Advice needed: first time on track with my C2S

[Hamad]

Friends,

I'm taking my car to the track this Friday for the first time :D

Did all necessary 'race' checks at dealer (changed break fluid and coolant pump (they found some leak there and was changed under warranty)). Now I'm all set and waiting B)

Any advice? tips? how to operate the sport chrono timer? are very much appreciated!

I will post pics after the event :thumbup:

Thanks,

Hamad

[phillipj]

Good luck on your track day Hamad...What track are you going to? Is there a shortened road course on the F1 curcuit?

Sorry I can't give any advice accept you may want to tape up your front bumper, headlights and hood to prvent damage from rubber etc...

Have fun!!!!

:cheers:

[mkaraoglan]

i'd spend a good night reading your manual as far as chrono goes.

i tried to figure it out a few hours before track say and didnt get beyond learning how to reset the timer on dash every other round.

it's a pretty complicated piece of equipemnt.

only other advice is:

don't lift

don't brake in corners

slow in-fast out

and...the car is more capable than most people's abilities.

i would also enable the sports settings but DON"t disable the traction control!!!!!!!!!!!

check your tire pressure throughout the day and as you run more and they warm up you might want to let out air.

Have fun!

marc

Friends,

I'm taking my car to the track this Friday for the first time :D

Did all necessary 'race' checks at dealer (changed break fluid and coolant pump (they found some leak there and was changed under warranty)). Now I'm all set and waiting B)

Any advice? tips? how to operate the sport chrono timer? are very much appreciated!

I will post pics after the event :thumbup:

Thanks,

Hamad

[PAULSPEED]

Should of got the dealer to verify your setup. They

can put shims in the lower a-arms for a track setup.

They can get a little more camber and a little bit helps alot.

Forget the sports corono and get someone to time you. Wait to

the last hour

before playing with the corono.

Have fun!!!

Paul

[Hamad]

Philip - usually its the entire F1 track but even the inner track is not bad (i'd rather go for the F1 track though).

http://www.bahraingp.com/en/circuits/grandprixtrack

I am worried about the rubber damage to the front of the car and will be looking at options to protect it today. maybe leave some wax on it?? or use cheap window tenting film?

Paul - I never knew about this but I shall ask afterwords (will have to go change breaks).

marc - what do you mean dont lift?

Thank you all for the advice!

Edited December 17, 2009 by Hamad

[Hamad]

$10 quick solution. thick layer of colored wax B)

[number9ine]

Get yourself a good helmet, Snell rated. Don't worry about lap timing, switches, stalks, etc. unless your instructor tells you to. You will have an instructor, right? :)

Check your tire pressures on arrival, after every run. DON'T let out air as mkaraoglan advises, otherwise you'll lower the minimum cold pressure and your car will be unpredictable in the turns. The tires are designed to run at the hot pressure. Invest in a torque wrench or bring the one you have and check your lugs after every run. On the straights, glance down at your gauges and check water/oil temp and idiot lights for any signs of trouble. If it's a driving school or driver education event: watch your mirrors and be ready to give point-bys, and be patient with others in your rungroup if you're ready to pass. Before every run, check your brakes with a good firm push in the pit lane before entering the track.

IT'S NOT A RACE (well, unless it is, and I REALLY hope it's not your first time out!)! Concentrate on being smooth, "slow in fast out" like mkaraoglan suggests. Turn on your Sport or PASM button for flat cornering, or the car tends to hop a bit under lateral load (mine does anyway). Don't turn off your traction control, that's the button that F1 drivers press for 10/10ths driving, or Jeremy Clarkson presses to shred tires. You should be doing neither of those.

Tire squibbles come off with a wash, or a bit of compound at worst. a little low-tack masking tape around sensitive areas will do, but I dig your wax idea.

PAULSPEED is a track veteran, and many of his breed like some extra camber. My advice to those modding their car is: wait until you can outdrive it before you try and improve it. If you really want to improve your car's performance from the start, spend your money on track-rated brake pads. They'll resist fade and wear much less than the stock pads, the only trade-off is noise. Brake pad changes can be done in a parking lot with a lug wrench, jack and 20 minutes of your time. It's very easy.

"Don't lift" means that you should never come off your throttle abruptly in a turn. If you do, you'll have an off-track experience. And if that happens, don't panic! Let the car go in the direction it wants to go and get off the throttle. If you get more than a wheel off where I drive it's customary to be flagged, so be ready to explain how it happened and why it won't happen again.

Have an awesome time! We look forward to your pics.

Mark

Edited December 17, 2009 by number9ine

[Hamad]

Get yourself a good helmet, Snell rated. Don't worry about lap timing, switches, stalks, etc. unless your instructor tells you to. You will have an instructor, right? :)

Check your tire pressures on arrival, after every run. DON'T let out air as mkaraoglan advises, otherwise you'll lower the minimum cold pressure and your car will be unpredictable in the turns. The tires are designed to run at the hot pressure. Invest in a torque wrench or bring the one you have and check your lugs after every run. On the straights, glance down at your gauges and check water/oil temp and idiot lights for any signs of trouble. If it's a driving school or driver education event: watch your mirrors and be ready to give point-bys, and be patient with others in your rungroup if you're ready to pass. Before every run, check your brakes with a good firm push in the pit lane before entering the track.

