Taking the Z to its first real track day

[Zedyone_kenobi]

I am taking my Z to a track day here hosted by the local Lotus club. Looking forward to finally letting her stretch her legs. I have bled all the brakes and slave cylinder. Installed new shoes in the drums and checked to be sure I have good pad left on front. The car is idling and running fine, pulls great, and is really in pretty darn fine shape.

I want to go push it a bit and see how she goes, but I was looking for any advice. I am an old school autocrosser, and have done that to death, but never any high speed track day stuff. This will be my first.

I will be filming it all with my new GoPro wide angled in car camera for your viewing entertainment.

Any advice to an autocrosser about taking his Z to a track where speeds will exceed what you see during an autocross. Hoping to do many of these type of events and the bang for my buck is far better than at an autocross.

[spitz17]

Goodluck!

Definately looking forward to seeing the video! Hope you can post it.

[cygnusx1]

Keep your eyes pointed where you want the car to go. Be smooth. Don't over shift; try to do it with as few gear changes as possible, and focus on corner speeds. Learn to watch the corner workers, wave at the flagmen so you learn to watch them. Glance at the gauges once or twice per lap. Drive within you and your cars limits.

POST THE VIDEO!!!!!! I think Vimeo.com will accept video right out of the GoPro cam.

Edited February 24, 2010 by cygnusx1

[jmortensen]

Here are a couple tips that seem somewhat intuitive, but if you really think about them and apply them you'll go faster.

1. The less you turn the wheel, the faster you can go.

2. You should turn the wheel ONCE to hit the apex, and then unwind it to hit the track out.

#1 seems so obvious, but if you pay attention you may find that you can get through a series of esses for example with almost no steering input. Also applies to track out. For me when I started it was uncomfortable to unwind the steering wheel after the apex as fast as the instructors were telling me to, but it helps you to put the power down earlier.

#2 is not an absolute, sometimes you have a double apex with a decreasing radius or increasing radius or something that requires two inputs, but if you can get through a turn or series of turns with only one real input on the wheel, that's USUALLY the fast way around, and if you find yourself steering once and then steering again, you're probably early apexing.

Hardest part about the big track is the straightaway speeds and learning when to brake. Watch the brake markers and use them or anything else, a bush, a fence, the red and white curbs on the side of the track, change in pavement color, etc as a guide for when to start braking.

[WingZr0]

Yeah, camera in front, microphone by the tailpipe . You get those triple carbs on yet, I know how you are about putting stickers on your paint so watch out for other cars if your sharing the track. We have no doubt you'll do fine, have FUN

[Zedyone_kenobi]

A bunch of good advice on how to drive the car, much appreciated. I am already with you. I have read countless books on solo racing, and track days, the benefits of late apexing, traction circles of the tires, minimizing weight transfer, keeping the wheel pointed straight as much as possible, etc. Techniques, I think I am pretty solid on. Braking from high speed is the great unknown. I will resist the urge to trail brake like I did in autocrossing. Will try to get all my braking done in a straight line. Not the fastest but easily controllable.

I was looking for car advice more. Tire pressure recommendations...does the 240Z have any funny handling characteristics, (snap over steer, bad understeer). Again, in an autocross things happen at a much lower speed. Track days the physics are a bit different. Momentum and kinetic energy are exponentially higher.

Is there a recommended car set up I can do at home other than the things like brakes, seat belts, etc.

Much appreciated though! The track day is march 13th, so I have time to make some car changes should I need to.

[jmortensen]

I was looking for car advice more. Tire pressure recommendations...does the 240Z have any funny handling characteristics, (snap over steer, bad understeer). Again, in an autocross things happen at a much lower speed. Track days the physics are a bit different. Momentum and kinetic energy are exponentially higher.

The turns are nowhere near as sharp as they are at an autox, so I think it all works out pretty well. If your car understeers, it will still understeer, but it probably won't be as big a deal because the turns aren't as sharp. It's not as though it would understeer at an autox and then you get to the big track and suddenly it's loose in every corner. I doubt that you'll be very surprised by the car's behavior, I wasn't.

