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    Default Track Racing

    A big part of the reason I chose to get the R/T Dakota is the supposed benefits in handling, rather than the big motor. While I can get interested in drag racing from time to time, and I think it seems interesting enough that I might give it a go sometime, it's not really my thing. Honestly, if I were to hit the strip, I'd want to do it in a Toyota Prius with a blown 426 in the back, with the blower sticking out of the hood and headers coming out the doors (I call it the Judas Prius).

    Anyway! I really want to get into racing on proper race tracks, but I'm having a hard time finding actual track days to take a mere road car onto the track. The big track where I live is PIR (Portland Int'l Raceway (they do drags too, btw)) but their website seems to indicate that PIR is never going to hold any event ever for the remainder of time. In other words, the site sucks. The next track I'm considering is the new Oregon Raceway Park, and their site doesn't seem much better.

    So, I thought I'd ask you guys to see if anyone has any knowledge or experience in this. Where can I find information about when/where I can get my R/T on a track? And further, what modifications or precautions would you recommend for this sort of driving? At this point, I'm mainly looking for things that will prevent me from dying or over-working my truck. Would a tranny cooler be necessary? Does heavy-duty brake fluid exist? Should I use different oil? Shit like that.

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    have you tried to find any local auto cross or road race forums or clubs in your area?

    best bet would probably be to get "in" with those guys first, go to some events, let them get to know you and your truck.

    I'd love to go up to Mid-Ohio, a 2.5 mile closed road course with long straights and tight twisties and hills. While their website shows track days available, they also have a "strict no truck or SUV" policy. I don't know anybody that goes up there, nor do I know anybody at the track, and if I called on the phone, I'm sure I would get the same answer "sorry, no trucks" since they can't SEE the truck over the phone.

    but I plan to go to auto-cross events this summer, planned on it last summer too but never made it out. once I'm in with them, maybe on a "club day at the track" I could get out there that way.
    --Tom
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    Quote Originally Posted by JETZcorp View Post
    A big part of the reason I chose to get the R/T Dakota is the supposed benefits in handling, rather than the big motor. While I can get interested in drag racing from time to time, and I think it seems interesting enough that I might give it a go sometime, it's not really my thing. Honestly, if I were to hit the strip, I'd want to do it in a Toyota Prius with a blown 426 in the back, with the blower sticking out of the hood and headers coming out the doors (I call it the Judas Prius).

    Anyway! I really want to get into racing on proper race tracks, but I'm having a hard time finding actual track days to take a mere road car onto the track. The big track where I live is PIR (Portland Int'l Raceway (they do drags too, btw)) but their website seems to indicate that PIR is never going to hold any event ever for the remainder of time. In other words, the site sucks. The next track I'm considering is the new Oregon Raceway Park, and their site doesn't seem much better.

    So, I thought I'd ask you guys to see if anyone has any knowledge or experience in this. Where can I find information about when/where I can get my R/T on a track? And further, what modifications or precautions would you recommend for this sort of driving? At this point, I'm mainly looking for things that will prevent me from dying or over-working my truck. Would a tranny cooler be necessary? Does heavy-duty brake fluid exist? Should I use different oil? Shit like that.
    Contact the SCCA and ask them about your local chapter. They will be able to tell you if it's possible or not. Here in Texas, the only road course that lets clubs use it, will only let sports cars run. No trucks. Many of the autocross clubs are the same. They don't have a class for trucks and often make fun of anyone that would consider road racing a truck....that is; until you run a better time than them.
    As for mods, anything tire, brake, or suspension related would be well advised, but it may also bump you into a tougher class (if they decide to let you run).
    Alan Short
    D.R.T.C. #15


  4. #4

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    I should clarify, I'm not so much looking to do actual competitive racing, so much as just driving the Dakota on a track, like a track day. I know that kind of thing is very popular in Europe and a lot of people take little their little 1-point-something liter hatches to places like Silverstone and shit. Doesn't seem to be as big in his hemisphere.

    The one thing I've found, although it's damned expensive, is something called ProDrive at PIR, where they give you a class and track time with an instructor in your own car to teach you performance driving. Didn't see any mention on their site about care restrictions, which makes me think you could take the course in a Suburban if you felt like it. After you've taken two courses you can sign up for their track days which basically let you loose on PIR. Even if I find some other option that's not as expensive, I'd really like to take that course to get some real-world experience with someone who actually knows what he's doing.

