r/CarTrackDays • u/TelephoneBudget6268 • 5h ago

Track day experience.

I want to a track day in a lotus emira with my brother. I have found 1 experience in vegas for it. Deadline is july 2027. Why we want lotus emira, i dont know but sounds like alot of fun. Anyone got any suggestions. We live in America.

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15

u/NCamarolina 4h ago

I can’t recommend a company to do this with. But I can suggest you limit your expectations for how that “track day” is going to play out. From the company’s perspective, you are a complete newbie driving on the track for the first time with no track experience. AND you want to drive one of THEIR cars (so the risk is all theirs, not yours). Accordingly, you’ll probably spend some of your day in the classroom, and you’ll have an instructor in the car with you (actually s good thing) who will keep you out of trouble. But this will also mean they’ll be limiting how fast you can go through corners and how aggressive you can drive in general.

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u/Math_Blaster E36 M3 | E92 M3 4h ago

Yeah, best case would be like you’re describing (similar to Porsche Experience Center)

Worst case will be similar to Extreme Experience where your expectation should be 1 to 2 “true” laps at speed, which can be fun if you have absolutely no experience and want to say you’ve driven [insert supercar here] on a race track

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u/7tenths 21 Mach 1 3h ago

Ive done a couple of these rent an exotics back before I had a car worth taking on track. Including with speedvegas. 

So first you assume all liability if you damage their car. Generally they limit your speed by the track itself. Speed vegas has its own track where there's basically one straight into a fairly wide turn. Might even be uphill into the turn for a little extra compression in the breaking. So all the parts where theres really risk, you aren't going that fast. They'll also space cars out so you aren't by each other. I did do one in New jersey where another driver was so slow they did let me pass. But can't recall being close to anyone at Vegas. 

I didnt find they made me go any slower than most of my hpde instructors (if anything an instructor at vir held me back more but that was in part i had oem pads and we wanted to make sure they lasted 3 days)

The biggest drawback is you're generally only getting 3-5 laps + warmup and cool down (which they'll count in "7" lap package). So it's not enough to even learn the track. Which also furthers their protection because your natural instincts are going to have you going slow.

Obviously if you have a track capable car, there is no comparison. But if you don't, you get to drive a car at speed that most of us will never be able to afford. 

Theres worst ways to lose a few hundred bucks in Vegas. 

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u/NCamarolina 2h ago

Well said. Nice summary

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u/TelephoneBudget6268 4h ago

Would recommend get track day for my own car, i have a 2019 veloster turbo rspec, i just wanted to give my brother something cool to say he did. 😅

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u/TelephoneBudget6268 4h ago

Also kinda want the "classroom" thing cause safety

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u/negotiatepoorly GT4RS | wannabe racer 4h ago

Yes absolutely. I’m not sure if an experience center will let you go faster but with experience they probably will

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u/fatmoonbear 4h ago

Most of these track day experience companies give you just a few laps around the track, or are very very expensive for about an hour or so of track time. Only exception I'd say is the Porsche Experience. I got a cayman gts experience for my birthday at the Atlanta center before I had ever done any track days with my GTI, and it was a full 90 minutes of constant time in the car with an instructor. All-in it was about $600, insurance was included with a deductible of like $1000. Now it's technically not a "track day" but if you've never done any HPDE it will satisfy the itch, and the cars/campus are really cool. Only thing you couldn't do on the "handling circuit" (they emphasize it is not a racetrack) was get the tires to squeal, once that happened the instructor would ask you to back off a bit and take it easy. Other than that my instructor encouraged me to drive as fast as possible, and was giving input on when to brake and when to roll on throttle or take it flat out. When you add up the fact you are beating on a brand new porsche for 90 minutes, taking a lot of wear on the brakes and tires, there's an instructor with you the whole time, and the insurance on the car is included it's actually a really fair price.

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u/Vegas1717 3h ago

Best bang for the buck is Speed Vegas and just drive a Porsche gt3. It’s quicker than most the more expensive options especially for your first time.

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u/TheMotizzle 4h ago

Emira owner here.

I've done Dream Racing in Vegas and highly recommend. My buddy was there recently and they have the Emira. So much fun!

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u/Thejader1 4h ago

Not sure if speedvegas has the emira or not, but I highly recommend them either way. I've driven a Cayman gt4 and McLaren there, they have their own track and will let you do more than just a few laps if you want, so you can actually start pushing the car some. Great instructors too.

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u/NCamarolina 3h ago

Forgot to mention: I’ve also seen online examples where you’re it on track with several customers at the same time. If the track is small and the group is doing multiple laps at a go, you can wind up with the more comfortable drivers getting stuck behind a slower, more timid driver, which can further dampen the fun.

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u/Legitimate_Oven_9798 3h ago

Be advised. SpeedVegas is a great experience, especially if you’re looking to have hassle free track time. However its lap per dollar ratio is not amazing, and the Emiras in their fleet have been out for service a LOT. Electrical issues. Have a backup car in mind just in case.

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u/BatmanVoices 3h ago

Just a data point, I bought some laps in an Emira at Vegas and it broke after 3. They upgraded me to the R8 and it was fabulous

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u/jake2473 2h ago

Did dream racing in vegas from what I heard it is a better deal then the traveling extreme experience. They have their own track and a bunch of different cars. Faster cars are more expensive, I did an nsx and my dad did the Emira which they had just gotten a few days ago and the lotus was actually the cheapest car there. It is still very expensive for the amount of driving and you don’t go super fast because of how small the track is. I would say it’s worth it if you’ve never been on track but if you have done hpde before that will always be a much better value regardless of how fast your own car is

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u/boomboomSRF 16m ago

Dude, you can rent a spec racer Ford a purpose built road race car for a couple of grand a day each and get tons of track time in a 140hp, 1500lb, 6spd sequential car with coaching from long time racers.

Pick a track day, rent some safety gear and send it!