Quote:
Originally Posted by mblum
I totally understand how you feel in pretty much every aspect you listed. I felt the EXACT same way when I approached the track for the first time. I had years of drag racing, off roading, tons of street racing and doing other things that may not be very wise in an automobile. Hell I can drive a car sideways at 60 MPH smoking the rear tires on the street better than any of my car hobby buddies. NONE of those driving skills or abilities learned from those driving scenarios helped me on the track, if anything it hurt me. I'm telling you this with all honesty because a year later when you look back at a handful of track days you will be thankful.
Being on the track is a humbling experience.
My best advice is to find a day when you can get a lot of 1 on 1 time with an instructor in your car. This is by far the best money you could possibly spend if entering the track scene for the first time. I can guarantee you there is no list of mods, no matter how long, that will give you a more positive outcome than 1 on 1 time with an instructor.
Carrying over street driving habits on the track are the exact opposite of what you want. Those habits can be very hard to break because they feel natural and you will find someone that has experience driving on the track in a car with 350 HP less than you will destroy you on the track. Believe me, I've been there and had my pride hurt more than once before I took a step back and re-approached the art of driving on track. Avoid this at all possible.
Take it or leave it, this is my advice based on dozens of track days in this particular car.
-Get a accurate alignment according to GM's recommended "Track Alignment"
-Get better tires if you feel it's absolutely necessary.
-Upgrade the brake fluid. This may not be needed until you have completed a few track days being you are new to it. The stock brake pads and rotors work very well.
-Keep a close eye on tire air temps, both before and after each session. Note these in a notebook (I keep one in my car just for this). I have learned to feel and can notice if my tires are as little as 3-4 PSI high and how it effects the car's handling characters.
-Get as much advice and in car time with an instructor.
-Keep the car stock for at least the first few track days. If you cannot repeat lap times within .5 seconds (with no traffic of course) then your not ready for mods.
Bottom line, driving a car on the track flat out is absolutely nothing like doing it on the street. I think once you have a few track days under your belt you will totally understand. From there you will grow with each day.
Best of luck, it's a highly addictive activity  |
Sorry partner, I'm doing the instruction, and I'll get massive seat time, but I'm not staying with the stock suspension or brake pads. To change my TTY bolts once will be 50 bucks a freak'in time. And I don't need brake fade issues at 165 MPH on my 4th lap. I'll be semi retired soon, so I'll hit the track damn near every time it's available. I already had the notion to rent a pro to assist my learning curve, and I have no problem listening to people that have done the same. But I'll be taking the advise of the people that tell me how to not have to be changing the TTY bolts (Which I hate the sound of that even, one time usage bolts) every time I hit the track, and then again for the massive touring I do. You all get the luxury of going to GM, or the local speed shop, and just changing stuff; I don't. I have the only 6th Gen ZL1 in the country, and GM absolutely won't support my car. Actually, Thai Mechs probably have never seen TTY bolts, and I won't even go into the other stuff I saw. I certainly have never heard of them until I bought this car and got on this forum. I must think ahead a bit. I do not want to be changing stuff unnecessarily just because I need to "earn" my way to a better set-up. I want the best set-up for my situation now. And my situation is multi faceted, it's not just seat time. Example, I've already gone E (although it's not installed yet), because, there is no 93 Oct here. I'm already tired of spending over $300 bucks a month on octane booster. You need to understand my position. You're looking at this from a living in the states perspective where you can get anything at anytime at minimal cost. So I'll do all suspension and brake upgrades now, and learn from there. I appreciate your candidness partner, serious. However, our placement on the globe make my situation vastly different than yours. And if a grandpa with a modded MX-5 beats me down, with my advanced set-up because I'm not as technically experienced, so what. And why does anybody care actually. It's my cash. CASH, Time waiting for parts, customs issues with importing, these are just part of the issues I must deal with. So, I'll catch Mr. MX-5 as I get better, maybe, after my next grandkid, LOL.... I'm not the type that has so much pride that I believe I'll beat all just because I have 700 horses (after the E). I understand that from a drift track. I will enjoy this experience and much as possible without draining as much as possible from my retirement.