John, you have OEM calipers on the rear of your car don't you? I have a set of ST-43s that were only used for a couple track days if you want to try them next time.

 

You are correct... you won't get into ABS nearly as much with an r-comp tire, and if it does, it should be easier to modulate back out of the ABS, if that is such a thing (I don't know, I haven't had ABS on track since my '90 Z32 when I first started.) I was running BFG KD's w/HT-10s on my 3100lb BMW and could lock them up a little too easy, but worse, they wouldn't grab again when I tried to modulate. Once I went to the RA-1's wheel lock-up is a non-issue. I still get it sometimes, but usually only on one corner, and it is easily modulated out with a slight twitch of my ankle.

 

I've got a set of 41s / 43s in a box somewhere that will go on the car for the next track event. Thanks for the offer and I'll let you know.

 

i use the dtc-70 front and 60 rear as well. the "bad" thing is that these pads wear down FAST! i only managed to get 3 good track days with my front set before having to be replaced. but the initial bite is great, holds up well at temperature and speed and has very predictable feedback. they are pretty harsh on the rotors though.

 

I wonder why we got different results in regard to rotor wear.

 

Interesting. I have DTC-60's in the rear, and my current set has lasted through 2 sets of PFC-01's on the front, and still has about a 1/3 of the pad thicknes left.

 

on a good track day, i get a really good "film" on the rotor (good thing). if i drive the car home though (not trailer it), the abrasiveness of the pad takes it back down to metal and i find myself doing a light bed in to get that "film" back.

 

oops, i should have specified. my rears have lasted, but the fronts wear out quickly. i would say 4-5 sets of fronts for every 1 set of rears (estimated).

 

N1ck, sounds like you are a late brake maniac! I have only seen that kind of wear from guys who brake at the last minute and WAY to hard. Smooth and increasing pressure with slower, earliers turn in's will help you carry more speed and wear less brake material. Plus, if you find trouble somewhere, you have much more brake to work with with you need it.

 

well, i wouldn't necessarily say "maniac." because of knockback, i normally tap the brakes right at the beginning of the braking zone, then by the 2nd set of cones, i'm on the brakes. gradually increasing your pressure throughout the braking zone, from my experience is typically slower (for me) and will heat up the brakes faster.

 

Interesting. My instructors have always told me that late turn in is almost always better (except for the few early apex turns there are out there), and that late, hard, short braking is better than early, soft, long braking.

 

Late turn in and late apex is SAFER, but not faster. Late, hard ,short braking confirmed!

 

^^^+1^^^. first starting out, i, like many others, had the tendency to turn in too early and brake too early. when my ***** grew a little bit, my times got better.

 

There's way too many variables to blanketly say a late turn in and apex is not faster. Carrying more speed into a turn almost always leads to understeer and/or not being able to get back on the gas soon enough coming out of the turn.

Sure, in a racing situation, if you can out-brake someone, carrying more speed might get you in front of them, but how many times have we all seen the out braked car be on a better line coming out of the turn and immediately re-pass the overtaking car?

 

hawk performance ftw.

 

As an instructor, I tell my students that all the time. What I (and maybe they) mean by "better" is that's its safer and the default way to enter a turn until you learn more about the track, your car, yourself as a driver, and the other dirver's on track.

There is also a huge difference between the ideal line for the fastest lap time and the ideal race line to pass or keep someone from passing. At almost all driving schools the instructors are teaching the ideal time-trial line. If you're in traffic in a race and drive that ideal line, you can get passed by a car that's actually turning slower lap times and probably not be able to pass him once he's in front of you.

Learning how to drive a fast lap six to eight feet off the ideal line all the way around the track is an advanced skill and something that keeps many people (like myself) stuck mid-pack in races.

 

^^^well put^^^

 

The other half of that is that our local track is mostly late apex's anyways (for a fast lap) But yes, you are correct, the line that is taught is the fast lap for time trialing and also is the safer line.