TDIFest 2014 -Looking for Expressions of Interest

Status
Not open for further replies.

TDIMeister

Phd of TDIClub Enthusiast, Moderator at Large
Joined
May 1, 1999
Location
Canada
TDI
TDI
What we NEED is a European TDIFest. :cool: The first Fest was in 2000. A 15th Anniversary TDIFest in Germany would be fricken awesome!!! Can anyone say track day at the Nürburgring?? :D
 
Last edited:

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
Chris,
Performance events have been part of past fests. There have been incidents. These 'incidents' are a inconvenience when you have to winch the car back onto its trailer for the tow back home, but a real pain in the @$$ when you, the wife and kids have to limp it back home under its own power.
and we're cheapskates. How much is a track day rental? Now split that 12 ways. How much per participant is that?
We've piggy-backed on other events but even at that there weren't all that many participants. 1/8 mile drags in 2000, maybe 15 participants, and a shattered R&P.
Speed week on Bonneville in 2001, maybe 8 participants, and a blown turbo and a damaged C/V. Autocrossing in 2001 as well. I think I was the only one from the TDI fest to participate in that.
We've set up our own courses, deliberately designed to make the steering wheel spin faster than the tires, and we've still had incidents (King of Prussia, PA).
Track day at Mosport for the Burlington / Toronto fest, there were two of us.
Autocrossing on the Grattan track for the Grand Rapids fest, again two participants.
Historically there hasn't been enough interest to warrant a dedicated performance venue, but that's not reason to not ask if THIS might be the year.
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
Location
Florida NY
TDI
2012 Golf TDI
Lug_Nut

Track days are not cheap..If I recall $300 for all day 8am to 5PM catered Breakfast and Lunch. The day starts with a meet and great, moves onto a safety orientation, then track time, lunch, and more track time.

What do you get for that ...2 if not 3 safety corner workers in every corner and an Ambulance and crew (If not 2)standing by all day. The biggest proportion of cost is for the safety staff. The Track Safety team would also do an hour safety brief so EVERYONE understands the Flagging Signals to avoid compounded incidents.

Groups would be devided by experience ... but since there are no racers in the TDI club then the grouping would be divided by experience of a undetermined measuring stick. But letz say 2 groups ..some with experience and the other with none.

That said ... sessions on track would run on twenty minute intervals for each group.

Generally an hour off for Lunch

So letz see, say 20 participants that's 6000$

Thats 6 hours track time divided by 20 minutes. I say 6 hrs on track because the organization of groups probably eats up time between sessions. Thats 6 hrs clean barring any incidents. Less if there are incidents.

That would make it (9) 20 minute sessions per group for a total of 180 mins on track at a cost of 100$ an hour. But in most track days 7 to 8 session are more realistic because there are incidents as you said.

But rules are instituted to avoid incidents. Like no passing in corners , passing only on a chosen side, no passing the group lead car..etc., etc. etc.

Crashes are crashes and you have to live with that and they are pointedly driver error, mechanicals are mechanicals, if a turbo blows it was meant to blow, wheither on the track or one day on your daily commute.

If and I say if; a track day event were too occur your mental state has to be willing to suck it up. As long as NO ONE GETS HURT it's a successful event. Regardless of cost EVERYONE I have ever known that participated in a track day will do it again because just being able to let your vehicle or bike stretch it's legs on a track; thinks it was worth every penny spent.

Just because we drive TDI's does not mean we own the term cheapskate. Everyone counts there pennies. Because thats the nature of todays society...some are just cheaper then others. I had a friend who had been riding bikes for 20 years and showed up at my 1st track day. He was angry at me because I was running my bike on track and had only been riding bikes for a year. I looked at him lanquished in his anger and said the only reason your "pissed" at me is because your to cheap to buy a track day. He laughed and said I was right. He treated himself to a track day a few years later.

