Quote:
Originally Posted by dphjr
Hey guys, I'm going to track night in New Jersey : http://www.tracknightinamerica.com/e...ersey-april-27
And I wanted to see if anyone had some tips on preparing for the track, as I've never participated in a track day before. My car is going into the shop monday for an oil change and software update, and I wanted to see if there was anything else they should inspect while it's there (alignment, rotation, etc.). I also heard increasing tire pressure is a good idea?
Also, any driving tips for when I'm on the track would be greatly appreciated. I'll have my goPro with me so I can take some cool videos hopefully! |
Just relax.
For things that you should be aware of, make sure to keep an eye on your tires, fluids, etc. You should torque the wheels after every time out (you'll need a torque wrench). Should be about 103 ft/lbs per nut.
If you haven't done this yet, you should put in some higher temp brake fluid. ATE 200 is fine, and it's not too expensive (about $15 a liter).
With respect to pads, if you are a beginner (I was when I got the car), the stock pads should be okay. You probably won't use the brakes too hard at first because you will be frightened (I was). That and the stock pads aren't
that bad. After a few track days, you may want to upgrade, though. Don't worry too much about this. If you start to smell your brakes (or experience pedal fade) just back off for a few corners and let them cool a bit. Scuderia Ferrari won't be in the stands looking for their next F1 driver.
The one bit of advice I would have re: driving for you is to watch your front tire wear. Without added camber, the car tends to push a little too much on corner entry and eats front tires. This is not helped by the fact that MPSS tend to have soft shoulders. You should be running around 38 psi hot in the front to prevent roll over. Higher if necessary (40 psi). Be prepared to trash your tires -- it will happen without more camber, which you can't get without modifications.
The other thing is that you need to be careful about the back end on the car. If you do not have a mechanical differential (MP Diff, Torsen, custom, etc.), the car will be a little dicey in the rear on high speed corners. I know this because I did about 10 days on track with the open diff. It's not a huge problem, just be aware that if the back steps out, it will be a little unpredictable.
Most important -- have fun! The car can take it (it is much more capable than people realize), so just relax.