16 replies to this topic

[AustinF1]

http://kutnews.org/p...ack-worth-55000

A full-day private track rental goes for $55,000. Group rates are available at $2,500 per person.

...

...how does it stack up against the competition? We poked around and here's what we found.

Bahrain's International Circuit charges about $225 to drive your car on the track...

In Montmeló, Spain, you can drive on the 2.8-mile Circuit de Catalunya for about $65...

If you can make it to Budapest, you can drive a car on the 2.7-mile Hungaroring, starting at about $35 for 20 minutes. That price includes Hungary's 27 percent sales tax, the highest sales tax in the European Union.

Driving on Italy's 3.6-mile Autodromo Nazionale Monza costs about $60 for 25 minutes. If you arrive on the right days, you don't even need a reservation.

The 2.8-mile Nürburgring in Germany is open for you to drive a car for about $55 for 20 minutes...

Abu Dhabi's Yas Marina Circuit offers air conditioned garages and racing school instructors giving driving tips during its track days, all for about $175. Pre-book now and get 15 percent off!

Or perhaps your Honda Civic isn't exciting enough and you'd like to drive a Ferrari or an Aston Martin? At the Silverstone Circuit in the United Kingdom, you can take your pick as part of a $240 package.

If you don't have a passport, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California can be rented for $8,000 on a weekday during the off season....

...

...if you're simply looking for the thrill of driving a car on a Formula One track, the experience can be purchased, along with airfare, hotel and food, for less than the price of admission at CoTA. You just won't be driving on the newest Grand Prix circuit in F1.

Wow. $60 to drive Monza? $55 for the Nurburgring? $35 for the Hungaroring? I'm there. While I knew they weren't as costly as COTA, I had no idea those circuits were so inexpensive to enjoy. Stay here & pay $2500 or take that money, put it toward a week in Italy and drive Monza? No-brainer.

Some apparently will pay, for now. Revisit the topic in a few years and I'm guessing the story will be different one way or another. I, for one, am glad I've been able to drive/ride COTA a few times without spending a dime. No way I'd pay $2500 even if I could spare it.

Edited by AustinF1, 16 July 2013 - 06:54.

[Shiroo]

but here you rent whole track aren't you? So as good as you wish, you can organize your own GP. While in the other cases, some unknown peps will be lurking around anyway

[alfa1]

Thats some awful comparisons going on there.

Its much like saying "It cost a MILLION dollars a day to rent a British Airways 747, but Air France will let you fly to Paris on one of theirs for only a few hundred."
Its the difference between taking the *whole thing, exclusively*, and being part of a group renting just a bit of time for a moment, while sharing.

Anyway, as for the $55000, I think thats in the same ballpark as renting the Hungaroring for three days. About a year ago, somebody told me...

A quick google search finds this quote:

Calum Lockie, runs the Gold Track Driving Club, which organises events in Britain and overseas. He emphasises the need to balance the number of participants with the maximum number of cars allowed on the circuit at one time — 60 on the 3.2-mile course at Silverstone. “The financial risk is pretty high. A full day on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit can cost £30,000 to put on and run properly.

Edit - oh hey, I've met Calum.
Wonder if he's on these forums.

Edited by alfa1, 16 July 2013 - 06:25.

[AustinF1]

Thats some awful comparisons going on there.

Its much like saying "It cost a MILLION dollars a day to rent a British Airways 747, but Air France will let you fly to Paris on one of theirs for only a few hundred."
Its the difference between taking the *whole thing, exclusively*, and being part of a group renting just a bit of time for a moment, while sharing.

Anyway, as for the $55000, I think thats in the same ballpark as renting the Hungaroring for three days. About a year ago, somebody told me...

Note that they did differentiate between renting the entire track for $55K/day ("full day" noted on website) or paying $2500/person to be part of a Group Track Experience (duration not disclosed...hmmm).

So it costs $2500/person to drive your own car at COTA, likely for a short stint, while you can drive a Ferrari or an Aston Martin at Silverstone for a tenth of that. $8000 gets you and all your friends Laguna Seca for the day.

Even if the $2500 covers the whole day, compare it to 8 hours at some of the other tracks listed (even at the short-drive rates...longer drivers are probably cheaper by the hour):

Budapest: $840
Nurburgring: $1320
Monza: $1140

I could take the $2500, fly to any of those destinations, drive all day, and return home with hundreds left in my pocket having gotten a much better value even if I spent it all.

Calum Lockie, runs the Gold Track Driving Club, which organises events in Britain and overseas. He emphasises the need to balance the number of participants with the maximum number of cars allowed on the circuit at one time — 60 on the 3.2-mile course at Silverstone. “The financial risk is pretty high. A full day on the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit can cost £30,000 to put on and run properly.

Now go drive a rented Aston at COTA for $240. Not going to happen, even for a short ride.

Edited by AustinF1, 16 July 2013 - 06:55.

[kosmic33]

http://kutnews.org/p...ack-worth-55000



Wow. $60 to drive Monza? $55 for the Nurburgring? $35 for the Hungaroring? I'm there. While I knew they weren't as costly as COTA, I had no idea those circuits were so inexpensive to enjoy. Stay here & pay $2500 or take that money, put it toward a week in Italy and drive Monza? No-brainer.