Thus, to have a track day it must be well thought out and well planned. Be willing to pay to play. Understand that crashes happen and catastrophic mechanicals do occur and you must have the mindset to accept that without whineing. Lastly SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY is the most important factor in the success of the event because EVERYONE wants to go home safely.

However, my previous posts were not about track days they were about Motorsports Facilities being a great place to have an event because they cater to motorsports events wheither you use the track or not. :)

Now that was an interesting exercise...which I opted to explain because you asked.

Motorsports Road Race courses are all over the USA and in Canada mostly in Eastern Canada with Mt. Tremblant having the nicest of those in Canada. Your from MA so I quess your familiar with Loudan which was my home track when I was racing bikes. I heard a group was building a nice club track in Tamworth NH, but, to be honest I don't know if that ever came to be. I know they timbered the land but thats the last I heard of that project. For people living in N.E. such as yourself there are a fair number of tracks to check out. Watkins Glen, Loudan, Limerock, Poconos, and NJ Motorsports Park. I know that Limerock and NJMSP host American LeMans racing. Maybe I'll see you there as a spectator at one oof those venues ..eh?

Lug_Nut thanks for asking the question and I hope my answer helped.
 
Last edited:

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
Maybe it's a "Chris" thing, but I am with Chris Rose on the track activity thing! I attend a lot of diesel events each year, some are low key and some are very serious with a lot of money on the line and professional competitors vying for the top of the podium. Some are very family oriented friendly events and I have drag raced my '06 Jetta TDI at both types of events, with the truck guys cheering me on!!! (In fact at one event my Jetta had more HP per/liter on the dyno than all but TWO of the trucks!!!) In all of the diesel events there are amateur entries too with dyno competitions, sled pulls and drag racing. Obviously the hypermiler crowd wouldn't want to do anything performance related, but I am sure there are some guys that would love to open up their TDI in a SAFE environment. I think 1/8-mile drags and dyno pulls are perfect for TDI guys... The speeds are not excessive in 1/8-mile and getting real world power numbers is a good thing, especially after new modifications performed at the Fest.

I think the off-site nature of the dyno at the Lexington fest did hurt dyno participation, but many dynos are mobile including the ones used in Lexington. At the major diesel events I cover the dyno is one of the most popular events with a good sized crowd throughout the day.

I'd be willing to help with a Chattanooga TDIFest, AND I would be able to cover it in Diesel World magazine helping to bring more awareness to the site and TDIs in general. There is a 1/8-mile drag strip just across the GA state line from Chattanooga (about 15-20 minutes from most parts of the city or less) and I know a dyno operator that is mobile and could dyno for us. My TDI has been strapped down to his dyno many times!!! With the added bonus of the VW plant here in Chattanooga I really think it would be a GREAT location to have a TDIFest!!!!!!!!!!!
 

paramedick

TDIClub Enthusiast, Vendor
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Location
Versailles, Kentucky
TDI
2015 Audi Q5 TDI
My two cents? I don't go to TDIFest to break my car. I go to socialize and network with other owners. Also to see an area I would normally not visit.

Our trip this year to Maine will be a mini vacation for the clan. Slow drive up and back with some sightseeing.
 

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
My two cents? I don't go to TDIFest to break my car. I go to socialize and network with other owners. Also to see an area I would normally not visit.

Our trip this year to Maine will be a mini vacation for the clan. Slow drive up and back with some sightseeing.
Are these cars so fragile that they break every time you get on it hard??? I have run my '06 down the 1/8-mile maybe 20 times or so in the two or three times I've had it at events. Nothing broke and it was a fun experience. If something is built so that it is making SOOOO much power that it is breaking stuff on street tires on a 1/8-mile drag strip then the builder did not build the rest of the car to match the engine mods or something else shoddy is going on.

Is it not expected that a car should be able to go from a standstill through 1/8-mile of distance at full throttle??? If a TDI can't handle this abuse (which is basically like merging on to a freeway onramp) then I might have to think about getting rid of this one before it breaks on me!!!:eek:

A dyno is even easier on the car than full acceleration street runs as the load simulation rollers are more forgiving than unmovable asphalt or concrete roads and highways. I have dynoed my TDI, my Tahoe and my Duramax truck MANY times and have NEVER had issues!!!

