LeMans05C6

Well talk about not wanting to come back to work. Any track weekend is where i would like to be all week but it has to end at some point.

I got to out to MotorSport Ranch this weekend with "The Driver's Edge" Program here in Texas. We ran the original 1.7mi course Clockwise which is a bit of a change from the last two times i have done the 1.7 CCW and the 3.1CCW which incluse the 1.7 CCW.

It topped out to about 104* this weekend on both days so the heat was out about as high as i think my car will see for quite some time. My temps were in decent range and from what i had read before were well in line to be safe. My oil got up to 275 and the coolant saw 232 i think for a max. When i using 4th gear a bit more i could bring those down a smidge but in the afternoon for the 2nd off of each session those were the average temps. Never over that so I should be good with regards to those two at least.

I bought new street tires back in May after my last track day so I ran the Firestone Firehawk Wide Oval Indy 500s (non-run flats). Having never been on an R-compound and really having nothing else but my last session in May which were the Firestone WideOval runflats that were at the wear bars it not really an equal comparison. The tires have a 320 treadwear and on the highways they have been fine. Drove at 70mph in some heavy rain and no hydro planing at all cuts through the water fine. Even some standing water slows the car down some but the tire still cuts through.
On the Track these were just definitely street tires. I think i could feel that the sidewall wasn't as stiff as before. They were talking a lot to me. Now part of that could be my driving as well but I could feel the less stiff sidewall even on the highway at speed just doing some quick back and forths. For a street tire they are great on the highway but as usual anything with this high a treadwear rating isn't going to be optimal for the track. I have seen a couple people run the Hankooks and if I stick with street tires i may give those a shot. Nothing bad on these tires for normal driving, good control under most circumstances but the track isn't where they shine. I saw .96g in a 45* somewhat off camber turn so they were doing pretty well, but i can only imagine what R-compounds would be like.

I started the Saturday sessions out with an instructor and for the 4th and final Saturday run my instructor said i could go it alone. He had been giving me a little on track feedback but not much afterwardss. My first time out my intructor really was helpful we discussed a lot each time. I felt comfortable with the track this weekend and didn't mind the time to myself. In Sept when i go back for the 3.1 I want to ask for my old intructor and my buddy's as well who seems to know his stuff.

I also go a GoPro HD Hero and had it mounted just above the front windshield on the roof. I will post video once i get it on youtube or something so give me a couple days and I will get that up.

I was able to go back and watch the vide of my 3rd session on Sunday which was probably my best and i was running 1:33 to 1:35s consistently for 6 laps in there so thats was nice to see huge difference in times. There is plenty for me to work on with just skill and myself before tires and brakes pads increases my times, but there are things that I may change before going back out. I think my rotors can make it one more session but ill try and take some pics of them so you guys can comment on how close they are to cracking as well. MSR isn't too bad on brakes since there aren't any really long straights and my top speed was 105ish.

Well this is probably already way too long, but ill post pics and video links when i get them online.

andrewjhaley

Thanks for the detailed write up! Looking forward to the pictures and video.

yakisoba

You were going clockwise, so, lesee... Ricochet would have been uphill for you. That's a fun corner. The chicane bit is more fun going the other way, but I have definitely looped the car at the top of that hill. Big Bend is very fun going clockwise, and is a defining turn at that track. It's a very good course that turns into a really hard track in the rain. There's so much rubber down that it's very slick. Huge fun though.

Your rotors... If there are no cracks near the edge, you're doing good. The outside of the rotors seems to crack before the inside almost always, so you can see it pretty readily. Carry some spares. If you are still using the electronics, carry a rear spare too. Once you get back to the paddock, and get out of the car, roll it forward so that the hot pads don't sit against the rotor in the same spot for too long.

I say those things because you are about to start really braking hard. It's around blue that you discover how hard these cars can stop. Once you get into a harness and a decent seat, it's crazy how fast you can slow down. That leads to much higher brake temps and overslowing, but it's just a phase. Later on, brake use goes down again, as you learn that braking less but harder is faster, and you learn to come off of them more smoothly.

