My First Ever Track Experience
 

Just wanted to share my experience in case others are interested in trying out a track day in their Z.

I have no perfomrance driving experience so I signed up for HPDE 1 with NASA (great organization). The event took place at Putnam Park in Indiana. It turned out to be a great place to learn -- lots of run off with only one tire wall in close proximity to a turn.

My car is stock except for HFCs, FI Cat-Back, HPS tubes, K&N drop ins. I did have all fluids changed out to hi-temp brake fluid, Redline engine, gearbox and differential fluids. I do not have an oil cooler, upgraded pads or tires. I was really nervous about the oil cooler issue so I put in an oil additive called PowerUp with my last oil change that is supposed to significantly reduce friction (my thought is that might help with oil temps). I got luck in that the weather was cool all weekend and again I am a complete newbie so I did not push the car too hard (although I was rolling up the tires, so I guess that says something). The highest I got the oil temps were to 250.

Overall experience -- awesome! The car did amazingly well. I did leave VDC on but will plan on turning it off during my next event. I ran 3 20 min dry sessions and 4 20 min wet sessions. I actually enjoyed the wet a lot because you can work the car to the limits going a lot slower, which is great for learning. VDC definitely saved me from going round a few times in the wet. It also gave me the confidence to push it hard enough to keep pace with several AWD cars. I know our cars have major track limitations, but it is still pretty damn neat to drive 3 hours to the track, flog on it all weekend, then drive it back in complete comfort. My instructor thought the car and I did really well.

I hope to get out there again sometime this season with the guys from NASA. Very well run and my instructor was phenomenal. I plan on upgrading to stainless steel brake lines, clutch line and probably an oil cooler before then. If anyone who has never run on the track before has questions, shoot me a PM!

Cool read. Always fun to read about someone's first time on the track (not that mine was too long ago anyway).

If you have the Sport brakes, you should really swap out the stock pad's with some Carbotech's next time. Our stock brakes are really very good for the track (sans any Ice Mode issues), just the stock pads don't have much bite for the track.

Between swapping out the pads and getting SS lines, thing's will feel much better for you the next time out, probably a night and day difference.

sounds like you had fun.

awesome! welcome to your new addiction.

Once you get comfortable, get rid of the VDC

Great read. So much talk of Carbotech's I wish I had them now. I think I'm going to order some soon. VDC is a bummer though. +1 on the SS lines. MY track days are coming soon enough.

Mist be a great time

Yep it was a great time and I want to do it again!

With regards to the VDC -- I really would encourage any first timer with no track experience to leave it on the first weekend out, especially if wet. I know it's "cheating", but let's face it, I have to drive this thing 3+ hrs home and then to work the next morning. I can't load it's crumpled self into my enclosed trailer and pull it back!

Now, I only got to run 3 dry sessions before it rained the rest of the weekend. The first and second session I never even went hard enough to get the thing to turn on. The third dry session it came on during most corner exits but to be honest with you I was focusing on very smooth throttle input and even though I saw the light I never felt any difference in power. If the rest of the weekend would have stayed dry I think I would have noticed it holding things back and then turned it off. But in the wet, it kept me on track a few times! Next time out though, no VDC, gotta learn proper car control!

I guess I will get some Carbotechs...that really seems to be the popular choice. Nobody runs the EBC pads or Hawk?

the z is a fairly netural car with some understeer, drive smart and you should never have to touch the vdc or get sideway. i did a wet track day and i never even got sideways.

^ thats no fun haha. Miami turns into a drift course when it rains ;0

+1 just save yourself some time and get the carbotechs...might want to look into the icemode thread on here too since it will affect you as you start pushing the brakes a bit more..

sliding isnt always faster!