miracle_whip4130

Hi all,

I recently acquired a bone stock C5 Z06 and want to do my first HPDE with it soon. Right now I'm just making sure the maintenance is all up to date, especially with the brakes. Anyway, I saw that Palm Beach International Raceway (http://www.racepbir.com/) is close to me (I'm on the east coast of Florida) and will be hosting a HPDE on 1/4/15 and was considering going. I was wondering if anyone else has attended an event here and has any feedback, as I haven't found much info on the track. I did find some scathing reviews of PBIR from some people in the kart community from a couple years ago, so I'm a bit weary. Also, the track looks a little weak, but I was hoping this might be a nice first event before I make the haul to Sebring or Homestead.

andy3101

Pm me and I can tell you about the track. I have driven it a handful of times over the past several years. (Hpde with a stock c5z, a c6z modded and my last time out was in a stock e90 m3)

It's a good starting track. One long back straight, not a lot of run off area so keeping your self in check is key there. Laps are around 90 seconds give or take depending on your car and tires. I would say it's s pretty enjoyable track (especially if you are conveniently located close to it)

miracle_whip4130

Thank you, PM sent! Anyone else?

Solofast

The first time I drove PBIR was in 1968, at a time trial..

In the drivers meeting they gave a handout... At the very top in big bold letters was the statement...

THIS IS NOT A PARKING LOT GYMKHANA!!!! ANYONE LEAVING THE TRACK AT PBIR WILL BE IN SERIOUS DIFFICULTY!!!!

It's changed and improved a lot since when it was basically dredged out of the swamp,,, But some things never change....

rfn026

Not my favorite. I really don't like pit exit. We have so many good choices here is Florida. I prefer Homestead or Sebring.

The pits at PBIR really suck. They're dirt. At Homestead we get a garage with water and air.

All that being said it isn't a terrible track it's just that we have better tracks in our area.

Richard Newton
Historic Racing Images

JDIllon

It is an OK track. A lot of decreasing radius turns. So I find it tends to be hard on brakes and hard on tires. I have run there since they change to the new design track and the pits are paved!! I prefer Sebring or Homestead, but it is OK and close. JD

Iconic

I drove PBIR this past April with Performance Driving Group and had a blast. I then drove Sebring a few days later, and reflecting back on driving both tracks, I think I had more fun at PBIR. I say go for it. Then do Daytona, Sebring and Homestead.

You Florida guys have it good down there, 4 tracks and 12 months to play. Up here in Wis we have one of the best in the country with Road America, but as I type this the track is currently snow covered lol.

bosco022

I agree with Jim, not a bad track, but there are better options in FL.

Plenty good to get some experience and have some high speed thrills. We use the same gearing as Sebring 12 hour course so the top speed for us is 150 plus in a LS powered GTA car or our LS6 tube frame Corvette.

sgsvette

The road course was re-done a few years back and is not the same as the old Moroso track. It's 40' wide and still 2.25 miles long with 12 turns. The pits are on the skid pad, so no dirt and although there are no garages yet, it does have a nice huge tent with a/c where breakfast and lunch are served (at least with PDG). Every turn is different, so it tends to be good for learning. Can't go wrong by trying it out and making up your own mind as to liking it or not. We go there every month. Check it out at Performance Driving Group dot com.

JDIllon

Great group to run with, lots of fun and lots of track time and a great lunch. Give it a try. JD

FAUEE

PBIR is a fun track, if not the most technical or world class facility. It's a nice little circuit, and the back stretch is pretty long so if you want to go fast, it's a great track to get some serious speed - 140mph is easily attainable.

It's got some fun turns to it, and (as you would expect) absolutely zero elevation change. It's not a super technical track, so if you're a beginner to track driving you've got a great place to learn.

It's not a resort style track by any means. The food there is a little greasy grill (which is actually quite delicious when you've been on track all day). There are no shaded garages. Your staging/hang out area is a parking lot and a grassy area if you get there too late.

I think it's a great track, especially for learning. It's not as hard on you or your car as Sebring, and it's WAY cheaper than Daytona.

miracle_whip4130

Thanks for the responses, guys. I have decided that I will go out to PBIR with performance driving group on 1/17, since everyone speaks highly of the group and that date fits my schedule a little better anyway.

