Track Mode and a Newer Track Driver

Hey fellas -

I am relatively new to tracking my car - but I am addicted. Had a few days in and have a number more planned.

I haven't taken it out of Sport mode yet - is that a mistep on my part? Should I be putting into Track mode?

If I do, should I start slower than normal? Is the driving experience that different?

The reason I haven't yet is the couple of tracks I've hit haven't had any real forgiving run offs. Mostly walls haha.

Thanks for the insights.

Question I'd have is do you feel the stability control kicking in during your track time? If not then maybe push a little harder next time until you do. Also you may not feel it kick in because you're still developing a feel for the car at the limit. If it's the latter then I'd wait a little bit longer. If it's the former and you didn't get nervous from the feel then go for Track mode.

Track mode does provide stability control but it doesn't intervene until you really get the car out of shape. To fully turn off Advancetrac you need to hold the stability control toggle up for about 9 seconds.

BTW, throwing in a couple of autocross sessions here and there will help you to develop a feel for the car in a safe environment and with all nannies off.

TDC said:

Question I'd have is do you feel the stability control kicking in during your track time? If not then maybe push a little harder next time until you do. Also you may not feel it kick in because you're still developing a feel for the car at the limit. If it's the latter then I'd wait a little bit longer. If it's the former and you didn't get nervous from the feel then go for Track mode.

Track mode does provide stability control but it doesn't intervene until you really get the car out of shape. To fully turn off Advancetrac you need to hold the stability control toggle up for about 9 seconds.

BTW, throwing in a couple of autocross sessions here and there will help you to develop a feel for the car in a safe environment and with all nannies off.

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Great answer.

Every model is different on when yaw and G kicks in on which mode on which model. I have a base and in sport mode it is very little interaction on transfer. It seems right to me. On track mode on mine, car feels to greasy. Not loose but greasy. Seems like brakes are dragging instead of grip let go grip let go and seems more rear bias on traction control so like you are dragging the rear.

I was just in a new 17 R and sport felt more greasy and front pushed in similar situations as my base. Thought tires weren't point and shoot. More like spin the rubber through corners but again it was about 52 degrees?

Tried a couple of 16 techs and you have to go more to track to get a similar feel than my sport setting.

Also the R is supposedly the only gt350 you can switch the traction control complete off? Why I was told the race tires that come from factory are speed and race rated? Also you switch track mode then hold traction control button for 6 seconds. Supposedly this is set to 1.5% interaction. Basically 0.

Supposedly 16 techs at the same setting is 35.7%, track packs are at 12.3% and base algorithm we couldn't find the spec in the program yet because the base tune is not an active load because of small run. Less than 250 total?

So again each car is different on pcm/ecm/ traction and yaw settings. That is why I think the limp mode pops up occasionally on all models and it is a car by car basis?

JN66 said:

Hey fellas -

I am relatively new to tracking my car - but I am addicted. Had a few days in and have a number more planned.

I haven't taken it out of Sport mode yet - is that a mistep on my part? Should I be putting into Track mode?

If I do, should I start slower than normal? Is the driving experience that different?

The reason I haven't yet is the couple of tracks I've hit haven't had any real forgiving run offs. Mostly walls haha.

Thanks for the insights.

Click to expand...

At the GT350 Track Attack event the Ford Performance people told us to leave the cars in Sport Mode. There's no need to turn the computer aids completely off. You aren't in a race with a possibility to win money. You are there to have fun and be safe. You also don't want to throw away tens of thousands of dollars by crashing. I think it's better to be cautious. If you feel very comfortable with the car and the track and it seems to you that the nannies are spoiling your fun, by all means go to a more aggressive setting, though.

Going fast on the track isn't about spinning the tires or getting the car out of shape. It's about keeping the car near the limit without exceeding it. I would think that if the nannies are kicking in, they are probably helping you to go faster, rather than slowing you down. I can tell you I have plenty of fun at the track without switching the nannies off. And the car is fast while it's in normal mode (not even going to sport mode).

Anyway, there's really no "right" answer to your question. Do what makes you comfortable.

Thanks fellas.

I appreciate all the feedback.

