First Track Day Preparations

[Scrymerr]

I am attempting to take my car to a track day at Infineon Raceway for the first time. I have read through quite a few threads, and found a lot of great information. I would like to share a few details of my setup and get some advice pertaining more specifically to my car and me.

The first concern I have is the fact that my doorhandles are shaved. I understand the need for doorhandles to function correctly in case of an emergency extraction or such, however some cars such as the C6 corvette have buttons instead of handles; what happens in a crash if the car loses power. This no doorhandle issue would be an even greater concern of mine, however I have T-tops. Tops are required to be removed for racing, and the windows rolled down. What are the chances in this case that I would be allowed to run with shaved handles?

Also, the car is street driven pretty frequently with a very conservative 350whp tune. I am in no way worried about the power levels, but my suspension setup bothers me. I am running tein basic coilovers with upper pillowball mounts, stock swaybars, SPC front control arms, Rotora BBK, and BFG G-Force 255/40/17's. Right now I have about 1 degree of negative camber all around, with a little bit of toe-in in both the front and the rear. My questions:

What would be the recommended alignment for tracking the car, keeping in mind that the car is street driven about 300 miles a month?

What tire pressure should I run?

Should I make any adjustments to the ride height?

Other than that, I would appreciate any other suggestions. After reading quite a few threads, I have notices the stress drivers place on the cooling system, aero, and 'reliability'. The car is put together very well: I loctite just about everything, my cooling system is in order (and had no problems last summer with 100 degree outside temperatures and pretty much20 solid minutes WOT and >6500 RPM), I have no fluid/vacuum leaks, and my brake pads and tires all have well over 80% life left.

I will start with this, see what kind of responses I get, and see if I can make some beneficial changes over the next few weeks.

Thanks in advance,

Dan

 

[TKW#13]

Well I would say you don't want to make to many changes to your car until after you get it out on the track to see what adjustments for you driving skills that you need to make. Looking at your list you have some good stuff to start with.

 

[absolute_DSM]

Subsriced, this may shed some light I could use.

What kind of "track day" is this? Like a NASA open track type of thing of just the raceways open track for everyone?

 

[KFT0001]

Safety/reliability is definitely #1 when you're getting ready to go to the track. For the first time out you just want your car to run without issues, going as fast as possible around the track isn't that big of a deal. Just make sure everything is secure, and all fluids/hoses are good.

Somebody more experienced will need to answer about the door handles. I don't recall reading anything about that before, but I figure it falls in line with the same idea behind running with your windows down and is probably not encouraged. If nobody else knows for sure you should get in contact with whichever organization you're running the track day with. You should ask about the T tops as well, they may not pass tech unless you have a cage.

 

[Scrymerr]

The group I am going with is Trackmasters Racing: TrackMasters Racing I e-mailed the guy in charge about my handles/tops. I think the event I am looking to participate in is more of a HPDE, and will have a few different run groups by varying skill. I will post back when he replies, in the meantime keep the replies coming.

I see you are local, KFT0001, have you ran around Infineon Raceway before?

 

[UofACATS]

my cooling system is in order

With the car passing that (torture) test in that heat, I think you'll be well off on the track. Your suspension seems fine, good actually, I see no need for changes before tracking it to see if/what changes are needed. I tracked my car stock with street tires with ground controls and konis, and had more fun than I thought possible. (the slightly oversized BFGs screamed for mercy all day, and chunked pretty badly But, the experience gave me an idea of what the car needed for my particular track.

The best thing you can do is get there. It will teach you more than any of us ever could. After every track day I have, I drive home with my mind racing about what mods the car needs next. And about what mods the driver needs too, but that's neither here nor there

My only real advice is I see no mention of a helmet (I'm sure you have one), and I like to set my factory boost gauge to coolant temp via dsmlink. It helps me keep an eye on actual temps.

Get ready for the addiction.

 

[schemauer]

A few things.

You don't mention brakes. You'll want a set of track pads; I'd suggest the Porterfield R4 or R4-E pad. Bleed the brakes well before going. Take along what you'll need to bleed the brakes at the track as well as an extra set of rotors and pads that you've bedded in before the event.

