Chances are that, if you are rabid car enthusiast, you’ve more than likely been to a race or three in your lifetime. If you were fortunate enough to go at a relatively early stage in life, you probably grew up dreaming of having the opportunity to actually drive those tracks.

With the advent of high performance driving events hosted by a variety of national and even international automobile clubs and other organizations, the opportunities to bring your own personal vehicle out on track are probably as good now as they ever have been. While these organizations have been around for many years, they have become increasingly popular as more and more enthusiasts become aware of the various events out there through car forums and the like.

When we began Project TT, we planned to modify the car for a number of different purposes - one of which was to track use. The chance to do this finally came thanks to membership in the Audi Club of North America (ACNA). Being new to this whole scene and since I was a club member, I opted to attend an event hosted by the Golden Gate Chapter of this national organization.

The Club was founded by the late Frank Beddor Jr. in 1984 in order to allow Audi owners to experience the benefits of all-wheel drive under high performance driving conditions, learn safety and car control skills and share their enthusiasm for driving Audis. The club currently boasts approximately 10,000 members, ranging in age from 18-85 years old. Last year, it held its 23rd National event at Infineon Raceway (formerly Sears Point) in Sonoma California this October, which we also attended.




With a focus on instruction and safety, as well as an opportunity to hang out with fellow TT and Audi enthusiasts, I felt an ACNA event was perfect place to start. So I signed up for the Thunderhill Drivers Education and Safety Seminar. This was basically two events held at Thunderhill Park Raceway in Willows California, located about an hour north of Sacramento California in the northern central valley. Thunderhill has been around for just over ten years and is a wholly owned subsidiary of the SCCA – Sports Car Club of America. The track is three miles long, can be run in both directions and offers 15 fun filled turns, including the Cyclone which is a sharp 90 degree turn with a significant elevation drop at the top.

The event, held on Saturday and Sunday, began with the mandatory drivers meeting in the morning to orient everyone with the track, the rules, the flags that were used on track and the weekend schedule. All cars also underwent a tech inspection and are given a sticker to be displayed to ensure that the cars are in good enough condition to be operated safely on the track. The group was broken down into six sub groups - A through D for the drivers and X and Y for the instructors. Each of the participants was given an identification letter and number for their car. Being a beginner, I was assigned to the A group. The A and B groups are generally for beginners or those persons who have only done a couple track day events or are driving a particular track for the first time. C and D level drivers are those that have more track experience and generally have been signed off to drive without an Instructor in the past or have considerable experience at a particular track.

For those of us A and B group drivers, the event begins with classroom instruction and Q&A on vehicle dynamics, braking and other high performance driving information. This is followed by a series of exercises, which are held in the outer paddock area. These include slalom, lane avoidance and threshold braking maneuvers. The group is split into three and rotates through the three different exercises. Although it did take up the entire morning, the classroom instruction and vehicle exercises were very helpful in seeing how the car might react in a variety of situations.

Next up was lunch and then our inaugural track session. Since this was our first event, I didn’t do anything special to Project TT other than make sure the fluids were topped off and check tire pressure at all four corners. Strapping on a helmet, I met with my instructor, secured my seatbelt and headed out to join the line of other nervous first-timers in the hot pit area of the track. The first couple of laps were under the Yellow flag so that everyone could acquaint themselves with the turns and elevation changes of the track. Our instructor worked with us on identifying and following the “line” of the track, and I began feeling a bit more comfortable at the end of the second 20 minute session of the day. I also took advantage of some ride-alongs with my instructor, which was very helpful in picking up the line as well as seeing how much difference an experienced driver can make. My instructor has a basically bone stock TT, although he had upgraded to Koni shocks, better pads and fluids, and he was putting that car through it’s paces at speeds I only dreamed of following in the first few sessions. The day ended with a banquet dinner at local restaurant, which included a raffle of some nice Audi related items.