Looking to hit some autocross events this year (as suggested above) as well. Should be a good time.

http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-cul...ne-of-the-dumbest-things-you-can-do-in-a-car/

"Consider the following: Formula One drivers are the best drivers in the world (save it, NASCAR and rally fans, you know I'm right) and yet the race teams used to move heaven and earth to install secret traction control systems to help them. If Michael Schumacher or Lewis Hamilton can benefit from a little computer intervention, so can you."

Jack Baruth was at the Boss Track Attack session I attended. That guy is fast as hell, is an instructor himself (albeit not affiliated with Ford in any way), and when it comes to track driving, I trust his opinion quite a bit.

JN66 said:

Hey fellas -

I am relatively new to tracking my car - but I am addicted. Had a few days in and have a number more planned.

I haven't taken it out of Sport mode yet - is that a mistep on my part? Should I be putting into Track mode?

If I do, should I start slower than normal? Is the driving experience that different?

The reason I haven't yet is the couple of tracks I've hit haven't had any real forgiving run offs. Mostly walls haha.

Thanks for the insights.

Click to expand...

I think someone said in sport the throttle is actually sharper then in track.

I was looking for that R&T article. It's a must read.

[MENTION=12069]Hack[/MENTION] and [MENTION=24593]ElAntonius[/MENTION] nailed it.
My two take aways fron the Track Attack were, and I paraphrase - we [the instructors] keep it in Sport Mode, Track Mode will let you get into too much trouble before it helps- and -the GT350 has the best braking system Ford's produced.
Good Luck and Happy Tracking [MENTION=22031]JN66[/MENTION] :cheers:

Tank said:

[MENTION=12069]Hack[/MENTION] and [MENTION=24593]ElAntonius[/MENTION] nailed it.
My two take aways fron the Track Attack were, and I paraphrase - we [the instructors] keep it in Sport Mode, Track Mode will let you get into too much trouble before it helps- and -the GT350 has the best braking system Ford's produced.
Good Luck and Happy Tracking [MENTION=22031]JN66[/MENTION] :cheers:

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Well where is the line? If you cant make a mistake whats the point of driving.

I wonder if they tell the students that to save the cars

firestarter2 said:

Well where is the line? If you cant make a mistake whats the point of driving.

I wonder if they tell the students that to save the cars

Click to expand...

Good point about mistakes...
I don't recall them saying anything about 'saving the cars'. The messaging was more like "drive it like you stole it", "learn on our cars before you beat on yours", "you're responsible for any damage if you take it out of Sport/ do anything else that's stupid" Again, my paraphrasing here :lol:

firestarter2 said:

I think someone said in sport the throttle is actually sharper then in track.

Click to expand...

That's to help with smoother power application in track mode when you are probably closer to the limit of grip

firestarter2 said:

Well where is the line? If you cant make a mistake whats the point of driving.

I wonder if they tell the students that to save the cars

Click to expand...

No computer is going to completely prevent you from making a mistake. You can still easily overdrive a corner and not be able to make the turn. In sport mode the car still moves around a lot and you can still feel it starting to lose grip without the nannies doing anything.

They told us to leave the cars in third, which means I was hammering the red line for more than a second on a couple of the straights. I think if they wanted to save the car they wouldn't have said anything and most people would have shifted to avoid sitting on the red line. I was impressed that you could absolutely hang the car on the red line multiple times every lap over and over. The car took it no problem.

For the foreseeable future I'll be leaving it in Sport mode.

If I am able to get into some Autocross in a parking lot I might play with it a bit in a safe environment.

Hack said:

No computer is going to completely prevent you from making a mistake. You can still easily overdrive a corner and not be able to make the turn. In sport mode the car still moves around a lot and you can still feel it starting to lose grip without the nannies doing anything.

They told us to leave the cars in third, which means I was hammering the red line for more than a second on a couple of the straights. I think if they wanted to save the car they wouldn't have said anything and most people would have shifted to avoid sitting on the red line. I was impressed that you could absolutely hang the car on the red line multiple times every lap over and over. The car took it no problem.

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Yeah there was some debate about the nannies I suspect they kick in a lot sooner then people think they are just less intrusive.

The car has a track mode for a reason. Why not use rain mode then?