Some of us from Orlando went up to Roebling Road this weekend. It was about 3.5 hour drive. Next time we go will prob be with these guys: http://www.darksidede.com/Home.html You can also go on clubregistration.net and look up events.

 

Okay, so HPDE is sounding pretty good! Sebring isn't a bad drive from Orlando either.

Are there any necessary upgrades to the Z for HPDEs?

I'm going to plan to attend an auto-x or 2 first, and then I'd like to make it down for one of these high performance events.

 

brake Pads, brake fluid, and tires are all you'll need to change. Oh and an oil change wouldn't hurt either

 

Jackie runs a great event. I will probably be instructing for them in May.

 

Tires should be fine. But yes, Clean fluid, pads with plenty of material left on them (or new), and a fresh oild is always good.

 

I might be coming out then

 

Try Roebling first, technical and with lots of runoff. Sebring has walls, lol Pads and upgraded brake fluid are the MAIN things along with fresh oil.

 

Roebling and CMP are probably the best "test the waters" tracks on the east coast. Roebling is full of broad sweepers, lots of run off, and overall a really fun track.

Plus there is always the Savannah nights.

 

Many thanks all for your valued contributions. Special thanks to Ataru; man you laid it out in black and white. Again thank you.

 

thank you for taking the time of reading my barfing.

I hate seeing good fellas wasting their time and money in pointless activities/mods

 

Excellent post, thanks. I'm interested in doing a HPDE event at some time for many of the reasons you have mentioned and you mentioned some that I hadn't thought of.

2010-2011 are both going to be nuts as far as my professional schedule. I'm hoping for some other experiences after that.

Dave

 

i'm dying alive here waiting for the snow to melt! can't wait for the beaverun schedule to post. i'm planning on attending their flat out days (HPDE), and probably a couple of autocrosses.

so new brake fluid and pads... that makes sense. Is it worth going with the high performance brake fluid? Is there any reason to swap back to the 'regular' stuff after the track day? same thing with brake pads: should i go with high-performance brake pads, then swap them out after the event? what about transmission fluid? i read the beginner's guide to HPDE, but these issues aren't addressed.

if it helps, i've got an '03 track (MT) that's basically stock + wheels/tires.

 

I am a member with GCAC, in the Fort Myers area. I have no road course experience, so I can't compare the two from experience.

Autocrosing will help you get used to operating your car at its limits, under hectic driving conditions.

We have an event in a few weeks 2/13 and 2/14. If you come out on saturday, we have a novice school (with its own course) and a test and tune course that both run the first half of the day. The novice school ends at lunch time and the T&T course runs all day.

For $21 you get a lot of runs. If you add novice school and T&T runs, it's not uncommon to get 10-15 runs for the day.

Sunday costs more and you only get 4 runs, but the courses are a mile long and kind of fast by autocross standards.

(Old video)
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More recent video of my wife and I's best runs. She's in a stock Scion tC, so here run will look a little slow, (although she's driving very well for a first year driver) but I get deep into third on this course.
http://www.blip.tv/file/2818677?file...estRuns511.wmv



A little more "typical" course...
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There is no down side to going with good fluid. It helps in all conditions, street or track.

As far as pads...I am a believer of separate pads since there are too many compromises between track and street pads. Plus its actually cheaper to run the two pads vs one hybrid. track pads will last longer since they are only used at thr track and stand up a lot better than any street pad, and the street pads will be easier on the rotors and last longer under street conditions.

 

Hey Marty what's ur thought on bedding in a track pad on a new set of rotors, then just swapping to street pads but on the same rotors?

Will that affect
the "compound" that's left from the track pad?

 

there are different school about this "issue":
the "professional racer with money school" that suggest to change every time pads, rotors and fluid.
the "racer on a budget" that changes the rotor when they are worn, swap the pads, bleed some fluid and call it a day.

the first school is better for obvious reasons but the second one works too... every time you use the brakes you "clean up" the rotors wearing them.. and I never had a problem doing in the second way. the might not perform at 100% in the first session on the track and for few days on the road because of that... but if you know it, isn't a big deal.
but grab a micrometer and measure the rotors every time to be sure you have enough thickness left and inspect for radial cracks going all the way to the lip.
(I'm even on a more restricted budget (cheap bastard budget).. I use an old school caliper and 2 coins to go over the lip of the rotors )

 

Ataru074 said it well.

The swapping of pads means that you are not at 100% of either set for a while until the pads and rotors readjust, but I would still say you are in the 95%+ and then 99%-99.9% after that. Since most of us are not professional where our lively hood depends on it it it fine. Most have less braking potential from worn pads or improper fluid that a pad swap.

 

Ok cool. Cuz I didn't want to run my track pads on the street. So knowing I can just switch the pads without having to switch rotors too should make things easier

Thanks!

 

Where do you race around Ann Arbor? I've still got friends up there from school, and it's only about a 4 hour drive for me.

 

Waterford Hills - Waterford, MI (1 hr drive)
Gingerman - South Haven, MI (2 hr drive)
Grattan - Belding, MI (2 hr drive)
Mid-Ohio - Lexington, OH (3 hr drive)

Let me know if you ever want to come out!