Some apparently will pay, for now. Revisit the topic in a few years and I'm guessing the story will be different one way or another. I, for one, am glad I've been able to drive/ride COTA a few times without spending a dime. No way I'd pay $2500 even if I could spare it.

You really don't like the Austin circuit do you?
Do you work for Kevin schwantz?

[Beamer]

sorry... off topic but that URL is hilarious for any dutch speaking person.... Definitely NSFW....

[mnmracer]

sorry... off topic but that URL is hilarious for any dutch speaking person.... Definitely NSFW....

Didn't even notice until you pointed it out

[techspeed]

So it costs $2500/person to drive your own car at COTA, likely for a short stint, while you can drive a Ferrari or an Aston Martin at Silverstone for a tenth of that.

Hey, lets just make a biased assumption that a private group booking at COTA gives you very little track time while you can spend all day at all the other tracks for very little money.

Don't know about the others, but the $240 gets you 3 laps in a Ferrari 360 then 3 laps in an Aston Vantage, with an instructor alongside you. That's it, the drivers briefing takes as long as the track time. A proper track day costs $600 per car, sharing the track with everyone else. If you want to hire the Ferrari for the day it will cost you another $4500.

$60 to drive Monza? $55 for the Nurburgring? $35 for the Hungaroring?

Those prices will get you a lap at the circuits, not an all day pass.

Nurburgring is around $1300 for a track day, you can try the cheap "per lap" option but in that case expect to pay a huge bill for repairing any armco if you go off track (about $2500+)

COTA just doesn't do track days like all the other circuits where you can just turn up and drive around with every other member of the public that turns up, so expected to share the track with everyones daily drivers as well as track cars. But it does mean if a club or group hires the track they have exclusive use of it for the day. For a private track day similar to COTA at any other circuit expect to pay about the same, even though the other tracks are likely to have lower staff and running costs.

[AustinF1]

You really don't like the Austin circuit do you?
Do you work for Kevin schwantz?

I love the circuit. I've driven it in Cadillacs, walked it, and ridden in Ferraris and on the COTA safety truck. No, I don't work for Schwantz. I've had a good job for almost 20 years now.

I just thought it was an interesting article.

[kosmic33]

I love the circuit. I've driven it in Cadillacs, walked it, and ridden in Ferraris and on the COTA safety truck. No, I don't work for Schwantz. I've had a good job for almost 20 years now.

I just thought it was an interesting article.

No you didnt - you take any opportunity you can to try and slate COTA
Cant believe you paid $55,000 to drive the track in your caddy either......

[CSquared]

http://kutnews.org/p...ack-worth-55000

If you don't have a passport, the Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Salinas, California can be rented for $8,000 on a weekday during the off season....

From what I hear, during the on season it can be $25,000 a day. And count on losing a big chunk of your $8,000 winter day to fog.

COTA has angered or disappointed a lot of people with their policies about track days and club races, but I haven't kept up on the details.

[AustinF1]

Good discussion. Thanks for the comments.
 

Don't know about the others, but the $240 gets you 3 laps in a Ferrari 360 then 3 laps in an Aston Vantage, with an instructor alongside you. That's it, the drivers briefing takes as long as the track time.

That sounds like a good deal. If COTA offered something like that I'm sure they could sell as many as they want to. I'd be first in line.
 

A proper track day costs $600 per car, sharing the track with everyone else.

Still a great deal compared to COTA where it's $2500 to drive your own car for an undetermined amount of time.
 

Those prices will get you a lap at the circuits, not an all day pass.

The article & the track websites are very specific about the amount of time allowed:

Nurburgring: $55/20 minutes or $101/40 min
Silverstone: $240 for 20 min safety briefing & 6 laps in Ferrari 360 & Vantage OR $150 for 18 min in open-wheel car OR $266 for 9 laps in C63/GTR/Vantage/Evora, etc
Monza: $60 for 25 min in your car
Bahrain: $53 for 30 min in your own car, $132 half-day, $200 full day
India: $127 for 20 min, $314 for 3 sessions
Hungaroring: $36 for 20 min, $67 for 40 min...up to $224 for Ten 20 min sessions.
Barcelona $65 for 30 min
Spa: $308 for four 25-min sessions + a drink at the bar afterward

 

In a post above I said 

Even if the $2500 covers the whole day, compare it to 8 hours at some of the other tracks listed (even at the short-drive rates...longer drivers are probably cheaper by the hour):

Budapest: $840
Nurburgring: $1320
Monza: $1140

I could take the $2500, fly to any of those destinations, drive all day, and return home with hundreds left in my pocket having gotten a much better value even if I spent it all.

 

In fact, I could take the same $2500, buy r/t airfare to Europe & pay for drives on the Nurburgringing, Spa, Monza, Silverstone, the Hungaroring, and Barcelona. What's the better value?

