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Yes, great thread. I posted about my very first track day experience in a spec ford over here. My friend and I are now on the hunt for a decent E30 or Miata or something to use as a track car. We plan to split costs to keep it very affordable. It surprised me that the #1 recommended beginner track car, by a very wide margin, is the Miata. It's a convertible! You have to install a roll bar! And if you're anywhere near tall, you'll have a hard time meeting the stick test! But the Internet has spoken, so it's on our short list. There's only one raceway near Minneapolis (only one in Minnesota, in fact), which is Brainerd International. It's about a 2 hour drive from my apartment. The next nearest is probably Road America over in Wisconsin, which is about 6 hours away. Oh well, winter makes maintaining a track a nightmare, I bet. Can't wait to get started!
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Jun 16, 2012 14:03
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HPDE bright and early tomorrow morning at Brainerd International (7 AM + 2 hour drive = oogh). This is my second time on a track. The first time I drove one of their Spec Fords, and this time I'm taking up my '07 Z4 coupe. It is going to be cold, with a high of 61, and wet, with rain forecast in the morning and cloudy all day. Can't wait!
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Sep 7, 2012 00:04
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Well poo poo, that was an amazing day. Up at 4, 2 hours of driving, and finally on the track at 10. This was my first time having an instructor, and it really made a huge difference for me. I'm not yet good enough at heel-toeing to try it on the track, and I'm so used to revmatching on the street that it took an embarrassing amount of time to figure out how to slip the clutch on downshifts. My instructor allowed me to go solo after 3 sessions, and the 2 solo sessions I did went well. There was another guy in the beginner group who was driving a GT40. That thing was a blast to get passed by. There was a sixth session that day, but I was getting tired and decided I would rather skip it. I experienced understeer for the first time, as I apexed too early and too hot into a 90 degree turn. I was going relatively slow, but that really hammered home how easy it is to cause an accident. If you're coming into a turn at full speed and screw up the apex, that means something is going to have to give. So my big priority for next time (next year) is heel-toe shifting, because my shifts are still super awkward. I will also need to work on throttle control, as I was always flat-out out of corners, and the traction control was kicking in very often. 
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Sep 8, 2012 13:30
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No, I had Chris. Off the top of my head, I don't remember any instructors named Aaron being there yesterday.
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Sep 8, 2012 18:12
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Hog Obituary posted:Yeah, to be honest I'm too fickle to even commit to something. I've lost interest already. Are you interested in wheel-to-wheel racing and wrenching? You could check out ChumpCar. About a year ago I was in the same spot as you, looking for a cheap, fun car to wrench on and take to track days. I eventually gave up because everything in my price range was salvage titled or otherwise falling apart. ChumpCar's price limit is $500, not including safety equipment, so you basically want your car to be falling apart! Having 4-6 people really helps keep costs down, too. Each event is a 7-24 hour endurance race, and it's popular nation-wide. Perfect! I'm going to be volunteering to work corner stations this summer, and trying to get a team together this fall/winter to participate next year. Anyway, something to think about.
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Feb 16, 2013 15:36
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NitroSpazzz posted:If this is your first track day (assuming it is) then flush your brakes and have fun. You'll be running novice pace so you don't need race pads and can likely get by just fine with any FRESH off the shelf brake fluid. The stock pads on the GTI will work fine as long as they aren't worn down to a questionable level. While we're on the topic, any suggestions for a brake fluid pressure bleeder? I've done it by hand, but I remember reading a pressure bleeder goes a whole lot faster.
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Mar 5, 2013 19:25
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For a car that you track a couple times a year, but mostly drive on the street, is it common to just have two sets of pads and swap them out on track days? I've been looking at reviews for the pads you mentioned, and most seem to complain about the noise when street driving. There doesn't seem to be a good compromise that works for both track and street driving. Sounds like a bit of a chore to do every time you head to the track, but it also sounds worth the effort. e: I guess if you have a separate set of track wheels/tires as well, then it's less of a chore since you're in there anyway. Hmm...
