Nismo Performance Academy, Austin Tx June 22/23
 

It’s time. This is your exclusive invitation to attend the first ever Nismo Performance Academy taking place at the only purpose-built Grand Prix facility in the US – Circuit of The Americas. Come feel the full power of Nissan Performance vehicles as never before.
Under the guidance of professional instructors, the Nismo Performance Academy will fine tune your driving abilities and get your heart pumping as you experience vehicles like the GT-R, 370Z Nismo and the latest vehicle in the performance portfolio, the Juke Nismo. After professional instruction in the classroom and on the track, you'll utilize the skills and techniques you've learned in your own car on the racetrack.
Dates: Saturday June 22nd or Sunday June 23rd
Event Hours: 8am – 5pm
Location: Circuit of The Americas
9201 Circuit of The Americas Blvd
Austin, TX 78617
This is an invitation-only event and there is no fee to attend. Registration is now open and spots for each event day are reserved on a first-come, first-served basis. Space at the event is very limited and just like the vehicles, will go fast. Use your personalized code below to claim your seat at the Nismo Performance Academy now!
See you at the track!

Anybody else get this? I recieved it at 4:33 pm yesterday. Didn't get back to my desk until 4:45. Turned in my registration before 5 and got a reply at 5:06 that all spots were filled and I was placed on a waiting list.

Yes, I received my invitation at the same time. I was on my commute home when sent and when I checked my email, I immediately tried to register and got the same response that all spots were full and I was placed on the waiting list. Kind of disappointing that they allow each invitee to bring a guest when invitees get placed on the waitlist.

:iagree:

Haha I live in Austin made a note on my calendar. Then came back and read the thread. Yeah

I got the email and signed up. It looks like I may have to cancel though due to a medical issue in the family. Hopefully my spot will go to one of you on the forum!

I will be there.. Ive been helping nissan organize the GTR owners club side of the event

Anyone who got in let me know as ive arranged a "official" NAGTROC hotel for everyone to stay at for a 50% off rate and we are doing a group dinner/ meet and greet both fri and sat night
so let me know if you would like the hotel info as Z guys are welcome to hang out. The deadline to get the group rate is 6/14. We arnt 100% on our dinner plans but those should firm up next week

It seems the invited guest can share the invitees car if they choose or they can only do the portions of the event where cars are provided by nissan. So a guest is not taking anyone's place as the event was designed like that from the start. Last year nissan did 3 GTR centric events just like this but this year they are wanting to push the NISMO brand so it was opened up to the Z crowd as well so that meant a balance of both owner groups.



The event did fill up super quick as it was first come first serve once the code went out. I think saturday alone took about 12-15 mins after the email with the code went out. Sunday was gone shortly after. Everyone else went to a wait list. roughly only half of my guys made it in

They will be doing these events in other markets so everyone who got the save the date email should sign up to get on the list for future events

I signed up as soon as the email popped up and will be there on Sunday, June 23 with the Z.

i live 10 minutes away from the track in austin. that would be cool just to go watch or drive my car on the track.

Nismo Performance Academy
 

My husband is a Nissan 370z owner and we will be at the Nismo Performance Academy. I was interested in the info about dinner on Friday night. Could you please email me if there are any open spots. We are driving up from Houston on Friday.

Kelly51887@hotmail.com

I'll be there as a guest on Saturday. I won't be able to drive my car on the track, but I really hope that I get to drive the GTR.

If not, then can I have a ride along, MC? :D

boost your my guest :p haha

Funny how that works. I got the invite and you didn't... now you're going and I'm not!

:iagree:

Hate the game not the player!!:tup:

I didn't get offered to go by Nissan, so I had to ask around to be a guest of someone who did (Thanks Ice). Guests are not able to drive their own cars on the track, but I'm very grateful that I have an opportunity to attend. Sorry Chris :(

I didn't get an invite either. Did you have to buy the vehicle new through Nissan to be qualified? I wouldn't have been able to attend this year no matter what, but this sounds like such an amazing event to go to.

Nissan made it available to Texas ZCCA chapter car clubs first. That's how I got the invite.

So...Did anybody that got put on the waiting list get a second invite?

I didn't, but that is Ok because I did not want to miss The 24hrs of La Mans!!! :driving:

I just got back to NC after a whirlwind last few days. Im beat but it was pretty awesome

oh i got to say was damn the GTR and Z im all about the NISMO juke now! those that attended will know what im talking about. the funnest part of the was beating the living hell out of the NISMO juke in the autocross competition. Nissan had me demonstrate and give ride alongs to a reporter from a local Austin Newspaper and by the end of the time in the car she asked me if i was going to flip the car over haha.

