What kind of prep work is necessary before taking the Z to run for a few
hours on a road course? Also, what should be done afterward? Thanks.

 

Check out this post from the racing section.
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/zerothread?id=673766


[Modified by zipity, 8:14 AM 6/22/2004]

 

This will get you started... a post from Z06vette forum by David Pintaric who guotes
from the NASA site.

Getting Your Car Ready for HPDE

By Michael Quan

Now that you have signed up for the HPDE, you need to get your car ready. The first thing you should do is read the School Technical Inspection Information. While on line, you should also get a copy of the School Technical Inspection Form.

The ÔinformationÕ page will tell you where & how to get your car inspected. The ÔinspectionÕ form will tell you the minimum number of things you need to check before getting your car inspected at one of the approved tech locations.

Preparing Your Car for the Inspection
The technical requirements for the HPDE are just common sense checks to make sure your vehicle is in good, safe working order. It is important for you to check out your car before trying to get it inspected. You and the shop only want to do it once per event. Here I will go over the different categories of the technical form with some short explanations.

WHEELS & TIRES Ã? The wheels should be round without any dents or damage to the mounting surface. The tires should be in good condition. The tread should be above the wear bars. No cords or belts should show. Flat tires repaired with plugs should not be used as these could fail under the high stress of track conditions. Hubcaps or beauty rings should be removed. They can come off causing a dangerous situation for you & other students.

STEERING & SUSPENSION Ã? Check the wheel bearings by grabbing the tire & trying to move the wheel from side to side. There should not be any play or clunking sounds. The front wheels should move when you turn the steering wheel. There should not be any excess play.

ENGINE Ã? The engine should not have any leaks that will allow liquids to fall onto the track. These fluids will cause slippery conditions on the track. This includes radiator fluid (antifreeze) which is very slippery. The battery should be secured with two (2) bolts. The battery terminals should be covered to prevent any arcs in case of accidental contact.

BRAKES Ã? The brake system should be in good working order with no leaks in the system. The brake lines should not have any cracks. The brake fluid should be clear & at the maximum level. The pads should have plenty of life left in them, as the high speeds on the track will wear them out faster than the street. The brake lights should function properly.

SAFETY EQUIPMENT Ã? Seatbelts must be in good condition. Factory seatbelts are OK. Cars without fixed roofs are required to have roll bars. Natural fibers are recommended for clothing. Minimum allowable clothing is jeans, a T-shirt & closed toe shoes. You will be required to wear a helmet when on the track. The minimum rating is SNELL M85. Newer helmets with a SA rating are recommended. Eye protection is required (face shield, goggles, safety glasses). The more and better the safety equipment you have & use, the safer you will be.

MISCELLANEOUS Ã? There should be no exposed wires. The car should have a good gas cap that seals. The seats should be bolted in tightly.

At the Track
Now that you made it to the track there are still a few things to do. You will want to take out everything you can. Remove your spare tire & jack. Take out all the floor mats. Any more loose stuff in there? Take it out. Next apply some wax to a portion of your door or quarter panel. When it dries to a haze, leave it there. Take some racerÕs tape (colored duct tape) & put your ÒnumbersÓ on top of the waxed portion. Now wipe off the rest of the haze. When the end of the day comes, you will be able to remove your numbers without doing damage or leaving a residue on your paint. Clean your front & back windows with glass cleaner. There will be less glare & you will be able to see your reference points easier. Fasten any unused seatbelts. You donÕt want the buckles flying around. Apply some white shoe polish from the most outward tread block to around the shoulder of your tires. By checking the shoe polish after a run, you can tell if your tires are rolling over onto the sidewall. Most people need to increase the tire pressure from what they normally use on the street. How much will depend on your tires. When you come off the track after a run, use a block of wood to keep our car from rolling. DonÕt use the parking brake. That will trap the heat that could cause your rotors to warp. Keep the engine running for a couple of minutes with the hood up. This will allow your engine to cool down & help circulate the hot fluids.

