New Z owner here (06 Touring). Heading down to Roebling next weekend for a couple of track days and can't resist taking the Z in addition to the normal track car.

I probably won't do more than a couple of sessions a day in the Z so I haven't gone overboard on prep. I changed pads, brake & power steering fluids, checked the alignment (I do that myself) and that is about it. Am I missing something simple that I should do.

I know that I can find all these answers by searching and I have. In fact I've spent the last two weeks reading just about every interesting thread in this forum going back several months. I just don't want to screw up my new car by overlooking the obvious so I am asking for your experienced reassurance that I'm okay.

Thank you for your help and patience.

Gary Jenkins

 

Sounds like you got it covered for the most part... Nothing special for the Z in a non-competitive environment.

Even with the new pavement, I hear Roebling is still pretty hard on tires

 

Thanks Stacy.

Interesting that you heard RRR was still hard on tires. I've actual heard that it isn't near as bad. Of course when you expect to be running across a cheese grater for a track surface it might be better and still chew up rubber.

I have been told that the grip is much better and T1 now requires only enough braking to downshift to 4th in a Spec Miata (which I race). Can't wait to try it out myself.

 

Well... the problems I've heard about have been on race slicks, not so much street tires... but if you think about it... if the surface has more grip... the speeds will be even higher then they were... so the front left will still take a beating

I can't wait to get back down there myself, but I doubt I'll be able to before our June '07 date.

Now if CMP would only re-pave/re-configure the AutoX section! (which they told me was infact under consideration)

 

Definately faster. At the SIC the SM track record dropped to a 23.7 and they were under 23.0 during qualifying. Talked to the guys after the weekend and they told me one of the biggest differences was that you could now run old rubber and be competitive. Before the re-pave it was fresh rubber for the race or you weren't really trying to win.

I hadn't heard about the CMP deal. I'd actual pitch in some $$ if they would reconfig the Auto-X part. I really hate that part. Only time I've ever thought about cheating up my race car was to raise the rev-limiter so I would have to keep going 2-3-2 on that secton of track.

To get even futher off topic...have you heard anything else regarding that new track north of Charlotte? I had been told there were some zoning issues that might kill the project.

 

I guess you can't change the rear end huh? My E30 w/4:10 lsd seemed to take pretty well to it (much better than my '71 240z). I still needed 2nd coming out of T14, but other wise, 3rd was ok.

Nah... nothing new unfortunately.

There are two others in proposal in the region as well:

Thousand Suns International in Oak Ridge, TN

and

Victory Lane somewhere in Georgia (eastern part maybe?) (Biggest prob with this one is it will be for exlusive use by the property owners only)

 

No gearing changes in Spec Miata so I've got to live with the stock ratios. With the low hp/torque of the car we have no choice but to go to 2nd in every one of the corners on the back side of the track followed by a quick shift to 3rd. Lots of chances to make a mistake.

You have got to wonder who is writing up the business model for all these tracks. At some point we are going to reach a level of saturation and the available revenue stream won't be able to support all the different venues. You would think that many of the will die on the vine and others will fall into disrepair over time.

Oh well, as long as VIR and Rd Atl are still around I will be a happy man!!

 

Speaking of which... I understand RA will be being repaved this winter as well

RA is on the top of my list to do in '07

 

Sounds like you are going with Chin Motorsports next weekend. They are one of the best (if not the best) HPDE program to run with.
Tell Mark and Maria hello (they manage Chin), they are wonderful people and know how to put on an event!

 

Damn... I guess we need to work a little harder then huh?

 

The Chin guys are great. I did my first track event with them several years ago at Homestead. I've run with several different groups and they are without doubt the best deal in the SE (of course I've never run with the Triangle Z Club). I'm actually a Master Instructor with them (not at this event but I will be at VIR in December) so at most events my only responsibility is to do 'check off' rides with potential solo drivers. It gives me the ability/option to head out during any run group. At Barber this past July I actually was on the track for 4 hours on Saturday. All of that time for a grand total cost to me of ZERO$$$$.

 

I guess your running a 1.8? I wonder if the extra 600 RPM of the 1.6 would help negate the HP loss on that track? I haven't run the Miata on that track yet, only the 240Z.

 

My SM is a 1.6. Turns 11 - 14 are all 2nd gear corners. The only one you could possibly consider staying in 2nd for is T13 but that will cost you time as you will be bumping off the rev limiter 2/3 of the way between 12 & 13. The 1.8s (94-97) actually have it a bit better with the 4.1 gear. They can stay in 2nd for T13.

 

See, I learn something every day. This will mean I will have to look at 11-14 completely different in the M vs the Z.

