HPDE events (high performance driver education) are schools, just a weekend long. MazdaDrivers, Track Daze, PCA, etc run them in similar fashion. It's a controlled track environment with no wheel-to-wheel racing, trading paint, etc. Passing with a point-by only. That keeps it safe and keeps the group's insurance costs (and consequently your entry fees) as low as possible. There are classroom sessions both Sat/Sun and you'll have an instructor riding shotgun telling you how to get faster. If you listen to them, they'll keep your <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/butwiggle.gif" alt="" /> out of trouble too so you don't bend stuff. Guys who have a bunch of track day experience are put in the more advanced groups that don't require them, but the beginner & intermediate groups have instructors. If you show that you've got good track manners, paying attention to corner workers, passing & getting passed appropriately, driving a good line and not showing evidence of doing anything too stupid, then your instructor may sign off for you to go out solo for the last one or two sessions. You get four sessions per day, at about 20-25 minutes each, so it's over 2.5 hours of seat time for the weekend.


As mentioned, you will have a passenger for most/all of the weekend. But one of those two people will always be an instructor. Students are not allowed to go out together. It's either the student driving his car with instr. riding shotgun, or instructors giving students ride-alongs in the instructors' cars. Take advantage of that when you can. What some of these guys do with their cars can be real eye-opening. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/scared.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

But yes, passenger weight is very noticeable in lighter low powered cars like the Miata. IMO, they don't emphasize this enough in class for the beginners that may end up going out solo for the first time that weekend. I had a pretty bad "off" at VIR during my first solo session. It was because the car was minus 180 lbs, and I was going 10-15 mph faster at the top of the uphill esses. I sensed that and braked at a point I thought would be fine, but then because my pass. side tires didn't grip as well with less weight over them, I didn't hold the next left hander. Car spun, I countersteered but it was unrecoverable so I locked 'em up. Managed to slow it down on pavement a bit, but still went off into the grass. No damage, but a humbling experience. I haven't had a spin since then, because now for the solo runs I dial it back a bit to get used to the different balance without the passenger, and then gradually increase the speed from there.


They are fairly new, got the wheels & tires late Sept. Did one autocross and one track weekend one them, with a few street miles in between. They are now being stored indoors until spring so they don't get subjected to freezing temps. They are a significant improvement in grip on the track compared to my Toyo T1Rs, and those don't suck as far as street tires go. The Azenis wear faster and will grip a little better at lower temps than RS-2s, so I wouldn't necessarily get the Hankooks if you do a lot of autox. The serious autox guys run R-comps (V710, A6, etc) in the ES class and most STS2 guys seem to run either Bridgestone RE-01Rs or Toyo R1Rs. The R1R is really a purpose-built autox tire masquerading as a street tire to make it legal for STS2, but some people who don't care about the fast wear rate run them on the street. But it seems I have digressed.

Anyway... I've read many complaints of Azenis overheating on track and losing grip, but I don't know how hard these guys push the limits of their tires, and I have not run Azenis on track myself, so I can't give a direct comparison. I can only say that the RS-2s did very well. I was surprised how much stickier they got once I got some heat into them. I noticed no loss of grip towards the end of a 30 minute session earlier this month. Then again, it wasn't a hot day (low 70s) and I'm not serious enough to have my own pyrometer so I'm not sure how hot they ultimately got. Both RS-2s and Azenis are good grippy street tires. Neither is particularly lightweight, but I think in 205/50-15 the RS-2 is about a pound lighter. In that same size, the RS-2 will cost $20 more per tire than Azenis. A lot of the overheating complaints are probably from guys with heavier and higher-powered cars than a Miata (almost any car <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />). If you already have Azenis, just bring them to the track and see how they do. One of the main reasons I went with the RS-2s is that they are pretty much the only street tires that come in 225/45-15, which is an ideal size for my 15x8 wheels. All the other 225/45-15 tires I know of are R-comps (RA-1, R888, NT-01, R6, A6) although supposedly Toyo is releasing the R1R in this size. By the time I wear out the RS-2s, I'll probably be ready to step up to one of the aforementioned R-comps, but we'll see.