What's it like attending an HDPE with Track Masters and NASA?
 

I've been to HDPE's with Unlimited Laps and TEAM Racing; both very good organizations with attention to safety, instruction, track time, and food/drink, and of course fun.

Anyone can compare and contrast NASA (norcal), Track Masters, and Hooked On Driving?

Trackmasters is about the same. I was there with my buddy for a day last March and it went smooth and the instructors were good.

I've done several days with Trackmasters and they operate just like unlimitedlaps.

I've done a bunch of sessions with NASA and Unlimited.

NASA is very organized just like Unlimited. They have a couple different rules. For example there is still open passing on the cool down lap. You will get less time with NASA (4 20min sessions).

There are 4 levels. They group 1 and 2 into an A and B group, so if you have alot of experience try to move to 3 quickly so you don't have to deal with traffic.

NASA mid week days own. 7 sessions.

Nasa unfortunatly does not have as many weekday events, like they used to. I think they only did two days a Laguna this year and only two week days at Laguna scheduled for next year. I used to love weekdays at T-hill where you would get 7 sessions. NASA puts a lot of cars on the track at the same time at Infineon. One time I counted 44 cars in the 1-2 run group. At Laguna the track limits them to either 25 or 31 at one time depending on how much they pay for the track rental. NASA seems a little more strick as far as rules, but I also feel like they run a little more professional organization. The other groups like Trackmasters, Unlimited laps, and TEAM are a little more laid back which is great in their own sort of way. I think NASA has to run a tighter ship because of the shear number of cars that they run on a given weekend. The bottom line is any of these groups are great to run with and it is always safer on the track than on the street. I always tell new people the most dangerous part of the day is driving home through the Fairfied/Vacaville area on I-80. So I don't think you can go wrong with any of the above groups. In fact the only group I have ever had any problems with was the NORCAL Drifting group. I don't have all day to go into that, but lets just say they threw 10 cars off the track in the first four laps at Thunderhill. The track was supposed to be for driving and the paddock for drifting. Now I'm not knocking drifting, I think it takes a huge amount of talent and I enjoy watching it. But there was the propper place to do it and that day the track was not it. They even red flagged the session and YELLED at everyone. Never seen that at a track event. So pick a group and get out there. Us Subaru drivers need some back up the Subie numbers seem to be dropping at the track events. See you at the track.

I usually run with NASA now because the weekday events aren't convenient for me.

I have run with NCRC, NASA, and a Mazda event that Trackmasters helped run.

All of them were very safety oriented IMO. Not sure about the lower groups for NASA, but group 3 and 4 are quite good. Ever since they added Time Trials as a separate group, the agression level in group 4 has changed (so I've been told by group 4 old timers). There used to be lots of incidents with people pushing for that last tenth. Now, they have their own group and HPDE is back to 'practice'.

I do wish that NASA ran 5 sessions, but sometimes I'm so tired by the end of the day that, I'm actually glad for 4 sessions. NASA is also a little bit less expensive (you should include the $10 at the gate and $5 for passengers).

TMR is very organized but has very strick rules on passing. I go blacked flagged once for passing someone coming out of T11 at Infineon, even though I was in the advance group. They said passing in the turns at 11 is not allowed, which I did not do.

NASA is less stricked on passing rules in advanced.

[QUOTE=teamipr;2016456]TMR is very organized but has very strick rules on passing. I go blacked flagged once for passing someone coming out of T11 at Infineon, even though I was in the advance group. They said passing in the turns at 11 is not allowed, which I did not do.

NASA is less stricked on passing rules in advanced.[/QUOTE]

That's because there are no passing rules in advanced :tape:

[QUOTE=blue blurr;2016469]That's because there are no passing rules in advanced :tape:[/QUOTE]

Well, there is one. No dive bombing. But yeah, pretty much anything goes. The one thing I like about group 4 is that it's a lot of the same guys and it helps with being a little more trusting of the 'other guy'.

How about Hooked On Driving?

Unlimited Laps was great.

My NASA experiences have collectively been not so great. I've seen an instructor crash a friends car.

Another event, they kept letting a a car back on the track who dumped coolant on the track 4 times. He should have only gotten one chance to fix it, but he was let back on 4 times causing at least 5 crashses. I don't blame the course workers, as you can't really see coolant. I blame the guys who let him on the track.

[QUOTE=Akira-R;2018507]My NASA experiences have collectively been not so great. I've seen an instructor crash a friends car. [/QUOTE]

I thought NASA had a rule that instructors were not allowed to drive students cars. They've never asked to drive my car, but I have ridden along with them in theirs.

[QUOTE=WillisW555;2019407]I thought NASA had a rule that instructors were not allowed to drive students cars. They've never asked to drive my car, but I have ridden along with them in theirs.[/QUOTE]

maybe not anymore, but that wasn't the case then

[QUOTE=chimchimm5;2018475]How about Hooked On Driving?[/QUOTE]

There good too, I don't really know of a "bad" organization out there. Most get the job done just fine.