My First Track Day ...

SPOHN · 04-29-2012, 08:16 PM

Glad you had a blast. Tracking is about the best high you can get. In quick due time it will all come together and you'll be blasting away at the track.

Repped.

B&W_Evader · 04-30-2012, 11:10 AM

Great writeup! Sounds like a blast!

ChrisSlicks · 04-30-2012, 11:44 AM

Great fun!

The first time out there is very overwhelming. Was this a single session hyper-drive thing? The more sessions you do the easier it gets and you can start focusing on the individual things such as braking, turn-in, balance, gear selection, mirrors, flag stations etc. First time out the instructor is going to be talking to you continuously and focusing on car position. When the instructor isn't talking any more that means you are doing really well

I'm guessing the wheel hop was actually the rear end locking up under braking, a sign that your front pads were overheating slightly. Real pads in the front are probably all you need for now.

If you or anybody else that area is interested I will be there on Monday with COMSCC. There will be some great instructors available and you are assigned a single instructor for the entire day. Just drop my name in the comment box as referred by and I might be able to steer an appropriate instructor your way (no guarantee's). We will also be doing hot lap ride-alongs, where you ride passenger with an instructor in his race-car for several full-speed laps. Ride-along's are $35 and come with free club membership.

Today is the last day to sign up before you have to beg and plead your way in.
COMSCC Registration

P.S. There is a Time Trial on the afternoon of the 2nd day which is optional, solo'd students may compete. The first day is practice sessions and students (separate run groups for students of course).

ResIpsa · 04-30-2012, 01:24 PM

I’m glad you had fun. You had a great instructor. He really wanted to make sure that you got a real sense of what it is like on the track. You will find out that as you gain experience and start moving up groups every driver is always pushing their car. It actually makes things safer because you can anticipate when a car is going to close on you.

If I see a Porsche GT3 in my rear view I know that he will be on top of me in a second. And I will start positioning my car on the track to allow him as uninterrupted pass as I can manage.

If I see a Miata, I know that he is faster in the corners and give him the point bye in turns 5 or 6.

If there is a comparable car such as a S2000 or 3 series BMW, I will wait for the most awkward off line pass and see how good he is.

I watched your video and you were not experiencing limp home mode. That was fuel starvation. That is the reason I bring gas cans so I can top off my gas to the point of having fuel in the filler neck. Normal gas pumps will not allow you to fill your tank really to the top.

Even with my method, I would start getting fuel starvation out of turn 2 after 20 minutes.

sixpax · 04-30-2012, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ResIpsa

I’m glad you had fun. You had a great instructor. He really wanted to make sure that you got a real sense of what it is like on the track. You will find out that as you gain experience and start moving up groups every driver is always pushing their car. It actually makes things safer because you can anticipate when a car is going to close on you.

If I see a Porsche GT3 in my rear view I know that he will be on top of me in a second. And I will start positioning my car on the track to allow him as uninterrupted pass as I can manage.

If I see a Miata, I know that he is faster in the corners and give him the point bye in turns 5 or 6.

If there is a comparable car such as a S2000 or 3 series BMW, I will wait for the most awkward off line pass and see how good he is.

I watched your video and you were not experiencing limp home mode. That was fuel starvation. That is the reason I bring gas cans so I can top off my gas to the point of having fuel in the filler neck. Normal gas pumps will not allow you to fill your tank really to the top.

Even with my method, I would start getting fuel starvation out of turn 2 after 20 minutes.

It was great meeting you and thanks for everything ! Sorry we bolted but the wife was getting kind of cranky on account of the weather. I was hoping to hang out awhile more and try to catch a ride with you, but maybe next time. I figured it was oil on account of my gauge was at 260 and when I tromped on the gas it bogged down and didn't want to go anywhere.

sixpax · 04-30-2012, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOHN

Glad you had a blast. Tracking is about the best high you can get. In quick due time it will all come together and you'll be blasting away at the track.

Repped.

Thanks Spohn !

sixpax · 04-30-2012, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B&W_Evader

Great writeup! Sounds like a blast!

