If you catch the road racing bug, you should be aware that you will learn the limits of the car faster and become a better driver faster by staying on street tires until you start burning them up. The limits are lower, but the edge of the envelope is mmuch easier to read, and reading the edge is what you have to learn to advance. When you get to the point where you are chunking street tires or when you are within about 10 seconds of the lap record for cars in your class on r-compound tires, then you are ready for the sticky stuff.

But before this, you will invariably find that your brakes need air ducts, that your transmission and differential need oil coolers (n.e. heat exchangers).

 

GReat advice given above in these posts. Here is more. While road racing and resting the car between sessions, DO NOT USE YOUR PARKING BRAKE, as this can easily warp your rotors, etc.

I did my first road race event yesterday and had a blast and was told this by my instructor.

YOU WILL HAVE ALOT OF FUN and get use to the course b/f pushing it too hard!!!!

 

I'll be there. Look for #41 EB Z06. It'll be a blast (assuming we don't melt :lol: )

 

Will look for you.
I will be #309 2003 EB Z06.
Oil and filter changed.
Racing Blue brake fluid installed.
Lug nuts torqued.
They say my helmet will arrive Friday (nothing like waiting to the last minute).
Just about ready to GO!

 

:cheers: :cheers:

 

Post track beer and :party: :party:

 

Speed Ventures made another suggestion.
Bring wooden blocks to block the tires while in the pits.
Often want to leave the engine running in neutral in the pit for a cool down, but do not want to set the hand brake while the brakes are hot.
The wheel blocks keep the car from rolling away.

 

Did the Streets of Willowbrook Saturday with SpeedVentures. It was fantastic!
The car is unbelievably fast, yet it acts like you are driving off to work.
No overheating, no brake fade, not even any rattles.
The instructor had an old C3 race prepped with racing slicks, yet he was noticably faster in the Z06 even on the first lap.
He had not driven a Z06 yet and was very impressed.
I started out really slow -- everyone, even the Honda Civic, was passing me.
But by the end of the day I was passing everyone and lapping most.
I went so fast that I made myself car sick and couldn't do the last run of the day (I'll have to wear a patch next time).
There were 3 Z06's there: one was identical to mine and the other was a SCCA race car owned by the guy that owns SpeedVentures. It was really, really fast!
Lots of Honda 2000's, Z cars, a few BMW's and VW's. There was a Honda CRX that must have had something special in it, since he was passing everyone. There was a guy with a old Mustang 350 that was really doing very well.
Those Honda 2000's are pretty impressive! They corner effortlessly, but the guys really have to shift a lot and they rev so high they sound like a jet.
The Vette did well essentially in 2nd and 3rd gear most of the time. You can just barely get into 4th at the end of the longer straight away.
I ran about 50miles, used up 2/32" of tire tread, and consumed about 1/2 qt of oil.
I haven't pulled off the brake pads to measure the wear yet.
No dings, even though there were a lot of rocks.
There were about 100 cars. They ran 4 groups. Each group was on the track about 20 minutes in rotation. We ran from 8 - 1, lunch, then 2-5. The course is pretty safe. There is essentially nothing to hit if you run off course, and several people did run off course without any damage. They only allow passing on the 2 straights and only with permission. Most of the time the speed is about 50mph, and I could only get up to about 90 even on the longest straight.

 

Dam sounds like a pretty tight course.

 

Very tight, especially for a first timer!

 

Oct 8--The BIG track at Willow with OTR

 

Who is "OTR"?

 

http://www.opentrackracing.com (OTR)

 

Great thread. Congratulations on a fun time.

 

Last year a did a track day in Pahrump, Nevada (on my R1 motorcycle) the guy who owns that track had about 20 new Corvettes inside 2 tents, very nice track. Can't remember the name of it, some guy's name...
later

 

Its Spring Mtn. Raceway--owned by Rupert Bragg-Smith.School is now all Z06 cars.Twice a year he puts on a 2 day Corvette Only track day event.Next event is Sept.27-28 -Sold out but there is a waiting lst in case of cancellations

 

The track is called Mountain Springs and the 'guy' is named Rupert Bragg-Smith.

 

Bragg-Smith Advanced Driving School. http://www.bragg-smith.com
Done in ZO6's.
I am planning on taking this course early next year.
It has gotten very good reviews on this forum.