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    You will be hard pressed to find ANY road course that will let you loose without taking some sort of ride-along with an instructor in another vehicle, and then your own to get you familiar with the course and how to properly drive on the track. And of course you will have to pay for it. The local road course to me in Nebraska charges $175 for the familiarization course with an instructor, and then track days are anywhere from $100-$150 each depending on who is hosting them and if you are a paying "member" of the track. Where as drag racing at the same track(it's only 1/8 mile drag strip) is only $20.

    As for modifications, I'd highly recommend finding a Hotchkis suspension to buy and install as well as some sort of frame brace like the Kenny Brown one for sale right now in the for sale section. Tires are a big thing too.

    As Alan said, get with your local SCCA chapter and run with them. SCCA usually holds weekly events around the area in courses they set up in empty parking lots. It's a short course with tight turns and not as much speed as a road course, but really tests your driving skills and handling limitations of you truck. Plus, they will have more info about the road course events and may even host a few events each year at the road courses that you'd have to be a SCCA member to participate in.


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    it can obviously be done, otherwise we'd never see videos like this on youtube.



    just gotta find out how. I don't know what kind of money you have to pay via driving schools or participating in local SCCA auto cross events, or having pro-instructors ride along with you, but the bottom line is you gotta go somewhere to get "in" and it's going to cost some money.


    the US is overburdened with insurance and retarded lawsuits, so it's a lot harder to get on the track than in europe. over there, you sign and say "If I crash or die, it's nobody's fault but mine" and that's the end of it.

    here, even if you sign such a waiver, you'll still get people filing lawsuits against the track, the other drivers, the people who made the car. because "well, my son signed your waiver to race on your track, but I didn't sign a waiver, and will file a wrongful death lawsuit against you"

    so, here, it's not as simple as signing a waiver and going. they really want to make sure won't kill yourself or anybody else on their track before they let you run.
    --Tom
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    I can only speak for Texas.
    When I e mailed this place: http://www.motorsportranch.com/
    They said they don't allow trucks or SUV's. Even if they are setup to run on a road course. No exceptions.

    As for the SCCA, our local autocross chapter:
    http://www.autocross.com/er/equiperapide/modules/news/
    has allowed trucks to run before, but they didn't create a class for us. My truck has chassis, brakes and motor mods, so they put me in SSP with the MR2's and Miatas.

    One group that does welcome trucks with open arms is, the "Open Road Race" series. http://www.openroadracing.com/

    Contacting the SCCA, will be your best resource as far as what's available in your area. http://www.scca.com/
    Alan Short
    D.R.T.C. #15


  8. #8

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    I like how the SCCA site has a pop-up that asks you what year, make, and model of vehicle you own and they'll tell you what you can do with it. Okay, so I got a 1999 -> Dodge -> [Does Not Exist]. Yay!

    Where's the room for creativity? What outlet is there for the man who took his mom's Grand Caravan and gave that bitch a turbo, summer tires and coilover suspension? And all the owners of Caravan R/Ts, Ram R/Ts, Journey R/Ts, Durango R/Ts, and of course Dakota R/Ts are just supposed to either go drag racing, play with the police on canyon roads, or just buy something else?

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    Most people involved in SCCA would never dream of using a truck, and have no idea about the capabilities of a properly configured Dakota. Best bet is to email a representative from the local chapter to ask them. There are a few Dak owners who have gotten involed in SCCA and actually were very competetive in their classes once they made a few runs and opened the eyes of the other members.


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    Alan Short
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    For Autocross you will fall into classes with prepped Moostangs and Slomaros once you start doing any kind of mods. I raced in E Street Prepared (ESP.) Some places might put you into the Street Modified (SM). Be prepared for some tough competition.
    03 CC 4.7 NV3500

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by JETZcorp View Post
    I like how the SCCA site has a pop-up that asks you what year, make, and model of vehicle you own and they'll tell you what you can do with it. Okay, so I got a 1999 -> Dodge -> [Does Not Exist]. Yay!