Up early and at the track by 7 am the next morning, I was greeted with clear but cool conditions. After settling in, I checked the torque of the TT’s lug bolts, tire pressure and all fluid levels and got ready for my first full day on the track. As the day went on, my confidence increased and so did my ability to read the “line” of the track andk at the same time, pick up speed. My first track day experience had been a great success. Project TT felt great on the track, with no problems at all. Instead of worrying about the car, I focused on listening to every driving tip I could.




After grinning ear to ear for about a month following that first track day experience, I was definitely ready to sign up for another event. Having had such a good time at our first ACNA event, I signed up for their second event of the year at the end March at Reno-Fernley raceway, located about 30 minutes east of Reno Nevada. Reno-Fernley Raceway is a relatively new track that opened its road course in 2003 and has expanded the track to just over 4.3 miles in it’s full configuration. The ACNA event was going to run a slightly shorter 3.9 mile configuration with 23 turns for this event. As with the first school, I was in the beginners group and participated in the same exercises I did at Thunderhill before finally hitting the track.

This second event was considerably smaller than our first with only about 60 cars, so I got a bit more seat time on the track. Again with cool weather and a bit of rain, not to mention 23 turns to try and remember (although in reality – there were only about 17 “real” turns) it was just as challenging as my first track day. Another consideration was the fact that while the TT’s tires still passed inspection, they were nearing the end of their useful life and the pavement at Reno-Fernley was traditionally tough on tires. Knowing this ahead of time – I brought our new set of Hankook Z211 225/45/17 R-compound tires mounted on 17” Flik FTD wheels just in case I needed them.

I was able to survive on the TT’s Toyo T1r’s through the first day and up until the second-to-last session of the second day. At that point, I consulted with our instructor about putting on the R-Compounds for our last two sessions. I didn’t want to wear out my T1R’s to the point they were completely bald or corded. I still had to make it home from the track, which was a two plus hour drive over the Sierras, so I had to carefully monitor tire wear. However, I also was concerned that moving to an R-Compound might not be the best idea since I was still new at all this. Since my instructor runs R-Compound tires on his TT – he was able to describe the differences and let me know what was in store. He felt that my skills on the track were sufficient where it wouldn’t be unsafe for me to give them a try. So I mounted them between sessions, consulted with my instructor about tire pressures and finally got out on the track.

As I circled the track during the warm up lap, he told me to hold off for another two laps before picking up my speed to the levels I had been at previously. Knowing these tires were brand new, I wanted to insure that I heat cycled them properly. Once I picked up speed it was easy to see how R-Compound tires can make a difference. While our speeds didn’t increase all that much, the car certainly felt more planted and much easier to point and shoot through the turns.

While packing up to go and mounting our regular tires and wheels back on Project TT, I did notice, what I not only had worn them down considerably, our front brake pads had also taken a beating as well and would need to be replaced shortly. I also learned quite a bit about tire pressures during this event. I began monitoring them after each session based upon feed back from other TT owners with considerably more track experience and made adjustments based on the pressures while the tires were still hot.




With four days on the track down, and knowing the next ACNA event wasn’t for a few months, I decided to look for other options in the area. What I found were NASA (National Auto Sport Association) events held locally. One in particular that caught my eye was an event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, formerly known and still often referred to as Sears Point. Since it’s only a short distance away, I signed up for one of the two available days.

NASA was formed in 1991 providing high quality motorsport events to enthusiasts at major race tracks throughout the nation. NASA has created programs that allow owners of both racecars and high-performance street-driven vehicles to enjoy the full performance capabilities of their cars in a safe and controlled environment.




Having attended many events at Sears Point over the years, including the old IMSA racing series in the late 70’s and 80’s and more recently some of the American Le Mans Series events held there, I couldn’t wait to get out on this track. Since this was my first NASA event and it was close by, I got there early to make sure I could get the car set up with track wheels and tires. There’s nothing quite like hauling four track wheels and tires, a jack, tools, helmet and other gear in the back of a TT coupe.

