WannaC5Z

I have only owned my 2001 Z06 for about two months and definitely know the rear end can break lose really quick. I've only had it on track once two weekends ago. The first few laps was to heat cycle a new set of Hoosiers on the front and the second set of laps was on the street tires just to get comfortable on track in the car. Neither time did I push the car past about six tenths, but I did push it on the skid pad just playing around. On racing slicks how concerned should I be with the rear breaking loose into a spin-out. I do rev match/heal-toe so I don't lug the rear on down shifts and have upgraded the gas pedal already. I have read the 2001 Zs have issues with the rear shocks transferring weight properly to the rear tires due to being so stiff. I do eventually plan to upgrade to 2004 rear shocks, but don't know when it will be. I have blown all my cash on an extra set of tires/wheels plus a few other small mods like front brakes. I ran my 1997 Cobra for six years on track and knew it very well. It was very predictable and I could even "slide" thru turns at ten tenths w/o losing control. But this LS6 motor has so much more torque than the Cobra. What do you guys recommend the first time I actually do get out there on slicks?

StreetSpeed

Have you had the car on track on anything other than slicks? I'm in the same boat as you - been doing events since 2006, started instructing in 2011, and just got my first RWD sports car last month (04 Z very tracked out). First event is in Pocono next weekend. But, I'm gonna tear up the Yokohama Advan Neovas that came on it, then spend the rest of the season on R888s or something similar before I switch to full slicks next year. Anyway, from my arm chair I woulda said start on something other than slicks and feel it out, but since I have no direct experience to share, I'll shut the hell up from here on out and let the experienced people chime in.

WannaC5Z

Yes I did my second set of laps on the street tires. But these OE Goodyear F1s seem like skates to me. They are not grippy at all. I know from the previous buyer that they are the second set and not the originals. But man either this car has incredible torque or the tires really suck. I had 315 Nitto drag radials on the back of my highly modded Cobra and it hooked great. I could control the rear end when it broke loose, but not this Z. Makes me question if it is the tires, the torque, or the 2001 rear shocks. Maybe a combo of the three???

fcarga

I think you are correct about a combo of all three with the tires first followed by the shocks and the torque really being the least of your problems. Also make sure to check your alignment, tire pressures and ride height, and then you may want to think about a square setup ie same size wheels/tires front and back.

fatbillybob

You have to have good feel and control on tires with lots of feedback first. The rule is streets to dot-R's to slicks. But you can have lame slicks that are worse than street tires if they are old or poorly choosen for the application. The higher you go toward slicks the more you need to know about tires and tire management being able to use a pyrometer and knowing what happens as ambient temps change and how your car responds as you beat the tires as examples. No put down intended but your question about spinning out sounds to me like you need more seat time to make a reasonable progression. If you don't bite off small chucks to develop, you will just be "surprised" like not knowing "why" you have spun when you have spun or drive so under the potential of the slicks keeping your car on the track that your laptimes will suffer greatly. This is just not an easy sport with simple answers.

theVcar

I've seen guys with 540rwp (wickedweasel) have no problem with spin outs. And the guy can drive. What is your current setup?

SouthernSon

The rear end should not be that loose. Find an alignment shop that will give you the proper alignment for the track. Forget tires and shocks, the car should first be made stable on all corners no matter what type tire you are running. The stickier rubber will only allow you to go faster not overcome stability.

fatbillybob

More oversteer than stock. ran T1 for a few years now SCCA T2 since the formula changed. Suspension is still spec T1 with square set-up and rear adjustable T1 swaybar all on dot-R's per class rules.

WannaC5Z

I have not spun out in this car. I do have a friend who owned a 2002 Z06 a couple years ago and was running in NASA-TX and spun his out once even on 2004 shocks. He is very good driver and typically won Hoosier tires every weekend he competed in time trials. I did get on the skid pad at the local sheriff's track on the stock tires and played a little. I was just surprised by how fast the rear end would break loose and spin me around 180 degrees when I hammered down. I have six years and many track days in my old Cobra. It felt like an extension of me as I came to know that car well. I do feel like a kid with a new pair of legs in the Vette. It is taking some adjustment after 9 years owning a Mustang with a solid axle.

1ED1

The first thing I would buy is a good seat. You can't learn to drive sliding around in the car and when the day is over your arms hurt from holding on.

WannaC5Z

Yeah I know. I slid around on my Cobra's leather seats for three years before finally buying some Corbaue's. However I am cashed out right now spending about $2k on tires, wheels, CAI and a few front brake pieces. Seats will have to wait until at least next year.

