This is all my personal opinion (my .02¢): I don’t think that HPDE/PDX generates a large number of racers. I think it is like Autocross – it is its own thing and not a great feeder for w2w. It generates racers – sure, but not in mass. If it did, That N club would have had to split into separate weekends for races and HPDE events due to the number of folks moving from HPDE to racing. I know quite a few folks who HPDE/PDX and most of them are very happy doing just that. They can have a nice street car with little to no modification and enjoy lapping days. No licensing, safety gear (cage/suit/H&N/fire system…), trailer or any of the other expenses that come with racing. Heck – They can even purchase cheap insurance for the PDX to cover their street car if anything happens to it! Now many of the track day folks do trailer their car to the track and have some or all of the safety items – some even use race prepped cars. But they seem happy with just doing the track day and have little to no interest in racing. (At least the ones I’ve talked to). Sure – I’ve seen guys do one PDX and purchase a race car the next week (Dan!). But that seems to be the exception… Some of the guys I’ve talked to said they PDX/HPDE because of the high cost of entry to club racing. These same folks are doing the track day in their $50k Porsche 911 or BMW or S2000 or Z06 Corvette. Wearing a race suit that cost thousands of dollars and running R compound tires, big brakes – upgrades galore to the car….. When I tell them they could have more fun w2w in a Civic – I get a funny look. When I try to explain the way in (i.e. selling the expensive street car and getting a DD beater to afford to go racing), I get the same funny look. If they really wanted to go w2w racing – they could make it happen.

I know around here (GLDiv), we have decent turnout for the PDX events at Mid-Ohio. Everyone I talk to has a good time and some express interest in racing. I also know that there is not time during the weekend for a PDX group. The race groups are still large enough to fill the weekend schedule.