A bit more negative camber in the front would be helpful. I used to run my 2g on the street and track with -2.5 front and - 2.2 rear.

Turn the boost down to 12-15 psi at least until the car is sorted out and you are sure you have enough brakes and cooling to run faster.

I would install a catch can if you don't have one already. Depending on your engine and the track you are running the car will blow out a lot of oil each session. You'll want that in a catch can instead of pushing back through the intake. Check your fluids after each session.

Start with tire pressures at least ~40 front and 36 rear cold. Check them (hot) when you come in from a session.

 

[D_Eclipse9916]

A few things.

You don't mention brakes. You'll want a set of track pads; I'd suggest the Porterfield R4 or R4-E pad. Bleed the brakes well before going. Take along what you'll need to bleed the brakes at the track as well as an extra set of rotors and pads that you've bedded in before the event.

A bit more negative camber in the front would be helpful. I used to run my 2g on the street and track with -2.5 front and - 2.2 rear.

Turn the boost down to 12-15 psi at least until the car is sorted out and you are sure you have enough brakes and cooling to run faster.

I would install a catch can if you don't have one already. Depending on your engine and the track you are running the car will blow out a lot of oil each session. You'll want that in a catch can instead of pushing back through the intake. Check your fluids after each session.

Start with tire pressures at least ~40 front and 36 rear cold. Check them (hot) when you come in from a session.

Holy shit 40psi cold???????? I tried that coming from an autox the first time and didnt realize that by the end of my session my tires were aruond 50 psi. Bring em down,when they gt hot the pressure is gonna skyrocket.

Edit: my post sounded dumb, I come from an autox background and when the first time I road raced I set it that high and thats what happened.

 

[tsiboosted]

Holy shit 40psi cold???????? I tried that coming from an autox the first time and didnt realize that by the end of my session my tires were aruond 50 psi. Bring em down,when they gt hot the pressure is gonna skyrocket.

Yeah, 40 psi seems very high to me as well. Just to give you an example, I start with mine cold at 29 psi in the front and 27 psi in the rear. Now I am on R-Compound slicks, but even hot, my tires only go to around 37 PSI after 20 minutes on a track session. I believe that 40 psi is way too high for you. Just my $0.02, I dont have a lot of AutoX experience. That just seems pretty high cold pressure.

 

[Ludachris]

I've run with Trackmasters at Thunderhill. Pretty nice group. Make sure you run with an instructor at Infineon. Last time I did a TM event they didn't have enough instructors and I felt like I didn't get my money's worth.

Take turn 10 slower than you think you can.

I would run the tire manufacturer's suggested pressure and check it after the first run right when you get to the paddock.

Bring an extra set of brake pads - high performance at least, race pads are recommended. You'd be surprised at how quickly you can go through a set of pads when you're just starting out. Also bring some bottles of brake fluid to the track along with oil, coolant, water, and all the other fluids.

If you're only going to do a few track days a year or less run .8-1.0 degrees of negative camber in the front with stock settings in the back. It won't handle as well as if you ran more negative camber but you can run those settings on the street with less tire wear. I did it like that for a couple years.

Other than that and the other basics I'm sure you've read, have fun. That's a great track. You'll have a blast. Just take it slow and give a lot of point-by's and learn the track.

 

[KGB Pilot125]

What is your guys after race/track day procedures? When I ran shifter karts we would come back from a race wash,clean the kart check all the nuts and bolts, not too many on a kart compared to a car, inspect pads, discs drain all the gas, inspect the chain, gears, bearings, swap tires, pull apart the top end inspect the cylinder, replace ring and or piston depending on what was coming up, peel off any stickers that got ruined, apply new ones and make it look pretty again. and make a list of any parts that we were going to need for the next event. I have never road raced a car but it would seem especially on a DSM you owuld want to inspect brakes, wheel bearings, lube all zerks, check oil, radiator and hoses, all the boxes under the car, plugs perhaps, empty catch can of oil. anything else I am missing? I am hoping to make it out this year after a T-belt, all new fluids in the boxes, fix PS fluid and oil leak, brakes, and replacing every single lug nut and stud because 4 of them are broke or missing due to no anti-sieze and being way over torqued. cant even get the passneger side rear tire off due to the stud spinning in place, that means I cant the tire fixed so i cant even drive my car to get it E-tested so I can register the damn thing. UGHHHH stupid previous owners and their lack of torquing things.

