Finally tracked it!

[Fusion]

And had a great time. 25 minutes of it.
The main goal for me was to see how how the car behaves and what needs improvement.
Cars that were on the track with me were Evos, WRXs, a Ferrari (one of the new ones), two M3 e90s, an unidentified e36, and some other stuff. Some cars died after one round, I had the oldest car there. I'm not going to lie, I had a hard time with the "competition" (it wasn't a race, nor timed). I'm really, really fast on the straights, but I had a pretty tough time coming into turns and controlling the car. I'm pretty sure the main reason is the tires (pic) and I feel I need a stronger sway bar up front. I also need to invest in some race(ish) shocks.
The drilled Zimmerman brake rotors did very very well, I had very little brake fade, that surprised me. The engine temp held up great, a tad under the half way mark the whole time. Oil temp was up to about 115°C.

I think the next track day is in like six weeks, I hope to at least get the tires by then, found a set of Proxes R888s.
The e30 is a great, fun, very predictable car even for its age and I'm very glad I have one!

[dude8383]

LOL the same thing happened to my tires.

Can't wait to do my next event sometime in September.

[F34R]

Mine was like that too, but after really long drive home it was pretty much cleaned out.

[Dave]

If this was your first time on track, then the only improvement you need to focus on is tightening the nut behind the wheel. No need for track tires or upgraded parts. Make sure what you have is safe. Brake pad upgrade is really all you should consider. You'll learn more on those street tires than if you put sticky ones on.

[Fusion]

That I forgot to mention. I wasn't confident with the track until the last maybe two rounds.
Another reason I want to change the tires is they're DOT02 and I think that's pretty old. They're just fine for street, no cracking or anything, but I think they may be hard for the track. Just my thoughts, I really don't have a way to judge other than buying a set of used semi's like the r888 and getting comfortable with something.
I got swerving in and through the turns, which I don't find abnormal, I just think the speed was low for this behavior.
I'll be glad to hear opinions/suggestions.

Here's the track by the way:





Length: 5 403,19m (in track axis)
Width: 15,00m
Corners: 14 (6 left, 8 right)
Straight sections: 13, min. length 35m, max. length 636,56m
Ascent: max. 7,5% in 917m
Descent: max. 5% in 410m
Difference in elevation: 73,75m
Sea altitude: 450m

and a lap in an M3CSL http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KJUKs3B8Bw

[JGood]

Welcome to the addiction :)

As Dave said, if this was your first event, don't spend any money. As long as all the tires are matched, and not cracking, they will be fine. My r-comps are from 2004 and they do better then other brand new tires, so your 2002 street tires will be fine.

What is your suspension setup? Unless it's radically different then stock, I don't think you need to worry about expensive shocks. Replace all the bushings and control arms (ball joints) with new stuff, and you'll be good to go. Maybe a cheap aftermarket spring/shock setup like H&R/Bilsteins if you don't like the body roll.

Don't worry about what other cars you can or can't keep up with. I've nearly run over a 1000 HP Hennessey Venom Viper, and have also been passed like I'm sitting still by a stock Miata. Everyone is out there for different reasons, pushing their cars only to the level they want to. And with the experience range of beginner groups, a guy driving a new Porsche GT2 may not be able to Keep up with a guy in a Fiesta. The skill levels are all over the place. Worry about your line, braking points, hitting the apex, etc... to judge your improvement, not how well you held up against other cars. Go to an instructor run group, and you'll be lapped so many times by slower cars, that you'll think you're running on 2 cylinders and have flat tires!

[Fusion]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll listen to you guys and look just check/fix crucial stuff before the next TD. Practice makes perfect, maybe I should buy a double (50min) ticket next time? Then I could really work on getting used to the track.

Oh and I was a little nervous when a faster car came dashing at my back. What is the best way to let him pass? Especially in the turns, shoul I just ignore him in turn and then move aside after the turn?

[QUKBMER]

If this was your first time on track, then the only improvement you need to focus on is tightening the nut behind the wheel. No need for track tires or upgraded parts. Make sure what you have is safe. Brake pad upgrade is really all you should consider. You'll learn more on those street tires than if you put sticky ones on.

This is true what he is saying,the car is you/you are the car. The brakes are a must upgrade or the least new stock pads before you go out. Make sure you have like MOTUL cbc 900 or ATE superblue racing brake fluid in it again before you go out. They both have high boiling points and check your brake lines/hoses. If they are still OEM from when the car was made-change them out. Get to know her (your car) and dont try to over drive it.

[dude8383]

Welcome to the addiction :)

As Dave said, if this was your first event, don't spend any money. As long as all the tires are matched, and not cracking, they will be fine. My r-comps are from 2004 and they do better then other brand new tires, so your 2002 street tires will be fine.

What is your suspension setup? Unless it's radically different then stock, I don't think you need to worry about expensive shocks. Replace all the bushings and control arms (ball joints) with new stuff, and you'll be good to go. Maybe a cheap aftermarket spring/shock setup like H&R/Bilsteins if you don't like the body roll.

Don't worry about what other cars you can or can't keep up with. I've nearly run over a 1000 HP Hennessey Venom Viper, and have also been passed like I'm sitting still by a stock Miata. Everyone is out there for different reasons, pushing their cars only to the level they want to. And with the experience range of beginner groups, a guy driving a new Porsche GT2 may not be able to Keep up with a guy in a Fiesta. The skill levels are all over the place. Worry about your line, braking points, hitting the apex, etc... to judge your improvement, not how well you held up against other cars. Go to an instructor run group, and you'll be lapped so many times by slower cars, that you'll think you're running on 2 cylinders and have flat tires!

