Chrismx5

I'm just gonna chime in...

Sounds like you're doing well.
Good pads and fluid are always a must, then take the car out, and have fun, and as said previously, mod as necessary.

AutoX is great!
And again, as previously mentioned, being of the female variety I am sure someone will be willing to lend you a hand to do some work =]

Alexia75

So track day in the books and I'm happy to report that I had no crashes, no incidents, no trouble, lots of fun, and learned tons (I think so anyway!).

In no particular order...

1 - The seat time at these track events is amazing and I was out there for no less than 20 minutes at a time. Enough that you can actually make some adjustments and try things within the same run. By the time the run was over, my brain was fried from so much to process and think about.

2 - Got lucky with another great teacher who was patient, analytical, didn't overload me, and pushed me just enough. He said everything on the track is about waiting and I learned he's right....waiting to brake, waiting to hit the gas, etc. Maybe he was making it up but my instructor said I did great and was doing stuff beyond what beginners do like torque steering, which is admittedly really fun!

3 - No car trouble at all during the event though the brakes took a few laps to settle in. No brake fade, no mushy pedal, and a little bit of vibration here and there. I felt safe and never worried about the brakes, so I'm happy with what I spent on the pads + rotors + fluid + SS lines.

4 - My brake light on the dash turned on after the event during my loooongg (3+ hour drive). I checked the brake fluid (Motul RBF-660) and it is just above the 'low' indicator. Is it correct to think I can just add some RBF660 or RBF600(both are DOT 4) to get the reservoir a little higher and I should be OK?? Please share your thoughts.

5 - Remarkably I went through a full tank of gas in about 90 minutes. I have pictures to prove it

6 - Track days, especially as there are no tracks in Tampa Bay, really are a huge commitment of time, $$$$$ sink, and effort....equipment takes a beating, hotels, long drives, etc. You can't just drive a little, show up, tape some numbers on, have a good time for a few hours, then casually drive home as it seems you can with autoX. Seems like it becomes a lifestyle whereas with autox, maybe you can still have a weekend?!

7 - Dealer gave me a laundry list of supposed repairs the car needed before the track day and I'm determined to try and do them myself. Tops on the list is replacing my spark plugs and saving a whopping $450 at the dealer.

8 - My car was one of the oldest, slowest, and possibly most poorly driven cars on the track Seriously, there was a Maserti Quattroporte GTS, a 911 50th Anniversary, Lexus RC F, M/B A63 AMG, lots of newer Corvettes, and many others in my beginner group. I was happy to see a ratty old, '80s 325 out there with me

8 - Would love to do another track day and get better at driving - I've got tons of bad driving footage on my GoPro to study It was so much fun and makes street driving feel like kids play. I have tons more confidence in my car and my ability.

Thank you for the encouragement!

Z1NONLY

iTrader: (2)

More brake fluid should be all you need. It's possible that you burned through a lot of brake pad, and/or you had some air in the lines. But if you have to add more soon, with normal driving, you need to check the system.



Your instructor wasn't making it up. You have instinctive car-control skills. ....just don't get too comfortable with slip angle. Sideways is fun but seldom fast.

JMII

For sure check the pad thickness when you add the fluid. You'd be amazed a how quickly a Z eats thru pads on a track. I only get about two events out of a set!

The reasons you listed about full on track days is why AutoX is so popular. Its a long, hard day both physically and mentally. Not to mention the beating the car takes.

And yes there will also be someone with a better / faster toy out there. Of course the guy in the Civic or Mini is thinking the same thing while eyeing your Z. Having fun is all that matters. I found almost everyone has checked their ego at the door. They might have a "better" car then you but who says they are a better driver? I've passed guys in Vettes and BMWs, but also been eaten up by a Miata and a Focus before.

LOL at the MPG display... I get about the same on track. Be careful the Z has pickup problems due to shape of the tank and location of the fuel pump so next time you might have to top off before the last session.

Chrismx5

Something I tend to do, bring a jerry can of fuel along with you.

Can't hurt to have more =]

Alexia75

Appreciate the comments

Z1N - you're absolutely right of course regarding slip angle. While you're busy sliding around, someone else is actually getting all that HP to their wheels and going right by you! Interestingly, when I asked the instructor about VDC/TSS, he made sure we kept it ON the entire session and alluded to it being important for quite a while. With that in mind, the biggest slip angle i managed might have been about 15 degrees or so and it was rare to get things sideways.

He did show me how to induce understeer after the turn-in with a good bit of throttle, then gentling lifting off the gas to get the car pointed back towards the apex. It was pretty fun to be able to work the car that way, but a part of me wondered if it is the fastest way around a corner? I don't know enough to say but I keep thinking of the 'slow in, fast out' mantra...

This has all piqued my engineering interest and analytical tendencies in figuring the quickest way around a track, ideally without trashing my car.

JM & Chris: You guys aren't kidding! I don't know other tracks but PBIR is sweet because they have a gas pump onsite, though I did pay pre-crash gas prices ($4 a pop for 93). It was amusing to see 93 as the lowest grade available and comforting to know I wasn't paying $16/gallon for the 116 octane they had on tap.

As for HP, it seemed to be a pretty top (HP) heavy group with the novices and I'd say the lowest powered cars were a couple of quick s2k's and a truly ratty but brilliantly driven 80's vintage Bimmer 325. Interestingly enough the B and C groups had plenty of Miata's, some WRX (non-STI), and other more modest HP cars. Driving skill > HP!

I'll definitely check the brakes this weekend. The Z is no longer my D/D so it is getting some well-deserved rest