Things to Bring

Here are a few things to bring that will help make your HPDE more enjoyable. The list can be changed to suit your region & climate/season. For the car: glass cleaner, wax, and a quart of oil, rags, white shoe polish (applicator bottle type), a battery operated air compressor, a tire gauge, a tarp to put all the stuff you took out on, and some basic tools. For you: a change of clothes, suntan lotion, drinks, a cooler, folding chairs, a shade canopy (Thunderhill in July), a camera, and friends to enjoy the driving with.

Another thread to read:
http://www.z06vette.com/forums/showt...nt+preparation


[Modified by Ranger, 8:32 AM 6/22/2004]

 

Great info guys, thanks!

 

Great post ranger... the bare minimum is:

1. Change your brake fluid to a better high temp one. I used Ford HD fluid as it's cheap and easily available. It has a 550 dry boiling point.

2. Make sure you have at least 1/2 brake pad life.

3. If you're running racing pads I'd carry a second set of rotors w/ me. I've cracked them before and would be SOL if I hadn't had a spare. You can look at your rotors for tiny heat checks (cracks) as they begin to grow toward the edges of the rotor you know they're about done for.

4. The C5's tranny orientation can lead to overheading after extended track time on hot days. You can always do a cool down lap, but I take extra precautions... I wrap my exhaust pipes w/ header wrap where it passes under the tranny and rear, I've yet to have a trans temp warning come on.

Have a blast

 

one thing not to forget is make sure that you keep yourself well hydrated and feeling good.

a few hours at the track on a hot day will make you feel pretty damn beat up.

sometimes it seems as if the car can take more abuse than me. it gets hot out there and the g's can kick your butt.

 

I guess a day at the track is a bit more complicated than I expected, but
nothing I can't handle. Thanks everyone!

 

Not really... the main weakness of the stock car is the brake fluid. All you really have to do is make sure your brakes are up the the task, change your fluids to fresh ones, and go have fun.

Personally I shift my car at 6000 rpms most of the time just to be nice to her. If I'm bothered by something like a Viper or Porshe TT I'll wind her out

 

I'd suggest upgrading your fluids as well.
As the forum AMSOIL dealer, I personally recommend the AMSOIL Synthetic SAE 5w30 for the engine, Synthetic ATF for the tranny, and Series 2000 75w90 for the diff.
Comparative Oil Test
AMSOIL vs Mobile 1 Oil Test

If you become a preferred customer ($10 for six months), you can buy AMSOIL products at wholesale, which is about 15-20% cheaper.
You can do this by calling 1-800-777-7094 and telling them dealer 1206638 referred you, or here:
AMSOIL Preferred Customer Program

You can see more about the mods my near stock SCCA T1 car has on my website: http://www.c66racing.com

 

Cobra4B,
I will wrap the exhaust pipes as you suggested. As for the brake fluid, do
I switch back to the stock fluid afterward? I'll definitely need to switch to
the high temp. one you suggested because it's hotter than a MF down here.
I don't think I'll be running non-stop for more than 1/2 hour at a time simply
because I don't know what the hell I'm doing yet. I'll be running the stock
brake pads for the duration of this first day at the track. I assume the pads
will still be okay afterward because I don't anticipate my driving skills will put
the car under too much stress. Thanks.

 

Subdriver,
Thanks for the info.... I'm a wannabe SCCA driver, but $ is in short supply
now. As for the fluids, I'll look into what AMSOIL has to offer. I want to run
my Z hard, and I want to take care of it too. I greatly appreciate yours and
everyone else's help.

 

No, you don't ever need to change back to worse fluid. You just need to bleed the brakes before every event to get them fresh. As long as the pads have good material left you'll be fine.

 

I agree. I switched to Motul RBF 600 shortly after buying my car as I did my first DE with it at the 1000 mile point. I haven't switched back yet. I did drive my car as a daily driver for about 18 months while I was on my last sea tour, before taking the SCCA T1 plunge when I got to Memphis for shore duty.
These fluids might not be as resistant to moisture absorption as a DOT 3 fluid, but I bled often so this wasn't an issue for me.