:bowdown:


http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/7439/ar6t.jpg





but yeah I even got to drive a new 2014 370. I havent driven a Z in years and more embarrassingly after owning 2 manual 350's yesterday was the first time i touched a manual in literally 5 years so they threw me in one and i was grinding some gears like a truck driver lol. I ended up using an auto for the actual track part as i didnt want to waste my laps knocking the rust off and it was not too bad using the paddles. I did realize how spoiled ive been with AWD though

I did get to drive the 2014 Track Edition GTR too

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/4898/nk0.jpg

http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/2435/8r2n.jpg

bastard, got to drive a 2014 Z before mine arrives next week lol jk...that aside did you happen to notice any differences in the 2014 Z or is it pretty much the same as the 13? great shots btw :yum:

i havent driven a 370 since the 09-10 model so i really dont have a good reference over than the LEDs look good in real life.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/7381/cckm.jpg



here is sort of how the track part went. This is one of the instructor lead follow sessions in owners cars. I didnt have my own car there but a buddy let me drive his 2012 GTR for half the session. I As you will see this is super super controlled and not even like a full on HDPE its sort of geared more toward the introductory novice side as they kept speeds way down.

Later in the day when we drove the Nissan provided cars it picked up just a bit in pace but i didnt have my camera in them so i didnt get vid

but yeah here is a few mins of in car, I was just happy to be out on COTA where the F1 guys run

Also they gave everyone brand new GOPRO's so that was a bonus

(change to 720p)

A few scenery shots. There was a professional crew there getting video and pics so all the good stuff should be out in a few days



Here we got the get out the cars and walk this area.. was pretty cool view not alot of people get to see
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/5305/38gv.jpg


front stretch to turn 1
http://img593.imageshack.us/img593/1954/6sae.jpg

I absolutely agree on the Juke Nismo. That car was tons of fun around the auto-x.

This was my first time behind the wheel of a GTR and it was amazing car to drive on this track. The 370 was good, but COTA is a fast track and the Z just falls behind on those long straights.

Here is the link for my photo album from Saturday: Nismo Photos by tguillen | Photobucket

Password: Nissan

Thanks.

What is the structure that looks like a roller coaster in the background?

Untitled159_zps31a273c0.jpg Photo by tguillen | Photobucket

You mean the observation tower? Great view of the entire track from up there. :tup:

Great shots Tracie! Good job managing the bright sun, it was a hot one!

That looks and sounds like a SUPER FUN DAY!!! I would drive the HELL out of the car. That video was interesting. I have never tracked before but watching the lead cars lines, breaking, and accell points was cool! You can really compare the average person's break/accell timing. Daily drivers obviously break a lot earlier thus loosing speed around corners and thus have to use more throttle out of the turn to catch up. Interesting indeed.

Its was super fun, and following the instructors and listening to their comments over the radio was extremely interesting. Limit braking was the one thing that I don't think really transferred to the track. During the six laps in my own Z, I always felt like I could go much deeper, especially Turn 1 which is a large uphill approach. It was interesting that I felt that way despite braking to a slower speed than necessary on most turns and not taking them at the highest possible speed (especially Turn 1). I know that part of this was I had a lot more faith in my braking ability after replacing my front rotors and pads and brake fluid last Tuesday.

Here's a couple of photos from the weekend. Since I was a guest, I wasn't supposed to be able to drive my car on the track. However, our group had a participant that did not show, so they said it would be ok :tup:

First photo is a panorama of the early crowd waiting out front of the track
Second photo is my Z being inspected for track readiness in Garage 5
Third photo is my Z after she was done for the day and cooling off

Yeah, this is why a some reviews of the NISMO were not that great break fade. The car needs more air going into the breaks. On a track, your constantly breaking late and hard which leads to heating the breaks and kitting them. Break fade is bad. I'm not saying that our breaks don't work. They just don't work as well as they could/should have that's all. They do work really well on the streets however. They work more than well enough.

You can see they used a snippet of my footage at the beginning and 2:03 mark. i guess that makes up for not using my interview part as I bet I was rambling

Nice :tup: My Z is the last one in the row of cars on the youtube cover still (~40sec), but I'm sure they cut it out because I didn't have any fancy Nismo decals since I got it on the track at the last minute :icon17: Surprisingly, I even had a couple of appearances in the background of a few of the Juke Nismo shots. Not exactly a pretty face :ugh2: :rofl2:

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6061/tesj.jpg



http://img259.imageshack.us/img259/1508/3ria.jpg


http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/2950/6y5i.jpg

anyone else get their video montage from Nissan?