...this was during an instructor run group, and I think taht is us in front of the allroad for a while, slowing down for pit road at about the 3:40 mark....<ul><li><a href="http://videos.streetfire.net/video/c2de1d5c-383c-4ed9-b03b-99990131d80d.htm">Watkins Glen vid clip</a></li></ul>

Welcome to the addiction.
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA! &lt;maniacal laugh&gt;

I had to pull out of the upcoming NHIS event in October for two reasons:

1) I am attending a conference that week with the president of my company, so I cannot get the time off. I know some of the seminar organizers and I tried to see if they could pick a different date, but no can do.

2) Mrs. Driver caught wind of the crash at Watkins, and reminded me that my responsibilities at home are more important. She even acknowledged that although I might be safe on the track, there are just too many other variables to consider, so the red light was given on NHIS. I will admit, seeing the 2Bennett GTR pass Noah and I in a turn was pretty hairy.

I am interested, but not dying to do the HPDE. Maybe if I can convince her to sign up for winter driving school and start with that. We'll see...

This is just my opinion, but you're more likely to get hit by some a-hole talking on the phone than another driver at the track. As far a the 2B GTR passing in a turn, I'm pretty sure that is not allowed at any DE. The last time I did a DE at the glen, I was only allowed to pass on 3 or 4 of the straights. Even the expert groups were only allowed to pass on the straights. Hopefully, you'll get permission for a future event:)

As alms says, driving on the track is really no less safe than driving on the street. The track environment is much more carefully controlled. You (and your instructor) decide what pace and level of risk is appropriate for you.

The skills you build on the track will make you a better driver on the street, which is safer for you and anyone riding with you. You'll log 20k - 30k miles on the street this year and , if you are lucky, you might get 1k miles on the track.

Things happen on the track. Things happen on the street. You can't just stay home.

You're going to save a lot of money.

Seriously, if I never caught the track bug a few years back, I'd be over $50,000 richer. Somehow I convinced myself to buy a "track car" and then mod it like crazy. Now it has come to the point where I dumped so much money into it that I almost feel it's too nice for the track and that I should get a Miata. As crazy as this sounds, I know for a fact that I'm not the first track junkie to go through this same line of reasoning.

I've had a year off from track days, so the Kool Aid has worn off a bit and I'm able to see things a bit more objectively now. I almost don't want to do another one because I think it's going to set off my addiction all over again. And for better or for worse, I have a wife who supports this addiction. Thank goodness it has just been passive support. If she became a junkie herself, we'd probably own a covered trailer by now.