 

Nurburgring is around $1300 for a track day, you can try the cheap "per lap" option but in that case expect to pay a huge bill for repairing any armco if you go off track (about $2500+)

That's still half what COTA will charge for a ?-hour session. Damage the armco? Get a bill there too. They've billed people who've gone off at full, expensive track days.
 

COTA just doesn't do track days like all the other circuits where you can just turn up and drive around with every other member of the public that turns up, so expected to share the track with everyones daily drivers as well as track cars. But it does mean if a club or group hires the track they have exclusive use of it for the day.

Yeah, actually they do. It just costs $55K for the group. There are cars ranging from daily drivers up to prototypes and drivers ranging from experienced racers to people who just want to take a nice, easy cruise around to say they've done it.
 

private[/i] track day similar to COTA at any other circuit expect to pay about the same, even though the other tracks are likely to have lower staff and running costs.

At least here in the US, total costs for fully staffed track days at major circuits (corner workers, EMS, Fire, etc) are commonly being had for small fractions of that $55K ($8-20K per day down to $3K+ for mid-level tracks). Indy ~$15K, Laguna Seca ~$8K, Watkins Glen $17K total for 2-day minimum, Road America $9K-ish, Texas World Speedway $4k, etc.

Depending on the size of the group, it's common to get full track days & as much track time as you can handle for $150-250/day at tracks like Road Atlanta, VIR, Barber, Miller, Road America, Sonoma/Infineon, Texas World Speedway, Mid-Ohio, and more. For $250-400, people are commonly getting full days at Daytona's road course, Indy's GP circuit, Laguna Seca, Watkins Glen, Texas Motor Speedway (where you can also "arrive & drive" your own car for ~$100), Homestead, Sebring, Charlotte, etc.

Many of these track days offer upgraded "VIP" packages for less than $1000 (incl garage spots, preferred parking, dedicated instructors, Go Pro onboard cameras, photo packages, chase videos, free beverages, tee shirts, meals, parts discounts, free drinks & reserved table at nighttime party, VIP area, no wait on grid, concierge service for parts or tires, etc). At COTA, anything not listed in the offer will be an upgrade, usually on a line-item basis.

Edited by AustinF1, 11 November 2013 - 16:49.

[AustinF1]

No you didnt - you take any opportunity you can to try and slate COTA
Cant believe you paid $55,000 to drive the track in your caddy either......

No I don't. I promote COTA & its events weekly/daily on FB & Twitter, push business their way (or at least try to...ask Jon Pollack & CONOSUR), do grass-roots work for them when they ask, etc. But we look at the good and the bad coming from the track. Funny how that gets us labeled as haters by some and as track shills by others.

We also answer logistical questions almost daily, submitted by fans who say COTA will not respond or their outsourced sales reps from Legends (Dallas Cowboys) lack the knowledge to answer (re: seating, sight lines, mobility/on-site access, transportation, will-call procedures, prohibited items, photo angles, ABIA, lodging, dining, camping, entertainment, and much more). We want all our Austin & Central Texas visitors to feel welcome & have a great time while they're here.

I didn't pay anything at all for driving Cadillac's V-Coupe alongside Lonnie Pechnick (awesome for such a heavy car btw) or any of the other times I've been on the circuit. Having been on it, I can say it was indeed great. Pretty much what I expected. But when I look at the value I can get for my money elsewhere without being nickeled & dimed at every turn, it's easy to pass on what they offer and go somewhere else where it's still hard driving, but for a lot less cash.

They can and will, of course, charge whatever they like regardless of what I or anyone else thinks about it, but the demand & the suckers willing to pay crazy prices will only last so long. In the meantime, what is built for the future of the track? Their track day policies are just one of many indications, imho, that this management is only involved for the short term. Their actions make no sense at all for long-term ownership.

Edited by AustinF1, 16 July 2013 - 17:53.

[AustinF1]

From what I hear, during the on season it can be $25,000 a day. And count on losing a big chunk of your $8,000 winter day to fog.

COTA has angered or disappointed a lot of people with their policies about track days and club races, but I haven't kept up on the details.

No shortage of fog there. It would suck to lose track time to it.

& Yep. The core group of hard-core race fans around here generally feel like COTA is missing huge opportunities to make new fans of the track & the racing there instead of pushing them away.

[dau]

Doesn't seem to be too expensive, half of the available dates are already booked. Even the individual slots seem to be going quite well.

[Watkins74]

No you didnt - you take any opportunity you can to try and slate COTA
Cant believe you paid $55,000 to drive the track in your caddy either......

edit: "If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and walks like a duck, it's a duck" Ducks of Austin say "quack, quack"

Edited by Watkins74, 16 July 2013 - 22:48.

[AustinF1]

LOL. OK.

Now go look at our FB/twitter postings for the truth. Oh, wait. That would get in the way of your petty mischaracterizations.

Let them eat cake!


BTW, looks like COTA just offered a LivingSocial discount on USGP T4 & T9 tickets. Get 'em while you can.

edit: "If it looks like a duck...

That's the spirit! Just keep ignoring the reality of what we actually post on the FB page & Twitter. It's the only way to even attempt to make your argument.

Edited by AustinF1, 18 July 2013 - 14:37.