2012 AMG USA Academy Dates

[Jimbo]

http://amgacademy.com/

Regisration starts today.... Friday Feb 10, 2012. They've added a few more tracks this year too.

Friday May 11 is the day a few of us in Connecticut might pick to do the 1 day course. If anyone is considering Lime Rock Park one day, please PM me so we can perhaps co-ordinate a GTG.

There are also 2 discounts (not mentioned) that are available. 15% for MBCA members and 20% for AMG Performance Lounge members. Sooo...for about the price of a set of tires...you can burn thru (or try to) a nearly new set on an SLS, C63, E63 or SLK55 on a track near you ! I fully recommend this for your 'bucket list' of things to do...in someone elses car.

 

[Jimbo]

Looks like many folks (OK, a few only that I know of really) have waited too long and now the 11th is all sold out here in CT....SOOOOO....I have changed my day to the 14th now, am Montag , which still has openings as of today. Part of the fun is doing this with like-mided 'friends'....'nuff said

I will be having a GTG after the event at my place, which is about an hour away from the track. Even if you don't attend the event, feel free and welcome to swing by me haus after 8 PM. BYOB. I plan on filling my shirt with AMG event hats so come get one ! PM me for details and easy directions (only 10 minutes from Hartford)

There might even be a special guest too, YES, that's right !... Mr. Austin 'Omegabenz' has found a way to now live and work on the 'right' coast as of recent. And a Fed. employee to boot !? Wtf. I'm especially pleased to hear of his good fortune and sincerely hopes he can make it (bummed you couldn't get in on the 11th tho...yer gerburtstag). If you are listening Austin, maybe you can drive my 500E up while I break tradition and spoil the fun by bringing along the 500E's basterd nephew... the Rs6.

 

[T-500]

There might even be a special guest too, YES, that's right !... Mr. Austin 'Powers' Omegabenz has found a way to now live and work on the 'right' coast as of recent. And a Fed. employee to boot !? Wtf. I'm especially pleased to hear of his good fortune and sincerely hopes he can make it (bummed you couldn't get in on the 11th tho...yer gerburtstag). If you are listening Austin, maybe you can drive my 500E up while I break tradition and spoil the fun by bringing along the 500E's basterd nephew... the Rs6.

That would be "Senator Omegabenz"

 

[omegabenz]

Wow, word travels like wildfire. I got a text from another 124.036 fanatic to check 500E board for Jimbo's post. I guess since the cat already jumped out the bag; why not two...I think another Swabian machine may be in my not so distant future, and although I am hopeful for the other 4 door "Porsche," the 996 is within my immediate reach... may I drive the 996 cabriolet ;-) around your neighborhood, and take the 500E to the track? So far DC is great. The time change plus jet-lag has been really taking a toll though. So do I fly into Hartford, CT? I found a flight for $69 / way - that should be fun - also current post count. ;-)

 

[Jimbo]

Yes, about a 2 hr flight to Bradley Airport which is 20 mins away. Or take the overnite train (not sure how much$ that is tho) Do eet...those numbers sound kind instead of 5-6 hours on the I-95.

996 cab? Didn't I just sell mine? Hell yeah, I'll take your cab top-down and you can chase me in my 500E.

You simply must try to drink one of every beer at the 'Brickskeller' pub over by Dupont Circle.... I'll help you out May24th when I'm there. www.thebrickskeller.com

 

[omegabenz]

Anyone else looking to go?

 

[omegabenz]

Well Jim and I had way too much fun...

http://amgacademy.com/gallery/photo-events/lime-rock-park-may-11

 

[Jimbo]

Heehee...what a stoopidly fun day. I can't believe they let regular people do what we did to their cars year after year.

Wierdest thing of the day tho...the dude that won the FTD at the auto-x balled up a CLS63 into a tire wall not 30 minutes later. They threw a cover over the car immediately, like it was a dead person (prolly so we couldn't take pictures of it) And then they let him continue driving too! Good thing they had 70 cars there (for the 40+ entrants).

Thanx for coming up Austin. Because of YOU our team (of only 8 guys vs. the other 3 teams of 12) won the team auto-x !

 

[gerryvz]

I've been angling toward doing this for the past couple of years. Austin's experience sounds fun -- Jimbo maybe it's my turn next, perhaps I could combine it with a business trip. I will budget for this for next year.

 

[gsxr]

What's the cost for the day, and how much track time do you get? All I could find on the website was spectator fees:

Please note that the spectator will not be able to ride in a vehicle with you. The cost for a spectator at Basic is $250, Advanced is $500 and Pro is $750.

I'd love to do the Laguna Seca academy... I've done Laguna on a sportbike, would be fun in a car too!

 

[omegabenz]

Dave, we want to do laguna seca Fall (sept) of 2013, wives included - bring yours!

 

[gsxr]

I'd love to (so would she!). What's the $$$$ required? I couldn't find the price on the website...

 

[Jimbo]

You guys can get in the Basic 1-day for about $1275...the 2-day Advanced is about 2 grand (with the discount). Normally Basic is 1595$, Advanced is almost twice that. They might require you do the 1-day first; if you haven't done any AMG track days previously.

Gerry, they added dates in Texas actually (near Dallas I think); next year should be even more tracks and dates in the USA.... of course, you are welcome to be my guest up here for a Lime Rock day, best if we could ALL meet up for Laguna tho. Tho word is other tracks 'might be' Road America, Mid-Ohio, Monticello (?), NJMP, Watkins Glen, Roebling.