 

[Zero Bar]

I remember the "Sahved door handles" question coming up in the last NASA meeting I attended and basically, "it's a no". They may let you run by some chance but NASA and SCCA I believe have rules prohibiting it on road courses but you will want to ask to be sure.

 

[Scrymerr]

To reply to a few of your comments:

I got a response from Doug at trackmasters, and he said the shaved handles are O.K.

As far as my brake system goes, I have Rotora BBK up front, and some semi-cheap pads in the rear (do not remember brand). I will contact Rotora and get some extra pads for front and rear.

I have a buddies motorcycle helmet. I believe it carries the necessary certifications, but will check.

I also have a large catch can from JM fab, however I am pretty dissapointed with its performance and will be replacing it as soon as I can.

I definately have a huge list of tools, supplies, and fluids I will be bringing with me as a first aid kit.

I will go ahead and just stick to manufacture recommended tire pressure, and will definately try to get an instructor to go with me my first time.

In the mean time, I will continue to prep the car. I will probably be safety wiring as many crucial fasteners that I can, or using lockplates if possible. I will also try to get as much information as I can on the car in its current standing: weight, height, etc. so I have a baseline with which I can compare any changes to.

Thanks for all the input, I will keep the thread updated as my preparations continue, and might even throw in some pictures later on.

 

[Slow old poop]

I remember the "Sahved door handles" question coming up in the last NASA meeting I attended and basically, "it's a no". They may let you run by some chance but NASA and SCCA I believe have rules prohibiting it on road courses but you will want to ask to be sure.

If they run "windows down," you should not have a problem with shaved door handles.

As for tire pressures, just start out with your normal autocross pressures and chalk the tires. Read the chalk after each session and adjust accordingly.

Buy a spare set of rotors at Autozone ($20 each) and bring them along.

Since this is the first time you've been on a road course, you are about to learn all about brakes. Hoo, boy! I recommend installing a brand new set of pads (I like Carbotechs) before the event. The last thing you want to do on your first track day is replace pads at the track.

 

[underradar92]

I have Rotora BBK up front, and some semi-cheap pads in the rear (do not remember brand). .

I don't know much about the Rotora kit but I'll just echo the peeps who recommended track pads. Get a full set (all 4 corners) of new race pads and a spare set for the front if there are a lot of sessions. Don't worry too much about wearing out the rears as the stock proportioning valve doesn't seem to send any fluid back there anyway.

Oh yeah, race pads don't like being cold and some brands gnaw at your rotors on the street. Porterfield R4's or R4E's are gentile in this way, I don't personally know if any others are. The P'fields are available for an amazing amount of stock and aftermarket calipers too.

The rest of your setup seems fine. The alignment will work fine also, it'd be a waste to change it without R compound tires. Have a good time!

 

[Scrymerr]

Well, not entirely related to the track preparations, but I weighed my car today: without driver, and a half tank of gas it weighed in at 3005lbs. Not too bad!

I will see what Rotora says about pads. They use Axxis pads, so I will most likely be going with those.

Other than that I am just waiting on a few little parts I need to wrap the car up. I still need to find time to get it back on the dyno though. Time is running out!

 

[schemauer]

I don't think the Axxi spads would be a good idea. You'll want a true track pad. Buy a set of the Porterfield R4 or R4-E pads for the front and use their R4S pad for the rears as you'll not generate enough heat with the stock proportioning to use the R4 or R4E in the rear. Or ask Rotora if they have a pad that matches the thermal characteristics of the Porterfield pad. Bring an extra front set.