SouthernSon

The last three sets of tires for me have been Nitto 01's. They are great for HPDE's. They stay consistent throughout the day in hot temps. and handle heat cycling very well being consistent wknd to wknd. I have run 710's, A6's,R6's, 888's and several others but really like those Nitto 01's. You probably need to check your camber and put a little more 'toe in' in the rear. You might even undo one side of the rear stablilizer bar and try a session that way if you forget to redo alignment. Looking far down the track at all times and in all turns can't be stressed too much for keeping the car under control.

Supercharged111

I'd chalk it up to throttle control or old assed tires. Last weekend I ran last year's street tires on track, boy what a handful. Much worse than last year, but I kept it pointed the right direction with my right foot. Also, throttle response in a vette is not what it was in a cable throttle Cobra. Around halfway down, they get uber sensitive. I found that, since I'd forgotten my torso harness, resting my knee into the center console allowed my foot finer control over the throttle. Really helped me pedal out of some corners.

argonaut

I switched from a Mustang (albeit a 2005) to a Vette a few years ago. One of the first things I noted was the difference in feel. The Mustang tended to push at the limit where the Vette was looser. This immediately had an effect on driving confidence and it took a while to get comfortable with it.

A couple other notes: I'd say the Vette is sensitive to tuning. Switching tires, pressures, suspension alignment and roll stiffness all have a big effect. One thing I've observed is going out on streets one session and slicks the next notably changes the balance of my car. With streets it tends from neutral to tight, on slicks it tends to be loose. I've been known to change rear sway stiffness between sessions to compensate.

Final note - you say you were surprised on a skid pad how quick the rear came around. Did you by chance leave active handling turned on? I've noted on the skid pad I can't hold a power slide with AH on (duh) but turning it off and with a delicate touch the car is pretty easy to balance on throttle, much more so than my Stang ever was.

SouthernSon

I've noticed so many novices leave the AH on while getting up to speed and pushing the envelope. Turn it off when you get to the point that it is engaging on a regular basis. The only thing you are doing is upsetting the car with 'two' drivers. It does no good to learn how to drive the AH system. One should learn to drive the car, not the AH. Funny how people begin to realize how much fun and how much control they have over the car when they leave AH off for a couple of events. Now, a wet track might be a little different situation. One needs a lot of experience to be tuned in with the car in this situation.

WannaC5Z

Yeah the throttle is much more sensitive. Thanks for the comment.
Yeah even with all the suspension mods on my Cobra it still tended to push in tight corners. I had the Competitive Driving mode on, but not Traction Control.
I was thinking that I will use Competitive Driving mode until I get comfortable with pushing the car harder.

I appreciate everyone's comments. It is helping me understand these cars better.

brkntrxn

Shannon,

As you know, I switched to a Z06 several years ago from the 99 and 01 Cobras I used to own. The reason the Vette feels looser is because it is much better balanced versus the Mustangs. Neither my Cobras nor yours are able to reach a near 50/50 balance without massive amounts of work and weight movement like a Corvette has off the showroom floor.

When I first started running the Z06, I was all over the place and sliding it way more than the Cobra. It was fun up to the point I was killing tires. After I realized I was manhandling the car like I drove the Cobras, I had to consciously relearn how to drive the Vette. It was simply because the car does not push as much as the Mustangs.

The F1s, no matter how new, are crap on the track. Put some NT01s on it and relearn how to drive smoothly and you will have a blast. And go faster with less cost than your Cobra. Then step up to the purple crack pipe and start running Hoosiers!!!

WannaC5Z

Too late as I scored an awesome deal on a pair of new Continental Challenge Hoosiers on the Hoosier website. 275/40/17s for $191 each plus $15 shipping. Since I had driven for four years on used sets of these tires on theCobra I knew how reliable they are. I also got an used pair of Continental Hoosiers for the rear in 305/660/18. These are all mounted on an extra set of stock rims I collected on this site and ebay. There was no way I was going to get on a real road course with the stock F1s! I knew I would start pushing the car as I got more comfortable and be miserable attempting to keep the rear planted. I think you are spot on as far as the Cobra vs Vette comparison. I will just take it easy this year and spend my laps learning the car. I am hoping next year to do some NASA-TX events and maybe be competitive as I get more confident behind the wheel of this new beast. I can't imaging how C6 Z06 drivers must feel with 505hp pushing the tires!

acrace

Make sure that the car isn't lowered so much that its on bump stops. Also, as folks have mentioned, alignment is critical on these cars. Have the rear camber and toe checked. These cars are really sensitive to rear toe changes.

63Corvette

Nothin wrong with slicks, BUT.....I would recommend SCRUB slicks (from Forum vendor GT Racing tires) for anything other than actual races, where there is something at stake other than times. Scrub slicks are usually $50 to $100/tire, and mine are now three seasons old, but work well after you get some HEAT into them