Track day or Oppo Meet PNW

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
04/01/2019 at 21:00 • Filed to: None

Glorious people of Oppo, I am stuck in quite the conundrum. I have a schedule conflict of two things that I want to do in May. There is the Oppo Meet PNW that looks like a fun drive and hangout in a cool place and also a track day at Streets of Willow going on at the same time. Currently, I dont really have a track car but my sights are set on either fixing my Miata in time (about a week and a month away) or buying another Miata and getting it ready. Option two of buying another sounds much more realistic schedule-wise if I were to really go for the track day instead.

Anyways, this is a super first world problem, but what do the people of Oppo say? Wildly unrealistic goals of being ready for the track day? Or Oppo Meet? Both are probably going to cost me about the same anyways. But I am probably not sleeping much for the Oppo meet since I cant take time off work and will be rushing to make it on time with flights and stuff.

Hoping to have some news on the Miata shopping front, looked at a cheap NB yesterday (it was cheap for a reason!!) and have a few nicer ones lined up this week. But we shall see if any of them pan out.. I am getting tired of looking at garbage that isnt any better than my pile of junk but happens to run. I want to buy every car I come across since “for the right price, any car is a good car” is my life mantra. But then I think about the shady titles and sketchy mysterious problems and think about how stress free my life would be if I just spent A LITTLE bit more upfront.

Also, if I am going to go to Oppo Meet, I would gladly like to have some couch surfing opportunities for lodging , I promise I wont murder you!

DISCUSSION (20)

E90M3 > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 21:03

Anyways, this is a super first world problem

Those are my favorite kind of problems. Like when I have to decide what BMW to drive or when my Rolex isn’t wound because I was wearing my Breitling all weekend. Major first world problems.

Montalvo > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 21:23

Skip Miatas and look for fox body mustangs. Totally not biased.. . Even fewer things to break and when they do its weight reduction :D

LMR was having a deal today so I just got about 15% off a whole new radiator, fans and piping. Soon the only ancillary connected to the engine will be my alternator which I am also upgrading .

Kinja'd!!!

Future Heap Owner > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 21:28

Track days are track days. One is not so different from the other, and you can find plenty (I think?) . Plus, the worst thing for a search is a hard deadline. Imposing one on yourself is an easy way to make a decision you’ll end up regretting.

Oppo meets happen much less often. In my experience so far (I’ve met seven), opponauts are uniformly good people and are great to hang out with . There will probably be opponauts at this meet that won’t be at the next one (or maybe ever again; who knows what life brings ).

Clearly, your presence at the spring cruise follows logically from the above true statements. QED

Future Heap Owner > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 21:30

Also, when and where are you looking for lodging? Ar e you planning to fly into Vancouver on the morning of the 11th, or the night of the 10th?

The Crazy Kanuck; RIP Oppositelock > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 21:32

You relive track days, you can't relive Oppo meets.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 21:43

No time off, crappy flight times, ignoring your car to go on a trip? You are starting to sound like me

I would go to the Oppo Meet, personally.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > E90M3
04/01/2019 at 21:44

My favorite is when I haven't driven my Ferrari in a while because I've been too busy on vacation lmao

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
04/01/2019 at 22:09

You wanna come to the meet too? Will split rental on something cool that would otherwise cost twice as much!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Future Heap Owner
04/01/2019 at 22:18

I’d be looking to fly into Seattle on the 10 th and out from there again on the 13 th since that’s definitely the most cost effective solution. I’m probably not sleeping night of the 12 th (or maybe a couple hours at the airport) since flight would be at 5am anyways. Probably will bring camping gear for the 10th and 11th or try to crash whereever. Flights to Vancouver and rental cars are unnecessarily expensive and/or not direct whereas the drive from SeaTac doesn't seem that bad, if I time the border crossings at lighter times.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 23:16

It’s in May, right?

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > SPAMBot - Horse Doctor
04/01/2019 at 23:18

Yeah may 11-12 in the Vancouver area. Looking at flights late Friday and early Monday for $69 a piece.

SPAMBot - Horse Doctor > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 23:26

My mom might be in town for mother’s day. It’s planned yet so I'll keep you posted

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/01/2019 at 23:52

Do the Oppo meet! There will always be another track day.

CompactLuxuryFan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/02/2019 at 03:06

Can’t really comment on your situation (except to say I’m *probably* not making the Vancouver Oppo meet?), but I am mighty tempted by the Auto Club Speedway 2.8 Mile Sport Car course Track Night in America this Friday I’m driving down there Friday night anyway, might as well go a day early?

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > E90M3
04/02/2019 at 03:30

Recently had to jump start one of my Mercedes because I was spending too much time with my Ducati and the help* was too dumb to put the car on a battery maintainer.

You just can't find good help these days. Damn millennials!

*Me

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CompactLuxuryFan
04/02/2019 at 10:37

TNiA does the infield course I think, right? That definitely seems more manageable and less risky. The group I went to Fontana with used Nascar turn 1 as part of the course and going 120 around a turn with an impending wall of doom to my right was scary. Also getting passed by people doing 140-150+ was an experience haha. After someone in the paddock showed me a video of them going backwards into the wall, I was a bit frightened for the rest of my life..

CompactLuxuryFan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/02/2019 at 14:36

They’re doing a special one with the big track this week: https://www.tracknightinamerica.com/events/1993882-track-night-2019-fontana-april-5

When you put it that way it sounds less fun

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CompactLuxuryFan
04/02/2019 at 15:01

Ahh cool, yeah we did the same configuration when I went! It was definitely very fun still, I enjoyed the track layout and really liked how nice the surface is in general there. And aside from the “scary turn” it was very safe and felt good to fly into Turn 3 to try and maintain momentum as well as get really nice turn in around Turn 9. It was probably moreso the being in a Miata aspect that made the straightaway leading to 1 feel kinda boring/silly as well. In something with POWAHHH, that track would be uniquely awesome to hit 140+ and then just slow down a bit for the scary part. One fellow racer in a Miata gave me the advice to continue accelerating around the entire turn and I saw him doing that and get way ahead of myself. But that was my point of giving up lol. Being at 5k in 5th gear, I didnt feel like shifting in that turn and upsetting balance in any way.

CompactLuxuryFan > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
04/02/2019 at 15:17

Looking at this onboard video I don’t think my 335 could hit 140. Looks really fun, though! I just don’t think I can make it happen this week :/

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > CompactLuxuryFan
04/02/2019 at 16:31

I found that my highest speed was usually reached just before the braking zone at turn 3. If enough speed was maintained between turns 16 -21, I could maintain about 110-115 in Turn 1 and then hit 120 at my best. Other Miata was reporting about 130 by continuing the acceleration around the turn. With some more gear and some more power, I dont see why 140 doesnt seem unreasonable for you. But yeah having the time is important haha.