I’m not sure if this is the right forum to post a question about beaver run but o well… I heard it was a $100 or something to go out to the track and run your car all day? and I was curious how nice the track is and if it is worth the money/ driving time to go out there and jag around for the day… if that is the deal that is offered out there?
well actually its more then that… prob somewhere around 180… but when they have a flatout friday or something like that then it is only 100 bucs. yes it is definatley worth it. my buddy races there and nelson ledges. it is very expensive to run on road courses. but i have video of my buddy running 130mph on the back stretch of nelson’s ledges.
Thats sweet… thats pretty much wat I wanna do, just go out and run a real race track and see what my car can do.
The $100 days aren’t that common. You can expect to pay $165 in advance, or $180 at the gate.
I run HPDE with NASA, same type of event run alongside their road racing series. If you work at a corner station for 2 days you get enough credit to run an HPDE day for free.
There is an event Saturday at Beaver Run. I will be there instructing and if it is dry/relatively warm, I’ll be testing mods to my race car. It costs $165 in advance and $180 at the door (assuming it doesn’t fill up).
Even if you aren’t going to run, come out a see what it’s like. …and if you do come out, here is what my car looks like:
Drop by my paddock space and say hello.
BTW - That picture was taken in turn 10 at Beaver Run.
BTW if the interpretation is that you go out there and do whatever you want with your car that’s wrong.
I would imagine you will have an instuctor in the car explaining how to properly take a car around the track. It is very easy to make disastrous mistakes. Just be careful.
Good luck and have fun,
Justin
I will be there on Saturday so I’ll keep an eye out for you Keith.
I look forward to meeting you, Eric. If don’t bring the Firebird, I’ll be in a 1995 BMW 525i. Your car will be recognizable so I’ll try to look for you as well.
My car is fairly easy to spot but you will surely see my buddies '70 Chevelle. I’ll be right beside him. It works well so people can rest against my car while looking at his. 
OMG I can’t wait to get out there again! Cost is what they said ^^^ (register in advance–and make sure to tell Earl Siler we sent ya!) You will have an instructor if you are in the class 1 or 2 drivers (me…def.) but it’s great to have someone in the car w/ you giving you advice on the course…Eric, guys and gals…are there any other gals on here that go? 
See ya soon! I got some ‘suspension upgrades’ to test out 
If ya ever see me out there, say HI! Eric is great about being the pittspeed welcome wagon at BeaveRun 
I was out last Sunday with my best friend. She’s going to be there Saturday, but I can’t go because of work. :rant: I plan on getting up there as often as possible though.
I may wear my Pittspeed t-shirt this Saturday. That should make it easier to spot me. The temps look pretty good but it might rain. Rain = fun. (see below) 
How did April Fools Saturday go for you guys?
KeithO you run the bird?
I am going to try to make the next lapping day!
Question for the beaver run faithful. How do you get signed off on to run the track without an instructor.
I ran the 'bird. My winters mods were everything I had hoped they would be. My lap times (on my rain tires!) were less than 3/10 second off my personal best and less than 6/10 second off the series lap record. The car handled quite well. I just installed slightly heavier rear springs last night to re-balance the car. It was a little biased towards understeer and I’m hoping that the new springs will bring it back to neutral. I just gotta raise the front coilovers a little to re-corner weight the car and I’m good to go.
The event was good but I really didn’t get to talk to many people other than a quick “hi” to Eric. Jumping between a student’s car and worrying about my car made socializing impossible. I forgot about that part of instructing.
The way you get signed off for a given event is two instructors literally sign your form saying you are ready to run solo. This particular signoff is good for that particular day. This can happen in group 1 though it is more common in group 2. When you register for the next event, the chief instructor will decide if you are moved to the next group or not. If you moved from group 1 to group 2, at the next event you will again get instructors until you are signed off that day. If you moved from group 2 to group 3 at the next event, then you don’t need an instructor that day.
Glad to hear you got the car out. A little american muscle out there ripping up the track.
I swear you are on every forum board I visit! You have enough socializing online to make up for the lack of it at an event!
Sweet I hope I get the sign off next time, even though amazingly to me I really didn’t mind the instructors being with me. I have to give the thumbs up to all you that help instruct at the track! Hopefully I will make it to be one eventually!
If your goal is to be an instructor someday, make sure that you tell Earl S. that this is your goal. This will encourage him to pay extra attention to what you are doing on the track. The best path to becoming an instructor is to make your intentions known and exhibiting exemplary behavior on the track. I found that once the organizers got to know me, it became a matter of time before I was asked to instruct.
As unpopular as this statement can be: American Iron is still some of the strongest stuff out there for road racing and lapping days (and still the most durable and cost-effective). “Modern” cars (to use a kind term) can be excellent autocrossers and do a respectable pass at the drags, but put them in 3rd/4th gear on a road race course and their weaknesses become apparent.
Need to get together sometime, or even next time you could be the instructor.
My car is definitely not set up the way I want, although I am impressed with the way it did handle. My gearing I feel is too steep, was previous owner selection for drag racing.
You running a 5 or 6 speed?
If I am at an event and I see an f-body or Mustang, I typically select that car as my student since I have the most seat time in V8, rwd, live axle cars. If you are there, I’ll be jumping in your car…
Gearing depends a little how how hard you want to turn the motor and the correct way to find this out is to look at your torque curve and decide when (rpm-wise) it is best to upshift to drop you into the sweet spot on the curve for the next gear.
I switched from 3.73’s to 3.42’s over the winter because at the rpms that I want to turn, I was often stuck between the gears at corner apexes. At Beaver Run, the 3.42’s mate up perfectly with my stock 6-speed and I see the shift light (5,250) in 4th about a second or 2 before the braking zones into turn 9 and into turn 1. Perfect. I take the car to the dyno on Friday to verify that my shift points haven’t changed and to get my season certification.
You have to dyno your car for a season certified? Wow, didn’t realize it is that evolved to road race.
Actually, we have hp/tq plus weight limits in proportion to the hp/tq. As a car guy, it kinda sucks and goes against what you are used to - I’m running a restrictor plate on a stock LT1 (I guess we have to let the Mustangs keep up somehow, lol!). However, as a guy funding a race car out of his own pocket, it means that some guy isn’t going to show up and out-spend me rather than out-drive me. Not possible to outspend, only out-drive. Overall, it keeps things fair and keeps a lid on costs, so I like it.