5 Liter Eater

I will be running at Texas World Speedway at the end of April in their Performance Driving School 2 day class.

http://www.texasworldspeedway.com/in...?action=school

This will be my first HPDE and I honestly don't know what to expect or how to prepare.

I had planned on putting on a new set of Hawk HPS or HP Plus pads and flushing the brake system with Valvoline synthetic DOT4 before the race.

My power steering cooler had to be omitted when the supercharger was installed and that fluid has less than 4000 miles on it as it was swapped out when the supercharger went in as well.

I'll suck the clutch fluid out of the reservoir and top it off before the event as I do ~monthly but with ~700 crank HP the pedal still stays on the floor when I flog it all the way through 3rd and 4th sometimes and I'm worried it will do the same on the track, particularly at the end of the straightaway.

My tires are BFG KDW's in stock coupe sizes. I need to measure the tread depth but I would estimate they have ~30% tread left. I'm worried that they will be beyond worn out by the end of the second day. I have plans to get a full set of Toyo R888's after the event but I'm hesitant to get them before the event as I don't want to eat up half their lifespan in one weekend.

Any feedback is welcome.

ErnieN85

First thing you need a power steering cooler. relocate it but get one or else you will be buying lots of pumps. change the fluid to redline also.
next. learn to stay away from full throttle. with a supercharger. you won't have enough cooling to go flat out. since your new you probably won't any how. brakes your ok justr remember the less you use them the faster you will be and two other thing less break wear less tire wear and cooler temps.
go have fun and remember there are no trophies

AlwaysInBoost

keep the car in 4th for the whole track and you will run cooler. you have SO much low end tq with the SC that there is no need to downshift for an HPDE... that will extend the life of your pedal. also will teach you how to carry more speed in the corners, but since its your first HPDE there will be other things to work on.

MungoZ06

See the sticky @ top on first timers.
It's referenced in this recent thread as well:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/auto...parations.html

5 Liter Eater

Drrrr...

MRIENG

Just signed up myself. Look me up while out at the track. Get your car teched at a competent shop. Somewhere that does prep on track cars.

Cheers
Steve

sperkins

I would recommend stop worrying about all those things and get out there and focus on the basics. You'll be amazed at how much you don't know and how hard you'll have to concentrate on the simple things like running the proper line consistently, brake points, throttle management with that much torque etc. I remember guys telling me the same thing, but I knew I could drive so I thought they were over exaggerating things. Boy was I wrong. My first couple of weekends were eye openening to say the least. After a year and a half I'm still a newbie, but I learn something EVERY SINGLE TIME I GO OUT ON THE TRACK and that's the important thing. Someday I hope to master this thing if I can afford to keep playing, but for now I'm ok with being a few seconds behind guys in comparable cars.
Trust me when I say at this point that your car is far better than you, so don't make the mistake that most of us do and start throwing parts on the car to make it better when it only hinders the learning curve. Not saying you shouldn't re-install a p/s cooler since that's something you really do need, but try to stay away from the mod-bug for track days for a while. I say ditch the R888 idea and stay on street tires for several events - you'll be suprised at how long they will last compared to track tires (and they're cheaper).

Here's a good article with some links at the bottom of the page that should be helpful. Be safe, learn a ton and have a blast!

http://www.nasaproracing.com/hpde/firstday.html

Gray Ghost GS

Stick with your street tires for now and learn car control. There is a lot to learn and like others have said already - the capabilities of your car far exceed yours (for now). Enjoy!

C6-CYa

Put high-temp brake and power steering fluid, make sure you have plenty of pad left, and go ***** to the wall. Keep an eye on your oil and water temps and you'll be fine.

If the sessions are around 15 - 20 minutes you have nothing to worry about.

bobmoore2

I agree with what he agrees with, plus what he said.

R-compound tires are more difficult to drive near the limit. Street tires send loud signals when they are nearing their limits. You shouldn't do anything to improve the performance of the car for at least a year, probably longer.

If you absolutely can't stop yourself from modding the car, then spend your money on things that make it safer (a race harness, a Very good helmet, a better seat, better brakes, brake ducts, etc.); or on things that make it more reliable/durable under the stress of track days (a PS cooler, an accusump, better engine cooling, brake ducts, etc.).