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Mar 8, 2013 04:22
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DJ Commie posted:I'm considering writing a cheap/free little eBook in the future about how to make a durable, reliable, and fun crapcan racecar since we've been enormously successful with such small budgets and total lack of technical information about the car I use. Anyone interested in that? Are you kidding? Of course! Just get that poo poo finished before I get a ChumpCar team together 
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Mar 21, 2013 00:24
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Hmm, thinking about it more, some things I'd find particularly useful would be: How to design and fabricate a safe rollcage, or ensure a purchase is safe How to hook up a harness safely Seat advice How refueling during a race works, eg where is the fuel stored at the track and what to install on the car to safely and quickly refuel Gear for yourself advice (helmets, firesuits, shoes...) What to expect from the tech session How to prep the car for race day, including tweaks for a particular track How to prep yourself and your team for race day ... There's lots of stuff I'd love to learn more about 
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Mar 21, 2013 03:39
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Anyone here used Carbotech brakes? I bought a set of XP-8s for using a couple times a year at HPDEs. The official FAQ says you need to purchase new rotors to properly bed in and use the brakes. I'm wondering if that's mostly CYA BS or if it's worth the  . Reports on the Internet are conflicting, so I thought I'd turn to you trusty folks.
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May 10, 2013 03:04
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j3rkstore posted:I've been running Carbotech XP-10s for a few years now and always change out the rotors when I get new pads. In my opinion proper bedding is essential no matter what pad you run. How cheap are we talking? Seems OEM rotors for the Z4 are like $3-400 shipped, which is a whole lot more than I hoped.
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May 10, 2013 18:43
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Cool, thanks for the pointer. Most of the sites I checked out didn't have enough info to be sure I was getting something that fit, so I looked at their OEM prices. Rock Auto makes it pretty clear, though.
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May 10, 2013 19:04
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Anyone from the Minnesota area read this thread? I'm going to be at BIR for an HPDE on Monday, August 5. It'll be my second time on the track. Would be fun to see someone there!
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Jul 4, 2013 20:24
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Had an awesome HPDE up at BIR yesterday. My instructor had one other student, so I did my first session solo. Second session, the instructor basically told me he had nothing to say other than to continue refining my line and technique. I took it as a pretty major compliment. He was thrilled to see someone "my age" both driving a manual and heel-toeing. I ran solo for the rest of the day. I only had one fuckup, where I missed toeing the throttle on a downshift, but dropped the clutch anyway. Didn't like that one bit. An incident later in the day took one of my six 25-minute sessions, otherwise I drove all of the remaining five. It was a pretty lovely feeling standing near the pits, hearing the tires scream, followed by a pregnant half-second pause, then a "Bang!" from across the track. Driver walked, but I think his new-looking, bright green Mustang was totaled. That scared any thought of disabling traction control out of my mind for the rest of the day. Otherwise, there was a DB9 in the beginner (my) run group, which I actually managed to outrun in my Z4 3.0si. Someone in the intermediate group had an SLS AMG. The advanced group had a handful of race prepped Miatas and an E30, among other things. Really fun day! Probably my one-and-only for the year. Next year I'm hoping to prep a car for ChumpCar 2015. Edit: Couple photos in the Awesome Stuff thread ColdPie fucked around with this message at 18:12 on Aug 6, 2013 |
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Aug 6, 2013 16:25
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NitroSpazzz posted:BIR is a great track, did you run the competition/short course or the long? As for traction control I wouldn't bother disabling it until it starts to be a nuisance or you feel it kicking in and disrupting the balance of the car. The traction control on the newer BMW's is pretty decent and will let you play around a bit before it kicks in. All three times I've been up it's been the competition course. The mile long front straight of the long course both interests and scares me. NitroSpazzz posted:Instead of prepping a car for Chump ($$$) I'd see about renting a spot on an team for an event. I'll recommend Northloop Motorsports (http://northloopmotorsport.com/) because I'm good friends with the owner, they are running my old E30 and my Dad and I did our first Chump race with them. Well, I'm splitting costs on the car with a friend, and spreading it out over a year. That said, jumping in with that team once in 2014 seems like a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion.
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Sep 6, 2013 03:06
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Bring loads of water. I probably go through about 16 oz between each session, and that adds up after 6 sessions.
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Sep 28, 2013 21:32
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Just want to say, as someone probably getting new tires for a non-DD track/street car this year, I'm really getting a lot from this conversation.
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Jan 12, 2014 21:07
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I guess they stopped selling Super Blue in the US because DOT brake fluid must be clear or yellow or some nonsense. Good while it lasted.