    Where's the room for creativity? What outlet is there for the man who took his mom's Grand Caravan and gave that bitch a turbo, summer tires and coilover suspension? And all the owners of Caravan R/Ts, Ram R/Ts, Journey R/Ts, Durango R/Ts, and of course Dakota R/Ts are just supposed to either go drag racing, play with the police on canyon roads, or just buy something else?

    SCCA= Sports Car Club of America

    If they don't want to allow trucks, that's their call. It's cool when they do allow trucks, but don't get mad when they don't.

    Drops panties faster than any R/T

  13. #13

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    You know, if there was an STCA that did track events for trucks, SUVs, crossovers, etc then I wouldn't mind. But there isn't such a thing that I've seen; it's all drag racing, off-roading, and moving lumber from place to place. Besides, what separates a car from a truck, anyway? The last couple winners of the North American Truck of the Year award have all been unibody, often derived from cars and using a tranverse-engine, FWD platform. That's a truck, but a body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered Chevelle is a car. Yeah, okay.

    And I get that it's a private organization and they can do whatever they want. That's obvious. But that doesn't mean I have to like it, anymore than I liked it when DaimlerChrysler made rat-fur-grey hard plastic standard on all their interior trim.

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    Quote Originally Posted by JETZcorp View Post
    You know, if there was an STCA that did track events for trucks, SUVs, crossovers, etc then I wouldn't mind. But there isn't such a thing that I've seen; it's all drag racing, off-roading, and moving lumber from place to place. Besides, what separates a car from a truck, anyway? The last couple winners of the North American Truck of the Year award have all been unibody, often derived from cars and using a tranverse-engine, FWD platform. That's a truck, but a body-on-frame, rear-wheel-drive, V8-powered Chevelle is a car. Yeah, okay.

    And I get that it's a private organization and they can do whatever they want. That's obvious. But that doesn't mean I have to like it, anymore than I liked it when DaimlerChrysler made rat-fur-grey hard plastic standard on all their interior trim.
    What about taking it out to the Salt Flats, or the Silver State run?
    Alan Short
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    Quote Originally Posted by wyotech_cuda440 View Post
    SCCA= Sports Car Club of America

    If they don't want to allow trucks, that's their call. It's cool when they do allow trucks, but don't get mad when they don't.
    SCCA has classes for SRT Jeep/Porsche trucks ect... other than those models to qualify for the class there is a height vs. track width requirement. our trucks at stock height do not qualify on the chart as they are about 3 inches too high on the chart at a 62in average track width (65in height). so even slammed trucks are borderline to qualify past tech. SCCA clubs are supposed to adhere to this chart to avoid pissing people off by letting some trucks run and not others. that being said I'm sure my club would let me run my truck if i wanted to. Road racing tracks is another story. i know for a fact Autobahn raceway in Joilet IL would not let me run my truck and i have raced my car there a few times. parking lot/autocross racing clubs are a bit less strict.


    Unstable vehicles with a high center of gravity and a narrow track, including SUVs, minivans, and 4WD pickups, must be excluded. Examples
    of such vehicles are listed in Appendix A. Extra caution should be exercised with non-traditional vehicles (e.g., trucks using racing slicks).

    Rollover Potential Guidelines

    The SSC has reviewed the allowance of competing cars with higher roll centers and has prepared the following chart to be used as a guideline for assisting Regional members in determining whether a vehicle has a higher than average potential to roll over in Solo competition. Vehicles falling into the acceptance range still have the probability to roll over but they are less likely to roll over than those that are not in the acceptable range are.

    the vehicle’s steady cornering g-level at which incipient rollover would occur (two wheel lift or 2WL) should exceed the steady cornering g-level provided by the tires (maximum lateral acceleration or MaxLat) by some margin. This chart is for Stock, Street Touring, and Street Prepared categories vehicles.
    An approach of this type is required to help event officials assess the rollover risk potential of vehicles which fall in a gray area between traditional Solo cars and those which clearly have a “high center of gravity”. While it is imperfect, it should strike a balance between risk reduction and admission of the most vehicles to Solo while introducing a consistent procedure for doing so.

    The following chart is for Regional Officials and Technical Inspectors to determine the acceptance level of high roll center vehicles referred to in Section 3.1. The measurements are to be taken from the ground to the tallest point of the vehicle for the Overall Vehicle Height and the normal track measurement as stated in the GCR for the Average Track Width. Vehicles with a SSF less than 1.30 should not be permitted to compete in our Solo events due to their higher risk of roll over.
    Last edited by Jontoad; 01-24-2012 at 02:25 AM.