Based upon feedback from some NASA representatives, I signed up for Group 2, which is basically for those with some track experience, but would still like the option of having an in-car instructor. The NASA event was very different from the ACNA events in that they had considerably more classes of cars that were running over the weekend. This included not only the HDPE classes that I was in, but also time trails and all regular NASA race classes. With their crowded format, I was able to get in four twenty minute sessions on the track. Sears Point is a much different track than either Thunderhill or Reno-Fernley as it’s much shorter in length – about two miles long – and is much more technical, with considerably more elevation changes and short distances between turns.

After participating in the first two sessions with an instructor in the car, I was signed approved to drive solo for the last two sessions. I opted to do a lead-follow with my instructor for the first few laps and then I was off on my own. Needless to say, it was again a much different experience being out their on your own, after doing all previous laps on a track with an instructor in the car. The biggest difference was that I was a bit more focused on what I was doing rather than listening to the instructor. Things seemed to slow down a bit, although my actual speeds were about the same. At the end of the final session of the day, I had a great feeling of accomplishment and that my skills had improved over my previous events.




My fourth event was with TEAM Racing at Thunderhill Raceway. TEAM Racing (Track Events Alotta Miatas Racing) was started in 2002 and is run by Bonnie Weatherwax. TEAM had been recommended to me by my NASA instructor who owned a Miata and often instructs for them. In contrast to the large NASA event, the TEAM events are low-key, with three run groups - Advanced, Intermediate and Novice, with a maximum of 25 cars per group. Having over four days of track experience, I signed up for the Novice Group B. The smaller more intimate group was a welcome reprieve from the larger NASA event that I attended previously. Although I had spent two days on the Thunderhill track and had soloed at Infineon, I still had a fair amount of butterflies in the stomach as I lined up for the first of our five thirty-minute sessions. They quickly dissipated as I got the tires up to temperature and started to re-familiarize myself with the track. I spent the early morning run sessions working on my “line” and tried a variety of entrance and exits points to several of the turns that were giving me some trouble. I later did a ride along with my former instructor from the NASA event who was running his Porsche 993 at this event. I later took his advice and applied it during my last few run sessions and it definitely helped me smooth out my line.

My fifth and final event ended where I began – the Audi Club of North America. The ACNA’s 23rd Annual Frank Beddor Nationals was held at Infineon Raceway, with two full days of track time. Being a national event for the club – there were over 150 cars from all over the country in attendance. The event was hosted by the local Golden Gate Chapter of ACNA, who did an admirable job of getting all those cars on and off track. I was also happy to have been moved up to the “C” class, which meant that I’d be running with the more experienced group and be able to further test my skills. As with all ACNA events, you are paired up with an instructor for the event and it is up to the instructor to sign you off to solo based upon their evaluation of your skills.

Having already soloed at Infineon, but also knowing that ACNA is generally more conservative in their evaluations, I was a bit anxious going into the event. At the drivers meeting and event introduction on the preceding Friday night, drivers are introduced to their instructors at the end of the evening. Unfortunately my instructor didn’t make the Friday night event and wasn’t present at the mandatory drivers meeting on Saturday morning either, which didn’t help with my anxiety. Apparently his flight from Los Angeles had been delayed and he was due in later in the morning. I was fortunate enough to have Gordon Sanderson from the Golden Gate Chapter available to take me out for my first session. When my next session rolled around, I finally was able to meet Eric Fletcher, my instructor for the weekend. We quickly got acquainted and headed out to the hot pits.





While sitting in the car, he stated that he was going to “teach me a line that might be a bit different from what I’ve been taught before and make me faster around the track that I’ve ever gone.” Although Eric indicated that he does professional race driver instruction and had been racing nearly all his life, it didn’t do much to calm my nerves.

I then discussed my car’s suspension setup, tires and pressure etc. and finally rolled onto the track. He wanted me to show him the line I was taking and then gradually pick up the pace. Unfortunately, after the second lap we ran into a red flag situation and had to pull over. We were then instructed to leave the track, due to a cameraman falling down while trying to cross the track while it was hot and having to be taken by ambulance to the nearest hospital. This resulted in that session being cancelled and added back on to the end of the day.

