Guys

 

Any tips on this ?

 

How are my brakes gonna stand up ? Does brake fade occur suddenly and you go head long into a barrier/gravel trap or is it progressive ?

 

Tyres ? F**ked after 1 lap ?

 

Fuel ? How much should I carry in the tank ? Will a full tank unbalance the car ?

 

Any and all thoughts and experiences will be gratefully received.

 

Thanks

 

Mark

Aim to only do about 5 or 6 laps before coming in, initially, to see how much hammering your brakes get. If it's an auto then you'll definitely not want to stay out much longer than that until you get a feel for the track.

 

Made that mistake on my first outing (Oulton Park) and ended up with serious fade and blue flames flickering over the rear brakes :eek:

 

It certainly pays to upgrade the brakes on a Z.

 

You'll need quite a bit of fuel (make sure it's optimax !!) as you'll burn it real quick and there may not be a Shell station nearby.

 

Make sure your tyres have got plenty of tread (or carry a spare set) as you could lose a couple of mil's on the day.

 

Main thing to remember is to do everything smoothly; no sudden turn-ins etc.

 

Where are you going ?

Thanks for the tips Konrad.

 

I'm hoping for Goodwood on March 6th.

 

The track day up in Derby or wherever it is is simply too far, as much as I'd love to be there...........

 

Mark

There was attempts for an all Z trackday in the Midlands on that date, 6th March but the interest dwindled alot.

 

Like Konrad said, only do 4 laps or so at a time. A warm up lap, 2 fun laps and then a cooling down lap. When you are doing your cooling down lap, dont drive at 30mph all the way round thats dangerous.;)

Take it easy, drive fast but dont floor it, also take a long time to brake. Brake about 3 times the distance you do when you are racing and dont brake too hard. This will help the brakes cool down correctly. If you dont cool your brakes down correctly it can cause them to blue and even crack which means you will have to buy a new set of discs.

What are your pads like? If they are about half worn, they maybe completely worn when you finish. And so if they are nearly time for changing, change them now as the wont last on a track.

Same with the tyres. If they are just legal now they wont be when you finish.

Let your engine cool down correctly. The cooling down lap will help but let your engine idle for at least 5 mins after you have stopped.

Take some oil with you. A 4 litre bottle will do. You will burn oil during your racing round.

 

The its the obvious stuff. Check fluid levels before and after every time you go out. Check tyre pressures. The pressure will increase with the heat but you are looking for big differences between each axel.

 

Most of all dont be a hero ;)

If some one is going faster than you let them past. Be safe and enjoy it.

 

Stuart

Thanks Stuart.

 

I've recently (200 miles) replaced the discs with Brembos (original size) and some Greenstuff pads. I'll be fitting a brake brace and braided lines too, so I should be able to last the day. And the tyres are Yokohamas with about 6,000 miles on them - mostly in a straight line as opposed to sideways :)

 

I'm hoping to strap a video camera to the dash or my helmet (no jokes please) and hopefully get it on here - although if I stuff it into the armco I'll porbably not be that keen to share it !

 

I think the hardest bit of advice to follow will be the 'hero' stuff. I can get awfully competitive ! I expect the Elises and Caterhams and such like will cane me through the bends but what about 911's etc ? Do I stand any chance ?

 

Mark

911 (968??) GT3's are VERY quick on track. Ordinary porkers are nothing special though.

 

Zs can hold their own with just about anything you meet :D

Just make sure you get used to the track before you push it though, and try to avoid tangling with other cars...they're not professionals and I've seen cars wrapped because of other people's mistakes :xxx:

Something else to remember along the lines of don't be a hero...

 

Unless you have specifically arranged it: YOU ARE NOT INSURED on track. Consider that, if you play the fool and have an accident, if someone else is involved not only have you stuffed your car but potentially face personal litigation especially if it's a personal injury claim. It could screw you for many years.

 

My insurers offer aditional single day Track cover for £55. with a raised excess of £2.5K.

 

I'm not trying to put you off, there is little to touch hooning a car around a circuit IMHO just be careful.

 

Have fun.

 

Tim

Ooo good thread!

 

Stu, since no-one else can be arsed are we going to go and do something?

 

AIUI fade characteristics depend on the pads and the discs, but I think with your setup you'll notice the fade before it catches you out. Tyres depend on your style of driving - if you start drifting out of every corner you'll probably go through a pair of rears in one day.

 

When I finally get around to one I don't think I will be driving at the limit the first time, I'll just driving closer to the limit than you can on public roads. Harder but not hardest, so to speak. I think that's kind of what Herve did at Trax.

 

A full tank is good, you'll get 10mpg!

 

I was thinking of keeping my stock wheels when I get alloys so I can swap tyres at the start and end of the day, I saw lots of people doing that at Trax. It does mean you need another car to carry them though...

Oh yes, and take out everything you don't need - any crap in the cockpit, empty the glovebox, take the toolkit and amp out the boot (and even the spare?)

I really appreciate all the thoughts guys.

 

Tim, can I ask who your insurer is as mine (Admiral) declined to cover me. I'm booking through 'easytrack' and noticed a 'TT Tim' on there.......you ?

I really appreciate all the thoughts guys.

 

Tim, can I ask who your insurer is as mine (Admiral) declined to cover me. I'm booking through 'easytrack' and noticed a 'TT Tim' on there.......you ?

 

 

My insureres are Footman James, and yes that's me on the Easytrack site. :D

 

You might also try competition Car insurance for a quote for cover, sorry don't have their number to hand. You might check the smallprint on your insurance policy, there is a grey area about using your car on non competitive events, and of course a track day is non competitive and un timed, but it is a grey area as I said nearer black than white. ;)

 

Tim

Mark there all wise words, & if your car is not running 100%, or you aren't a regular maintenance sort, please think twice.

But when you do 'don' a helmet & get it sideways at 100+ its a bit special :D :D :D

 

harve

Mark there all wise words, & if your car is not running 100%, or you aren't a regular maintenance sort, please think twice.

But when you do 'don' a helmet & get it sideways at 100+ its a bit special :D :D :D

 

harve

 

That photo looks strangely familar. :D

All booked ! Monday 8th March at Brands Hatch - Indy Circuit.

 

I'm really looking forward to this - and a little (alright VERY) scared ! :D

 

Video to follow :D

 

Mark

All booked ! Monday 8th March at Brands Hatch - Indy Circuit.

 

I'm really looking forward to this - and a little (alright VERY) scared

Mark,

 

You'll have a great time. If you're concerned about anything just approach one of the guys from the GTROC, we may not be 300ZX experts but there are a few people who have done a lot of track-days. Always happy to help out.

 

See you there :dance:

Hey cool.You'll be there too !

 

I'm sure 'fun' is somewhere on tha agenda :D