I do see problems on the dyno sometimes at events, but it is usually when someone is pushing the limits of their setup with tons of nitrous and/or atypical turbo setups. But in general, if it is safe to drive on the street and freeway it should be safe to run on a dyno or 1/8-mile drag strip. 1/4-mile drag strips are a little more scary as the speeds are higher and driver skill can come into play as well as braking and tires at speed. And, road courses require even more driving skill and better vehicle prep. Low speed tight autocross courses are very fun too!!! And again should pose no problems for parts, cars or safety!!!

But really, don't be afraid to enjoy your car! Many Club members recommend spirited driving and the dyno and drag strip are great places to do it safely...


My friend, you have much to learn.

Nor do I, but it seems I have a penchant for doing exactly that, usually C/V joints.
I assume that most of the high MPG crowd that plans their cross country trips to drive back roads to keep speeds low and MPG high would not want to drive their car at full acceleration capability for fear of wasting fuel and dropping their average MPG.

Personally I am a gear head and enjoy DRIVING my vehicles. I have no problem JUMPING my big 4X4 and plan to desert race it at some point when it is done, and like to use the skinny pedal a lot in whatever I am driving!!!
 

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
If I want to do track stuff, well, I have a Miata.
Not everyone has a dedicated "Chick car" to do track stuff with! hahaha, just kidding, I know the Miatas make a good track car, but you gotta admit that they are mostly "chick cars" on the streets.:D:D:D

Heck VW raced the TDI Cup cars for what two years on road courses... These cars should definitely handle a dyno, 1/8-mile drags and an autocross course!!! TDIs really can't be that wimpy can they????

Heck, If we do it in Chattanooga in the future I'll run my '06 through whatever we can come up with, and I can even bring my big Duramax truck down and run it on an autocross course so that no one else will have to worry about having the slowest time!!! hahaha :D
 

romad

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2011
Location
Prescott, AZ
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
My Miata was my daily driver from when I bought it in July 1989, until I retired (for the second time) in March 2008. It's been around Sears Point, Texas Motor Speedway, and Laguna Seca. I bought my Jetta Wagon in the summer of 2011 because my then 91 year-old mother could no longer get in and out of the Miata easily (well, she could "fall" in, but getting out was a pain). Since then I've driven the Jetta more because it gets 10 more miles per gallon than the Miata. Of course there is my wife's Prius that we take on long trips, it gets at least 15 more miles per gallon than the Miata.
 
Joined
Mar 18, 2013
Location
Florida NY
TDI
2012 Golf TDI
Let me get this right..your talking Chattanooga..theres a VW production plant ... your part of a VW owners group ..your talking about a show and shine on a hotel roof...whats wrong with you people...you contact VW promotions at the plant or VW USA and coordinate the use of there facility for events and use of there parking areas. REALLY ... this would be an advertising coup on a bad day for VW.
 

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
Let me get this right..your talking Chattanooga..theres a VW production plant ... your part of a VW owners group ..your talking about a show and shine on a hotel roof...whats wrong with you people...you contact VW promotions at the plant or VW USA and coordinate the use of there facility for events and use of there parking areas. REALLY ... this would be an advertising coup on a bad day for VW.

My thoughts exactly!!! If we get serious about it I have no problem making the calls to VW PR to talk about it and let them know that I will be covering the event in Diesel World magazine...

Chris, are you going to drive down if we do it here? I don't know where Florida, NY is but my wife and I drive up to Wallkill, NY to visit our son a few times a year and it is about 13-14 hours depending on how many pit stops you make and if you eat in a restaurant or in the car... Not to bad of a drive at all in our '06.

Would people seriously be interested in having it her in Chattanooga? If so lets get the ball rolling!!!
 