IT'S NOT A RACE (well, unless it is, and I REALLY hope it's not your first time out!)! Concentrate on being smooth, "slow in fast out" like mkaraoglan suggests. Turn on your Sport or PASM button for flat cornering, or the car tends to hop a bit under lateral load (mine does anyway). Don't turn off your traction control, that's the button that F1 drivers press for 10/10ths driving, or Jeremy Clarkson presses to shred tires. You should be doing neither of those.

Tire squibbles come off with a wash, or a bit of compound at worst. a little low-tack masking tape around sensitive areas will do, but I dig your wax idea.

PAULSPEED is a track veteran, and many of his breed like some extra camber. My advice to those modding their car is: wait until you can outdrive it before you try and improve it. If you really want to improve your car's performance from the start, spend your money on track-rated brake pads. They'll resist fade and wear much less than the stock pads, the only trade-off is noise. Brake pad changes can be done in a parking lot with a lug wrench, jack and 20 minutes of your time. It's very easy.

"Don't lift" means that you should never come off your throttle abruptly in a turn. If you do, you'll have an off-track experience. And if that happens, don't panic! Let the car go in the direction it wants to go and get off the throttle. If you get more than a wheel off where I drive it's customary to be flagged, so be ready to explain how it happened and why it won't happen again.

Have an awesome time! We look forward to your pics.

Mark

Mark,

Thank you so much for an awesome advice! I really appreciate it!

Yes, there will be an instructor, who should take me for a couple of rides (once him driving and then me driving), then ill be by myself. I was hoping to use the crono for the first time :) its been there and I used to time my business visits only!

It's an open track day not a race so your advice is very valid. I have filled my tires with hydrogen (which according to some posts here better than air). I will make sure I keep checking the pressure after each run.

Im still new to this so I will leave the modding for next time, if any! :)

I will post pics as soon as possible.

Thanks again!

Hamad

Edited December 17, 2009 by Hamad

[Hamad]

Guys,

It rained heavily in the morning on Friday and my session was due to start at 1pm. I was worried they will cancel the whole thing but luckily it didn't rain after 9am which meant we had a dust-free track all afternoon :D

I had so much fun and it turned out that you don't have to be a 'pro' to enjoy these things! Everybody was at same level nearly and those who were good were very helpful in giving tips and even supportive in the track (been patient around corners if you know what I mean :)). I wasn't slow compared to others thanks to my car :rolleyes:

I have to say I never knew what this car is capable of till I had those 2 full hours of very high RPM (30min each, is that bad for the car???). I did around 200km in those 2 hours, max speed of 225km on a straight of 1.1km, and used a tank full of fuel!! The car was on sports mode all the time B)

Anyway, there were no problems in my car (except the clutch pedal getting stuck half way couple of times which never happened after leaving the track?! and some rock chips in the front (the wax idea wasn't as good as it should be)). There was a guy in a 996 GT3 who had a leak in his radiator and a Saleen which had one lap and broke down!!!! I'm glad I wasn't in their place!

Thank you Mark, Philip, Paul, and Marc for your advice! here are some pics from my friends phone (Im still excepting more from a guy who was taking photos around the track but I will only post more if there is something different to see (e.g. the Bugati that came out of no where!)

Thanks,

Hamad

Edited December 19, 2009 by Hamad

[Hamad]

Few more.

Hamad

P.S. the GT3's photos is a GT3 cup race that I attended last week on the same track. I wasn't racing :D

[mkaraoglan]

Mabrouk!

Few more.

Hamad

P.S. the GT3's photos is a GT3 cup race that I attended last week on the same track. I wasn't racing :D

[phillipj]

Awesome! Thanks Hamad!! Sounds like you had a great time. I have to get my butt on the track at the next event at California Speedway. Thanks for the Photos!!!

[number9ine]

Awesome shots! Makes me wish it wasn't snowing here. My poor car is hibernating until spring. :(

Mark

[Hamad]

Thanks guys! I booked myself to go back in January :D

How much is too much with these things? would the constant very high RPM (around 7/7.5) harm the engine?

Happy New Year and Merry Christmas!

Hamad

[bjereb]

Great post!

The primary issue when tracking your car is that you'll go thru tires and brakes more quickly. My mechanic also suggests changing fluids more frequently.

[Hamad]

Great post!

The primary issue when tracking your car is that you'll go thru tires and brakes more quickly. My mechanic also suggests changing fluids more frequently.

Thanks bjereb!

The clutch issue turned out to be a fluid that needs flashing! :) getting it flashed and changing all breaks. ready for the January round :D

Edited December 29, 2009 by Hamad