One more tip though. If you go off, just go straight off (assuming that is safe and you aren't headed right at a corner workers' stand). Don't try to get back on the track at high speed. Just keep it going straight, slow down, then wait for the corner workers to tell you it's OK to get back on.

[Marty Rogan]

A bunch of good advice on how to drive the car, much appreciated. I am already with you. I have read countless books on solo racing, and track days, the benefits of late apexing, traction circles of the tires, minimizing weight transfer, keeping the wheel pointed straight as much as possible, etc. Techniques, I think I am pretty solid on. Braking from high speed is the great unknown. I will resist the urge to trail brake like I did in autocrossing. Will try to get all my braking done in a straight line. Not the fastest but easily controllable.

I was looking for car advice more. Tire pressure recommendations...does the 240Z have any funny handling characteristics, (snap over steer, bad understeer). Again, in an autocross things happen at a much lower speed. Track days the physics are a bit different. Momentum and kinetic energy are exponentially higher.

Is there a recommended car set up I can do at home other than the things like brakes, seat belts, etc.

Much appreciated though! The track day is march 13th, so I have time to make some car changes should I need to.

If you are worried about having enough brakes, you could switch to the Toyota 4x4 brakes and braided lines. That is a definite improvement. High boiling point brake fluid is also a good idea, but if you have fresh DOT 3, you should be ok.

Start out with the tires at about 32 lbs pressure. Most tires have a little ^ near the edge of the tread. Take a bottle of white liquid shoe polish with you place a white dot over the ^. When you come off the track, look at the dot and see how much of it is worn off. If the dot is worn away right up to the ^, then your tire pressure is probably pretty good. You want to see your tires rolling over right up to the ^.

Have fun, and like someone said, drive within yours and the cars limits. You don't want to wad up that pretty Z!

Marty

[Zedyone_kenobi]

Marty and Jon, THANKS, that is what I am talking about...good advice. I have used a similar technique in autocross with the tires, but I will try your idea Marty. If I have an off, it is good to know keep her straight. It sounds like common sense, but it was worth confirming.. those tidbits help guys, I sincerely appreciate it.

[gnosez]

And both feet in!

You will likely get an instructor for the day and his experience on this specific track is worth the admission price alone. Listen and try and do as he says. If you're not happy with your instructor ask for someone else (you're paying for all this).

Don't worry about how fast you are (or aren't) compared to other drivers but be very prepared to stop or go by someone doing something stupid.

Drive the line not the car in front of you and in particular don't attempt to drive the line a Miata or similar car takes into a corner. This is not a race.

Learn the track, be smooth and hit the apexes. Smooth is throttle, shifting, braking and steering all combined.

Next time out you can experiment.

Oh, and don't do what is a common novice mistake and down shift and let out the clutch too late in a turn (can you say 360?) or not match the tranny/engine speed and chirp the rear tires (can you say sideways?).

Look forward to seeing your vid. Be safe and have fun.

[d240zx2]

You WILL have fun, Stephen. That's an order!

If I didn't have to be in San Diego that week-end, I'd be running with you.

You've gotten a lot of REAL GOOD advice from the guys. The only thing I would suggest is to get a set of Hawk "Blue" pads. Street pads just will not perform at track speeds as the temps are well above anything the pads were designed for. I ran my first track event with street pads and they were smokin' half-way through the first session. Wouldn't stop so very well after that. So spend an extra $$ and get the pads. You'll thank me later.

Edited February 24, 2010 by d240zx2
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[jmortensen]

I haven't used Blues, but I have used Porterfield R4 pads, and they don't stop for $^!# on the street. They have to get warmed up to do anything. Just a warning. I would suggest that if you run a real racing pad you switch them out at the track, and then change them back before you drive home.

More good advice here:

http://forums.hybridz.org/index.php?/topic/62468-track-etiquette/