Do eett ! I found while its great to track one's own car...these 'arrive and drive' events are the tits (and the nipples too). Especially when you get to drive nearly all the newest cars in the line-up. Mornings are 4-50 minute 'modules' to get ready for the track...afternoon (4+ hours) of all track time at speed and the competition auto-x.

 

[szvook]

Wait...$1.5K just to drive an AMG car? Are you f'ing serious? :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[gsxr]

More technically, you get to beat the tar out of a new AMG car on a top-level racetrack, for what sounds like a couple of hours total, with no out-of-pocket repercussions if you stuff one into a retaining wall. Sounds like a decent deal to me. And no risk of destroying an .036 either.

Unfortunately that will be a "bucket list" item for some year in the future, assuming I can dodge the latest round of layoffs at my employer (hey, it's only 8%, I've got an 11 in 12 chance of not getting pinkslipped! LOL!). Especially since I know my wife would want to participate, and it would be interesting to see which of us can turn faster lap times in identical cars!

 

[szvook]

and it would be interesting to see which of us can turn faster lap times in identical cars!

I'm with you on that one...but with 036's, identical and not.

For $2,500 per day, I can have a Formula car to try at a track.

 

[gsxr]

A Formula car sounds like fun. Is there a place that offers that deal, or is this a private connection you have...?

 

[jano]

And I thought we were cool at the mojave mile.. this is so totally rad

Dave - I think Vegas and Bakersfield (buttonwillow?) both have some kind of track days for between $1-2k, but I believe they are stock race cars, not F1s. Be fun ragrdless!

 

[szvook]

A Formula car sounds like fun. Is there a place that offers that deal, or is this a private connection you have...?

The same group that's handling the open track racing in Willow Springs can provide the Formula Cars for rent on all Willow Springs open track days. The car's are not current F1's, but they have a Formula car that has competed in the Long Beach Grand Prix.

Car 1:

Star Mazda - blue car
(Raced at Long Beach Grand Prix)
Rotary Motor
5 speed transmission
$2,500 per day
(This is an Arrive and Drive)

Car 2:

Van Diemen - green car
(Very popular in Europe)
Honda 4 cylinder
6 speed sequential transmission
$3,000 per day
(This is an Arrive and Drive)

 

[Jimbo]

A Formula Ford for $2500 a day ! (I have to yawn) Skip Barber does 3-day race prep courses across the country for the same price in them Fords or a Spec Miata...both cars will leave you feeling seriously beat up at the end of a day too. BTDT. But you can walk away with a racing license if you are so inclined.

The bright side of this coin is that for $2500 you a can get '2 days' in an brand new SLS (amongst the other AMG cars) on track....with your buddy by your side. Plus, there's the hot laps with pro-drivers in a race prepped SLS, CLK and C Black Series cars. The awesome meals, the comradarie shared amongst the other MB owners, the final awards and all the beer you can drink at the end rounds out AMG's events.

For $2500 you get thrown around in a 100 or so hp old, retired Formula car for one day? Where's the fun in that? I don't know economics but race-Spec Miatas can be rented for HPDE days for about $700/day. Don't even get me started on renting a NASCAR car to turn left for a few laps ! LOL To each is own though....really.

 

[Jimbo]

http://www.skipbarber.com/default.asp

Some good deals to be had....if this is your type of thang.

 

[szvook]

My type of thang is tracking my 500E, which I'm currently getting ready for next month's Willow Springs event. I'm sure there are many places to rent almost any type of car, for the right money...I just prefer to test my own beast at various tracks. After all, I didn't buy my car to keep in the garage and only drive it on the weekends.

 

[Jimbo]

That's great Steve...no need to bash AMG's events, especially as someone who is on the outside looking in.

I think you'll find the 500E is much less of a beast and much more of a pig on a track. Good luck out there !!

 

[szvook]

Not trying to bash the AMG events at all, just was honestly surprised of the cost, nothing more. The more I think about the AMG events, the more I see them as a good place to test an AMG car before buying one.

A "pig" in the right hands can be agile and quick...

 

[gerryvz]

A "pig" in the right hands can be agile and quick...

Are you talking about Benzer 1 behind its back ?!?

 

[szvook]

Are you talking about Benzer 1 behind its back ?!?

...no

 

[400Eric]

Are you talking about Benzer 1 behind its back ?!?

Honestly, B1 and B2 are much more fun, tossible, predictable, communicative, and forgiving than B3 and B4 are. I can drive them right on the ragged edge through the twisty mountain roads, with certain death looming off to one side, for as long and as far as I want without sweating or stressing. I can't say the same thing about the two M119 cars. Being 500 pounds lighter does have it's advantages!

When Steve takes his car to the track, will he be quicker if he disables his ASR completely, partially (with the tire chain switch), or not at all?
Regards, Eric

 

[gsxr]

When Steve takes his car to the track, will he be quicker if he disables his ASR completely, partially (with the tire chain switch), or not at all?

Snow chain switch turns itself off automatically at ~25mph so that's not an option. As to fully disabling, Rowan and Jonathan Palmer (McLaren tester) already proved that the car was quicker with ASR on rather than off (click here). Now, a car with a Quaife installed and ASR disabled might be a different story, but Steve doesn't have that so it's a moot point...