Whether you typically drive a sports car at the track or you’ve never been on a track and want to have the experience of racing around a loop, the true appreciation of being on the track won’t be experienced unless you get behind the wheel of an older model car. Much like watching some of the athletes on their chosen field of play, you won’t reach a level of appreciation for what driver’s had to go through in the earlier days of racing unless you choose a model that was equipped with far fewer automatic systems and computerized items.
Here are some things you can learn driving an older car on the track:
Items Will Break –Even if a car is checked over and given the stamp of approval, driving an older car on the track puts a large amount of stress on all the parts of the vehicle that make it drive fast around the track. You won’t be able to predict what might break and what could happen in the car, especially if it’sone that isn’t limited in any way by the computers that you find in the cars that are built more recently.
Loud and Uncomfortable –There’s no doubt the car is going to make a lot of noise and the cabin will most likely be set up to save weight and purely for safety rather than for comfort. You can expect a rough ride around the track that tests your senses and makes you feel like you’ve been put through the wringer when you’re done driving the car around the track for the day. You’ll be amazed at how tired you are when you get out of the car after a long run on the tracks that you chose for the fun ride around.
Swaps are Assumed –There are a variety of people that bring older model cars to the track that have been upgraded with new items and systems that are more modern. They love the older look but want to have the greatest performance possible to enjoy the ride. Others may assume that’s the same thing you did when you show up with an older model car that has the stock drivetrain under the hood. Don’t take offense, it’ssimply what many people will think when they arrive as they assume the only true classic at the track is their own.
Some Upgrades Are Needed –Even if you want to drive with the original engine and the original transmission, you should consider an upgrade tonew suspension items and better brakes. These are items that will simply make you have the ability to have the fun you want on the track with improved equipment for the controls. These items don’t change the rough steering or the loud engine but allow you to better predict what the car may do at higher speeds, which will help you stay out of a wall and avoid having your car end up a wreck on the track.
Drive Differently –You have to drive differently in an older car and you certainly have to drive differently on a track. You’ll have to push the brakes harder, handle the steering wheel stronger, and know the car is only going to do what you tell it to without any chance of correcting for you. This could be the most frightening and most fun aspect of what you findwhen you drive an older model. You’re certainly going to gain a genuine appreciation for the drivers of the past that had to make these cars the right ones on the track.
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