I do agree that you can find plenty of people who would pay it. But could you find 120-150 of them all who want to do it on the same day. That is what any organization wanting to do it has to look at.
If they are seriously going to charge that much for a track day, that place is gonna be bankrupt in no time flat. Maybe in a few years the price will go down after they pull their heads out of their asses
You have to remember they don't want you, they want porsche or ferrari owners who won't blink about coughing up $1K ~ $2K a day to fart around in their 4 wheel viagramobile on a F1 track. Nope, they don't need or want you and your stupid motorcycle.
And it's true. You may not like it, but there ya go. COTA doesn't need low-budget trackday types. Even racers. Those doors are expensive to open. When was the last trackday you heard of at Indy? I know #34 did a couple of schools there... -jim
Agreed, but worth is not the deciding factor. Monaco layout is not worth $500 either, but it's the opportunity that takes crea of the other $400
Quite possible, but there are other tracks that only allow 1 group to run track days there, so it's not outside the realm of possibility.
What tracks do that? Not being a smart-ass, I just didnt know that. Seems like a waste of business to me....
Off the top of my head, Harris Hill, Grand Sport Speedway, and when they first opened MSR Houston did as well. MSRH finally saw the light I guess and let other groups come in. GSS kicked out the one org that was running them there and I think is trying to do them on their own now. Maybe one of the other Texas guys knows more about that.
Laguna charges a pretty penny for track days, and that's with a noise restriction. Last I heard, they get a pretty good turn out. I wonder it COTA's policies won't change once they realize an empty track brings in no $$$. A place that size still has staff and utility bills, even without an event going one. As much as these tracks thinks there's thousands of big $$ car guys out there, getting them on a race track is another story. Yea, there's lots of Ferraris and Lambos out there, but ever try to talk an owner into a track day? My office landlord has a Ferrari and an Aston (and disposable time and money). You'd think he jump at the chance to ride those beasts on the track. Couldn't even get him to sign up for a cheap "follow the leader" instructional day, just too scared or something. Had the same conversation with other owners of Minis, BMWs and Porsche's; people are just too scared to drive those things they way they're intended. I just don't get it.
The ones I know that trackday usually have a trackday only car. Everything from an old formula ford to MGs to a KTM Xbow and Caterhams. Too old to try bikes, too fast to drive hard on the streets and too rich to give a shit. One or two of them even drive their Ferraris and whatever at trackdays.
I do. Most people can't even figure out how to correctly use the pedals at their feet getting on/off the highway. You think they'd be able to navigate a race course AND be able to use them?
the facility isn't just a race track. it's also an amphitheater/concert venue, has corporate event/meetings spaces (with catering), with plans to build tennis courts and soccer fields (iirc)... they're shooting for 300+ days of events at the circuit.
