What are your opinions on mastering one track versus trying different tracks? When do you learn more? I get it you may learn different things due to elevation/layout/condition on new tracks but it seems you can concentrate on track driving skills at your home track where you don't need to try spending most of your time learning where the apex and etcs are.

 

It really depends what the end goals are. I was club racing with a local organization which only ran track configurations @ willow springs called WSMC so that limited the environment variables but not the track configuration permutations.

I think a dedicated driver should learn how to be competent at a few tracks that have vastly differing characteristics before hyper focusing on one track.

 

I'd say early on stick to your local track where you can learn the basics and get up to speed then branch out to broaden your ability.

 

I try to add a new track each season.

 

My home track is NJMP when is a smaller circuit. I been running there for years so I have it down. I use it as filler days. I dont really do events there rather do SCCA TNIA events after work once a month. I do full day events at other tracks

 

Its good to have a home track and master it but its also very beneficial to go out and try other tracks. You will gain more experience and potentially see things you could improve on your home track!

 

Seat time is most important for a new driver. And if that means running at just one track, so be it.

But what's wrong with variety? Learn to drive! And that means facing and mastering different tracks and different conditions and different situations.

 

Thanks for the inputs guys. Luckily my schedule freed up and I can do 1 more day at my home track (carolina motorsports car) and 2 days in Road Atlanta (5th new track for the year) for the reminder of the year. In reality, I don't really have a home track since I move so often.

 

Road Atlanta in Dec with NASA?

 

I think the process of learning new tracks is just an expansion of the driving discipline. I can "learn" a track in a session or two, from there it is constant refinement until I have "mastered" the track. How long that takes is dependent on the track. At some point between "learning" and "mastering" though your just turning laps and hitting marks. Racing though is much more dynamic and adapting to different cars, so while racing is a lot about hitting marks it is also about adapting. I think learning new tracks makes you good at adapting. Plus I always find certain areas of one track will somehow make me better in some areas of other tracks when I return.