Trust me, I've been doing this for almost 20 years - you'll want more than the factory suggested psi in the tires. With your camber settings on street tires you'll be rolling them over with anything less than 42 to 45 psi hot in front. Remember that R compound tires and a lot of camber are a whole different ballgame than your setup. On my light track car with -2.5 or more neg camber and R compound tires I'll run about 35 psi hot in the rear and 38 in the fronts. When I tracked my '95 GSX with -2.5 front and -2.1 rear I had to run much higher front pressures, even on R compound tires, much less street compounds.

 

[asian312]

My recommendation is lots of water, a good night's rest, and an open mind. A friend makes it all the better too. It's been a year or so since my first track weekend and a lot of good info here regarding preparation. I first tracked my GSX completely stock minus the recommendation of brake pads and set of RM sway bars. Believe me it wasn't the car lacking potential, but more like my bag of tricks being too small. I'm sure this is floating around the board some where, but I thought I'd throw this up on behalf of Rich

Here's a little something I put together a while back that you might find amusing. I used to give this to my students.

Tips for Taking Your Car on a Track

Here are a few things that will keep you out of trouble. This advisory is NOT meant to replace the advice of a professional instructor, nor will it show you how to drive your car. But it might help you understand what's going on with your car, and what the instructor is telling you.

BRAKES
Your car has terrific brakes. They will haul your car down from 120+ mph to a dead stop in a very short distance. Alas, they can do that only one time. Then they fade. Therefore, you must pay attention to your brakes before you come to the track, while you are on the track, and while you are resting between on-track sessions. Take care of your brakes and you can run all day.

Pre-Race Preparation
Before you come to the track, install a new set of brake pads in the front, and make sure you have good pads in the rear. The front brakes do almost all the work, and you very likely will wear out a set of stock pads in ONE TRACK DAY. In fact, I have seen el-cheapo brakes fade after three corners (!) at Road America. Therefore, install a set of premium brake pads in front. One good all-around street/track pad is the Porterfield R4S. Here's a checklist of what you should do to your brakes before coming to the track:

1. Install a new set of front pads. Bring the old pads along as spares.
2. Inspect the rear pads for wear, replace if necessary
3. Purge and replace the brake fluid with new fluid. Ford High Performance brake fluid is inexpensive and very good. Motul is the best.
4. Bleed the brakes all the way around, following the factory recommended procedure.

On-Track Braking
As noted, your brakes will stop the car, but they won't do it often. Therefore, you must practice good brake management while on the track, or your brakes won't last the day.

Keep this in mind: If you drive too hard, you will wear out your brakes prematurely. So, instead of trying to set new lap records with your basically stock car, concentrate on driving and braking so that your brakes will last all day or all weekend.

Your instructor will teach you the correct way to brake. What he or she will probably tell you to do is:

1. Apply the brakes FIRMLY for the shortest possible time. Get on, get off. Do not bounce the brakes off the ABS, and do not apply the brakes lightly. The problem is: If excessive heat builds up in the brakes, it cooks the fluid, bakes the pads, and warps the rotors. Therefore, a get on/get off technique applies the brakes quickly, yet minimizes the amount of heat build up. Your instructor can explain it in more detail.

Let me add further advice:

2. Do not apply the brakes at any speed over 100 mph. That seems to be the critical cutoff point for excessive wear. Yes, the car CAN stop from 120+, but you will use up your brakes doing it. It is far better to coast down to 100, and then apply the brakes. They will last much longer that way.

3. Brake Fade occurs when the pads heat up, and no longer stop the car. You can tell when fade happens because no matter how hard you hit the brakes, they will not stop the car. Cure: slow down and let the brakes cool off. They will recover quickly unless they are worn down to their backing plates. Note: If you experience fade, check your pad depth when the session is over. Fade is a very good indicator that your pads are worn down.

4. Boiled Fluid occurs when the brake fluid gets so hot it boils (well, the entrained water in the fluid boils, but the result is the same) and creates air bubbles in the fluid. When this happens, your brake pedal goes to the floor. Cure: Pump the brakes rapidly, and the pressure will return. You must bleed the brakes after the session to get the air out.

