Thoughts on my first track day

I know this thread has been done numerous times before, but I was just so happy with the experience that I decided to do it for myself!

The stats:
- Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, IL. My fiancee bought me the track weekend with MVP Track Time which included a little over 2 hours of running on Saturday and again, a little over 2 hours on Sunday.
- It poured rain both days but finally on day 2 at the end it dried up.
- I was running my base model RSX (I know, not that impressive to many of you but it gets the job done for me) which is also my daily driver. Just a few suspension mods and brake mods, nothing really done to the engine, just an intake and exhaust.

Day 1:
It was pouring rain when I went to bed Friday night, I woke up Saturday hoping that it would have cleared up, no such luck. Looked out my hotel window and was getting a little nervous as it was my first time on a road track and it was pouring outside.....kind of a sobering moment. I got to the track and went through the mandatory "things that you can do to kill yourself" drivers meeting. As I looked outside the rain kept pouring down. I watched the first group (expert group) go out on track, a couple Exige's, Porsche's, Z06's, etc. I then watched the second group (intermediate) go out and I was a mix of nerves and excitement. Then it was our turn. Our first session was a "follow the leader" type where no passing was permitted, fine by me. I get out on the track and I'm surrounded by cars with 100 more horsepower than me and all-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive. I'm in a sub-200hp car with front-wheel drive, should be entertaining. We get out there and start with slower laps, then keep speeding up, the car in front of me (an S2000) is going so slow that we're losing touch with the instructor which is frustrating but I keep telling myself to slow down, it's not a race.

Finally that session is done and I'm amazed how I can feel the car rotate, slide and feel weight transfer more than on a road. The next sessions are all on us. I go out there a little timid but with great excitement. I stand on it, the front straight is decent but with my car I only hit 80mph, which is plenty in the rain for me given it was my first weekend. I catch some cars, a lot more pass me, but I've got a huge smile under my helmet. I'm hitting the apexes and having the time of my life. Before I get too over confident a WRX slides off the track into a tire wall that will necessitate all new body work on the driver side of his car. That slows me down. We end the day at 5:15 and I'm exhausted. Head back to the hotel and are told that tomorrow it should be clear. Needless to say I go to bed at 10:15 and don't wake until the next morning.

Day 2:
Pouring rain even harder than the day before. One of the instructors cannot make it because his house is flooded. All of these sessions are free, no follow the leader. I am nothing but confidence on the track this time. From session 1 on I'm on it, again concentrating on apexes and taking some corners one gear lower than the day before because I'm more confident in my ability to go faster. As the day goes on the rain picks up, there are now several corners that have standing water on the apex, I decided that since I have to drive this car home I'll cool it down a bit, let the others past me and live to fight another day. I'm feeling really good about myself and know that I'm driving well. At the last session it has stopped raining for awhile, the track is dry and so much fun. I take 10 seconds off my previous best lap and just feel good about how I drive. A lot more cars past me in the dry than in the wet (in the wet I passed several of the cars that passed me in the dry). I hate to see the final checkered flag fly but as it does I get off the gas and reflect on an awesome weekend.

Conclusion:
I don't care how awesome you think your car is on the street a track is so much more fun and a much better indicator of driving ability. I realize that I'm not Michael Schumacher but by no means am I bad. On a track you will pass some cars and you will be passed but either way it's a blast. I can say with total certainty that I am now addicted and this will by no means be my last track experience!

Here is a link to Blackhawk in case some of you are wondering: http://www.blackhawkfarms.com/

And the track map itself:
http://www.blackhawkfarms.com/tracktour.cfm

 

Thanks to everyone for the replies! I've still got a huge smile on my face thinking about the weekend. I'll have some pics to post later on.

I'd love to try Road America but it might be too long of a track for my car, no? Also they do not have a lot of events there for people who aren't in formal clubs (PCA, etc).