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First time at the track

RangerMan

By RangerMan
in Motorsports

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RangerMan Experienced

RangerMan

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I took my car to the track last weekend. 8 sessions at 20 mins each on a 1.7mile road course. Was my first time at the track.

 

The first day was pretty slow, but I started to pick up speed as I figured out my line. My friend/instructor (he's been racing wheel to wheel for last 5 years) knew I was nervous and that was why I was holding back and braking early. So when no one was even CLOSE to being behind me (there were only 7 cars on the track at this point) in one of the straights he had me just STAND on the brakes to prove to me that the car had a ton of brake and would stop.

 

Hawk HPS + ATE Super Blue + ABS+ Kumho Ecsta SPT = car feels like it wants to endo, but is controllable :-) That combo worked out very well for the entire weekend!

 

Second day I was quite a bit more comfortable with the car and also had some great instructors. Last 2 sessions I really applied what I learned, was breaking 100 in the straights because I was able to carry a lot more speed through the corners. I was also running faster overall because I was braking a LOT later going into the corners, had picked out faster lines and was getting on the gas sooner.

 

I knew that I had a good line when the car practically want to drive itself.

 

The Legacy on street tires was very predictable and with ABS and AWD it was very forgiving.

 

All of my instructors were impressed with the car and said that they would consider one as a daily driver. This was coming from wheel to wheel guys (camaro/mustang race cars that the slow guys in the group were turning lap times 1sec faster with only 230hp/300lb-ft than some of the time trial cars out there that were making 400-500hp...these guys knew how to drive!)

 

In all the track day was great. Here's what I took away from it.

 

Most important: GOOD INSTRUCTION!!!! That can't be stressed enough, I had some of the best guys instructing me because my racer buddy was friends with them. There was a few other 1st timers there that had poor instruction, didn't ever really get comfortable in their cars, never really had a good line pointed out, etc. and they didn't look to be having a lot of fun.

 

2nd: Good tires, brake pads and brake fluid are nice to have. My last couple of sessions I was driving the car pretty hard, ABS would come on, you could smell the brakes and I never had any issues with brake fade. I was impressed for what was essentially a 4000lb. car at this point (me, instructor, half tank of gas and the portly Legacy).

 

Finally: You get a real sense of accomplishment when you are carrying more speed through a purpose built 2000lb. little race car (Lotus 7 replica) because you had the fast line and they didn't. I had my foot to the floor through the corner and was at about 105 before I had to brake hard for the next corner.

 

I have a newfound respect for the LGT.

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RangerMan Experienced

RangerMan

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Sounds like you had a great time. Which track was it? What did it cost you? Are you hooked now?

 

MSR in Cresson, TX set up a 1.7mile config with NASA as the even organizer.

 

http://www.motorsportranch.com/1.7-road-course.cfm

 

A full weekend admission for 8 sessions was $280

I got a hotel (I'll camp next time) was $120

Fuel was about $75

Food was about $25

 

So $500 for the weekend. Next time I go I will camp so that saves $120. A full weekend event also just wears you out, I was completely exhausted on the drive home. That was 8 20min track sessions or almost 3 hours on the track! Compare that to Autocross where you get 4 runs at 1minute each...

 

Next time I go I will probably go up the night before, camp and just do 1 day and it would work out to be a little less than $250. A 2 day weekend while camping would cost under $400.

 

Other costs like brakes and tires also factor in, but the Kumhos held up well (thank you ABS!), the sidewalls were NOT rolling over so I didn't get any strange wear pattern and I will have a better idea on the brakes tonight when I change the oil, rotate the tires and bleed the brakes.

 

I didn't really take any pictures, you aren't very close to the track so I just have a couple of paddock pictures. I'll post a couple when I get home today.

 

I hung out with the CMC racers the whole weekend, they were very friendly and had a lot of knowledge to share. Seriously, I NEVER would have thought a live axle American V8 pony car with only 230WHP would go around a track faster than 911s, Corvettes, Evos, STis, 350Zs all making more power. So when they talked, I listened.

 

Finally...am I hooked? I am looking at buying a dedicated track car!!!

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RangerMan Experienced

RangerMan

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what kind of times did you turn on this track?

 

I have no idea how I was doing, I didn't have a transponder in my car.

 

For comparison though:

 

Fastest Qualifying CMC Camaro 1:23.5 (he was rocking)

Friends CMC Firebird 1:26.2

Friends 350AWHP EVO 1:26:4

Friend that bought a Mustang GT (completely gutted, just a race seat, underweight, stock suspension) to make into CMC racecar on Toyos 1:31

 

The dude in the Mustang GT would lap me every time we went out, last session I held him off a bit longer but he still lapped me near the end (about 10-11 laps) so maybe I was turning a 1:45? I really don't know so that is just a wild guess. Hard to say, I was really concentrating on hitting my line, etc. and never even counted how many laps I got in...

 

I should have put a transponder in though, turns out most insurance companies don't cover you. Wording on most all policies now includes the exclusion of "use of vehicle on a racetrack or area designed for high performance driving".

 

any ideas on what you want for your track car??

 

Yeah, I am looking to get a Miata. Cheap, light, brakes and tires will last a long time.

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RochNY91TSI Proficient

RochNY91TSI

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I went out for my first time two years ago at Watkin's Glen. I've been itching to get out again since, it's such a fun time! Definitely more fun for me than auto-x too (especially since you get some much more seat time for your dollar)
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RangerMan Experienced

RangerMan

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I will preface by saying I am NOT a NASCAR fan...but I LOVE to watch the race at the Glen. I've been there a few times for the non-NASCAR (aka cheaper) events and just love that track.

 

Hmm...I am probably coming up to Buffalo over the summer...maybe I'll borrow my father-in-law's Corvette :-)

 

My CMC buddy wants me to get some STI BBS take-offs, R-compound tires and have a set of Carbotech XP10s to swap onto my car at track days.

 

As sweet as that would be, I kind of draw the line at how far I want to push my LGT. Now...if you ask me that question in 5 years when the car is 8 years old and you might get a different story.

 

Hence Miata. Plus, Austin, TX gets 300 days of sunshine a year so fun for the weekend.

 

I finished my post track day maint. yesterday.

-Rotated the tires and they were still in pretty good shape.

-Bled out the brakes just to get what was in the lines/calipers out of there and it didn't look too dirty, but hard to tell with the ATE super blue.

-The pads still had a lot of life left, but I wasn't pushing the car that hard.

 

Seems to be a great setup for a novice section, but if I run this car in the faster groups I will want to do what my friend said and get some other wheels/tires and swap in some more aggressive pads for track days.

 

In reality I would end up doing that with the Miata too, so not really a huge deal.

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