5. Do a Test Tap. When approaching your braking point, tap the brakes 100-200 yards before you get there, just to be sure the brakes are working.

6. Don't downshift to slow the car. You should always be in the proper gear, but don't use the gearbox to slow the car. Remember: $100 brake pads are much cheaper than a $3,500 transmission, and they do a much better job of stopping the car. Downshift while you are braking, but only to get into the correct gear.

6. Nothing fancy. Forget heel and toe, trail braking, and left foot braking until you have the experience and equipment for it. Instead, concentrate on braking properly:

• Brake in a straight line before the corner
• Complete all braking and downshifting BEFORE you turn in to the corner.
• Don't brake in the middle of a corner, and don't trail brake into it.

Braking in the Pits
When you get the checkered flag that ends the session, back off. From this point, until you reach your parking spot, you do not want to use your brakes at all. You want to cool them down as much as possible before parking the car. If the track gives you a "cool down lap," use it to cool the brakes. If they want you to get off the track immediately, find an area in the paddock where you can drive around to cool the brakes. Five minutes of cruising around should do it.

Now, approach your parking slot slowly. DO NOT APPLY THE BRAKES TO STOP THE CAR. If you do, you'll put a white-hot pad up against a red-hot rotor, and the two will mate there, create a hot spot, and warp the rotor. Instead, glide to a stop. If necessary, shut the motor off, release the clutch, and let it stop the car. After 10 minutes or so, roll the car forward a half turn of the wheel to put the pad over a different spot on the rotor.

If you experienced boiled fluid out on the track, you must bleed your brakes.
If your pads faded and did not recover, they are probably worn down to the metal, and must be replaced. We won't cover those procedures here. However, here are some tips for working on your brakes:

1. Bring a set of work gloves. Those brakes get hot.

2. Check your pad depth before every session. A flashlight and dental mirror are ideal. Depending on your wheel style and the space between spokes, you may be able to do this without removing the wheel. Remember, the lower the pad depth, the faster the pads will wear. They can go from 1/8 in. depth to NOTHING in less than one 20 minute on-track session.

3. Check your rotor for cracks. If you see anything deeper than little spidery cracks, check with an experienced driver or your instructor. When rotors get too thin, they crack and break.

4. Do not overtorque your wheel nuts. It's OK to see if they are loose, and tighten them up, but don't go round the car with a torque wrench after every session, or you may twist them off. Only torque your lug nuts when everything is cold, or when you swap wheels. (Racer's tip: Apply anti-seize to your wheel studs once a year, and you will eliminate most twisted studs).

TIRES
Watch your front tires carefully. Look for excessive wear on the outside shoulders. If you can see that the tires are wearing too much, you may want to swap them front to rear or side to side. If you have directional tires, you may be limited in what you can swap. But if you are not limited, try this:
First day after lunch: Swap front tires side to side
Second day, morning: Swap tires front to rear
Second day, after lunch: Swap front tires side to side


GOING OFF THE TRACK
When exploring the limits of your car's brakes, tires, suspension, and so on, you may find yourself going off the track occasionally. What do you do?

We can't cover every eventuality, but here are a few observations:

1. Don't be afraid of the grass. At most courses, the grass is smooth, and you can use it for a runoff. It's like driving on ice and snow out there so be careful, but in most cases there is nothing to hit.

2. Use the runoffs. That's why they are there.

3. Don't jerk the car around. If you put a wheel or two off the track, don't try to jerk the car back onto the pavement. Get the car under control, straighten it all out, and ease it back up on the pavement. Just like driving on ice.

4. Both feet in. If you find yourself in an unrecoverable slide in the grass or on the track, put both feet in – that is, push in the clutch and stand on the brakes. Push in the clutch so if your car starts going backward, it won't turn the engine in the wrong rotation. Slam on the brakes so that the tires no longer have any steering ability. In most cases, your car will continue in the direction you were going originally. Your instructor can explain in more detail, but it may prevent your car from suddenly leaping across the track.

TAKE CARE OF YOUR MECHANICALS
If your car is approaching 100,000 miles, you have several things to watch out for, because your car is getting to be "tired iron."