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Mar 2, 2014 13:42
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smelly cabin filter posted:Dont they make a non blue version for the us though? Yeah, but you can't do the cool alternating colors trick. Sadi posted:Ive been told they sell blue in an "off road use only" can, but I haven't checked. Maybe at some local places, but they don't have it on Amazon at least. ColdPie fucked around with this message at 14:44 on Mar 2, 2014 |
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Mar 2, 2014 14:41
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I used the stock OEM street pads for my first HPDE on a moderately quick track and never felt fade and I'm still using those pads on the street a year later. You should be fine. Be mindful that your pads aren't super appropriate, and keep your sessions under a half hour, but I wouldn't let it affect your driving style unless it becomes a problem. Get decent pads for your next track day, though. E: You didn't ask for other advice, but I'm going to say this anyway. Bring fuckloads of water, or make sure the track provides water. I go through like a pint of water between each session, which adds up quick. ColdPie fucked around with this message at 13:21 on Mar 9, 2014 |
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Mar 9, 2014 13:17
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No more helmet rentals for me  Got a balaclava too, since I'll need that for ChumpCar. First track day is at the end of May.
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Apr 1, 2014 22:24
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NitroSpazzz posted:Good choice, I wish I would have bought a decent helmet instead of the cheap POS I am using. My Dad has that helmet at loves it. It's just the Bell Sport, nothing too fancy. I was going to try the M4 since it's lighter, but they were out of stock. I guess the shop got hammered with early season buyers, which isn't surprising. Yeah, keep me posted on those cars. We're still looking up here. Everything is an automatic.
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Apr 2, 2014 22:26
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I've got an HPDE coming up at the end of May with my Z4. This will be my fourth HPDE, and third with this car. I just called a reputable shop to schedule an alignment, and also asked them to do a tech inspection. I did this for a couple reasons. One, I haven't had an alignment for the car ever; I bought it in early 2012, so I have no idea where the alignment is at. Two, it was in a pretty bad accident while parked in March 2012, and I'd like another shop to double-check the repair work that was done back then, plus one of the track days requires a tech inspection anyway. And finally, I think I'd like a slightly more aggressive alignment for the 2-4 track days I expect to do this year and in the coming years. I expect the shop will be able to give me some advice specific to the car, but just so I'm not going in completely clueless, does anyone have broad advice for a mostly-street-but-also-track alignment? Based off this short page, I expect I'm looking around -1 or -2 degrees camber and 0 toe on all four corners. Does this sound about right? Anything else I should have them do for the suspension or inspection while they've got it? I'm doing oil, brake fluid, and coolant myself this month, and I've already got a set of track pads and rotors. Am I wasting my money on the alignment (around $150), and should just have them do the inspection (around $50 alone or free with the alignment)?
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May 7, 2014 22:06
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Crustashio posted:Make sure the shop knows about removing the alignment pins up front to get extra camber. Thanks for the suggestions. I found some suggestions online and passed those on to my mechanic, along with a general request to err towards street driving, since it gets more street time than track time. I just got it back from the shop. They pulled the pins and ended up dialing out the toe-in (down from 0.21° and 0.35°!), though the camber remained mostly unchanged. Final specs are: LF: -1.1° camber, 0.01° toe-in RF: -1.3° camber, 0.01° toe-in LR: -1.3° camber, 0.09° toe-in RR: -1.4° camber, 0.09° toe-in Driving home felt like the steering was lighter, and like it tracked with the grooves in the road less, less like it was trying to steer itself. Maybe that was just confirmation bias. So excited to finally head up to the track next Friday! ColdPie fucked around with this message at 22:21 on May 22, 2014 |
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May 22, 2014 22:19
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The competition course, but the schedule is pretty mixed. I've never been on the full course, they're always using the main straight for drags.
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May 23, 2014 00:20
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I'm not doing WRL. I'm just up that Friday for an HPDE in my Z4. Nitrospaz will be racing with you, though.
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May 23, 2014 03:17
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If anyone in the Minnesota area is bored next week, there's still openings for the Slowpokes track day at BIR next Thursday. $300 for 8 hours of open track time, and you've got the 4th off work anyway. This is my first time driving with a group that isn't BIR's HPDE program.
