i'm thinking about taking mine to the texas mile
Top End in a Convertible
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Joined: May 2008
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From: The High Mountains of North Texas
Out. Indeed, somebody on the forum said that when they tried to fold them in, when they got going fast enough they popped back out! Air pressure going around the side of the windshield, I suppose. That would make you jump.
Race Director
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From: Daytona Beach FL
I asked TMS about the roll bar, they said I didn't have to have it, the windshield frame counts. Indeed, I asked them twice, just to make sure. And other racing groups have given me the same answer, though certainly not all of them.
I've got someone lined up to do the roll bar, it's just the timing. Hopefully, end of September will be the time. I certainly don't want to go out there and do that again without one. And harnesses and arm restraints. Pucker factor got a bit high.
And it's Texas Driving Experience, at www.texasdrivingexperience.com.
I've got someone lined up to do the roll bar, it's just the timing. Hopefully, end of September will be the time. I certainly don't want to go out there and do that again without one. And harnesses and arm restraints. Pucker factor got a bit high.
And it's Texas Driving Experience, at www.texasdrivingexperience.com.
Is this your first time with them?
It sounds like you've got to go through their "Introduction to Road Racing" course before you can do the "Wild Roval" event.
So....If you're doing the Introduction to Road Racing, you'll be on the
"one-mile Infield Road Course for two heart-pounding sessions!"
If you've already done their Intro course and will be doing the "Wild Roval", I think your stock brakes will probably still be fine. Your instructor will probably be having you working on smoothness and consistency more than speed.
Bob
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From: The High Mountains of North Texas
Aha!!! I looked at their website and it sounds like it should be fun!!!
Is this your first time with them?
It sounds like you've got to go through their "Introduction to Road Racing" course before you can do the "Wild Roval" event.
So....If you're doing the Introduction to Road Racing, you'll be on the
If that's the case, to answer your question about racing brake pads in the AutoX/Roadrace section, you won't need them. On a one-mile road course your stock brake pads will be fine.
If you've already done their Intro course and will be doing the "Wild Roval", I think your stock brakes will probably still be fine. Your instructor will probably be having you working on smoothness and consistency more than speed.
Bob
Is this your first time with them?
It sounds like you've got to go through their "Introduction to Road Racing" course before you can do the "Wild Roval" event.
So....If you're doing the Introduction to Road Racing, you'll be on the
If that's the case, to answer your question about racing brake pads in the AutoX/Roadrace section, you won't need them. On a one-mile road course your stock brake pads will be fine.
If you've already done their Intro course and will be doing the "Wild Roval", I think your stock brakes will probably still be fine. Your instructor will probably be having you working on smoothness and consistency more than speed.
Bob
Tech Contributor
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Lee some of the boys and I are thinking very hard about trying this event locally in a month. Let me know if you are interested.
http://milemarker-1.com
With 450 rwhp and 4:10 gears I think I'm rev limited to 185 in 5th. I don't think I'll have room to get there in this venue...but it looks like fun!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,345
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From: Houston 06 C6 Ysi SC 402 fgd TX
I think they have a waiting list now for Texas mile. see my sig in 07 i went 167mph at the mile w 427hp
Last edited by drivinfast; Sep 3, 2009 at 12:52 AM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2008
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From: The High Mountains of North Texas
OP - great post!
Lee some of the boys and I are thinking very hard about trying this event locally in a month. Let me know if you are interested.
http://milemarker-1.com
With 450 rwhp and 4:10 gears I think I'm rev limited to 185 in 5th. I don't think I'll have room to get there in this venue...but it looks like fun!
Lee some of the boys and I are thinking very hard about trying this event locally in a month. Let me know if you are interested.
http://milemarker-1.com
With 450 rwhp and 4:10 gears I think I'm rev limited to 185 in 5th. I don't think I'll have room to get there in this venue...but it looks like fun!
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From: The High Mountains of North Texas
Yep, out there running by myself, either I'm really crafty, or really stupid. And I don't think I'd want to put that to a vote.
And, last weekend I visited a very out-of-the-way dry lake bed I was thinking about running on, a BLM suggestion. Niiiiiice.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Miami FL
2020 C6 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16,'17,'18-'19-'20-'21-'22
OP - great post!
Lee some of the boys and I are thinking very hard about trying this event locally in a month. Let me know if you are interested.
http://milemarker-1.com
With 450 rwhp and 4:10 gears I think I'm rev limited to 185 in 5th. I don't think I'll have room to get there in this venue...but it looks like fun!
Lee some of the boys and I are thinking very hard about trying this event locally in a month. Let me know if you are interested.
http://milemarker-1.com
With 450 rwhp and 4:10 gears I think I'm rev limited to 185 in 5th. I don't think I'll have room to get there in this venue...but it looks like fun!
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2007
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St. Jude Donor '08 thru '13
It's my understanding that the reason to boost the tire pressure is to withstand the higher downforce. In a stock convertible, it lifts at speed, and hence less. So no, I didn't load it up any more. If memory serves, it's typically only a pound or three more they want to add anyway.
What would have been more entertaining would have been to load them to max (44psi), to mimimize rolling friction, try to get more speed out of it that way. And I had brought the pump just for that. But after going fast a few times at normal pressure, and feeling how much it wanted to dance on every single bump, the idea of less traction just didn't do it for me. An extractor hood to yank that nose down will be a welcome addition at some point.
