Anyone taken their Mach 1 to CotA?

[RocketGuy3]

How did it hold up on track? It's one of the few major tracks in Texas that I've never driven with any car before, but I've heard some stories about how rough it is on tires, brakes, and cooling systems in many street cars. I'm planning on taking Daisy there in March or April, so hopefully the external temps at least won't be too bad.

Since brakes and cooling are the same on both, I'm interested in input from people both with and without the Handling Pack (though my car is without). And I have the Tremec, FWIW, and car is bone stock. Thanks in advance!

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[RandomTask]

I was there in December for the first time with Edge Addicts in the advanced group. 6 speed Tremec here also, but my car is not stock, it’s built out with a good bunch of track specific mods. Since the temps were lower it wasn’t hard on the car, but I know it handled tracks like ECR and Cresson in 110 degrees in July without missing a beat.

It did chew through my 100 TW Supercar 3r tires, especially the front right, but I wouldn’t say any more than driving hard elsewhere. That being said, the main problem for me at the low temps I found It hard to get heat into my tires. It took easily a lap and a half to get them warm. Beware of the last corner on cold tires (ask me how I know!)

I noticed a little brake fade, nothing crazy. Again temps were low, so can’t judge on warmer conditions.

The hardest thing is being faster round corners, then getting stomped on by all the Supercars and other high HP cars.

 

[RocketGuy3]

I was there in December for the first time with Edge Addicts in the advanced group. 6 speed Tremec here also, but my car is not stock, it’s built out with a good bunch of track specific mods. Since the temps were lower it wasn’t hard on the car, but I know it handled tracks like ECR and Cresson in 110 degrees in July without missing a beat.

It did chew through my 100 TW Supercar 3r tires, especially the front right, but I wouldn’t say any more than driving hard elsewhere. That being said, the main problem for me at the low temps I found It hard to get heat into my tires. It took easily a lap and a half to get them warm. Beware of the last corner on cold tires (ask me how I know!)

I noticed a little brake fade, nothing crazy. Again temps were low, so can’t judge on warmer conditions.

The hardest thing is being faster round corners, then getting stomped on by all the Supercars and other high HP cars.

Oh man, what a sign of the times that a 480-hp (or more if you've modified the drivetrain?), near-top-trim car is one of the slow cars at the track, hah. But I imagine CotA clientele are a little more well off than the average HPDE driver at other tracks, so guess it makes sense cars would be faster. In many of the events I've been to with Apex and TDE, a bone stock Mach 1 would be at least above average in terms of overall speed.

Also, yes, I should have specified I'm running bone stock. I took my previous '15 GT with PP to the track a few times with no issues. I was in novice to early-intermediate at the time, though, so I imagine between my increased skill [hopefully] and the more aggressive track, there might be issues, even though the Mach 1 is much better prepared for the track.

Thanks for your input!

 

[NightmareMoon]

CotA is a little hard on brakes (slowing from 140 will do that), and more than a few spots are dangerous places to have an off, but otherwise its a fine track.

with street tires, yeah you’re going to get stomped by the $$$,$$$ hardware that shows up at CotA, but its a heck of an experience to drive it.

 

[RocketGuy3]

I have no interest in being the fastest guy out there, so I'm not worried about that. I mean, like everyone else, my ego appreciates it when I pass people (especially in comparable or faster cars), but I'm just tryna have fun and get better... Bonus points if I can bring my car home under its own power. Which is why I just don't want anything to overheat. That's the main reason I like track-focused cars from the factory. Not just because they're fast (though that's always nice). I was hoping the Mach 1 would be good enough to survive a track day there without anything limping or fading.

 

[RandomTask]

I have no interest in being the fastest guy out there, so I'm not worried about that. I mean, like everyone else, my ego appreciates it when I pass people (especially in comparable or faster cars), but I'm just tryna have fun and get better... Bonus points if I can bring my car home under its own power. Which is why I just don't want anything to overheat. That's the main reason I like track-focused cars from the factory. Not just because they're fast (though that's always nice). I was hoping the Mach 1 would be good enough to survive a track day there without anything limping or fading.

I don’t think you I will have a problem. The added coolers on the car are no gimmick.

As for passing people, you will find all those $$$$$$ doesn’t always add up to fast guys at COTA, my buddy has a Golf GTI, granted it’s a little extra track setup over stock, and he’s been on tracks for 15yrs, but he showed up a bunch of those cars/drivers last time we were there. So much so, a few guys came over to us in the paddock to check out his car, they were all high end cars and pitted together in one of the rented pit lane garages, I guess they figured there was something magic in the Golf!

 

[RocketGuy3]

I don’t think you I will have a problem. The added coolers on the car are no gimmick.

As for passing people, you will find all those $$$$$$ doesn’t always add up to fast guys at COTA, my buddy has a Golf GTI, granted it’s a little extra track setup over stock, and he’s been on tracks for 15yrs, but he showed up a bunch of those cars/drivers last time we were there. So much so, a few guys came over to us in the paddock to check out his car, they were all high end cars and pitted together in one of the rented pit lane garages, I guess they figured there was something magic in the Golf!

You know what they say about the best performance mod you can make to a car... And just cuz you can buy it doesn't mean you can drive it, hah.

 

[RandomTask]

Finally got around to posting up a couple of laps from COTA back in December. These were the 2 clearest laps in traffic I managed all weekend. Every run group was stacked. I think red advanced was the smallest group, and even that was crazy busy. But I wasn't overly bothered, since it was my first time there, I wasn't stressed about lap times. I think the 2.32 in this video was as good as it got all weekend. I’ll be back when it’s warmer, with fresh tires and hopefully less traffic.

Second lap you'll see I come up behind the aforementioned Golf GTI my buddy has.

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