I agree with the general consensus "road racing costs a lot".

 

Amen to that! I havent met a single person that attended their first HPDE and didnt have good time. I just finished my 5th track day today. I had more fun driving "slow" in the rain than Ive ever had autocrossing or going down the dragstrip.

-Mikey52
HPDE Anonymous

 

Road racing is definitely more expensive. There are potential consequences for mistakes and it is much harder on the equipment than an Auto-X or drag racing.

That being said it is also considerably more fun! If you compare driving time between Drag Racing or an Auto-X I believe you come out way ahead $/time. Auto-X takes a full day and you will be lucky to get 5 minutes of combined seat time. Drag racing you can’t even count for seat time

The last track day I went to cost me $70 plus wear and tear. One of my run sessions was about 45 minutes. Plenty of time to get in the zone, relax and just carve it up. I believe that I got almost 3 hours of seat time that day. Road racing may be more expensive total but your dollar goes a lot further.

Careful to all those who haven't tried it -- it is really addictive

 

Road Racing + 1

I dont like drag either coz drag is all about money but not road racing ... because AE86 takes all ~(JK) well you need lot more skills for road racing or Autocrossing just like warrtalon said. but its lot more fun.




my 2cp

 

Drag racing is for bragging rights. Road racing is about the enoyment of driving. I don't think auto crossing (or road racing) the EVO is any more expensive that drag racing the EVO. I see a lot of people blowing up clutches and TFCs and dumping thousands of dollars in their cars for a few fractions of seonds off their 1/4 times.

 

sadly most people with evos dont care about road racing.. the only thing that matters is drag racing. I guess its the intoxicating 4wd launch. i must admit i do love that feeling of a perfect launch.

 

... on a legal track

 

I disagree that road racing is that much harder on equipment than drag racing, especially with the Evo. The cost for wear items is certainly higher (brakes, tires) in road racing, but those items will wear anyway. However, the potential for driveline damage is quite high even on one 1/4 mile pass with the Evo if you don't know what you are doing.

 

if we say the racing is 100%. and at road racing...parts and driver skills are actually 50 50 but in drag racing ... the % is more like parts 80 and driver skill 20 .. in this case if you have greater skill in road racing .. even the car isnt the best equiped, you can still smoke others ... but in drag ....... you will just get smoked ..

especially at the corner ....... remember once my friend with 550whp R33 got smoked by a 350whp S13 on the mountain road.

my 2cp