Glad you had a good time, and keep at it! Seat time is the best time.

63Corvette

Great post.................yep, it was HOT.....thanks for the writeup

LeMans05C6

Working on getting all the video home video this memory card then i just gotta find some software to crop the video into shorter lengths. Size shouldn't be a problem just need to get the file length shorter. I didn't get a lot of pics this time out but need to take a few pics of my rotors so you guys can check em out. From how you describe them they should be fine. I see the stress cracks around the drilled holes but nothing connecting yet or near the edges so should be okay for at least one more. Sept is the 3.1mi course so I plan on doing that one for sure.

rag1998

Nice writeup..yup it was a VERY HOT DAY, after around 20 mins of running my temps were reaching around 280's on oil & 235's on water & my brain was getting cooked , though I am running with all controls OFF my ABS kicked in a few times towards the end of session as I was braking hard to get them stick(time for brake cooling I guess), tires got pretty greasy towards the end of second day as I ran two sessions(yellow, blue) consecutively & had to slow down a bit early to get the car to cool-down..

Lost the weights on my wheels during the first lap of my second day(it was that hot I guess that they lost their adhesive & flew off) missed a few sessions in the morning getting that fixed .

All in all a great weekend & it was nice meeting a bunch of highly talented & very friendly people..

Looking forward to SEPT, hope it wont be this hot..

yakisoba

You will want to foil tape your weights down to keep them on the wheels. The adhesive isn't going to hold in this sort of heat.

rag1998

PST did that after they got them fixed

The Spark

I was there too. I was sweating like crazy - even with a cool shirt.

I am running Dewitts aluminum radiator and DRM oil cooler. Coolant might have gotten to 215* and oil to 243*. I took the a/c condensor out since this will be a track only car. I was pushing it pretty hard but shifting at 5,000 rpm.

I was running on some older Hoosier R6s and didn't have too much trouble.

My 3rd session on Sunday was in Yellow and then went out in Red/Instructor group for 4th session to get check ride to move up to Red. So I didn't get much cool down between sessions. Temps stayed about where they normally ran. Tires did start going away a little. Brakes were good. I'm running StopTechs and Hawk DTC70 pads.

rag1998

I ran yellow in 3rd session on sunday to get a check ride for yellow (my first session for that day, due to tire weight problems), which car was yours? How did your check ride go?

Might be time for me to invest in some Brake Cooling ducts, mine were good for the first few laps but would slowly degrade(didn't bite that much), running carbotech XP10, XP8 on stock rotors, ATE blue & Stoptech SS lines, should be the heat..

LeMans05C6

More video to come these are just the first ones i got uploaded.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdpACNMFk3I - Session 6 Part 1 G37 M3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43ngBiYEIpA - Session 6 Part 2 G37 M3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-h7jo_HNnfo - Session 2 Part 1 with off track.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDeeGATezjY - Session 2 Part 2

VetteDrmr

Nice vids. I see you have the same problem I have with finding the right line going through wagon wheel clockwise. CCW flows very naturally, CW definitely has some challenges.

I've got some planning to do, but I hope to get registered for the 3.1 event this September. Woo Hoo!

Have a good one,
Mike

LeMans05C6

Yea my only two other HPDEs were going CCW. Did the 1.7 and the 3.1. I felt i had a better overall line going CCW.

Wagon Wheel coming into Rattlesnake is interesting. I saw it taken different ways and was told to take it a different way as well. That would just take some more practice really focusing on that turn.

My braking isn't nearly as late as it could be, it was 104 out there so I didn't want to find out what its like to not have brakes, but that is something i need to work on is knowning how well this Vette can brake. I am running the Hawk HP+ pads right now and they feel like a pretty good combo with my street tires. If i went to R-compounds i think a stronger biting pad would be a good switch as well, but for now if i can improve my skill with the HP+ and street tires then equipment upgrades will only be a bonus.