How much do you want to spend to get on track?

I get contacted almost every day (and sometimes many times per day) about people wanting to come to a driving school. I explain what they get, the cost, and the likelihood that it's on a Thursday toward the end of each month. They are all sure that they want to go to one of the next schools...

When I try to go ahead and book a school, it's really hard to get people to commit...

So here's the question, what's it worth for how much track time / instruction?

For 10 or less people on track I really need to bring in $1,800 and would like to bring $2,000... so I can run "Siegel Racing Open Track Days" that have 10 people for $200 each. If one person cancels, I'm okay, but not as happy. This means that I'm the only instructor and there is no photographer... With only 3 on track, and basically 3 groups, there is WAY more track time than most people can run.

When I run the schools I offer the other instructors and photographer free track time in return for their services. This makes 6 students an appropriate limit, and I can have one experienced open-tracker who can run with the instructors. With the cost of classroom materials, photographer, lunch, etc, these days need to bring $2400. Hence the $400 per student cost... I offer full-time students a $50 discount and just accept lower profit. This gets the students an instructor in the car for every session, with classroom sessions in-between. This again is WAY more track time, and more learning than most people can handle.

As soon as we want to bring more than 10 people, the track costs go up dramatically. At that point not only is the track rental quite a bit more, we have to add a $929 insurance policy, and a $600 ambulance. At this point we need 30+ people to bring the cost down under $150 or so per person and it gets crowded... Even with this most people get enough track time...

So, I'm asking this wonderful, supportive, helpful community, how much is it worth to you for track time and instruction?

Siegel

 

Your prices are quite appropriate for what the students(school)/participants(open track day) get in return.

I think ONE thing would be to offer another track. But we all know that other tracks are QUITE expensive....blah blah blah more people less time more money needed...etc etc.

 

I am perfectly fine with 200 for track time and want to do this at least 6 times a year. I would like to see more open track days TGP and if there was another track I would first want to attend your school for that track. Basically I am all for 200 but not 400 although I would not be saying this had I not gone through your school as I would suck and you know this.

 

I think your prices are cheap... then again I may be partial. Hell my track day at CMP the end of next month is $1500 for two days.

 

What are you getting for that $1500?

 

$200 sounds good to me, the less students the better IMO because class time will be more personal and attention can be focused where it needs to be rather than rushing to get to the next student. I plan on attending one of your track days when I get my car running to where I know it can handle being on the track.

 

4-500 for a weekend and 250 -300 for one day are what I would consider reasonable rates for track days.

That being said what you offer is significantly more than a standard HPDE event and 400 is reasonable.

Unfortunately for me I need to get some new wheels/tires before I hit a track again or I would have committed to the 31st. I went agricultural enough last time to know that 450whp and all season tires are not the best combo

 

The best 200$ I spent were on the last track day.
Gives you the chance to practice your driving like no other driving school.

 

That $200 is for Open Track Days, not HPDE.

Prices are appropriate as WJM said, but it is still expensive.

You have to consider more than just the cost of the school. You have $400 up front for that, gas up and back, at least 2 tanks, and wear on tires and brakes.

It is well worth it for the experience you gain from driving and class time, but again the cost adds up.

The problem as I see it is your headcount limit before needing insurance and ambulance, etc... Is that how it is at all the local tracks?

 

We have complete access to the track and skid pad from 8am to 5pm both days. As much track time as you could ever want. Oh and there will only be 10 of us :naughty: at the track so its a very private event. I plan on using these two days to get the car dialed in 100%. Which is why Bryan from JRZ is flying out to help with the chassis setup. So I guess you could say I am spending more since I have to pay to have him come to the track too. But in the end it will be worth it, at least for us having a chassis/shock engineer there trackside setting everything up that is.

 

^ ding ding ding! winner.

 

Expensive compared to what? I don't think you will find a track day cheaper than that, considering all the seat time. Scott is more than generous with his pricing.

 

Expensive as in, a lot of money to spend in a day. For me to spend $400 on anything is a special occasion, probably like a good amount of people.

I am not saying that ss is not being generous with his pricing, but the point of his post is that he has trouble getting people to commit to a track day. $400 is a possible reason.

If he could offer half day classes for half the price, he could possibly commit more people, but then he has over 10 people and needs insurance.

 

Prices sound good to me. So far I've done 4 track days at RA @ $275 ea for 2hrs of track time and 1 track day @ $375 for 3hrs of track time. I hope to be able to go to one of the SS track days or SRDEC days this year.

 

Its cheap when compared to the price of a speeding ticket for doing 120+.


Also you won't end up like this guy http://wrxatlanta.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17769

 

I think prices are very reasonable. And one day, when I have a good paying fulltime job, and enough mods to make it worthwhile, I will gladly pay the $200 (multiple times)

 

I got to spend some time on the track with Scott and I can say it is worth the money. But like most people on the forum, it is just money I don't have. If I could I would go to every event. I learned more in one day than in all my time as a driver on my own. At the prices Scott posted, this will continue to be a special event for me (birthday, christmas gift, etc)

 

$200 is pretty reasonable price for a ONE FULL day worth of track time. Plus, TGP is near perfect track for novice/occasional track drivers. No pressure from other drivers on course, lots of rooms to recover if you make mistake.

