Track Prep & Recommendations Thread

[DrumReaper]

I am a novice to this, but I have found the posts by [MENTION=6571]Bossing[/MENTION], [MENTION=7132]Trackaholic[/MENTION], [MENTION=9080]Matt[/MENTION]lx and [MENTION=18795]Rogue[/MENTION] very helpful in what to expect with tracking these awesome cars.

I would like to have a central threat that hopefully Admin will sticky so that we can ALL learn from anyone hat has experience tracking so that ALL of us can benefit and have safe, fun and enjoyable experiences.

That being said, please post experience with track prep and recommendations for what to do to these cars for autocross or HPDE events, or just plain fun tracking.

Thanks.

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[AMpowerJ]

This car is perfectly fine in stock form to take to the track or do an autoX event. With that being said, if this isn't your first rodeo there are a few things you are going to want to do. Here are the things that are on my list to eventually complete but I will track the car in different stages along the way.

Get track decals
Get track insurance
Lighter track wheels (Have the Project6R R spec wheels on order)
PS2 tires in GT350R sizes
Camber plates and track alignment
Possible spring changes down the road if FP releases a kit with revised MRC programming
AutoBlip module
Brake pads if the OEM ones exhibit fade on the track
Replace brake fluid
Install 4-point cage
Install racing seat with 6-point harness

 

[DrumReaper]

This car is perfectly fine in stock form to take to the track or do an autoX event. With that being said, if this isn't your first rodeo there are a few things you are going to want to do. Here are the things that are on my list to eventually complete but I will track the car in different stages along the way.

Get track decals
Get track insurance
Lighter track wheels (Have the Project6R R spec wheels on order)
PS2 tires in GT350R sizes
Camber plates and track alignment
Possible spring changes down the road if FP releases a kit with revised MRC programming
AutoBlip module
Brake pads if the OEM ones exhibit fade on the track
Replace brake fluid
Install 4-point cage
Install racing seat with 6-point harness

You gonna do Kershaw?

 

[AMpowerJ]

You gonna do Kershaw?

I will but my favorite track so far is VIR. I want to get to Road Atlanta this year and maybe Barber in AL as well.

 

[DrumReaper]

Then sign me up with you... I have a contact here in Columbia who tracks his GT3 and ventures to VIR and Kershaw on a regular.

 

[AMpowerJ]

Then sign me up with you... I have a contact here in Columbia who tracks his GT3 and ventures to VIR and Kershaw on a regular.

Sounds like a plan ...

 

[AMpowerJ]

Just noticed you have a 'R'. I'm jealous ... For you I would get camber plates first and a track alignment since you already have the wheels/tires covered unless you don't want to run the carbon wheels on the track but I would. The camber plates are going to be required to meet FP's recommended track alignment specs on the front.

Then look at a cage and harness/seat later maybe.

 

[DrumReaper]

Just noticed you have a 'R'. I'm jealous ... For you I would get camber plates first and a track alignment since you already have the wheels/tires covered unless you don't want to run the carbon wheels on the track but I would. The camber plates are going to be required to meet FP's recommended track alignment specs on the front.

Then look at a cage and harness/seat later maybe.

I plan to order a set of R-spec wheels from Need4Speed for the street and track the car with the CFs/SC2s.

Thanks man. Figured I'd get a set of catch cans as well.

 

[buggy whip]

This car is perfectly fine in stock form to take to the track or do an autoX event. With that being said, if this isn't your first rodeo there are a few things you are going to want to do. Here are the things that are on my list to eventually complete but I will track the car in different stages along the way.

Get track decals
Get track insurance
Lighter track wheels (Have the Project6R R spec wheels on order)
PS2 tires in GT350R sizes
Camber plates and track alignment
Possible spring changes down the road if FP releases a kit with revised MRC programming
AutoBlip module
Brake pads if the OEM ones exhibit fade on the track
Replace brake fluid
Install 4-point cage
Install racing seat with 6-point harness

If you don't already have one...
Don't forget your bucket (helmet) for your head.

 

[Wichard20]

it is always good to have a plan if your destroy a tire(s), backup set of wheels/tires the wife/friend/etc can bring over, etc if you do not plan to trailer the car. You can always get a tow from the track but will cost you.

 

[Hack]

Most tracks you can just:
1) Drive to track
2) Have fun driving the car

You don't need a bunch of expensive modifications or even insurance. Just listen to the instructors, be careful and have fun!