Last edited:

Lug_Nut

TDIClub Enthusiast, Pre-Forum Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 20, 1998
Location
Sterling, Massachusetts. USA
TDI
idi: 1988 Bolens DGT1700H, the other oil burner: 1967 Saab Sonett II two stroke
Are these cars so fragile that they break every time you get on it hard???

If a TDI can't handle this abuse (which is basically like merging on to a freeway onramp) then I might have to think about getting rid of this one before it breaks on me!!!:eek:

I assume that most of the high MPG crowd that plans their cross country trips to drive back roads to keep speeds low and MPG high would not want to drive their car at full acceleration capability for fear of wasting fuel and dropping their average MPG.
Chris,
Here's your new car. It has a quarter million miles on it, and a checkered, if not totally unknown, maintenance history. Go and take it on a 3,000 mile trip, spend a weekend racing it, now drive it the 3,000 miles back home.
If you're like me you don't learn from your experiences.
Do it again with another basket case you've towed home and gotten running. For this long weekend do a 3,000 mile trip with a tow dolly, and 1,500 miles with a car sitting on the back.

Saving fuel during daily commute and everyday use just leaves that much more available for the stupid things I also do.
 
Last edited:

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
Chris,
Here's your new car. It has a quarter million miles on it, and a checkered, if not totally unknown, maintenance history. Go and take it on a 3,000 mile trip, spend a weekend racing it, now drive it the 3,000 miles back home.
If you're like me you don't learn from your experiences.
Do it again with another basket case you've towed home and gotten running. For this long weekend do a 3,000 mile trip with a tow dolly, and 1,500 miles with a car sitting on the back.

Saving fuel during daily commute and everyday use just leaves that much more available for the stupid things I also do.
Good attitude!!!:D
 

john.jackson9213

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Location
Miramar, Ca. (Think Top Gun)
TDI
1996 B4V
Let me get this right..your talking Chattanooga..theres a VW production plant ... your part of a VW owners group ..your talking about a show and shine on a hotel roof...whats wrong with you people...you contact VW promotions at the plant or VW USA and coordinate the use of there facility for events and use of there parking areas. REALLY ... this would be an advertising coup on a bad day for VW.
So you would need a hotel relatively close to the VW plant. Is there one withing 10 miles by freeway??
 

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
I'm guessing it is a mapquest default for your area... the link does not seem to include my search stuff. Sorry.
 

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
NOPE! that link defaults to a google map of the US with a search box... So I guess people will either have to do a search for themselves and/or take my word for it that there are many hotels and the Chattanooga airport close to the VW plant.
 

bhtooefr

TDIClub Enthusiast, ToofTek Inventor
Joined
Oct 16, 2005
Location
Newark, OH
TDI
None
For a Google Maps link to be valid, you have to click the little chain link icon, and copy that link. (Preferably get a short link.)

When I was looking into it, almost nothing had adequate parking for a car show - you'd have to park cars at the factory and run a shuttle, to use any of the hotels near the factory, IIRC. The downtown Marriott was one of the few that could've had adequate parking.
 

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
Thanks, that was what I was trying to do.

For a Google Maps link to be valid, you have to click the little chain link icon, and copy that link. (Preferably get a short link.)

When I was looking into it, almost nothing had adequate parking for a car show - you'd have to park cars at the factory and run a shuttle, to use any of the hotels near the factory, IIRC. The downtown Marriott was one of the few that could've had adequate parking.
Parking downtown is the worst in the area, but from my experience at the Lexington TDIFest, the Fest parking requirement is not that large, even with the vendor area and attendee parking it did not take up that much of the hotel lot.

Obviously living close to Chattanooga, I do not have hotel experience down there but why would we need a shuttle? The VW Plant would be the key location for daytime activities. Then drive back to the hotel. I believe that most of the area hotels have parking capacity large enough to handle their guests, which is all that we would need, even if the vendor and show was at the hotel instead of at VW or the track...