5 Liter Eater

The reason for the R888's was not actually for autocrossing. I had intended on getting at least a pair of R888's for the rear because I need something that can handle the power better on the street so I can actually use first and second gear. I was going to get some Kumhos for the front but decided to match the fronts to the rears.

Believe me I in no way think I am some super awesome race car driver. I know I have a lot to learn and probably couldn't drive one of the rental Miata's to it's potential nevermind my beast. I just want to try using my car for what it was intended for and have some fun doing it.

I've heard a lot of talk about brakes and fluids but not much about tires. No one sees a problem if my BFG's are ~30% tread?

sperkins

Tread isn't your problem - it's the age of the tire. As the tire ages, the repeated heat cycles cause the rubber to get hard and slippery.

yakisoba

Concur with getting a PS cooler. Also, look into reman pumps. Turn One makes a great one that won't burn up as easily as the stock one. It had a cooler for a reason.

Low RPM is your friend. It will keep your PS pump from hurting, keep your tires on the track, and keep the engine cool. You have plenty of torque! Also, staying in one gear will keep your clutch intact. I didn't see a clutch mod listed on your car. If it's stock, and you're pushing 700 HP, you might consider a heavier one for longevity.

5 Liter Eater

An ACT twin disk clutch is in my future.

Jim 47

Bill:

If you are anything like the typical "first timer" at a HPDE, you are expecting and worrying about all the wrong things.

I've instructed many first timers with super powerful Corvettes, and the results have been from a very cautious intelligent approach, in which the student NEVER uses the full power of the car and doesn't even come close to the adheasion limits of the street tires on the car; to a very agressive approach, in which the student will most likely crash his car into a barrier before the weedend is over.

The intelligent approach allows the student to focus on the fundementals of track driving such as proper line, proper entry speeds, apexes, trackout points, and proper use of the throttle, brakepoints and treshold braking, focusing on everything around you, listening to and following the advice of his instructor, and learning that your smoothness and proper vision (what you are looking at) is what will make you a good driver and thus bring down the lap times. You will quickly discover that there is a lot of stuff occuupying your mind while on the track, and if you focus on and learn each of the fundementals in proper order, you will become an accomplished track driver much quicker than the person who only wants to go fast, slide the car, and tell tall tales about smoking some dude.

Yes I've also had the displeasure of trying to instruct the "loose cannon" type of student who is more interested in braging about his top speed on the straight than the feel of executing a near perfect corner. The last fellow who found it difficult to listen, learn and be smooth on the track, destroyed his car during his 4th session and first day on the track.

If you decide to take the intelligent approach, you won't have to worry about your street tires with 30% fo the tread left. They will be fine and last the entire weekend, and probably a few more. Your power steering will likely NOT be a problem either in your first HPDE, but as others have suggested, a cooler is definately in your future if you continue with track driving and you get faster. It's really a shame that you have all that power. It just makes learning to be a good driver more difficult, and of course you are many track sessions away from being able to fully appreciate it, but to do so you're going to have to spent lots more money in improving the brakes, suspension, clutch, safety, and your driving skills. Be kind to your clutch and it also will be fine.

Hopefully you will draw an experienced instructor who will teach you the fundementals well. As someone suggested here, put in 4th and leave it there. You'll have plenty of power and torque to get trough and out of the corners, plenty of gear for the straights, and it eliminates the shifting which will allow you to focus your attention on braking, turnin points, apexes, and trackout points, and be lots easier on the clutch. Believe me, eliminating just one variable when you are learning track driving is a huge help to getting the other things right.

I've tried to address the "what to expect" you mentioned above, and now for the "how to prepare".

YOU are the most important element to prepare. On the track "you" will be in control of your car, but before you get to the track your brain is in control of your approach to learning, your Ego, your attitude toward others, your courteousness on the track, the responsibility you feel toward others, and your mechanical inputs to your car's controls. Read a good book on competition driving There are many, Skip Barber and Paul Frere come to mind. This should give you some insight and understanding of weight transfer and managing the balance and traction of your car on the track with the throttle, brakes and steering. Know what the flags mean. This is the only way the track authorities have to comunicate to you. Make your car as safe for you and your instructor as you can. Get a drawing of the track with elevation changes if possible, and mentally drive around it to get a feel of the track and so you'll know what's coming next when you do get on the track. Inspect your car thoroughly to assure it's track worthyness. Ther is lots of stuff around about how to get ready for a track event and what to take to the track with you.