What would have been more entertaining would have been to load them to max (44psi), to mimimize rolling friction, try to get more speed out of it that way. And I had brought the pump just for that. But after going fast a few times at normal pressure, and feeling how much it wanted to dance on every single bump, the idea of less traction just didn't do it for me. An extractor hood to yank that nose down will be a welcome addition at some point.
Heat in sidewalls leads to sudden and complete tire failure. To reduce sidewall flex, manufacturers recommend that you run higher pressures at speed. Typically, over 150mph, you would add ~7.5psi to each tire to keep them within operating temperature range and safe.
So next time, check your tires carefully, and if you're so inclined, put another 7-8 psi in them- they are safer to run that way.
As for front end lift, the best way I've seen is run a very low front spoiler, to prevent air from going underneath the car. You'll see many cars at Bonneville and other high speed events with front air dams that are close to level with the salt.
My C6 is dead planted at 170. That's on pavement, tho. Salt looks
Have fun, most of all, be safe. Those speeds demand respect.
Le Mans Master
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From: Dallas Texas
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09-'10
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From: St. Louis, MO
St. Jude Donor '08
Hey Joe, I checked that out when it was first posted in SouthEast, but it looks like I would have to chop up my Vert to put in a roll bar - unless they, too, are willing to count the sturdy windshield header as a roll bar, and I lower the seat all the way down . . . . .
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2005
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From: Daytona Beach FL
.......As for front end lift, the best way I've seen is run a very low front spoiler, to prevent air from going underneath the car. You'll see many cars at Bonneville and other high speed events with front air dams that are close to level with the salt.
My C6 is dead planted at 170. That's on pavement, tho. Salt looks
Have fun, most of all, be safe. Those speeds demand respect.
My C6 is dead planted at 170. That's on pavement, tho. Salt looks
Have fun, most of all, be safe. Those speeds demand respect.
with the tire pressure recommendations and the aero issue.My car is a Z06, so it has a little different aero characteristics, and it's rock solid stable at 175 on the track.
I had an '05 coupe and slammed it. Typically when you lower the C6 you can get the front down as far as you need to on the stock bolts, but for the rear you usually need to cut the bushings or get aftermarket lowering bolts - I cut the rear bushings to get my rear lowered enough. This brings the car to a kind of level attitude.
The factory body height specs have a little bit of "rake" with the front a little lower than the rear - and I think that is done to create the proper aerodynamic loads and downforce to the car at high speed.
So....if you mess with the rake you may affect the aero stability of the car at high speed.
YMMV!
Bob
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Joined: May 2008
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From: The High Mountains of North Texas
Sort of. When a tire rotates, and the sidewall is on the bottom, it's flexed, due to the weight of the car (when there's downforce present or not). As the tire rotates, the sidewall flexes. This repeated flexing of the sidewall builds heat.
Heat in sidewalls leads to sudden and complete tire failure. To reduce sidewall flex, manufacturers recommend that you run higher pressures at speed. Typically, over 150mph, you would add ~7.5psi to each tire to keep them within operating temperature range and safe.
So next time, check your tires carefully, and if you're so inclined, put another 7-8 psi in them- they are safer to run that way.
As for front end lift, the best way I've seen is run a very low front spoiler, to prevent air from going underneath the car. You'll see many cars at Bonneville and other high speed events with front air dams that are close to level with the salt.
My C6 is dead planted at 170. That's on pavement, tho. Salt looks
Have fun, most of all, be safe. Those speeds demand respect.
Heat in sidewalls leads to sudden and complete tire failure. To reduce sidewall flex, manufacturers recommend that you run higher pressures at speed. Typically, over 150mph, you would add ~7.5psi to each tire to keep them within operating temperature range and safe.
So next time, check your tires carefully, and if you're so inclined, put another 7-8 psi in them- they are safer to run that way.
As for front end lift, the best way I've seen is run a very low front spoiler, to prevent air from going underneath the car. You'll see many cars at Bonneville and other high speed events with front air dams that are close to level with the salt.
My C6 is dead planted at 170. That's on pavement, tho. Salt looks
Have fun, most of all, be safe. Those speeds demand respect.
The problem with a front splitter/spoiler is it's a street car, I drive it daily, and it would get trashed in a hurry. An extractor hood overcomes the lift, adds extra cooling, lowers the CD. A bit of cost, though.
The salt WAS
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From: The High Mountains of North Texas
). In fact the thinner air just KILLS horsepower, a lot more than the aero benefit. There are some standard equations out there some quick googling will pull up that will allow one to back calculate the differences in horsepower from one elevation to another. Then all you need is a handy-dandy HP-to-speed equation, with a proper constant out front (which I could figure out now that I know the top speed), and you can calculate the speeds at the various altitudes, and you'll quickly see that lower altitude equals faster.Engineering degrees and a willingness to go get the necessary data can be SO useful.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 638
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From: The High Mountains of North Texas
with the tire pressure recommendations and the aero issue.My car is a Z06, so it has a little different aero characteristics, and it's rock solid stable at 175 on the track.
I had an '05 coupe and slammed it. Typically when you lower the C6 you can get the front down as far as you need to on the stock bolts, but for the rear you usually need to cut the bushings or get aftermarket lowering bolts - I cut the rear bushings to get my rear lowered enough. This brings the car to a kind of level attitude.
The factory body height specs have a little bit of "rake" with the front a little lower than the rear - and I think that is done to create the proper aerodynamic loads and downforce to the car at high speed.
So....if you mess with the rake you may affect the aero stability of the car at high speed.
YMMV!
Bob
