Track Day Best Practices - MUST READ

Zauskycop · 01-16-2014, 09:28 PM

New here, and just bought my Z, but I have a lot of track experience, and race spec miata also. Two things I would say are:

1. Try to never ever come to a complete stop with hot brakes. Slow down to a very slow speed, and try to let the car coast to a stop if safely possible. Then pop it in gear...this keeps pad material from transferring to rotors, which believe it or not, causes more "pulsating brakes" than actual warped rotors

2. I can't stress this enough...It's called a cool down lap for a reason! You should, if possible, NEVER use the brakes, or at most use them minimally. Doing that should tone down your driving on that lap, and give it time to cool down.

Fun thread to read, and great forum. You will see me more often now, as we are trying to get the car ready for 2015 One Lap of America.

Tracy

wstar · 01-16-2014, 11:25 PM

^ Very good stuff above, I do both religiously now.

mprog · 01-17-2014, 04:56 PM

For similar reasons, at the end of a session I always just drive in a small circle at low speeds for a few minutes in the parking lot (away from everyone else) to let my car cool a bit before turning it off and parking it (letting the car rest in gear, not brakes).

scionide · 01-17-2014, 05:12 PM

^ I do the same thing, for some reason I always go counterclockwise too so it's like 15-20mph nascar laps

SPOHN · 01-17-2014, 08:27 PM

Yea I'm always baffled by the cool down lap how many people come flying past me. I put it in fifth and cruise in.

Mike · 01-17-2014, 09:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MightyBobo

It's not necessarily recommended to run the same compound all around. Better to run a more aggressive compound up front. This will cause the front end to lock up before the rear end, preventing a mid-corner breaking spin. Just FYI..

I run XP12s front and rear. but, I have stoptech trophy brakes also, so that might make a difference. They perform splendidly, except when I run my 245 rain tire RE11a's. Then they tend to flat spot the tires unfortunately.

Mike · 01-17-2014, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mprog

For similar reasons, at the end of a session I always just drive in a small circle at low speeds for a few minutes in the parking lot (away from everyone else) to let my car cool a bit before turning it off and parking it (letting the car rest in gear, not brakes).

before I got phunk's fuel system fix, I would just drive off the track and to the gas station after every session and let them cool that way.

btw, with the akebono's, at the very first sign of any fade at all, immediately get off the brakes and back it way down and go to the pits. my first track day in the car 4 years ago and I got a tiny bit of fade and backed off/ by the time I got to the pits a half mile later, it took me 50 feet to stop from 10mph. When they do go, they go quickly with very little warning.

sig11 · 01-18-2014, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SPOHN

Yea I'm always baffled by the cool down lap how many people come flying past me. I put it in fifth and cruise in.

My goal during a cooldown/checker flag lap is to go as fast as possible without braking. More speed = more cooling. I'm usually at least one gear up from normal too though.

wstar · 01-18-2014, 03:53 PM

Yeah same here. I still speed up and slow down and follow a line, but I try to run at a pace where downshifting + engine braking can let me not touch the brakes. It's easier/faster/safer to cool off the engine in the paddock than brakes.

MightyBobo · 01-18-2014, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike

I run XP12s front and rear. but, I have stoptech trophy brakes also, so that might make a difference. They perform splendidly, except when I run my 245 rain tire RE11a's. Then they tend to flat spot the tires unfortunately.

For experienced drivers, I think it's less a problem. You know how to diagnose handling issues

Kingbaby · 01-19-2014, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sig11

My goal during a cooldown/checker flag lap is to go as fast as possible without braking. More speed = more cooling. I'm usually at least one gear up from normal too though.

I like this guy...

bigdog1250 · 01-23-2014, 06:32 PM

A cool down lap can help, but you don't really need if if you just park, turn off the car, and put the car in gear. Thus no pads are touching the rotor and the car can cool off.

This worked well for me during my sessions, running XP10s front and rear.

wstar · 01-23-2014, 07:18 PM

The pads are almost always at least partially touching the rotor, just not with any real force. Even if we assume that you manage to knock them away just right (slalom the car a bit before parking to try to induce pad knockback?) to get a tiny gap going on all 8 pads, it's still better to give the brakes a cool-down lap than to come in off a hot lap and park immediately.

The rotor will cool all the way down from hot-lap temps to ambient temps either way. The difference is that the more of the cooling that's done while rotating (cooldown lap) instead of fixed (parked), the more even the cooling is. While parked different areas of the rotor cool at different speeds thanks to the shapes and positions of the caliper, pad, wheel, suspension, etc which will absorb heat at different rates and/or block off ambient wind cooling. Having different parts of the rotor cooling at different rates is going to stress the rotor more than having it cool off evenly while spinning.

Kingbaby · 01-24-2014, 02:20 AM

good info especially if you have blanks...

tried to teach the wife this for our 13 R/T which the rotors are warped already....

2011 Nismo#91 · 01-28-2014, 09:31 AM

I have to say thank you all for putting all this information in one place. I have read through almost all of this thread and I have come up with the following items I still think I need.
Carbotech Brake Pads Sport Front - Pads XP10
$199.00
Carbotech Brake Pads Sport Rear - Pads XP10
$166.00
Motul RBF 600 Performance Brake Fluid 2 Qts
$34.50

I am going to try to make it out to NJ Motorsports Park a few times this year. It will be my first time a track, and I want to have a good safe track car.

