I am curious if there is anyone who takes their vette out for some hot lapping/ open track/ road racing with an automatic transmission. I know autos are great for drag racing, and wonderful for relaxed street driving. Are there any drawbacks on a road course? I know road race cars are "supposed" to have manual transmissions. But, I want to hear some experiences and driving techniques for auto cars. Is it dangerous? Does it ever shift unexpectedly right when you are on the edge in a corner? Are there modified automatics that are better for road racing, like maybe a manual, or semi-manual valve body setup?

It seems like it could really simplify things. Getting in the right gear is a bit tricky with a manual sometimes. Especially if you are new to a track. You would have one less thing to concentrate on while going around the track. I usually get out to the track a couple times a year with my "other" cars. It wouldn't be a competitive road racer. Still looking for that perfect C4 vette that can do it all.

 

My only competative experience with the A4 is on the drag strip.

You might also post in the Autocross and Roadracing forum here, I bet some of the guys there run A4s.

 

On deserted, yet public roads, I keep it in second. Can reach over 80 mph yet get really good engine braking.

When I have the opportunity I go for 3rd and can top 100.

But that's on public twisties!

Can't run it on a LEGAL track, I don't have a roll bar!

jack

 

Jack's got the right idea, holding it in 2nd (and third it necessarry) will let you concentrate on the other aspects of driving.

Now, that said, you should REALLY consider evaluating the health of your tranny. Track running isn't hard, but SHIFTING is. My C4 doesn't have a tranny temp sensor, but my C5 does. The C5 complained of tranny fluid overtemp about 10 to 15 minutes into a track session when I shifted it a bunch. It stopped doing that when i just left the tranny in second. I could do that with the LS1 (2nd gear's good for 20-94 mph), you can't really do that with the L98.

But ignorance was bliss. ;) I pummled that tranny for a good 30,000 miles before I decided to have it rebuit (I did't fail, I just figured it was time).

 

Is there a secret to driving an automatic in this type of driving????

Sure like to know!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!

thanks...

the rago.......


:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

 

I had my 700-R4 beafed up and went with a higher stall torque converter, a larger clutch pack, and a shift kit. I ran a 3.73 rear end and a big trans cooler.
I did lots of road race track work with the car and the transmission lived for almost 2 years.
The major problem is HEAT. The torque converter transforms power into heat whenever you accelerate, and also whenever you decelerate. Even with synthetic trans fluid and a big cooler, I saw temperatures reaching 345 degrees, not too hot for synthetic fluid, but much too hot for the O rings in the transmission.
If you plan to drive your automatic trans vette on a road course I suggest that you leave it in Drive (not overdrive) and just drive the track. You will have to be a little careful comming out of corners (that the car does not do an abrupt downshift), but be smooth and you will be just fine.

:seeya :seeya :seeya :seeya :seeya

 

Good info guys. The track near my house (Second Creek if you are from the Denver area) is a pretty tight course. But on the front straight, I can hit almost 90 mph in a 100 hp Audi that doesn't handle that great. I would think a vette could go 110 or more down that stretch?? Anyway, 3rd gear would be needed.

Would a tighter torque converter create less heat? I thought the "slipping" of a loose converter created alot of heat. Sounds like the key is a "huge" tranny cooler. I never realized road racing created so much heat and was so hard on the trans fluid. Very interesting. The sessions on the track are usually 20 minutes. If I were to drive the entire 20 minute session non-stop, I would be pretty exhausted. Sounds like it would be pretty hard on the trans fluid too. I usually only last 10 minutes, then take a short break, pick up a passenger, change drivers, then go back out for another 7-8 minutes. That might help the trans temps stay in check. But who wants to baby the car too much. The 100 hp audi can go all day long without a needle moving up past halfway. It doesn't have enough power or weight to really even overpower the brakes in a session. Its just painfully slow though. I would assume a manual trans vette could have this kind of durability too. Auto transmissions sure are nice for all around street/canyon/drag cars, would be nice if you could use one on the road course too.

-Ken

 

Hey Ken! I've spent a BUNCH of time (and tires and brake pads) at Second Creek! (In two automatic vettes, no less.)

Drop me an email (michael at millerville.cc) we've got a local group of folks that pretty cool.

I'd arrange a trackday, but I've got twins being born in less than two months, one vette is sans-tranny, and both of 'em are on vacation status for some unknown period of time.

BTW, If you're keeping your C4 near stock, it's much easier on your tranny and brakes. I put 30,000 hard miles on the tranny, have know idea what it's service life was like before I bought it, and at 110,000 miles, when I did the rebuild, it wasn't really in that bad shape. (ran great except for a lazy downshift from 2nd to 4th)

Likewise, the brakes never gave me problems...and got much better when I upgraded the pads (Performance Friction Z pads...work great, dust isn't too bad, squeak like mad in stop n go traffic), but when I changed the brake hoses to braided ones, I now have to bleed the brakes halfway through a track day.

 

Can't answer for high speed events, but low speed autocross I keep mine in 2nd.

Works great, but you have to watch for the WOT downshift to first. This depends on the layout of the track. My club rents a 3/8 mile oval and sets up the cones on it. Took me a little while to figure out when to nail the accelerator out of turn 4 so it didn't downshift on a nasty bump in the track.

I'll find out next year on track events.