Tips/Advice on a trip to Exotics Racing in Vegas

I know there was a short discussion of trips to Exotics Racing in Vegas buried somewhere in the GWIT996F thread recently, but I want to get a separate thread going on it. I'm heading to Vegas on Sunday, staying through Wednesday. Some guys at the local PCA breakfast said to call rather than reserving online because the person on the phone offered some special deals that weren't on the website. I tried that yesterday, but it yielded nothing for me. The guy I spoke with on the phone recommended NOT making a reservation and pre-paying. He said they offer same-day purchase discounts on certain cars that are not determined beforehand. So, if you choose a car and pay full price in advance for it, you won't get the discounted rate if that car is chosen for the same-day discount. So, unless you just HAVE to drive a certain car, it is best to be a "walk-in" and see what's on special. So, those are 2 tips, one of which didn't work for me and the other is yet to be determined (I won't know until that day). My plan at this point is just to show up as a "walk-in" for the 9:30 am Monday (June 8th) session. The guy on the phone said that looks to be a lightly attended session based on their advance bookings. Anybody else have any other thoughts/experiences/promo codes/etc to try? JD Arthur - you're a local Vegas guy, any aces up your sleeve?

Makes perfect sense to show-up early Monday and see what's on special... It's the beginning of the month still... peeps are still paying their May bills... These "racing" experiences in Vegas just like strip joints around town always see a reduction in customers during early weekdays of every month (minus 4th of July of course)... And while you're at it might as well do a little fun indoor karting at "Pole Position" just off the strip - you'll probably get as many (if not more) thrills than the 3 laps you'll be doing behind the "exotic" car and leaving more change in your pocket for other Vegas thrills... Enjoy your trip!...

There is a thread in the Racing & DE forum on this place. I'd look for you but you're an attorney and you guys love researching stuff. Also, I'm kind of a jerk.

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Methinks he doth protest too much . . . After reading a recent post regarding associate attorneys, toilets and dead goldfish, I believe Mr. Miller may also be a member of the bar. I'll go look at that thread. But, everybody knows the 996 forum is the place to get real answers. Plus, I'd kind of like the 996 owner perspective. My discretionary spending mindset is probably not the same as the 991 GT3 crowd. I'm thinking go cheap and do 5 laps in the Cayman at $199 to get the feel for the track, then hopefully find one of the Lambos or Ferraris on sale at $249 for 5 laps and get a deal on a couple of extra laps in that car. I'd like to do both a Lambo and a Ferrari (as I've never driven one of either), but that would put me at around $800. Not sure I want to drop that much $$ there.

Remember to come back and post pictures Mr. KC ESQ. Have fun! I've done an AX in an F430 and it was a great day. One thing you will prove to yourself is that the thrill you get from those exotics is only marginally better than what you get from your 996 (yet to be even less noticeable compared to a to be 996TT). And I'd say definitely not worth the extra $80-$120K in price difference. It will make you appreciate the 996 even more.

I drove a Porsche 991 GT3 and a Ferrari F430 Scuderia earlier this year at Exotics Racing. I previously drove an Audi R8 V10 and a Ferrari 458 Italia. My suggestions are: - Drive each car for a minimum of 7 laps. 10 laps is even better. It's better to drive only 2 cars and get 10 laps each than to drive 3 cars for 5 or 7 laps each. - You can take advantage of some of the daily specials, even if you pre-pay. - If you want to drive a Ferrari, then I recommend the 458 Italia. It's stunning. I found the F430 to be difficult to drive compared to the Porsche or to the 458. - Drive the GT3. It's even better than the 458. All the instructors will tell you that their best times are in the GT3, despite the HP disadvantage compared to many of the other cars. - The instructor that rides along with you makes a huge difference. Trying different cars with different instructors will give you a very different experience. - Wear sunblock. You'll spend a little bit of time standing outside in the hot Nevada sun. Bring sunglasses too. - Have fun! I really enjoyed it when I participated in this experience. Don't be too worried about the money (within reason, of course). You don't get to drive a new GT3 on the track very often! - If you're more than 5'10" tall, then don't even think about driving a Lamborghini.

I've never done it there. I was with a friend once that got to do it because his daughters bought the deal for him for his birthday. I don't think you should pre book, the best and cheapest way is the walk up. If you need anything you can call me, [phone removed].

My wife and I were out there about a year ago. We only tried 1 car each and we're into Aston's so we drove the V8 Vantage. We booked online since we were travelling, had a limited schedule and wanted to ensure we got our chance to drive one. We did 7 laps and it took that long to get the feel for the car and start to improve our times. Would like to have driven more but didn't want to go overboard on expenses. They'll first take you around the track in an SUV- they had Cayenne's at the time - to get some familiarity with it. They also had a driver who drifted a Vette around the entire track and you could ride along for $99 so I did that as well. That guy had great car control! He said they went through a set of rear tires every couple of days. It was also fun to just watch (and listen) to the various cars howling around the track. You could walk around the covered paddock area where the cars were parked and check out most any car that was not in use. A great experience all around and I would go there again.

When I drove the 458 and the R8, it was at the Orlando Motor Speedway. Unfortunately, that outfit is closing. There was an unfortunate incident earlier this year when a driver crashed a Lamborghini and killed the instructor. As much as they try to control these experiences, it's important to remember that you are driving a real car on a real track, and there are real consequences for bad decisions. Have fun, but be safe.

