Driving on Texas Motor Speedway - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

Wingnut2u · 10-25-2010, 08:07 PM

I have driven at TMS and when you are in your own car they do not let you drive the entire oval, you drive what is called the Roval. It is a combination of the infield road course and the oval. You come out of the infield course and onto the main oval at turn 3, you get one turn and the main straightaway to reach top speed, then when you come into turn 1 you have to come back down to the apron for safety reasons. I was only able to get to 130 before I had to throttle it back down.

Trust me driving a couple feet off the wall at 130 mph will get your heart pumping.

A friend of mine did the Nascar experience at TMS and he was able to drive the entire oval in a Nascar and he said he got up to 150mph

Topless · 10-26-2010, 08:55 AM

For comparison my car hits 132mph (GPS) on the Fontana Roval course. The car feels rock solid rounding the banked turns 1&2 but still gets spooky for me. I don't want to blow a tire sidewall out there

. I have a new found respect for the NASCAR guys bumping and rubbing paint out there at 160.

If you want to find your top speed go to the Texas Standing Mile that runs on an airstrip. A nice long, smooth, straight, legal, stretch of pavement is your best bet.

jmatta · 10-26-2010, 09:39 AM

I've done a lot of track driving and would never consider going that fast without a full roll cage, let along just a ragtop over my head! You guys can't be serious...

RandallNeighbour · 10-26-2010, 10:53 AM

Interesting factiod about TWS...

They don't allow car clubs to use just the oval (like NASCAR would use) because taking banked turns in only one direction lap after lap starves the motor of oil and burns up motors in short order. Cars designed to go around and around in one direction are evidently modded with more than just special alignment settings, but with large scavenge pumps and enlarged oil pans.

When I drove TWS last, which was nearly two years ago, I was only able to get to 115 simply because I didn't have enough straight track to drive faster and I wasn't skilled enough to come out of the last turn fast enough to hit the straightaway at speed.

However, I've sustained 161 mph in a new Carrera Cabriolet on the autobahn just outside of Berlin in 2001. It was quiet, smooth, and I really got the feeling that the car was built for it and "enjoying it."

161 mph was fast. The exits on the freeway went by like lamp posts between exits on US freeways at 70 mph.

One high speed DE really cured me of wanting to drive my car really fast. Now I just want to drive it well on a track and move up to a run class where I don't need an instructor screaming in my ear.

Jake D · 10-26-2010, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmatta

I've done a lot of track driving and would never consider going that fast without a full roll cage, let along just a ragtop over my head! You guys can't be serious...

Yup.. makes it even more of a rush

Topless · 10-26-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmatta

I've done a lot of track driving and would never consider going that fast without a full roll cage, let along just a ragtop over my head! You guys can't be serious...

Yes.
Driving that fast is inherently dangerous even with full cage/harness/helmet/Hans. I know 4 drivers who tagged the wall hard in turn 2 but were lucky enough to walk away. This one was not so lucky:http://motorsports.fanhouse.com/2010/10/16/woman-killed-in-driving-experience-crash-at-auto-club-speedway/

My prayers are with her family.