Hi. im new here.

[Skunk2]

Hi. I hope to start racing some solo two with you guys and i have a couple of questions.

1. About how much damage would be done to a car if i hit a cone?

2. I have a subwoofer in my car and i know that i should pull it out before i race. Can i also remove my rear seat backs and spare tire? They all come out pretty eisily.

3. is it alright if i register at the track, on the day of the event or do i need to to do so eirlier?

4. I do not own a helmet will you all have some for rent?

I have also read through the Solo II novice handbook (and my dad will too) and i want to know if there is any thing on their list of items to bring which i should exclude or are there any items that i should add?

5. Do i need to bring white shoe polish to mark my care or are there magnetic numers for rent?

Thanks for your help.

Btw here is a car which we will be competing with.

My car:
1994 Acura integra 2-door LS(automatic )
with a flowmaster axle back exhaust system, short ram intake, 16 inch wheels on kuhmo 712 tires, and a front strut tower bar.
Any idea what class i should go and compete in?

My dads car:
2004 Honda S2000

[Kelway]

sounds like STS to me. Most if these questions can be answered by browsing the forum, especially the shoe polish question which has been, ahem... mentioned, a time or two. As for cone damage, well, a bunch of them are filled w/ concrete, but you never know which ones, so I would advise against hitting any of them.

[Leadfoot]

Disclaimer: I'm still a newbie, with less than a year of experience.

1. About how much damage would be done to a car if i hit a cone?

I haven't seen anything worse than paint scuffing, but I'm sure someone will pipe up with a story about a cone that totalled a car.

2. I have a subwoofer in my car and i know that i should pull it out before i race.

If it's secure, I don't think there's much need to remove it.

Can i also remove my rear seat backs and spare tire? They all come out pretty eisily.

Spare tire: sure. Back seat: I dunno...I'd have to check the rule book...but I don't have one.

3. is it alright if i register at the track, on the day of the event or do i need to to do so eirlier?

That's fine, but preregistration makes it easier on the registration workers.

4. I do not own a helmet will you all have some for rent?

We have free loaners.

I have also read through the Solo II novice handbook (and my dad will too) and i want to know if there is any thing on their list of items to bring which i should exclude or are there any items that i should add?

I don't remember their list, but you don't really need to bring much. I'd highly recommend sun screen and bottled water.

5. Do i need to bring white shoe polish to mark my care or are there magnetic numers for rent?

We have paper numbers you can use free for the first two events, after that you have to buy them. Better to invest in magnetic numbers.

[Williampreza]

I can help on the back seat part. For the Integra, removing the back seat will bump you into Street Modified (or SM2, I forget which the integra is in). For the S2000, sure, you can take the rear seat out

[Skunk2]

sorry for asking questions that have already been adressed. ill be sure to search around. a bit more in the future.
i do have one question how easy is it to hit the cones?

[thrdeye]

If you worry about hitting them too much, you'll never be able to drive full tilt.

[JW]

.

[disneyd]

The worst cone damage I've seen in my 6 years or so has been scuff marks that came out with a little fine rubbing compound and some wax. Usually when you hit one it just pops them out of the way and you'd never know where they touched the car (actually, its the tire that displaces them usually).

Take a look at some of our photo galleries... as a rule most of us are "car guys" and are pretty picky about our vehicles (and we're not worried about it).

Chris is right though, if you're concentrating on not hitting cones, your driving will suffer.

[steverife]

i've lost a little paint on my front bumper from cones, but it isn't any worse than the rock chips that you'll encounter on the highways. the sideskirt damage that JW mentioned also most likely occurred at speeds you won't see in ETR.

also, i'll add that the point where i started feeling more comfortable behind the wheel and started having fun/seeing better results was after watching some very good drivers spin out and then later did the same myself. once i relieved myself of the fear of spinning, i was able to comfortably push my car further.

[dfoulk]

A rare occurence of damage from a cone that I am familiar with is possible but unlikely. That would be running over a cone and getting it wedged between the inside of a front wheel and the fender well. In this case it is possible to damage a brake hose. The damage could occur when the cone goes in or from yanking the cone back out. By the way, if you continue driving with a cone wedged like this, the cone will melt and burn where it rubs the wheel and tire.

[toyokogyo12aturbo]

This is what happened the last time a cone got stuck under my car.

But the chances of this happening to you are very slim, like 1 in 12. So I wouldn't worry about it. BTW, I didn't have to rub off and cone marks.

[dfoulk]

toyokogyo12aturbo, you must have ESP. My experience with the melting and burning cone occured while I was driving a white Escort GT just like the one in the photo. A couple of Smarties presented me with the cone afterwards saying something like "You killed it so now it's yours." This cone (what's left of it anyway) now sits in a place of honor in my garage.

[MARKP]

This is what happened the last time a cone got stuck under my car.

But the chances of this happening to you are very slim, like 1 in 12. So I wouldn't worry about it. BTW, I didn't have to rub off and cone marks.

And the picture of the Miata is after you hit the timing lights, right?

[toyokogyo12aturbo]

And the picture of the Miata is after you hit the timing lights, right?

No that was after I hit one of those concrete filled cones.

[vwbud]

... A couple of Smarties presented me with the cone afterwards saying something like "You killed it so now it's yours." This cone (what's left of it anyway) now sits in a place of honor in my garage.[/quote]

I believe Mark McCrary has one like that from the peru national tour a couple years ago...I think that cone got stuck in between the sway bar and the exhaust.