 

For comparison, BMWCCA does two days schools at Road Atlanta with class and instructors for $455. Granted they have more people but money is money to average joe user.

IMO, $200 is the sweet spot for a one day school at lil Tally.

In the past (old layout) I've been there where 33 people were at the school and it was never an issue. There were only two passing zones, back straight and front straight so you had to behave everywhere else. You have three classes, novice, intermediate, advanced and 11 people are out on track at any given moment. Others are either on break or in class.

With the new track layout, 11 people out there is nothing. If people are worried about being on the track with other cars, they shouldn't be out there IMO. All of that is part of the experience. It's not like you are racing fender to fender. They have to deal with it at some point, might as well be your school where you can teach them how to manage the car in the mirror or not following the guys line in front of him.

IMO, Time to take SRDEC to the next level.

 

The only track I've gotten *real* instruction (well paid for) was at CMP, the cost was $275 for 2 hours over the course of one day. See how you are getting alot more seatime at Scott's school it's well worth the cost. Unfortunately the cost of motorsports is high and you definately have to "pay to play". Between gas, tires, and track fee there is no way to do it on the cheap.

 

I'm guilty of asking you about prices and not being able to commit but honestly, for someone who's a full time student and trying to pay bills it's really hard for me to get $400 together at any one time. $400 is a great price for what you do and I don't think you should change it to be honest.

I really want to go to one of your days. Unfortunately it seems that $400 keeps on alluding me at this present time. But when I get close, it's difficult to warrant spending all my money on one thing! Hopefully it won't be too long though.

 

I think the 400 full class is very fair, but 400 is a lot of money to most people on the boards (plus consummable expenses)

200 is a price point that would get more people out on the track-more often, along with the added benefit of having at least a few of them "commit" to taking a structured class once they realize they NEED instruction.


So, I think pushing the $200 days harder and more often will increase the demand for the $400 classes. and at the very least, increase business for topspeed as more people will be buying suspension and brake upgrades (more power too, but almost everyone wants better brakes and handling after their first or second track day). so the incremental benfits of the $200 days would outwieght pushing the $400 classes and even help the $400 classes.

Taking it a step further, you actively advertise things like CG locks, brake pads, and things that you can easily swap onto the person's car while they're there for a test-drive. let them feel the difference of the parts, then take them back off. they'll probably buy from you right then and there or will be at topspeed shortly for those parts.

I would also like to see some built/sponsored cars out there at the track days (that could be in part sponsored by topspeed). matt taking me around in the onelap car, basically "sold" me on most of his setup. but i had to experience that setup. having take-away sheets of "how to get your car close to or at this level" with prices, and package discounts would help too.

 

i paid like 100 for last time i went to TGP.
(last sept.)

i would like to pay as little as possible when i go on the track. but if it includes instructor i think its worth it since you can learn a lot from it. but then again i drive the way i want to anyways so the instructor wouldnt help a whole lot

 

Was it $100 before or after it was repaved and redesigned?

I remember when it was that cheap about 2 years ago.

For track days, when we used to go do them a bunch (Mere did 11 track days in 06, and I did 8), combined tires, gas and brake pad costs ended up costing more per track day than the actual entry fee.

 

Your cost to me is not the reason why I don't do more track days. I think that $200 for a track day is cheap. $400 for the school is not expensive by any means either.

The main reason that I don't do more of these is that they always fall during the week and require an early commitment. Travelling last minute for work really limits my ability to book mid-week time off far in advance.

One thing that I would like to see is a "Phase 2" school. Having gone through an SRDEC a while back, and auto-xed for a couple years, your initial SRDEC doesn't offer me as much in terms of instruction, as I've grasped the concepts of line, braking points, etc.

Any thoughts towards putting something like this together?

...or how about trying to get on with the people that run the Evo school and bring that back to Atlanta? With the addition of new faces to autocross, I'd think there'd be a decent amount of interest in the Evolution schools.

 

Personally I'm not a big fan of the evolution schools.... Atlanta region will be offereing a different take out our Drive Development and Novice programs this year that I think will yield more seatime and instruction. I don't think there is any big push in AR to get the evolution schools back with our strong DDP program. I do know the evo schools do make regular stops to Nashville and Ft Myers.

 

That's what I'm looking for. I've missed every previous DDP we've had, so it sounds like that fits the bill. Outside of that, it just seems like the auto-x instruction starts and ends with novices. I liked the fact that the Evo schools were dedicated to auto-x. I also liked the setup of the BMW school that I took a few years back. I just need something to fill that gap that's been created now that I know the basics of braking, turn-in, looking ahead, etc. Certainly there are more options out there than for me to just get out there and drive and learn bad habits.

 

So is the SRDEC coming up on Jan 31st $200? Is it full yet?

 

Lol, you've had my deposit for the next open track day for what, a year now? How's that for commitment?

-Chris!