My car is a 2011 Nismo with the Nismo pads but I don't want to test them on the track. I have already installed a 24 row oil cooler and soon will have installed the CJM Fuel starvation kit. The only other performance changes are Stillen G3 intake and Berk Test pipes. The rest of the car is OEM.

My one question is since I will be already draining all the brake fluid should I change out the brake lines to SS or is there really no benefit since the car isn't old and doesn't have many miles on it?

01-16-2014, 09:28 PM	#136 (permalink)
Zauskycop Base Member Join Date: May 2011 Location: Hinckley IL Posts: 228 Drives: 2012 370Z, '16 Miata Rep Power: 14	New here, and just bought my Z, but I have a lot of track experience, and race spec miata also. Two things I would say are: 1. Try to never ever come to a complete stop with hot brakes. Slow down to a very slow speed, and try to let the car coast to a stop if safely possible. Then pop it in gear...this keeps pad material from transferring to rotors, which believe it or not, causes more "pulsating brakes" than actual warped rotors 2. I can't stress this enough...It's called a cool down lap for a reason! You should, if possible, NEVER use the brakes, or at most use them minimally. Doing that should tone down your driving on that lap, and give it time to cool down. Fun thread to read, and great forum. You will see me more often now, as we are trying to get the car ready for 2015 One Lap of America. Tracy bigdog1250, wstar, DR_ and 4 others like this.

01-16-2014, 11:25 PM	#137 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	^ Very good stuff above, I do both religiously now. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

01-17-2014, 08:27 PM	#140 (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	Yea I'm always baffled by the cool down lap how many people come flying past me. I put it in fifth and cruise in. __________________

01-18-2014, 03:53 PM	#144 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Yeah same here. I still speed up and slow down and follow a line, but I try to run at a pace where downshifting + engine braking can let me not touch the brakes. It's easier/faster/safer to cool off the engine in the paddock than brakes. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

01-23-2014, 06:32 PM	#147 (permalink)
bigdog1250 Track Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco Posts: 846 Drives: 991.2 GT3 Rep Power: 18	A cool down lap can help, but you don't really need if if you just park, turn off the car, and put the car in gear. Thus no pads are touching the rotor and the car can cool off. This worked well for me during my sessions, running XP10s front and rear. __________________ 350z / 40th 370z / C6 Z06 / BMW M4 / V10 R8 / C7 Grand Spot / 997.1 GT3 / S2K / Camaro ZL1 / 718 GTS / 991.2 GT3

01-17-2014, 04:56 PM	#138 (permalink)
mprog Base Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: N. California Posts: 42 Drives: 09 G37s Coupe Rep Power: 14	For similar reasons, at the end of a session I always just drive in a small circle at low speeds for a few minutes in the parking lot (away from everyone else) to let my car cool a bit before turning it off and parking it (letting the car rest in gear, not brakes).

01-17-2014, 05:12 PM	#139 (permalink)
scionide Enthusiast Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: so-cal Posts: 436 Drives: 11 370z PW 6mt Rep Power: 14	^ I do the same thing, for some reason I always go counterclockwise too so it's like 15-20mph nascar laps

01-23-2014, 07:18 PM	#148 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	The pads are almost always at least partially touching the rotor, just not with any real force. Even if we assume that you manage to knock them away just right (slalom the car a bit before parking to try to induce pad knockback?) to get a tiny gap going on all 8 pads, it's still better to give the brakes a cool-down lap than to come in off a hot lap and park immediately. The rotor will cool all the way down from hot-lap temps to ambient temps either way. The difference is that the more of the cooling that's done while rotating (cooldown lap) instead of fixed (parked), the more even the cooling is. While parked different areas of the rotor cool at different speeds thanks to the shapes and positions of the caliper, pad, wheel, suspension, etc which will absorb heat at different rates and/or block off ambient wind cooling. Having different parts of the rotor cooling at different rates is going to stress the rotor more than having it cool off evenly while spinning. sig11 and KapitalZ like this. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

01-28-2014, 09:31 AM	#150 (permalink)
2011 Nismo#91 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: NJ Posts: 2,400 Drives: slowly Rep Power: 40569	I have to say thank you all for putting all this information in one place. I have read through almost all of this thread and I have come up with the following items I still think I need. Carbotech Brake Pads Sport Front - Pads XP10 $199.00 Carbotech Brake Pads Sport Rear - Pads XP10 $166.00 Motul RBF 600 Performance Brake Fluid 2 Qts $34.50 I am going to try to make it out to NJ Motorsports Park a few times this year. It will be my first time a track, and I want to have a good safe track car. My car is a 2011 Nismo with the Nismo pads but I don't want to test them on the track. I have already installed a 24 row oil cooler and soon will have installed the CJM Fuel starvation kit. The only other performance changes are Stillen G3 intake and Berk Test pipes. The rest of the car is OEM. My one question is since I will be already draining all the brake fluid should I change out the brake lines to SS or is there really no benefit since the car isn't old and doesn't have many miles on it?

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