Suspension: Koni Yellow (soft around), Tein S-Tech, Hotchkis (front soft - rear - medium)
Tires: Falken RT-615 f 265/35/18 (34psi) r 275/35/18 (32psi)
- negative 1.5 cambers all around
- Traction Control System ON

^ that is what I ran @ the Streets of Willow

Okay don't flame me or say I suck. We all start somewhere. Last Friday was pretty much my first time on time on the track. My best time with the first session was 1:46 with an average high 1:40s. As the day progress, my time got better and better. I finished with 1:42 my best time with an average close to mid 1:40s. Good, my time progress better throughout the day. I can say that as an accomplishment. I sat with folks, I followed people on the track, hear some advice like learn the line and learn to heal-toe, and turn off my TCS.

I am slowly learning the line, practice heal-toe technique before I go next time, and possible keep TCS off. I know that my TCS comes on quite often and lead to my slower time. I know I could apply more speed at some point on the track. I am going to watch my redline because I ride off it a few times. and going to switch to a beginner class.

I am here to learn and want to improve. I am putting my ego aside and admit I got beat by certain cars which I would never think. I am holding off my suspension modding for now until I can max out with what I currently running(unless you guys suggest coilovers...) I met with Shinkuu and he is amazing for just having tires and sways with his time. Frigging scare the crap out of me in the car

I would appreciate some advices from you track SiFu. Also with my current mod set up, what would you recommend adjusting.

~Robert

 

Congrats!! Sounds like you have a great attitude - I've found that it's best to put your pride to the side when going to the track...there's plenty of crazy fast drivers out there that'll kill me in cars that are much 'slower' .



+1...IMO keep tracking the car as-is until you as a driver can determine what needs to be changed...then start changing stuff you already have (shocks, sway bars, tire pressures - these alone can make huge differences)

IMO taking off TCS will yield faster lap times, but if you're not comfortable with that, then don't do it...maybe try out AutoX w/ TCS off so that you start to get a better feel for how the car feels as you loose traction and become quicker to catch the rear end.

Glad to hear that you enjoyed it...you've got the whole summer ahead - The Z isn't the easiest to learn on b/c it has a good amount of power, but it's handling is fairly linear and predictable.

 

do you know the basics of weight transfer in the vehicle? like adjusting front to rear grip with the brake or throttle. if not, do some reading about it on the internet.

does you car have a limited slip diff? if you're running an open diff, turning off traction control shouldn't be that scary since you'll probably spin the inside tire instead of getting the car to oversteer.

if your tire pressures are 34/32 cold, i might lower them a little. aim for 37-38 hot.

how did you car feel? understeery or loose?

i'd increase the damping in the shocks for the track day then turn them back down for the drive home. increasing the damping on one end of the car (front or rear) will make that end more oversteery in transitions. your springs and sway bars affect your cars balance in steady state cornering, ie, if your rear end is loose and you want less oversteer, change the rear sway from medium to soft (or the front from soft to medium).

other than that, welcome to the addiction. read more, get more seat time, and make smooth inputs.

 

Thanks for the support guys.

first350, I am going to take off TCS next time. I see most of my time lost was when TCS kicks in. I guess like you mention see when the car looses itself and learn to control it.

julian, weight transfer sounds like a complete new ball game to understand. Still trying to comprehend its meaning. I believe I vaguely recall hearing that but never question it.

okay correct me if I am wrong. I seem to grip my front well but my rear tend to loose a little. That is call oversteer right.

Sorry it is a lot of knowledge for me to take in at the moment.

 

robert, you've got the right attitude about putting the ego aside. track days are a lot of fun, and when you are first starting it, there's a lot of information that your brain is trying to soak up.

even before you start thinking about the car setup, think about "your" setup. are you nervous before you go out? are you relaxed? are you comfortable in your seat position? things like that. obviously, keep all loose things out of the car...not only could it be a projectile, but it could be a distraction.

definitely start out in the beginner classes, and get an instructor! if you heed their warnings and really listen to their teachings, you will have a better experience. i'm not just talking about learning the line and the technical aspect of it, but they will put you in the right mindset which is just as important as car setup.

if i were you, i wouldn't worry about heel-toe shifting, weight transfer, damping, or even tire pressures. at the level, or better yet, speeds that you will be driving in, they won't really matter yet. when you get to the upper levels (normally past HPDE 2, or the beginner classes), do those above factors become important.

get a feel for the balance of the car first, find out what your "pucker factor" is and stay within that. in order to figure out the car though, TCS will have to be off as you will never learn throttle control with it on. your oversteer condition is most likely you overdriving the car around that turn. reel yourself in first then go from there. the biggest thing is to relax, have fun, learn and apply!

man, that was a long post

 

I just wanted to say congrats. Glad to see you're willing to accept help from others.

Who did you run with and how was the instruction from that group? Some groups are better than others.

Also, don'f feel bad, I got spanked by a bone stock 350z today at an autocross. Seat time means a lot. He had more seat time period autocrossing as well as more seat time in a Z than me. my supercharger just made me lose traction faster than him. Although, the drifters out there today loved my car.

