If I install the test patch, can I still race on pre-patch servers, or am I limited to test patch servers?

patched servers only

Quote from tinvek :

patched servers only

Aw

Is there an abundance of patched servers? Or if i'm just looking for some seat time, would I be better off waiting for the official patch?

Stick with the official patch if your looking for more servers, but dont worry the new patch will be released in the not to distant future!

Or you could make a copy of your LFS folder and apply the test patch to this, that way you've got one version of LFS running the current official patch and the other running the latest test patch.

Just an FYI, not all test patches are incompatable. Just that W17 and later test patches have some incompatable features and an extremely minor physics update (clutch prelouad). Most test patches are, in fact, compatable.

Scawen will always state if the test patch is not compatable in the test patch thread.