Seems to me the only issue would be finding a hotel willing to have us and give us a decent rate as well as having meeting rooms and a banquet room for the gala closing diner. Frankly I would be fine having the dinner be an outdoor event like the BBQ Pig roast we had at the Lexington VW dealer rather than the banquet style gig at the hotel, that whole thing seemed a little pretentious to me while the meal at the dealer seemed much more friendly and low key where we could freely mill about and talk to each other in a casual rather than formal environment... Just my opinion though. If everyone loves/wants the pomp and circumstance I'm sure we could find a suitable hotel to do it.

Maybe we could even get VW to let us use their training rooms for the classroom sessions and their lunchroom for the dinner. We could have some good Tennessee BBQ catered!!!:D:D:D

If people want to have a TDIFest here in Chattanooga I will help, but I probably don't have the time to do it by myself... Who else wants to get in on it??? Lets make this happen. Having the possibility of direct VW involvement would be great!!!
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
Although I like taking my TDI to the track, and haven't hesitated to do it far from home (sometimes with less than wonderful results), I think I'm in a very small minority in this group. Most of these cars aren't in any track-ready, to the point of not being safe at racing speeds. Sorry if that offends anyone, but I've been around enough TDIs at enough Fests to know whereof I write.

And we are, by and large, a frugal bunch. I don't know what would bother people more: the entry fee or getting 18 MPG on the track!
 

romad

Top Post Dawg
Joined
May 27, 2011
Location
Prescott, AZ
TDI
2005 Jetta GLS Wagon "Cranberry"
Plus more and more tracks are requiring roll bars and helmets due to liability concerns.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I think exploring a Chattanooga TDIFest some more is definitely worthwhile, especially with the Passat plant being nearby. Getting VWoA involvement would be a major cornerstone for the event, in my opinion.
 

Chris Tobin

Veteran Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2011
Location
Tennessee
TDI
'06 Jetta TDI
Although I like taking my TDI to the track, and haven't hesitated to do it far from home (sometimes with less than wonderful results), I think I'm in a very small minority in this group. Most of these cars aren't in any track-ready, to the point of not being safe at racing speeds. Sorry if that offends anyone, but I've been around enough TDIs at enough Fests to know whereof I write.

And we are, by and large, a frugal bunch. I don't know what would bother people more: the entry fee or getting 18 MPG on the track!
This was what I was talking about earlier... put your big boy pants on and enjoy the car and have fun driving it!!! When you are old do you want to tell your grandkids and great grandkids stories of driving 54 MPH to get maximum MPG in a cross country trip??? Or would you rather tell them about the time you loaded up the car and drove to an event and won the Autocross Challenge or cut a perfect light at the drag strip?!?!?! I would prefer the latter over the former for sure!!!:D:D:D

Plus more and more tracks are requiring roll bars and helmets due to liability concerns.
Not a road course race, that would raise those concerns and others as well...:eek:

But a parking lot autocross for those that enjoy twisties, these events typically have top speeds in the 25-35 MPH range depending on the layout with the cones where high performance purpose built cars are topping out at 50 MPH or so. The course can be designed so that it would be completely run in first gear with tight turns and very short straights so that a good time would come from smooth operation and good line choice rather than pure horsepower. These events are well attended at muscle car events like the Goodguys show where $100,000+ street rods are driven in competitons, surely some street driven TDIs can do it and have a blast!!!

And/or a 1/8-mile drag race, where speeds at the top end of the track are very similar if not slower than typical freeway speeds. I can't remember my time and speed off the top of my head but I think my speed was something like 54 MPH or something like that!!!:eek: I know the bracket class winner had a speed of 68 MPH in his very powerful 4WD diesel truck, this is still under the speed limit on most freeways!!! All we will need is properly functioning factory safety equipment like seat belts and roadworthy tires and brakes!!! If you don't have those on your TDI you should not be driving it on the street EVER!!! Much less to an event.:eek:
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top