Excellent advice :up:

I'm not spending any money to make the car go faster around the track, I'm just concentrating on making sure I learn the track(s).

Do they have HPDE's in Europe? I highly recommend finding something where you can go around with an instructor as they will really teach you A LOT. Most important thing is to really listen to what the instructor has to say and you'll realize just how much more confident you will become.

[Fusion]

I checked the website and the circuit offers motorcyle education, but no car stuff. I'll check some sports car clubs, they probably rent the place for half a day a educate with instructors.

[JGood]

Thanks for the heads up! I'll listen to you guys and look just check/fix crucial stuff before the next TD. Practice makes perfect, maybe I should buy a double (50min) ticket next time? Then I could really work on getting used to the track.

Oh and I was a little nervous when a faster car came dashing at my back. What is the best way to let him pass? Especially in the turns, shoul I just ignore him in turn and then move aside after the turn?

So they just let anyone jump in their car and go out on the track, and just do as they please? No instructors? No point-by rules?

In 90% of the clubs in America, to get on a race track, you sit through a few classroom sessions, and drive moderately with an instructor in the car, who will gradually get you up to speed through a series of learning exercises. You usually don't get on the track without someone else in your car for at least 5 days or so (10+ hours of track time).

In your situation, I'm not sure what the other drivers are trained to do (if they are). Over here, the front car holds it's line, and the passing car goes around him in a safe manner, after getting a point-by (in rookie classes). It is courteous to give a point by even if not required. A point by is simple: Point your arm straight out the window to the left if you wish the driver to pass to your left or, if to the right, your arm out the window and bent over the roof pointing to your right. You usually don't do this in turns. This is a straightaway thing. Don't do it going into corners either. Over here, we have cone markers for the rookie groups to show where the passing zones start and end. No matter what, hold your line, unless another car decides to occupy that space without your consent. Then they are just a retard and you need to just back off. Make sure you lift off the gas when another car is passing you. Some cars have very little power, but are still faster around the whole track then you. You need to lift a LOT to let them by. Don't hold them up.

However, if you don't have an instructor, I don't know if you know where "the line" is. Which means the above info is useless...

If you are allowed to pass wherever/whenever, then you need to be aware of faster cars closing in on you at the end of straightaways. My e30 is slow (or maybe I'm slow...), and when I Time Trial it's open passing, so I get a lot of Vette's and Porsche's dive bombing me into a corner. 3 seconds ago, I didn't even see them in my rearview. Now they are in front of me. So just be aware of that.

[1mz]

I drove past brno 3 weeks ago on my way to praha :) sweet deal

[Fusion]

1mz: How'd you like the D1 highway? :D

JGood: Thanks again for the great advice.
Yea, anyone can drive on the track, as long as you have a drivers licence, and actually the lady at the booth didn't even check mine. That's what had me a little uncertain when I saw some of the drivers that looked like drug addicts. I would really appreciate if someone atleast held a five minute briefing on the basic rules and stuff. On the other hand, my friend just told me that about 10 years ago, track days were cars + motorcycles on the track at the same time!! That must've been crazy.
I don't know the right line, but I've been studying some stuff about the track and will try to learn it at my best. I have to learn how fast I can go into some of those turns etc. But that's part of the game and I'm hyped. Can't just expect to hit the throttle and become the next Senna.
According to your suggestions, that's pretty much what I did, was trying to be considerate and let the fast guys by on the straights.

[JGood]

1mz: How'd you like the D1 highway? :D

JGood: Thanks again for the great advice.
Yea, anyone can drive on the track, as long as you have a drivers licence, and actually the lady at the booth didn't even check mine. That's what had me a little uncertain when I saw some of the drivers that looked like drug addicts. I would really appreciate if someone atleast held a five minute briefing on the basic rules and stuff. On the other hand, my friend just told me that about 10 years ago, track days were cars + motorcycles on the track at the same time!! That must've been crazy.
I don't know the right line, but I've been studying some stuff about the track and will try to learn it at my best. I have to learn how fast I can go into some of those turns etc. But that's part of the game and I'm hyped. Can't just expect to hit the throttle and become the next Senna.
According to your suggestions, that's pretty much what I did, was trying to be considerate and let the fast guys by on the straights.

Awesome, sounds like you're on the right track (no pun intended). There's a lot of information about driving techniques on the internet. Nothing compares to real world learning and instructing, but you can get the basics and practice (heel toe shifting, track in-apex-track out, steering with throttle, using the brakes to set the front end into a turn, etc...). And like someone else suggested, keep looking for some sort of driving school. Even if it's not at that track, you'll probably be much faster when you do return to that track.

[Fusion]

Next TD coming up this thursday, can't wait! Hopefully I'll have pixorz.
Checked the brakes, great condition, found a torn rubber steering linkage thing. Ordered it and should have that fixed along with an alignment tuesday. Fingers crossed.
Also, should ask in the tech forums, but I'll try it here - I have a thump up front when driving slow around the city and pressing the brake pedal (doesn't have to be hard), I can sort of feel the thump on the front floor. What should I have them check?