HPDE in Portland?
 

Hello all,


After finishing the break-in period, I feel like I should finally use the BRZ as intended and take it to the track.


I have no experience so I would like to sign up for some performance driving instructions. So can anyone recommend a good HPDE program to sign up for?


Seems like we have two choices in Portland (PIR) - Hooked on Driving and Prodrive. But if there is any other ones (preferably less expensive) you guys recommend. Please do share. $400+ cost of entry is a bit steep at the moment.



Alternatively, would Autocross be better starting out first then going onto the track?



I am just looking to improve car control skills and become a better driver more worthy of driving this car.


Any advice would be much appreciated.

Hooked on Driving is a good one. It is about 400+yearly membership, but it is well run and you are provided the same instructor all day during your sessions and a 15min or so class after each session. They also do instructor rides before the lunch break. Typically a couple guys running the class will go out and film during the sessions to show people what they are doing wrong.

I'd look for an event outside of Portland. PIR is not really fun in our cars, especially in traffic and trying to get a point by. Try ORP or The Ridge. Track days at The Ridge are typically run by Turn2 Lapping. You may want to contact them if you are a total novice. They like you to be signed off solo or have experience as they don't really have a novice run group, but I think if they have enough people they can get you an instructor.

Your options for cheaper track days with an instructor are not going to yield you any real options for much less then 400/day. You may want to give autocross a try instead. It is considerably less risk while still getting to drive at the limit at a much less cost of entry.

My first event in my BRZ was an HPDE and they're super fun but pretty hard on the car. Oregon Raceway Park was my first event and it is a super fun track for these cars. I ended up replacing my brake pads right afterwards because I wrecked them.

Autocross is a lot easier on the cars and there's a bunch of good groups around Portland. I run with the SCCA and have for the last couple of years they're really good for getting started. There's a Starting Line school coming up next month that's a killer deal. You get a day of instruction, a regional autocross event, a national autocross event, a Track Night in America event (which is kind of HPDEish from what I understand), and an SCCA membership.

There's a bunch of other autocross groups that will all gladly get you an instructor for an event. Oregon Porsche Club (ORPCA), Northwest Autosports Association (NWAA), Bridge City Autosports (BCA) and if you're closer to Seattle area there's the Northwest Region SCCA (NWR).

What are you doing this Friday?


Cascade Sports Car Club hosts Driver Schools, Novice courses and HPDEs a few times a year in addition to their normal competition weekends.



They have one this Friday and it is hands down the best value you will find. The instructors are racers and are volunteering which is why the value is so good. Their Novice program is what you're looking for and you'll love it.



https://www.motorsportreg.com/events...rts-car-715674


Contact info (Email and phone) is in that link.

Cascade Sports Car Club at PIR is where I started when I was a novice and I haven't crashed yet so must have been ok. I did do a 720 in my old Lotus Elise on turn 1 however. Luckily I didn't hit anything. ;)

Track Night in America next weekend would be a good start. There's no instruction on Friday and it is just the chance to run your car around the track, but I believe they have an instruction based autocross the next day, which might suit you better. As SirBobbinHood said, it's cheap and a great introduction. You can get a helmet for a very good price, too, through this program.

Also, it's a great way to meet fellow 86ers. I met SirBob at Oregon Raceway Park a few years ago and we had a great time following each other around the track.

Oh...just to clarify that ORP Track Day a few years ago was not TNIA...it was Team Continental, who will be doing something similar in September.

Go to MotorSportReg.com for a full list of events in our area.

Alright cool. Thanks for the tips everyone! Good to know there are other options besides Prodive and Hooked on Driving.



After from financial setback, I think I am ready and will try out Autocross first then track. Mainly due to ease of entry, and so maybe build up some speed guts. Would hate to be the slowest guy on the track.


PIR does look rather... boring for our cars but small steps, and closer to home.


So a quick question, my car has 3k miles now and an oil change. Will all the stock parts (brake fluids and pads) be able to last me through one autocross day and then one track driving school day? Given that I will keep in mind that it is mainly to learn high speed car control than actually flat-out aggressive track attack.


Also, any shop in Portland-metro area that sells auto gears you can try on?


Thanks!

The stock car will be fine for autocross, it's pretty easy on the car and you typically won't go over 60 anywhere around here.

For track I'd recommend upgrading the fluid at least and probably the pads. It was super sketchy driving home on my stock pads from ORP.

If you're free this weekend and want to go for a fun drive we have an OR SCCA autocross at Packwood. It's a great place to get into autocross because the courses are huge and fun and there's nothing to hit so you can go pretty crazy.

Good luck on finding a race shop around here. I think there's one up in Seattle somewhere but I've never been. If you come out to an autocross you can test fit some loaner helmets and see what fits. Other than that it'll be guess and check on other gear