 

[Trackaholic]

I've done the following:

UPR GT350 Catch Can


I have not yet tried to go for the track alignment, and since I drive on the street a ton, I'm not sure I will bother with it. Tire wear and balance is quite good so far with my driving style. I may get some camber plates that I can mark, so I can easily change the settings between track and street, but at this point I'll probably wait for my first set of tires to wear out before making any changes.

I would like to get a wider throttle pedal since I have a very hard time heel/toe shifting in this car (well, in pretty much any car).

Eventually I may get some lightweight wheels and r-comps, but the car is great with street tires so I may end up holding off on that for longer than I had originally planned.

Brakes pads, fluids, and rotors are holding up very well after two events. Tires are looking quite good as well. For me, the car is doing great stock, so I don't feel the need to make any updates yet.

From a track day perspective, I like to bring the following items:
Helmet
Magnetic Numbers (and painters tape to prevent them from coming off at high speed, but you can also just use tape to create numbers)
Folding Chair
Extra oil
Toolbox
Jack
Sunscreen
Cooler with water/gatorade
electric impact wrench
torque wrench
windshield cleaner
paper towels or cloth
zipties
tire repair plugs
small air compressor

With my Z I'd also bring:
Brake fluid
power steering fluid
brake pads

I almost never use any of the crap that I bring, but it is nice to know that I can repair a flat, change brake pads, or top off fluids if necessary. I almost always am lending something out to someone at the event.

-T

 

[fuhrius]

For the car:

1. start with safety equipment - however far you want to go. everyone's got an opinion. I wouldn't go a track, personally, without my minimum setup of: rollbar, harness (4pt ASM with stock seat or 6pt with fixed-back seat), HANS!, good helmet. I also like to have fire protection (clothing and FE)
2. For the R, as mentioned, we're going to need camber plates to get the recommended 1.75* neg in the front. you'll only get about 1 stock and you'll tear up the cup 2's in a hurry.
3. AOS (catch cans)

Lots of people track cars without incident with less safety equipment. I've had a bad wreck at the track so my 'minimum' threshold is different that other peoples. I will just say that the time it takes someone to go from 'it'll never happen to me' to 'shit, that just happened to me' is alarmingly short ;-)...and you'll be glad you invested in safety versus go-fast bits.

I think driver education is the most important thing - schools, books, videos, etc.
A great online resource is http://safeisfast.com/

Then seek, don't just take instruction, and work on little things...one technique, on corner, etc. Don't follow the crowd that thinks the DE's are races and be careful about getting instruction from people who are 'instructors' only because they've been to the track a bunch of times. The bar for instructing is really low in some orgs...and, as the say, 'practice doesn't make perfect...perfect practice makes perfect.'

 

[icormba]

Awesome & practical list, but you forgot Duct tape!! ;)

I've done the following:

UPR GT350 Catch Can


I have not yet tried to go for the track alignment, and since I drive on the street a ton, I'm not sure I will bother with it. Tire wear and balance is quite good so far with my driving style. I may get some camber plates that I can mark, so I can easily change the settings between track and street, but at this point I'll probably wait for my first set of tires to wear out before making any changes.

I would like to get a wider throttle pedal since I have a very hard time heel/toe shifting in this car (well, in pretty much any car).

Eventually I may get some lightweight wheels and r-comps, but the car is great with street tires so I may end up holding off on that for longer than I had originally planned.

Brakes pads, fluids, and rotors are holding up very well after two events. Tires are looking quite good as well. For me, the car is doing great stock, so I don't feel the need to make any updates yet.

From a track day perspective, I like to bring the following items:
Helmet
Magnetic Numbers (and painters tape to prevent them from coming off at high speed, but you can also just use tape to create numbers)
Folding Chair
Extra oil
Toolbox
Jack
Sunscreen
Cooler with water/gatorade
electric impact wrench
torque wrench
windshield cleaner
paper towels or cloth
zipties
tire repair plugs
small air compressor

With my Z I'd also bring:
Brake fluid
power steering fluid
brake pads

I almost never use any of the crap that I bring, but it is nice to know that I can repair a flat, change brake pads, or top off fluids if necessary. I almost always am lending something out to someone at the event.

-T

 

[tdzee]

I will but my favorite track so far is VIR. I want to get to Road Atlanta this year and maybe Barber in AL as well.

I will be putting together a track day at Atlanta Motorsports Park. I have a thread for that (Anyone interested in a track day in Georgia?). I live near RA and have driven there many times. Look forward to trying out those long straights to see what the top end looks like.

My R should arrive sometime in late Apr or early May, so I am thinking sometime in later May (avoiding a Mustang event on 26/27). I will post an update and would love to see you, or any other interested parties, there. I think this car is going to be great on track. :ford:

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