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  16. #16

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    Okay, that's starting to make some sense. I didn't think about rollover risk as a reason to exclude trucks/SUVs. But the exception for SRTs and Cayennes and stuff goes right back into not making sense. A Cayenne or an X5M is a tall vehicle! But perhaps they've done some mysterious testing to determine that those models are safe, but no one's cared enough to go though the process to approve Dakota R/Ts. I do understand that they don't want a big 4WD Suburban on all-terrains trying to attack the lap record, but it would be cool if there was a way to get your individual vehicle "approved." And hell, there might be just that, what do I know?

  17. #17

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    Having took a newer X5 out for a joy ride, they actually handle and perform pretty well. I think it would take a lot to roll one of those.

    It looks like even if I could get my truck to mid-Ohio for a club weekend, it's a couple hundred entry fee. Everything cost money though, just like the Ohio mile is a couple hundred. At least drag racing is still $10 in Cincinnati.

    EDIT:

    Speaking of SUV's, this guy has done some Autox in Columbus.

    Last edited by Patrick; 01-24-2012 at 04:06 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Last_in View Post
    It looks like even if I could get my truck to mid-Ohio for a club weekend, it's a couple hundred entry fee. Everything cost money though, just like the Ohio mile is a couple hundred. At least drag racing is still $10 in Cincinnati.
    autox is about 30 bux a day anywhere you go. you can get into taking some turns for low cost also.

    that's why i only do about 2 road race days a year and the rest is autocross.

    2006 Black Charger SRT8- Cam'ed and tons of suspenson/drivetrain mods for Autocross/Road racing
    2008 Caliber SRT4- Daily Driver
    2000 Black CC Dakota R/T & 1999 Black RC Dakota R/T- sold!
    autoX vids
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGBII3NIFc / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcDLPdlsxPg / http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LKoTy-VEw2k

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    Thinking of taking my truck out for the Mojave Mile run this year if I'm not deployed when they do it. Would be interesting to see what my actual top speed is on the truck.


  20. #20

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    Quote Originally Posted by hskr View Post
    Thinking of taking my truck out for the Mojave Mile run this year if I'm not deployed when they do it. Would be interesting to see what my actual top speed is on the truck.
    What rules do they use there? I looked in to the Ohio mile, but a cage at 135, no thanks.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Last_in View Post
    What rules do they use there? I looked in to the Ohio mile, but a cage at 135, no thanks.
    Not interested anymore in asking IPS to cover your entry fee if you let them sticker up the truck for the weekend?

    I agree on the ridiculousness of requiring a cage at only 135. I would think even a stock Mustang off the showroom floor could hit that in a mile easy. I'm thinking my big block truck would hit 120 in about 1/2 mile...never really measured it myself, but timeslips show average of 105 in the 1/4 mile.
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    All factory safety features, helmet, and a fire extinguisher in the cabin accessible by the driver. Tires must be speed rated for the speed you estimate you can run. Not sure how fast you would have to go to require a roll cage, but there were guys from the Mopar club I belong to in Cali that were running 160mph with no cage.


  23. #23

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    Quote Originally Posted by 70Cuda383 View Post
    Not interested anymore in asking IPS to cover your entry fee if you let them sticker up the truck for the weekend?

    I agree on the ridiculousness of requiring a cage at only 135. I would think even a stock Mustang off the showroom floor could hit that in a mile easy. I'm thinking my big block truck would hit 120 in about 1/2 mile...never really measured it myself, but timeslips show average of 105 in the 1/4 mile.
    I don't think they'll fund a glory pass.

    Edit: We could always have our own Mile event!
    Last edited by Patrick; 01-25-2012 at 02:13 PM.

  24. #24

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    I wonder what's faster in the mile, a Dakota R/T or a Boeing 737? There's only one way to find out!

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    Quote Originally Posted by JETZcorp View Post
    I wonder what's faster in the mile, a Dakota R/T or a Boeing 737? There's only one way to find out!
    Stock for stock? I give the Dakota the edge in the first 1/8 mile, but after that, forgettaboudit!
    --Tom
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