1. Overheating: Older cars have a nasty habit of overheating, especially when running high boost for 20 minutes at a time. Novice drivers often brake way too much for turns, enter too slowly, shift down to 2nd gear, and then accelerate like a rocket ship toward the next turn. If you see your temp gauge heading for the red zone, alter your driving by avoiding 1st and 2nd gears at all cost. On almost all tracks, you can run the whole thing in 3rd and 4th gear, so stay out of 2nd. Besides, running a high gear teaches you the proper line quickly, because it teaches you to preserve your momentum. Your instructor will explain.

2. Spinning bearings: Older engines have been spinning bearings in record numbers. Be certain that you are running fresh oil, and that it is full. You might even want to stick in an extra half-pint.

3. Avoid knock. You may want to run at stock boost to preserve your engine, run race gas (100+ octane) to prevent knock, install a data logger to monitor knock, or all of the above.

ONE LAST THING
If this is your first or second time on a road course, PLEASE do not try to impress the instructor or the assembled multitudes with your driving ability. If you have stock brakes, street tires, and no experience, the only way you can really impress us is to be extremely smooth, receptive to instruction, and continue to improve all day. Only a tiny percent of us are born race drivers. Most work up to it. Speed comes with seat time, instruction, experience, and better equipment. You are just starting down that road.

As one instructor told me, "Nothing you can do will impress me. I've ridden with the best. You may be able to scare me, though."

Try not to scare anybody. And – most important – have fun.

 

[Slow old poop]

I guess I did write that. Glad to see it helped somebody. Thanks Asian312.

Rich

 

[schemauer]

Rich - You are the man!!! That old post is great.

One other thing I'll add - which Rich mentioned....

Unless you're actually racing and trying to set lap times you'll save a lot of brakes by NOT trying to hit your top speed each lap on the longer straights. Let the engine breathe and save brakes by lifting at some point in the straight. Really there is no point going any faster and you'll save a lot of wear and tear on the car.

At Road America when I used to track my '95 GSX I would lift on the front straight a bit after cresting the hill, at about 110 mph. I could hit over 125 if I stayed in it, but the car ran much cooler and I had less brake fade doing it this way.

 

[Scrymerr]

Does anyone know the rough capacity of our brake systems (non-ABS)? I was looking at getting some of this fluid:

EXTREME PSI : Your #1 Source for In Stock Performance Parts - Motul RBF 600 Brake Fluid

I want to be able to get all of the old regular brake fluid out of the system, and the new stuff in without mixing. Advice?

 

[turbosax2]

Go to WalMart and get some cheap DOT 4 fluid. First, use the cheap stuff to completely flush the system. Then, use the good stuff and completely flush the system again. This helps ensure you get all of the old fluid out of the system.

2 bottles (total of 1L) should be enough to flush the system but get some an extra bottle or 2 so you have some spare fluid to carry with you.

 

[asian312]

I believe 2-3 bottles of Mutol is required to do a full flush (mine is an ABS equipped car).

When I flushed my fluid, RRE recommended running Valvoline Syntech through the lines before Motul. Mainly due to the price of Motul and the pretty high boiling point of Syntech. I've also used ATE which is nice because it comes in two different colors (blue and yellow). To flush, just keep cycling fluid until it changes colors.

 

[snowborder714]

I would also suggest looking into other brake fluids, depending on how hard/long you plan on running your car. I personally have Motul in my car now, but after reading this thread, am going to consider switching to Syntec or ATE Super Blue (which will definitely make it easy to make sure your fluid is drained as it's actually blue colored).

http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/road-course-autocross/283880-brake-cooling-ducts.html#post151412206

 

[Slow old poop]

If money is a problem, use Ford High Performance Brake Fluid, available at any Ford dealer. This is actually pretty good stuff, and it only costs about $5 a pint. It ain't Motul or ATE Blue, but it is an economical substitute. Compare the boilling points listed on the cans, and you'll see.

Its only drawback: once it boils. it's toast and needs to be replaced. It does not recover well.