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You misunderstood. He's a member at the bar, Grubby's, over on 3rd. He's the one usually passed out down at the end. Prolly to late to be any good to you: Yeah, you can get some discounted laps at the site. Also, if someone jams you up by driving too slow in frony of you, ask for some extra laps. The best piece of advice I have is to pretend the "instructor" is your wife. He will yammer non-stop while you are driving, telling you what to do. So just tune him out and drive how you want to!

OK, just got back from Exotics Racing. Thoughts & a few pics: 1. Well, the theory of Monday morning 9:30 am not being crowded really didn't hold. I had about 10 other drivers in my pre-track briefing. 2. Do your research on the available cars online before going. Literally within 10 seconds of walking in the door, I had to choose the cars I wanted to drive. 3. There are no "hidden discounts" that I could discreetly root out. I inquired about military discount and they said they have one but by choosing the daily specials, I'd get a better deal. I also discreetly asked what appeared to be the manager (who was the person who greeted me and set up my driving packages) if there was any type of "bonus" for paying cash (rather than a credit card). Nope. Seems to be like shopping at Walmart - no wiggle room sensed. Hey - if you don't ask . . . 4. The daily discount was the Nissan GTR, $50 off 5 laps. Plus, buy a 6th lap on any car and get a 7th free (basically $50 for two more laps). I went with the GTR for 5 laps, the Lambo Gallardo and the Ferrari F430 F1 for 7 laps each. Total cost for the driving was $799. Did not buy the video (I look like a complete dork in a half-helmet - I don't know how Elvis pulled that look off in his movies). Did buy a t-shirt for $20 - they are pretty cool graphics and quality material. They announced that the instructors appreciated tips, and I tipped the first instructor (5 laps in the GTR) $10 and each of the next two instructors $20, so a total in $50 in tips. So, didn't break the bank, but not a cheap experience either. I would say that I was ready to go when finished - I had no appetite to drive any more laps, but they were offering discounted laps had I wanted to drive some more. 5. I drove my rental car. Super easy place to get to. Took about 20 minutes. Was surprised at the lack of left-lane discipline of Vegas drivers, to the point that I wondered if they have radar speed traps on I-15 in Vegas like in parts of Arizona. 6. I arrived in time for the 9:30 am session. Walkout out the door at 11:45 am. I was sweating heavily by the end of my last session. 7. This was my first time driving on the track. I didn't try to act like I knew what I was doing, and I think the instructors appreciated that. I passed several people (not driving Cayennes) and was only passed once by a car (that was not the Corvette drifter professional driver). So, objectively, I don't think I was a total basket case. 8. That being said, I felt awkward, jerky, overwhelmed and sensory overloaded 95% of the time. In all of the laps, I felt like maybe I took a total of 10 turns in a competent manner and the other 120 or so I was hamfisted in various degrees. The second instructor (in the Gallardo) actually used the brake once and assisted in turning the wheel tighter a couple of times. Neither of the other two instructors did. 9. Having the instructor speak all of the time is helpful in some ways, but definitely adds to the sensory overload. A mute button would be helpful. Literally, from the time you walk from the desk inside the building until you get back to the desk, it is a constant stream. 10. In the first two cars, the instructors took significant time to get my seat and steering wheel adjusted. In the last car, the Ferrari, the instructor did not. I felt OK coming out of the pits, but after half a lap it was obvious my seat was way too far back. Because the instructor was constantly talking, it took about a lap to successfully tell him that I was coming out of my seat and I needed to adjust it forward. He gave me another lap. If you are not sure on seat position, I would err to being closer to the wheel than farther back. 11. I no longer envy Lambos or Ferraris. I never envied Nissans. Maybe it is simply a matter of comfort level, but the experience made me appreciate all 4 of the Porsches I've owned. I don't think I'll ever track the 928, but I feel much more comfortable with the thought of doing so with the 951. I think the 964 would have been interesting. I think I could have driven my 996 faster through the corners than any of the 3 cars today (that's probably false, but I feel that I would've have been much more attuned to the 996 and the weight shifting and what the car wanted to do). 11. I am glad that I did it. Not a cheap experience - total of $870 out the door. But, I do not regret doing it. Will I do it again? Probably not. Would I recommend someone else to do it once? Absolutely.

... I told you it will make you appreciate your 996 even more, so there you have it.

^^^ Yep. I expected to be blown away by some of the other exotics, but by far my favorite was the GT3.

The Ferrari I drove last year in one of those "pay for 5 laps of autocross in an exotic" events - granted it was a few years old and "only" 400HPish - felt small, but not in in a good way. The sound was awesome, but otherwise...I definitely didn't walk away with a "damn, I'm driving a German Pinto" feeling in the pit of the stomach...

I want to hear more about this "Pole Position" establishment. Is it better than the Spearmint Rhino?

Couple of more pics. The more I think about it, I think they should offer some sort of normal driving time to get used to the car before you hit the track. In my flying days, whenever we were doing carrier quals (refresher/practice landings on the aircraft carrier which of course were still very real), a pilot swapping into the left seat for his landings on the controls got 10 minutes or so just to fly around and get the feel of the aircraft. In this setup, you drive all of 50 yards before you are driving an unfamiliar car full out. Maybe if they had an outer ring around the track to let you loop once slowly before pulling onto the track, heck they could charge 10 bucks or something for it.