Thanks ! It was a little scary but well worth it !

sixpax · 04-30-2012, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

Great fun!

The first time out there is very overwhelming. Was this a single session hyper-drive thing? The more sessions you do the easier it gets and you can start focusing on the individual things such as braking, turn-in, balance, gear selection, mirrors, flag stations etc. First time out the instructor is going to be talking to you continuously and focusing on car position. When the instructor isn't talking any more that means you are doing really well

I'm guessing the wheel hop was actually the rear end locking up under braking, a sign that your front pads were overheating slightly. Real pads in the front are probably all you need for now.

If you or anybody else that area is interested I will be there on Monday with COMSCC. There will be some great instructors available and you are assigned a single instructor for the entire day. Just drop my name in the comment box as referred by and I might be able to steer an appropriate instructor your way (no guarantee's). We will also be doing hot lap ride-alongs, where you ride passenger with an instructor in his race-car for several full-speed laps. Ride-along's are $35 and come with free club membership.

Today is the last day to sign up before you have to beg and plead your way in.
COMSCC Registration

P.S. There is a Time Trial on the afternoon of the 2nd day which is optional, solo'd students may compete. The first day is practice sessions and students (separate run groups for students of course).

Indeed it was a single session Hyperdrive. Interesting on the wheel hop. I will check out the COMSCC ... thanks for the input !

ChrisSlicks · 04-30-2012, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixpax

It was great meeting you and thanks for everything ! Sorry we bolted but the wife was getting kind of cranky on account of the weather. I was hoping to hang out awhile more and try to catch a ride with you, but maybe next time. I figured it was oil on account of my gauge was at 260 and when I tromped on the gas it bogged down and didn't want to go anywhere.

Stage-1 limp mode will give you full power but restrict you to 5000 rpm, it feels exactly like someone played with the redline setting. The bogging down is fuel starvation as ResIpsa pointed out. I do the same as him and just top off using fuel cans before each session, especially since my fuel gauge is broken - ha!

I also thought your instructor was really good, he was focused and energetic.

harman.khinda · 04-30-2012, 02:47 PM

would a LSD prevent the wheel hop?

SPOHN · 04-30-2012, 03:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by harman.khinda

would a LSD prevent the wheel hop?

If his brakes are causing this and most likely it is then no LSD is going to help. Bt he has wheel hop in the front. Even though LSD does help tremendously under braking loads. But if your having brake fade from the front due to not so great pads the rear load is going to act up on our cars causing some issue all around. The LSD only works at it's best if brakes are working at there best in the rear as it slows the drivetrain.

sixpax · 04-30-2012, 03:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOHN

If his brakes are causing this and most likely it is then no LSD is going to help.

...my front's were hopping a little. I would imagine the LSD has nothing to do with the front wheels.

sixpax · 04-30-2012, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChrisSlicks

Stage-1 limp mode will give you full power but restrict you to 5000 rpm, it feels exactly like someone played with the redline setting. The bogging down is fuel starvation as ResIpsa pointed out. I do the same as him and just top off using fuel cans before each session, especially since my fuel gauge is broken - ha!

I also thought your instructor was really good, he was focused and energetic.

I liked my instructor... was a young kid who races Spec Miata's.

I filled up before I got to the track, but ResIspa suggested I should top off at the race track and we were parked like 50 feet away from the pumps, so I did so.

It's weird it's like I can't even really remember how it all exactly went down. I see in my video I was trying to point to the oil temp gauge to let the instructor know and I was freaking out because cars were behind me and I didn't want to get run over ... it never dawned on me it was fuel starvation, I figured I was going way too slow for that to happen. 1:47 to 1:52 laps around there is pretty slow.

ResIpsa · 04-30-2012, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sixpax

It was great meeting you and thanks for everything ! Sorry we bolted but the wife was getting kind of cranky on account of the weather. I was hoping to hang out awhile more and try to catch a ride with you, but maybe next time. I figured it was oil on account of my gauge was at 260 and when I tromped on the gas it bogged down and didn't want to go anywhere.

