What's the Best Modification for a Track-Prepped Corvette?
11-26-2016, 09:41 AM
#21
Melting Slicks
Member Since: Jun 2005
Location: Rochester NY
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2018 C6 of Year Finalist
St. Jude Donor '10, '17
FWIW my first track car was a C6 Z06 and my first event was NCM at VIR. I'm proud to tell people that I am a product of the NCM HPDE program. The first year I tracked it stock, then off to Katech it went for a Street Attack conversion, then over time in evolved in to a fully caged Track Attack with an RHS block and 660 HP. Then I sold it and now I just track my C7 Z06.
There's no reason you can't learn to drive fast in a high HP car. You have to respect the car and I ran with AH in Comp mode for most of the time I owned that car. If I got sloppy the AH would kick in and not only save me but also highlight where I wasn't smooth. The systems are even better on the C7 where I can turn some of my best times in Track - Sport 1 without the system ever kicking in.
Sure a high HP can mask some bad habits and it's easier to find the limits in a car with lower limits but it doesn't mean it can't be done in a high HP car.
The other thing that I think helped me get off to a quick start was a lot of time on "simulators". In my case it was Forza motorosports with a decent force feedback wheel (this was before iRacing). While it's not the same thing as doing it for real I feel that it helped me get comfortable with basics like when to turn, how much to turn and what the car felt like when you gave it too much steering, and most importantly the effect that throttle and brake inputs had while turning. One of the hardest things to learn on track is how to react when you've gone over the edge. In a game with a decent physics model and some feedback you can just try it and if you get it wrong hit the reset button.
Above everything, be patient, be smooth, listen to your instructor (and never stop using an instructor), and get as much seat time as you can.
There's no reason you can't learn to drive fast in a high HP car. You have to respect the car and I ran with AH in Comp mode for most of the time I owned that car. If I got sloppy the AH would kick in and not only save me but also highlight where I wasn't smooth. The systems are even better on the C7 where I can turn some of my best times in Track - Sport 1 without the system ever kicking in.
Sure a high HP can mask some bad habits and it's easier to find the limits in a car with lower limits but it doesn't mean it can't be done in a high HP car.
The other thing that I think helped me get off to a quick start was a lot of time on "simulators". In my case it was Forza motorosports with a decent force feedback wheel (this was before iRacing). While it's not the same thing as doing it for real I feel that it helped me get comfortable with basics like when to turn, how much to turn and what the car felt like when you gave it too much steering, and most importantly the effect that throttle and brake inputs had while turning. One of the hardest things to learn on track is how to react when you've gone over the edge. In a game with a decent physics model and some feedback you can just try it and if you get it wrong hit the reset button.
Above everything, be patient, be smooth, listen to your instructor (and never stop using an instructor), and get as much seat time as you can.