I hope you find your first HPDE to be challenging, informative and tons of fun. On the track be sure to concentrate on the IMMEDIATE. Things are happening fast on the track, so if your mind isn't focused on whats coming at you and everything thats going on around you, you will be in danger of screwing up. Being mentally aware takes self discipline and concentration. Every one of us have these abilities, so use them.

Best Wishes in your first HPDE

Jim Helm

5 Liter Eater

Thanks for the extensive reply Jim. I'm sure I will fall into the very cautious category. I know my car is not set up well for a beginner autocrosser and I have visions of the *** end spinning out and totalling my car and thats the last thing I want to do. I've been drag racing for years and still consider myself a newbie at that and I'm sure twisty driving is exponentially more demanding.

I'll spend the rest of the month flushing the brakes, replacing the pads and re-installing/re-locating my power steering cooler and preparing my list of items to take with.

5 Liter Eater

I'm still having a hard time getting my brain around being able to leave it in 4th gear the whole time. Sounds like I'll be going a lot faster than I anticipated. The car has enough torque over 2500 RPM to climb up the RPM range so that shouldn't be a problem and will certanily negate the potential for a clutch pedal problem as well as driver error.

AlwaysInBoost

I've never been on TMS but I remember hearing its a fast track. 4th gear @ 2500 RPM is probably in the 40mph range, so its not that fast, however it does top out above 130 (atleast in the c5z) which is plenty fast.

Jim gave you a lot of good advice as did everyone else. If you're cautious, like you said, you will have a blast and drive your car home in one piece. I remember going thru the same things when I did my first HPDE in my procharged z06 last year and I had an awesome time! Just did my second one two weekends ago and it was 100x better then the first. One thing I did noticed about driving an FI vette on the road course is that its hard to get instructors to ride along with you even if you have your head screwed on straight...

JasonC

My wife and I were just there last weekend at the Ford SVT event. My third track day, and her first. My first time in the Vette.

I loved the Vette. I always thought that it didn't matter what car you were driving, as long as it was at the limit it would be fun. I'm not surprised that I was way faster and smoother in the Vette, but frankly I didn't expect it to be so much more fun than my "prepped" Fox Mustang...

My only disappointment was with the brakes. A week before the event I flushed the system with new fluid and installed Hawk HPS pads. I guess I thought my brakes were invincible at that point. Now I have no front pad left and a mushy pedal.

I'm thinking I'll do things a little different from now on:
--Instead of compromising, I'll have two sets of pads and rotors, one for track, and one for street. Hopefully the HP+ pads won't overheat and taper like mine did.
--I'll also use better fluid next time. ATE Super Blue (and its yellow counterpart) is supposed to be good bang for the buck.
--Take it easy on the straights. Everybody (esp. noobs like me) wants to know how fast they can go on the straights (because when you get home all your buddies want to know how fast you went), and squeezing that extra mph means braking much harder for a shorter distance and much more heat. I imagine limiting the speed to ~120 and braking easy off the straights would extend my pad life from ~4hrs to a year or more of track days. Of course you still *have* to go deep from time to time, just not every time. My goal lap time is 2:08, and my best so far is a 2:16. I guarantee none of the time I have to make up is under braking.

I ran the track in 4th. It definitely won't be a problem for you.

Every instructor I've had at TWS was very good.

The extra $25 for the "garage" (It's acutually just a covered area) space is money well spent. Especially if you have to do any work on the car.

After you register, you should get notification which direction they are running the track. Then hop on youtube and study the track. Try to memorize the track, and not everyone's lines because they're likely not perfect.

My youtube username is 426599ls1. By no means should you study my techniques, but it'll give you an idea of what to expect from the instructors, etc. My wife will also show you how not to drive into the carousel

longdaddy

for your first day, you don't need to do anything to your car. Your brakes, tires, fluids are going to be fine. as long as your car is mechanically sound, all you need is a good night's sleep before the event.