Sup guys, this sunday is gonna be my first time on a race track with my 8. what should i do to prepare. Dude, this is gonna rock! :D

 

What kind of track / driving? Have a link to the tracks web site?

 

Have fun first of all. You will love the experience. Listen to the instructors and slowly build up speed. Concentrate hard on following the racing line around the track. Pay attention to braking zones. Sometimes what feels slower (slow in) is faster (fast out). One last thing - leave the DSC and traction control on.

Things you will enjoy - handling prowess, superb brakes, linear power curve.

What track are you going to?

 

Contact whoever is hosting the event. Ask them for online reference material on how they conduct events, what first-time people should expect/prepare and track-specific material. Any halfway good organizer will be able to provide you with all that info.
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How to roll blunts

 

Assuming you are going to run on a road course I would say the thing that will help the most for first time drivers is familiarity with the track. When you know what kind of turns the next 2-3 are BEFORE you even get there you can work on your speed instead of not wreaking your car. If you can walk the track or drive on it at low speed, hitch a ride with a better driver before you go out this would help alot. Study the map of the track layout and try not to pay attention to what line other drivers are doing, you will find many drivers don’t and will never learn the proper line to take through turns.

In no particular order here are some tips. Don’t bother cleaning your car it will get very dirty very fast. Bring Blue painters tape for he headlights and fog lights. Tracks have junk on them and having a rock hit your headlights at 120 MPH might leave a mark. Take out all unneeded stuff like floor mats; CD’s, glove box stuff, trunk etc don’t need to have anything moving around while driving. Don’t have anything dangling from your keys. Bring a torque wrench for the lug nuts and a tire pressure gauge because you will need to adjust your air pressure but there is no set rule for that so it would be best to ask around for some guidelines. White shoe polish is helpful for “chalking your tire”; they can explain that procedure at the track.

Bring extra oil, window cleaner and 5 gallons of gasoline, if the track does sell gas it will most likely be that $5.00 / gal racing fuel. The last time I went to the track a full tank was good for about 2-3 30-minute runs and during the lunch break I was able to top off. If you get below ¼ tank on the track you can have fuel pickup issues, having the extra gas can help if you don’t have time to leave the track for more. I bring extra brake pads, should something happen it would not be hard to get help putting them on. Expect to get around 7 MPG on the track. Depending on where you go get a list of phone numbers of auto repair / tire shops should you need to find a tire or other repair. Bring food and chair, lots of downtime during track days and track food sucks. Wear good shoes and dress warm, the club I belong to requires you to run with the windows open, lots of wind comes in over 100 mph.

Have Fun :D

 

Wow! Sounds like you got it all covered... nice write-up.

 

Wow, thanks for the good tips. I'm going out with the guys at www.speedventures.net. I think we are going out to willow streets this sunday. U think I can get that blue tape at home depot? I'll let u guys know how it goes after sunday.

 

Why do you need to have the windows open? I don't understand.

 

I disagree....turn it OFF...ALL the way off. You want to be driving and braking, not have the car doing the driving. Say that as a beginner, you would leave it on. You start to get the hang of how the car really stops well, and corners like you are on rails. You don't realize that the computer is actually braking and stopping the wheels from skidding, and the car from receiving all of your inputs. You may turn it off one day and put your car into the wall because you had no idea how it really performs without 'assistance.'


Anyone else have thoughts on this???

 

The windows are open so that you can give hand signals: pass to left/right, slowing down (mechanical problems/pit-in)...

 

There is no better teacher than track time. It's $'s very well spent. If you have an instructor riding along, it's even better. No matter how much $ you put into mods for your ride, it's the driver makes all the difference in the world. You don't appreciate this until you go and see talented drivers take on and out drive average drivers in cars with three times the power (and sometimes costing ten times the $). A lot of what you learn can (and should) be carried out to the real world.

You'll learn how to plan and drive a line, how to look way ahead of what you're used to, patience, and how to spot a paraniod and potentially dangerous driver. You'll learn about transitions, smoothness, how to manage your tire contact patches, and how to make the combinations of all of this work together.

You'll also gain a new respect for yourself and the others out on the track. You'll meet all sorts of new people and start some relations that you may want to hold on to for events to come. After the event you'll share your insights with others in the same boat as you are now, and look back and grin ear to ear time after time.......

 

I think that leaving the DSC on is a good thing for a first timer who is paranoid about damaging their daily driver. As it gives a little bit of a safety net and helps to correct for small driving errors.

When you get to the point where you are really putting the hammer down I find that DSC gets in the way of driving smoothly and it unsettles the car. At this point in time you should have the confidence and basic skills to start exploring the cars true nature.

 

I agree w/Speed Racer, leave the DSC on full for a while. It will lower the stress level of an inexperienced driver and just let you have fun and learn the car without fear (yes- fear as in "$hit I could wreck my 30K car "). Fun is what it is all about, it isn't a race.. The electronics for the most part stays out of the way unless you really push it. And you will likely feel what it does when and if that happens.

Likely a new driver won't or shouldn't be doing things that aggressively, but in case they do, the car will save your *** in a very uneventful way.

I'm not just arguing theoretically, last year I was a new driver and I had barrels of fun with the car electronics on. It's not a SUV after all where electronics were designed to keep mom from killing herself on a slipper road, it a sports car that has electronics to assist the overly aggressive driver caught unaware.

Have fun cause I know you will!! :D

 

So when you crash it the Corner Workers can get to you.

 

Not supposed to tell that to first timers :D

 

while i have the attention of some 8 trackers here, do you guys recommend upgrading the brake fluids/brake pads before tracking it

 

You could, but it's not necessary for track days. Maybe if you are in competition. Brakes are awesome the way they are.

 

^hey are you going to VIR with mazdadrivers in march?

 

breaks are good. maybe change your brake fluid though.

 

Anyone kind enough to post some pics of where to tape my 8 so that i don't get to many rock chips. Ohhhh weeee! 4 more days, can't wait! :D

 

dude, I honestly see 1/10 (if that) drivers who tape their headlights. I know they are expensive, but peeps don't do this much and you won't be seeing much debris unless you plan to go 4 wheels off frequently.

 

I thought this also until I took a ride in another drivers totally stripped Porsche 968. By stripped I mean all sound absorbing, undercoating interior carpets. This was on Pocono Raceway and you clearly hear the debris rattle under the car, sounded like he was driving on a dirt road full of gravel. Also if you were to walk on the track up by the wall you will see a bunch of crap, it had to get there from someplace. Attached is a pic with blue tape when I went to Watkins Glen

 

I'd recommend bleeding the brakes at the very least. If you find that the brake pedal starts to feel a little mushy during this track event, I'd really suggest switching to a higher temp brake fluid like ATE or Motul before your next event.

If you want to take it to the next level, I'd also suggest changing the other fluids too and retightening all of the major bolts. The service manual is very helpful for this because it lists all of the torque specs. You might be surprised by what you find. In my case I found that the dealership did not tighten down the power plant frame properly.

 

You mean, heehhe, after your Crash, Captain? :D

 

Actually, I noticed the loose power plant frame after they did the Dynamic Damper Recall.

But I did find a loose suspension bolt after the crash.