Display when on track?

[AdamIsAdam]

What do you select to display when you're on the track? I saw an interior shot once on YouTube where the guy had the tire pressure showing. So I was wondering, what do people display and why?

MPH?
Oil temp?
Other temps?
Gas Mileage? (just wanted to see if you were paying attention)

What do you like and why?

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[jmn444]

tire pressure. especially for the first session or two, so i know to come in and bleed some down.

 

[AdamIsAdam]

So on the GT350 with Super Sports, what do you suggest starting at and what's "warm"?

 

[pilotgore]

What do you select to display when you're on the track? I saw an interior shot once on YouTube where the guy had the tire pressure showing. So I was wondering, what do people display and why?

MPH?
Oil temp?
Other temps?
Gas Mileage? (just wanted to see if you were paying attention)

What do you like and why?

Tire PSI all the way. If you’re looking for, and trying to stay at, the limit of tire adhesion, making sure the tires aren’t over-pressurized is critical.

 

[jmn444]

So on the GT350 with Super Sports, what do you suggest starting at and what's "warm"?

depends on ambient temp for start, but I shoot for 33-35 hot roughly. prob closer to 35 w/ pss

 

[TopJimmyCooks]

So on the GT350 with Super Sports, what do you suggest starting at and what's "warm"?

Adam, JMN is right, depends on the ambient temps. My last time out was warmer than the previous event so I saw bigger deltas between cold and hot pressures. For reference, I’m running MPSS 275/35/19f, 305/35/19r.

On this last event at Road Atlanta I took pyrometer readings after every session, trying to balance the temps across the tires. After 8 sessions, I’d decided on 33lbs front-R, 32.5 front-L, and 34 both rears. The morning starting pressure was 26.5 fr, 26.2 fl, 27.5 rr, 26 lr with an ambient temp of 55degF. That last session where I had it relatively balanced was 77degF. I played with the pressures (taking air out) on the first day. On the second day I only had to pull out about .2 on the rr, and .2-.5 on the other 3 tires.

So for my car, that track, expecting 75-77 degree ambient, I’d keep my hot temps at 33deg front and 34deg rear. I had seen 7-8degF delta on the day. My previous event was cooler...52 DegF max...and I only had 4lbs-ish delta between hot and cold pressures.

My buddy laughs at me when I’m taking the readings. He thinks I’m a nerd.

 

[AdamIsAdam]

I can't get over how you're supposed to run that low of a pressure. I would think that if the car/tire calls for 32 PSI cold, that they anticipate it getting hot when driven. Don't get me wrong, I believe you, and I assume you are adjusting based on traction results on the track as you vary temps. I'm just confused as to why Ford didn't call for cold PSI of 26 or so, at least for track use. They offer track use alignment settings, after all.

During a typical DE day, you get 4 twenty minute sessions. And this is DE not racing, so I guess it's just not as imperative to get it perfect nor do you have as much opportunity to fine tune. So maybe just start a few pounds lower, like 28 and go from there (depending on temps, etc as stated above).

Feedback? Thoughts?

 

[jmn444]

I can't get over how you're supposed to run that low of a pressure. I would think that if the car/tire calls for 32 PSI cold, that they anticipate it getting hot when driven. Don't get me wrong, I believe you, and I assume you are adjusting based on traction results on the track as you vary temps. I'm just confused as to why Ford didn't call for cold PSI of 26 or so, at least for track use. They offer track use alignment settings, after all.

During a typical DE day, you get 4 twenty minute sessions. And this is DE not racing, so I guess it's just not as imperative to get it perfect nor do you have as much opportunity to fine tune. So maybe just start a few pounds lower, like 28 and go from there (depending on temps, etc as stated above).

Feedback? Thoughts?

Some drivers will be faster and thus add more heat than others, anything in the supplement is just a guideline to start from.

There's zero chance ford can predict what ambient temps would be on the day everyone decides to track their car so best they can do is create an average guideline.

My 2019 supplement calls for track settings of 28 cold, 38 hot, but that's for cup 2 tires and stock alignment. Every change you make will affect what the tire needs/wants IMO.

One thing to note though, you really should give it 2 or 3 laps of warm up before going 10/10ths if the cold pressures are low, especially after a lengthy break between sessions. Build the pressure and heat back up slowly.

 

[Hack]

I don't mess with the display on a track day. And I don't look at it when I'm driving. I do check tire pressures, but not when I'm on track.

But I'm a relative rookie compared to many on here. I'm busy focusing on the basics when on track.

 

[TopJimmyCooks]

I can't get over how you're supposed to run that low of a pressure. I would think that if the car/tire calls for 32 PSI cold, that they anticipate it getting hot when driven. Don't get me wrong, I believe you, and I assume you are adjusting based on traction results on the track as you vary temps. I'm just confused as to why Ford didn't call for cold PSI of 26 or so, at least for track use. They offer track use alignment settings, after all.

During a typical DE day, you get 4 twenty minute sessions. And this is DE not racing, so I guess it's just not as imperative to get it perfect nor do you have as much opportunity to fine tune. So maybe just start a few pounds lower, like 28 and go from there (depending on temps, etc as stated above).

Feedback? Thoughts?

The manufacturers provide a recommended tire pressure based on: 1) the OEM tire they provided, and 2) typical driving conditions. Neither apply in this situation. My car came with 255/40/19f, 275/40/19r but I now have 275/35/19f and 305/35/19r and a different compound. I also am driving in a behavior which is significantly different than a typical driver. On my work car, I set the cold to 33 and it might go to 34 while driving. Maybe 35 on a hot day. They drop a couple of degrees when it is freezing out.

During HPDE you are asking quite a lot more from the tires. When I started down this crazy path, I'd ask the experienced folks what pressures I should run. Every time I was met with a chuckle and "that's a really good question". I guess if you want to keep it simple and not put too much thought into it, based on what I and JMN have described, you can probably check pressures after every session and just keep taking air out to keep things at or below 35lbs.

I am getting really granular with my own measurements because I'm trying to get as much life out of these tires as possible, and it does make a difference with grip while on track. It is kind of a pain and my buddy is right. It is a little nerdy. But I think it is helping.

 

[AdamIsAdam]

Good feedback. Thanks all.

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