My First Track Day - Experience

Daddy · 04-30-2006, 12:02 AM

Wow, had lots of fun. Had one 180 spin out and missed a corner two times and ran straight into the grass once and once into a runoff area. These latter two times I blame fully on the brakes which were totally toast near the end of the lapping. Should've listened to Charlie and put performance pads on the car!

In any event, some questions and observations.

Observation #1: automatic cars suck for track days. Okay, so the car is fairly new to me and I thought I could get by in manumatic mode. Unfortunately, the autobox doesn't hold the gear you select! It'll automatically upshift and downshift for you! That sux!!! In my Mazda6, you could hold the gear and bounce off the redline via the rev limiter all day! So, I would enter a corner after the autobox had upshifted and coming out of the corner, I had nothing (due to the low RPMs)! The steptronic is

.

Observation #2: Some smaller cars left me in the dusk. Okay, I am a bad driver and this was my first track day, but I just barely could keep up with a Miata. Bone stock Miata with the OEM tires. No mods! And then the RX8 left me in the dust (although I hear they are great on the track despite their lack in tourque). The steptronic is

.

Observation #3: Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's rock!

Question #1: So the brakes gave up on me at the end. I really do blame missing the turn 1 twice at Shannonville due to the brakes. I thought I let them cool down a little after the first missed turn, but it really didn't make much difference. So, are these brakes toast now? Something to do with being "glazed pads"?

Question #2: During my fishtail spin out, once my car started to oversteer, I guess I overcorrected on trying to bring it back. During oversteer, what would have happened if I just gave it more throttle?

mpower1226 · 04-30-2006, 02:55 AM

which car were you driving? the silver 328?

anyway, i was one with front coverd in tapes. Should have said hi.

Axxe · 04-30-2006, 03:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mpower1226

which car were you driving? the silver 328?

anyway, i was one with front coverd in tapes. Should have said hi.

Oh yeah? I was with my buddy in the red Civic, showing him the ropes (it was his first day out). It was great when I got behind the wheel and walked all over two S2000's, 240sx, and a couple others (only drove for a handfull of laps).

BTW, why were you running all seasons? I ran them last year, and hated driving on them, so soft and no real grip.

mpower1226 · 04-30-2006, 03:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Axxe

Oh yeah? I was with my buddy in the red Civic, showing him the ropes (it was his first day out). It was great when I got behind the wheel and walked all over two S2000's, 240sx, and a couple others (only drove for a handfull of laps).

BTW, why were you running all seasons? I ran them last year, and hated driving on them, so soft and no real grip.

well, i usually run with 16inch ltw rim with good tires but I finished off the tires last season, and when the first lapping of the season started, I couldnt use them so I had to put this 15inch with all season to get by. but saving for the good tires and hopfully i'll get them before the next lapping.

Axxe · 04-30-2006, 03:31 AM

Alright, sounds just like me. No tires left to run on from last season, but I've got a set of scrubs lined up.

Zim Zimma · 04-30-2006, 12:16 PM

He wasnt in the silver 328....That was me..Ye I should have said Hi...My bad.

Fun day tho!!!

Daddy · 04-30-2006, 05:18 PM

Hi, I was in the steel grey 330ci. Sorry for being anti-social. I was there with a few friends (350Z, A4 and 325i) and as noobs we were just caught up in the whole experience. Felt like deer in headlights - AWESOME!

Zim Zimma · 04-30-2006, 06:12 PM

Haha don't worry about it...How is the car after going off? One of them looked fairly violent ( if it was you)

Daddy · 04-30-2006, 07:00 PM

If you are talking about the end of the straightaway - yes, it was me! Actually probably looked much worse than it was - there was no way I could make the turn, so I just went straight. It was the last run - that's what I meant about the brakes fading big time. The run before I couldn't even brake on time and ended up going straight thru to the paved run off at the end of the straightaway!

Brake fade = no good.

Zim Zimma · 04-30-2006, 09:03 PM

Hmm im tryin to think....one e46 went off onto the grass and rubble on turn one...i was right behind it at the time....ye brake fade sucks....I got brembo blanks..Hawk Hp Plus pads and race fluid.....does the job very well ...no fade whatsoever and it stops on a dime time after time.

**thinair** · 04-30-2006, 10:14 PM

You should look into investing in a driving school, like the ones the BMW Club holds at Mosport Int'l Raceway. I hate to see guys blindly go out to the track 'learning' on the fly and picking up bad habits along the way. Contact the BMW Club - Trillium Chapter for more information (http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca)

Daddy · 04-30-2006, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thinair

You should look into investing in a driving school, like the ones the BMW Club holds at Mosport Int'l Raceway. I hate to see guys blindly go out to the track 'learning' on the fly and picking up bad habits along the way. Contact the BMW Club - Trillium Chapter for more information (http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca)

AGREED! But too late for the first time for me...

OMG, so funny... when they said go out for some warm up laps, I expected to go pretty slow to see the track - you know, like at the start of an Indy race where they cruise around and zig zag to warm up their tires. Then, everyone in front of me blasts away, and there are people on my tail, so I'm white knuckling around the track for the first few laps... actually thought about pitting after the first lap because it was so intense for a noob. GOOD TIMES!

paul christians · 04-30-2006, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daddy

If you are talking about the end of the straightaway - yes, it was me! Actually probably looked much worse than it was - there was no way I could make the turn, so I just went straight. It was the last run - that's what I meant about the brakes fading big time. The run before I couldn't even brake on time and ended up going straight thru to the paved run off at the end of the straightaway!

Brake fade = no good.

I saw that and it not look good from I was standing man,but mean thing nothing bad happened,did see the black e30 with white hood that was me man...

**thinair** · 04-30-2006, 10:54 PM

It's good that it worked out, just things can start sucking in a hurry when you have a track full of white knuckled inexperienced drivers all thinking they're Schumacher. Remember your insurance won't cover your ass out there on the track if you/someone makes a mistake (unless it's an accredited driver education event).

Axxe · 04-30-2006, 11:13 PM

Lots of rookies out there with more balls then brains. The brand new white STI went off road at least a half dozen times, in the same spot

. I was there with my buddy in his red civic, showing him the ropes and all that good stuff. It was fun to pass the S2000's with a 117 hp civic