I have to admit, I came back into the Paddock and quickly started wondering what my next session was going to be like, based upon the statements my instructor had made earlier. I was genuinely a bit apprehensive about getting back in the car with him as I wasn’t quite sure if I was going to get in over my head. Boy was I wrong.

While in the hot pits for the next session, I explained my concerns to Eric and he assured me that I was going to be just fine and that he wouldn’t push me beyond my limits. So there we were, out middle of my second session, and I began to pick up the pace on the next couple of laps. Eric noted some of my bad habits going in to some of the turns, so we decided that we’d pick a certain turn and work on it for a couple laps and then pick another and so on. We did this on the next session as well. On the final session of the day, Eric’s unique instruction style had me pushing my limits way beyond where I had gone previously. I was simply amazed at what I was able to do by the end of the day.

Although Eric signed me off to solo for the following day, I told him I’d like to have him ride with me during at least one or two sessions the following day, since I knew it was only going to help me further work on my driving skills. Eric joined me for my middle session of the day and we worked on steering and braking inputs at certain locations on the track and working on maintaining speed through a couple of the turns. By the end of the day, I was motoring around Sears Point at speeds well above those with which I began, but also at a comfort level I had yet to experience in my short track career, regardless of the location. During my final two sessions, I felt more like I was just driving one continuous loop which flowed from one turn to the next, not even realizing that I had completed a lap.

As for Project TT, it performed exceptionally well at all events, with not a single problem. The car ran flawlessly from the first event to the last with the only changes made over the course of a year of track events being oil changes, brake fluid flush and refills with Motul 600 and a new set of SBS brake pads for the front STaSiS Alcons. I ran the car with the same suspension settings I use on the street and only played with tire pressures over the five events, finally settling on 40-42 degrees hot front and rear depending on the track and temperature. Also in my last three events, I was able to take full advantage of 100 octane fuel in the car with my GIAC Switchloader and ran it exclusively, which made a considerable difference as dyno results on similarly equipped TT’s have shown as much as a 40hp and corresponding torque increase at the wheels. Needless to say, I was able to surprise quite a few people when I was able to pull on some unsuspecting “faster” cars on the straights.





For the upcoming year, I plan on attending a variety of ACNA, NASA, and TEAM Racing events as well as some others, both here in Northern California and in Southern California. One of the events I’m most looking forward to is the Golden Gate Chapter of the ACNA’s event in March at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey California. I’ve been going to races at this venue since the late 70’s and can’t wait to finally set a wheel on this tarmac. Since Project TT performed admirably at the events, there are only a few changes in store prior to the next season. First will be the addition of an oil cooler and possibly oil temp and oil pressure gauges, so I can sleep easier at night knowing that I’m not cooking my oil when the on-track temperatures go over the 100-degree mark as they so easily can. The second will be the addition of a Stable Energies Harness bar and Schroth Harnesses. While the leather seats in the TT have relatively good support and are great on a day-to-day basis, the harnesses will help keep me planted in the saddle on the track. Lastly, I’ll most likely have to put some new shoes on the track wheels after a couple more events and am considering Toyo’s new R888’s, which have received some positive reviews.

My goal when I started attending these high performance driving events was simply to improve my driving skills. I wasn’t concerned about lap times or making big adjustments to my car that might make it go faster. I simply wanted to tighten the nut behind the wheel. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that consistency is key and this only comes with experience. For those of you considering taking your car on the track during a high-performance driving event such as these, I highly suggest you start out in a group that can provide a good level of instruction. I went with the mindset to listen and learn and not try and impress anyone out on the track. I benefited greatly from all my instructors at both the ACNA and NASA events who continually emphasized consistency and focused on teaching me the skills and techniques necessary to improve. While I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot over the year, and have improved steadily over time, I know I still have a lot to learn.

Oh, one last thing, do not attempt to do this unless you are ready to become a track addict. I know I’m addicted and simply can’t wait for the upcoming 2008 season.
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