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Jun 26, 2014 23:59
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My Bell Sport, SA 2010, was $300 plus tax at a local retailer. Amazon has them for $280 if you're comfortable gambling on the fitment. E: Don't skimp on safety. ColdPie fucked around with this message at 15:40 on Jul 9, 2014 |
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Jul 9, 2014 15:32
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Some guy got out of his car during an HPDE I was at, right at the track-out after the 2nd fastest straight. I kinda expected the session to get red flagged (this was the beginner group), but it didn't. I bet he got a stern talking-to, though. Was pretty unnerving to see.
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Aug 11, 2014 13:53
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Some of the Sheep posted:I like the clown in the rear view at 13:20. What I've learned from iRacing is that if you find yourself suddenly catching up to the field very quickly, you've already hosed up.
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Oct 23, 2014 01:40
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I think you should strongly consider a day explicitly for newbies. A lot goes on on the track and the officials and other drivers will be far more forgiving of slow and "bad" driving than at an open track day. The day should be set up better for new drivers, including providing an instructor.
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Dec 9, 2014 12:43
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Cage posted:Oh I didn't mean ride in the car with you, Ive just never been to an actual track day and wanted to check it out from the sidelines before trying to take part in one. And yeah I live in Buffalo too thats why I brought it up you silly goon. It's good to have different run groups for different skill levels, but holy cow, 30 track days of experience to graduate? That must either be a very large or a very serious organization.
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Jan 8, 2015 01:58
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Signed up for my first track day of the year  Only three more months to wait.extreme_accordion posted:Anyone doing the ChumpCar event in April at Road America? I might volunteer in the pits if the weather is unusually warm. I volunteered back in 2013 and it was loving freezing and I didn't feel needed anyway.
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Feb 26, 2015 00:31
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If anyone else is in the Minnesota area, I'm going up to Brainerd for track days on May 4 and May 31. The 4th is an HPDE run by BIR, the 31st is a Slowpokes event. The friend I usually do track days with sold his car, so I'll be heading up by myself all this year. I'm shooting for six events this summer.Torn Quad Jones posted:I love my joes racing. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0040...i=AC_SY200_QL40 Yup, this thing's great and even has a pressure release button. Non-mobile link.
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Mar 8, 2015 22:47
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Laserface posted:Is it worth having a set of rotors to go with track pads? I think so. On my car, it's only an extra two bolts to swap the rotors out when I'm changing the pads anyway. Seems worth it.
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Apr 5, 2015 21:48
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I was up at BIR on Monday for my first HPDE of the year. First time running the long course, and set a new personal speed record somewhere north of 130 MPH. I'll be back up again for an open track day on the 31st. My instructor actually ran in the WRL race, too. One of the E36 teams, not sure which. Must've been a long weekend for him! Bumming Your Scene posted:Thank God I live 30 minutes from ACS. Man I hate getting up and driving to tracks. Out the door at 4 AM, 10 hours at the track, back home at 8
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May 6, 2015 22:44
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BlackMK4 posted:What is the go-to but reasonably priced tire gauge? This'n: http://www.amazon.com/Joes-Racing-32307-Pressure-Gauge/dp/B00404WDUC
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May 17, 2015 18:38
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At what point do you folks replace consumables? I looked at my track pads today after my latest session, and the thinnest pads (outboard front, all rears) are at about 1/4". Thin enough to replace? Also my rear tires are just reaching the wear bars, though the fronts have some more meat on them. Time to replace the full set, or would you do another track day on them still? E: Just priced out new XP-10s. More expensive than a track day
ColdPie fucked around with this message at 23:44 on Jun 14, 2015 |
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Jun 14, 2015 23:30
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Thanks for the info. My next track day is 8 hours of open track time, so I bought a new set of pads. I'll get new tires after this track day, then swap back to the old pads for some HPDE, which should be no more than 2 hours of track time.
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Jun 17, 2015 02:17
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| # ¿ Apr 27, 2024 23:50 |
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Orange paint adds 5 HP, right? Carbotech XP-10s, a step up from the XP-8s I was running. Track day this Thursday at BIR. 80 degrees and partly cloudy. Probably my last track day of the year, since I didn't think to budget for pads and tires earlier in the year. Live and learn. Maybe I'll do one more.
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Jul 1, 2015 01:08
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