Don’t worry about it. It started raining pretty hard before the third session. I swapped back to my RE-11’s but, as you saw, they are pretty worn.

The session was a little scary. I don’t have much seat time in the rain and every time I tried to determine the limits I exceeded them. I basically tip toed around the track while Miata’s swarmed me.

ChrisSlicks · 04-30-2012, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ResIpsa

Don’t worry about it. It started raining pretty hard before the third session. I swapped back to my RE-11’s but, as you saw, they are pretty worn.

The session was a little scary. I don’t have much seat time in the rain and every time I tried to determine the limits I exceeded them. I basically tip toed around the track while Miata’s swarmed me.

I used to drive in the rain on RE-11's but they can be pretty scary, damp is okay but wet they suck

Just bought my first set of Hoosier Wet's, I think they come with a guarantee that it won't rain for at least 2 years!

04-29-2012, 08:16 PM	#16 (permalink)
SPOHN A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Covington, GA Age: 45 Posts: 14,844 Drives: Waiting on next Z Rep Power: 221	Glad you had a blast. Tracking is about the best high you can get. In quick due time it will all come together and you'll be blasting away at the track. Repped. __________________

04-30-2012, 11:44 AM	#18 (permalink)
ChrisSlicks A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: North East Posts: 6,203 Drives: 09 370Z Sport M6 Rep Power: 653	Great fun! The first time out there is very overwhelming. Was this a single session hyper-drive thing? The more sessions you do the easier it gets and you can start focusing on the individual things such as braking, turn-in, balance, gear selection, mirrors, flag stations etc. First time out the instructor is going to be talking to you continuously and focusing on car position. When the instructor isn't talking any more that means you are doing really well I'm guessing the wheel hop was actually the rear end locking up under braking, a sign that your front pads were overheating slightly. Real pads in the front are probably all you need for now. If you or anybody else that area is interested I will be there on Monday with COMSCC. There will be some great instructors available and you are assigned a single instructor for the entire day. Just drop my name in the comment box as referred by and I might be able to steer an appropriate instructor your way (no guarantee's). We will also be doing hot lap ride-alongs, where you ride passenger with an instructor in his race-car for several full-speed laps. Ride-along's are $35 and come with free club membership. Today is the last day to sign up before you have to beg and plead your way in. COMSCC Registration P.S. There is a Time Trial on the afternoon of the 2nd day which is optional, solo'd students may compete. The first day is practice sessions and students (separate run groups for students of course). __________________ Hotchkis ARB \| Stillen CAI \| Art Pipes \| Berk CBE \| Stillen AP Racing Brakes \| AE Performance Oil Cooler \| BC Racing ER Coilovers \| Doran Control Arms Last edited by ChrisSlicks; 04-30-2012 at 12:05 PM.

04-30-2012, 01:24 PM	#19 (permalink)
ResIpsa Track Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Virginia Posts: 564 Drives: 09 RACING HEN Rep Power: 338	Nice to meet you. I’m glad you had fun. You had a great instructor. He really wanted to make sure that you got a real sense of what it is like on the track. You will find out that as you gain experience and start moving up groups every driver is always pushing their car. It actually makes things safer because you can anticipate when a car is going to close on you. If I see a Porsche GT3 in my rear view I know that he will be on top of me in a second. And I will start positioning my car on the track to allow him as uninterrupted pass as I can manage. If I see a Miata, I know that he is faster in the corners and give him the point bye in turns 5 or 6. If there is a comparable car such as a S2000 or 3 series BMW, I will wait for the most awkward off line pass and see how good he is. I watched your video and you were not experiencing limp home mode. That was fuel starvation. That is the reason I bring gas cans so I can top off my gas to the point of having fuel in the filler neck. Normal gas pumps will not allow you to fill your tank really to the top. Even with my method, I would start getting fuel starvation out of turn 2 after 20 minutes. __________________ The Reed Law Firm; Michael Fasano VA Attorney and Counselor at Law: A Virginia Traffic, Criminal, and Family Lawyer.https://reedlawva.com/

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