I think I plan on popping my track cherry at Streets in May. I may just say screw Vegas and go work at Edwards and live in Rosamond

 

I ran 1:32 with 615's and sways , you have a lot to go. Listen to the people above and try work with an experianced instructer.

 

hey robert,
it was nice meeting you at the track. don't concentrate too much on lap times. it will all come to you with lots and lots of practice. i was having a bit of traction issue as you were aware of when you rode with me. i will admit that i was not 'smooth' at all and was driving aggressively. i wanted to finish up what i had left in the tires. theres a lot of places you can gain time at but i would work on using the whole track and working on the line.

 

A few sessions with a Speed Venture's instructor helps alot to find all the lines. Sometimes instructors may not be available, but there are other drivers in the pits more than willing to ride along to show you the lines.

Last Friday, I never drove at Streets of Willow and it was my first time using a Corvette (I normally prefer using my project car for track days - but it's stuck in the shop). There was no available instructor, so I asked a 240sx driver that runs SOW regulary to ride with me for 3 sessions. I was able to go from 1:48 to 1:33 with him in my car. He showed me the lines he used and I was quite surprised a few apexes were potholes.

I didn't want to get overzealous with my daily driver and attempt to hit the high 1:29's as I need to drive to work. I was more than happy to get into the low 1:30's and was grateful to have an experienced driver show me the lines that day.

Only mods I have on my Corvette are Hawk HP+, SS lines, and Dot 4 fluid. Also, the best mod was having a experienced 240sx driver show me the lines.

I like how SOW's focuses alot on turns, I think I'll be a regular soon when I get my track car done.

 

^^^that's great! see? he got a 15sec difference and he didn't even need $4k coilovers to do it! that's an awesome example!

 

Your car is more than set-up for your level. I'd invest in a dedicated set of track wheels and tires in 17" and pads just for the track. Wait until you go to BIG Willow!

Keep practicing!

 

if you haven't changed your brake fluid to DOT 4, you should do so as its boiling point is much higher. it doesn't matter what you use (ie-motul, super blue, etc), it's up to you. next should be a mild set of track pads, nothing too aggressive yet. rotor friendliness, initial bite, and great modulation are key. i would hold off on a dedicated set of track wheels/tires. for one, it will be expensive. the biggest thing is that R-compounds tend to hide your mistakes because of their better grip. street tires will allow you to learn the limits of your car first prior to learning the limits of the tire.

 

I'll be at the next SOW event and can help you.

 

I did started out nervous but after a lap or two I get pretty comfortable. I will admit, when I have a Corvette or the AWD guys on my ***, I get nervous then get sloppy.

Yeah the beginner class might be suitable for me. I admit I got a bit too cocky thinking the class above would suit me. That and my friend is in that class and didn’t want to lose to a girl LMAO. Anyway I still lost (I know you’re reading this Carole). Yup next time, putting that pride away, and grab an instructor.

TCS is going off next time. So frustrated every time it kicks in.

nice meeting you too. Now that I think about it, should have given you my keys and see what you can do. And probably claim those times were mine too haha

Were you that black Corvette in blue group? If so then you must be the guy I let pass 3~8 times haha

I already have DOT4 fluid but would you recommend brake duct? Or my skill level doesn’t require brake duct at the moment.

When is the next SOW event anyway? And who is organizing it?

 

Speedventures in May is the one i'm going to.

 

ima be there at that event and also the buttonwillow event. come to think of it i'll be there this weekend at the horse thief mile event too and probably laguna next month (but only to work). you should talk to emilio about instructing you. he turns amazing times in his 100hp miata. if u do end up going with some brake ducting, i'd like to copy your set up.

 

i would love to drive your car to feel the difference but i would not push it at all. maybe 6 or 7/10ths. i know how important cars are to people. i don't even push my gf's rx8 on the track. i've just built a comfort zone in my own car. i know u'll do better next time. at least 3-5 seconds off your time!

 

things to remember about people behind you - they shouldn't bother you one bit. normally, at the beginner level, they shouldn't be on your @$$ anyway as a courtesy. they should either reel themselves in, or go to the hotpits to ask for some space. even when moving up to the intermediate and advanced groups, if they are on your ***, let them pass you while you stay on the line. as long as you acknowledge the fact that they are there, it is their responsibility to make a safe pass (again, as long as you are aware that they are there). don't worry about passing for now though. you will learn that in the much higher levels.

as far as brake ducting, you hit it on the nose - you shouldn't need it yet if ever. there's only a couple guys i know here that run brake ducting. from what i've read, the consensus is to get bigger brakes. again, don't worry about that yet. for now, if your fluid and pads are up to the task, that's all you will need.

 

ugh, emilio. he wasn't very helpful for me at all. i was very confused at what he wanted me to do and to put it bluntly, he was a d!ck. i recommend carlos (orange 'stang), terry (yellow 'vette), or the other guy with the 'stang and a huge wing (and hoosiers). this is of course assuming you are going with either speedventures or NASA. mike is great (NASA -HPDE 3 or speedtrialusa.com) as well.

 

Actually, I was in the White Group with my Yellow Corvette. I was about 1 sec slower than the my friend running in the Black Corvette (LS3).

I had to sign up for the white group since it was the only available spot left for me to sign up. I was lucky to get the last spot as there was a waiting list in the morning.