Now I've just got to get the car prepped.....

FAUEE

First thing you should do is flush your brake fluid. Totally flush it with some good fluids.

miracle_whip4130

Yup! Already ordered some Castrol SRF, braided brake lines, and speed bleeders. Probably ordering track pads this weekend.

FAUEE

If it's your first track day, I wouldn't waste my time with any of that. Just get some new decent fluid in it. I (and many others) run Valvoline Synthetic DOT3/4 fluid - it works well, it's cheap, and readily available. If you get anywhere near getting the fluid to fail in your first HPDE, you're probably going to get thrown out.

Stainless steel brake lines aren't a bad idea, but certainly aren't going to really make any difference. If the car is in good shape, and around 10 years old now, I'd say the brake lines are probably fine. I upgraded all the lines on my '92 to stainless steel braided, but it had seen some age, and I had a brake fluid failure in it on my first day out with it (thought I had new fluid, very much did not).

As far as pads go, I think you're fine with the stock pads. You may wear them out faster than pads that are more focused on performance, but if you're trying out HPDE, I wouldn't worry about that. For all you know you may try it once and never do it again. It takes a certain kind of crazy to mess up and have one of those pucker moments and decide to go out and do it again. If you just need new pads, The Stoptech Street pads are a good mix, they work well as a street pad and will hold up to use on the track (though they're obviously not a full race pad), and they're fairly priced too.

The main things I would focus on are reliability and safety. make sure all the fluids are fresh and clean, and don't bother doing upgrades to things. Upgrading things like brakes, tires, etc. in a Corvette will get you used to just having that extra hand of god to save you. That's why I bought my C4, my C6GS just had so much performance that even when I messed up, it corrected and covered it for me. And when the car is covering for you, you're not learning. And that's the whole point of an HPDE, to learn car control and about your car.

miracle_whip4130

Thanks for the advice. I'm aware that those parts are overkill for my first track day with the car. I decided to go with new brake lines and top of the line fluid just to (hopefully) rule out any potential issues with the brake hydraulics, given that they're ~13 years old. New pads are because the PO of my car had ceramic low dust pads installed and I don't trust those on the track. I decided that I'd rather just go with separate street and track set-ups for pads since they're easy to change out and this won't be my last track day with the car, and the car is also my DD. I'm also working on changing all the other fluids in the car before the track day. I definitely know where you're coming from though and know that the abilities of the car in stock form are greater than my own.

FAUEE

Keep in mind, most track pads are not compatible with street pads. So it's not just swapping pads, you also have to swap rotors. Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of.

I agree on the ceramic pads, get those off before you try to hit the track, ceramic pads are known to flat out fail, rather than just degrade in performance when they get too hot.

The SRF fluid is great because it doesn't absorb moisture, so in theory it should last longer between flushes. I find it safer overall to just change out fluid more frequently.

The biggest things to remember about track days are to have fun, and check your ego at the door. Oh and that insurance doesn't cover anything that happens on track.

rfn026

you're falling into the big $ pit. Your stock Corvette is just fine for track days. Just get all of the routine maintenance items taken care of and drive it.

When it's all said and done at the end of the year you will have spent roughly $1,000 a day. If you start to modify your car that number goes up considerably.

Keep in mind that you're not racing. What the point of buying go fast parts? There's no one to beat. Spend you money on hotels, entry fees and food. Just run more track events.

Here's an article I did a while back about track days.

Richard Newton
Historic Race Cars

miracle_whip4130

That's the idea. I'm replacing all fluids. I'm also replacing the brake pads because the ceramic brake pads may fail during track use and I'm not taking that risk. If they were the stock pads that would be one thing, but they're not. I'm looking at replacing them with the Raybestos ST43 pads because I hear they last multiple track events. I'm also replacing the brake lines because they're old, which you even suggested in your link. Other than that the car is 100% stock down to the paper air filter, and I intend to keep it that way.

StKnoWhere

Henry and PDG will take good care of you, great group to track with