 

Maybe I've quickly gotten spoiled in the E30... but if you're at the rev limiter in 2nd for 12 & 13, I would think you could carry enough momentum (with maybe an adjusted line) in 3rd around those two turns. At least T13... which I found I could take very much the same way I take Oak Tree at VIR... somewhat early turn in with decent speed, kind-of understeering around the turn to the apex and out to track out... all in 3rd gear.

Staying in 3rd, even though you may not be in the optimal power band to start, will keep you on-throttle longer (no loss of momentum by changing gears).

T13 is every-so-slightly increasing radius, so there's some room to play there. For T12, there's lots more room track left at turn-in where you can make the corner a wider radius than it technically is.

 

You may want to go to a Chin event and you will see what I mean. For HPDE or for the instructors, there is nothing better.
Any event that has racing at the same time as HPDE has the problem of a set schedule with short run times, this causes stress to make sure you get out on track on time - and it never feels like you get enough track time.

With Chin - you go out when you want - come in when you want, really relaxing and lots of Fun. I got 7 hours of track time this past weekend (Sat and Sun) at Sebring with them. That is the cheapest track price per track mile of any HPDE!!!

 

FWIW... thats not HPDE.... and FWIW... I did a lapping day at CMP last moday and had a BLAST... but it wasn't HPDE

Maybe I'm splitting hairs here, and I'm certainly not trying to take anything away from Chin or anyone else... but if you're there to learn, it requires a little more structure in terms of instruction (both on and off track.)

What you're talking about is lapping... and yes, it can be the best deal, it can be very relaxing and fun (as a matter of fact, we're looking at adding more lapping days to our events for that very reason)... but you're not learning anything if you're simply going out there repeating the same ole things you've always done without another set of eyes either bolstering what you're doing or offering suggestions or alternatives to better your driving.

If all you want is to get out there and drive, then absolutely Chin, Speedventures, and many others are the events for you. But if you really want to better you driving skills, you can't get much more value than a real HPDE unless you hire a personal coach.

And I'm curious how much money you spent in consumables (tires, brakes, gas) over that 7+ hours of track time?

 

There are many turns on SE tracks that you can play with your gear selection in a SM. The first two that pop to mind are T1 at VIR and T7 at Road Atlanta. Both are 2nd gear corners but can be taken in 3rd without a significant loss of time. Both are slower in 3rd than 2nd but when taken in 2nd require the shift to 3rd while still completing the turn (right at track out for both turns). One has to weigh the risk of a misshift with the benefits of taking the turn in the lower gear. Personally I will always take the corners in 2nd unless I cruising in spot with no chance to catch or be caught towards the end of a race.

One could try to stay in 3rd through those corners at CMP but it won't be as fast. Low speed in the corners for that series runs low 40s for each corner. I don't have my data with me at work but I can promise you at that speed in third gear you might as well get out and push the car. Don't forget that the best pro-built SM motor (www.raceengineering.org) only has about 103 ft/lbs of torque. If you want to run up front in SM, you can't give up the extra speed the going to second gives you.

Of course I might be wrong as I have been before.

Gary Jenkins (2006 SEDIV SM ECR Champion)

 

Stacy,

I haven't run a Triangle Z Club event and I'm sure they are great but I will defend the instruction you get at Chin as it is where I got my start.

I have found the instruction at Chin to be top notch. Both for drivers who want to 'lap' and drivers who are interested in something more. Each driver is assigned a personal instructor (one on one ratio) and that instructor is in the car every single time the student takes to the track. Each instructor is given a helmet to helmet communicator so that feedback on the track can be given and heard. In addition to the personal instructor each novice has there are serveral master instructors available at each event to provide a second set of eyes.

Between the instruction I recieved at my SCCA school, Justin Bell & NASA events, I'll take the Chin format any time. You learn more, faster.

I am aware that one cannot get any sort of competition license at a Chin event, but I can't see how it isn't a HPDE. I mean, either you are racing or your doing HPDE aren't you?

 

Stacy,
As far as once you are Solo qualified at track, Chin allows passangers, so I talk to different people and instructors and have a few of them ride with me to give me more ideas.
This past weekend - even though I am Solo'd, I asked the Master instructor and a Pro Racer to do a ride along with me. Both of them had great input on my car and driving, then I could apply them on track for the other 6 hours!

And as far as consumable - I don't even like to think about it. I went through 3 tanks of gas per day, one set of front brake pads, and 35% of my RA1's (luck for me I just bought these for almost nothing). Yet, you go through the same at any track event, just not all in one weekend, but still the same per track hour. Since I try to limit each hot track time to less than 30 min to give the car a break.

And hands down the best instruction I have ever had was at the Chin events.