Back in 1976 when I started autocrossing my 74 914 2.0 I got really into it. I was autocrossing almost every other weekend and having to drive 90 to 100 miles to get to the site.
I had a set of extra sticky tires I towed behind my 914 in a custom made trailer. Changing wheels is a chore with no pit crew.
I started chatting up the guys with tow vehicles and more race oriented, not street cars and the costs of doing that. I got one guy to be honest with me on what he was spending, and I was stunned and all he was ever going to get in return was fun.
At one track day at Road Atlanta in about 1977, I got me first ride in a nice "old race car" a genuine 911 RSR and I was stunned at how much faster it was than my wimpy little 95 HP street 914. He had to pay 21 grand for the RSR, and he had more than that in the "tow pig" and an enclose trailer, and he had a large shop at home to store it all in.
Then I let him drive my 914 to show me the best lines. I had done a few 20 minute sessions so I thought I was fast. He took 4 seconds off of my best time with me in the passenger seat. I realized then, I was never going to be a race car driver. I managed to get within 3/4 of a second of his best time. I decided then that I can't afford that level of racing, and I just stuck with autocross and having fun.
Now I drive my slow old pure analog street 911 in autocrosses and I know I have done over 150 of them in my 911.
I have driven on Hallett, OK track many times, Texas World (now gone) as well as Charlotte Superspeedway, Roebling Rd outside of Savannah, GA, Laguna Secca near Monterey, CA, Indianapolis track, and Eagles, Canyon in Texas. All just for fun, in a DE, no real racing at all.
At Roebling Road I had an instructor and he kept telling me to clip the apex, and hit the curbs to make a better time. I said NO, in a firm tone. I explained I will be driving this car home on the same tires, with my wife in the car back home to Oklahoma. It is not a
"track whore" car, it is just my toy and I don't care one iota about shaving a few seconds off my time and risking hurting my car. He understood.
