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"Track Days" For Street Legal Automobiles

Discussion in 'General' started by YamahaRick, Dec 9, 2019.

  1. Hotfoot

    Hotfoot Well-Known Member

    One thing I would add to Trainwreck's really good post - if you have a high end car or just like to take good care of your paint you may want to pick up some clear protective film to put on the front of the car, and behind the wheels to protect it from rock chips. Or you can do it with blue tape but it looks a bit ratty in photos. Oh, and you will probably need to put numbers on your car, check with the organization for the size required.

    +1 on the brake fluid being the most important thing. If you have "driver aids" on your car, research how to turn them off, especially brake assist.

    I did a track day with NASA not long ago, they were very friendly and well run, they let me use my motorcycle helmet, and didn't require any car mods, just good mechanical condition as described by others in this thread.
     
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  2. TWF2

    TWF2 2 heads are better than 1

    Together with pads. All 4 wheels because some cars actually go through rears faster than fronts.
    I melted pads and destroyed rotors on my MB when I did with stock stuff. To make it worst I drove it there so had to drive back home with terible brake chatter.
     
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  3. baconologist

    baconologist Well-Known Member

    The NC venue shut down. I think it was called the Maxxton mile or some thing like that. ECTA moved to Ohio for a time and now I think they run at Blytheville AR. There is also the Texas Mile and all of the wanagofast events.

    ECTA = East Coast Timing Assoc.
     
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  4. Br1anbuck

    Br1anbuck Well-Known Member

    I believe the helmet will have SM if fire rated.
     
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  5. Br1anbuck

    Br1anbuck Well-Known Member

    Another +1 for brake fluid and up rated pads. Usually, if you are using more rear pad than front, it is because your traction control and stability control are stepping in. Usually.
     
    YamahaRick likes this.
  6. Hotfoot

    Hotfoot Well-Known Member

    This. I thought I had turned off all the brake assist options on my car but noticed I could smell brakes even though I wasn't braking hard - the car was using rear brake for stability control, I had to go deeper into the settings to disable that. Luckily I noticed it first session so I didn't wear out my rear brakes.
     
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  7. SuddenBraking

    SuddenBraking The Iron Price

    I’ve got nothing to add other than the last mixed track day (cars/bikes) I was at some dude put his Porsche about a hundred yards into the woods past T1 at NJMP o_O
     
  8. Trainwreck

    Trainwreck I could give a heck


    Yeah, I absolutely recommend this if you care about paint. Hot tires will pick up EVERYTHING on the track and huck it behind them. Especially slicks. Even the bits of rubber that get thrown off the cars will damage your paint and panels.

    Two years ago the Buckeye Racing Civic SI threw a rod out of its block, and out of the pan down the back straight at Gingerman... I was right behind them.. I ran right through their oil, couldn't see anything (smoke and debris) I came very close to ass packing them. I somehow got off their oil slick and got the car slowed down enough to decide where to point it into the gravel without making it to the wall... I came in slightly sideways but not enough to worry about flipping..

    Got the car back to my pit... had oil and coolant all over the font of my car and windshield. But I also had about 10-15 little dents and scratches all over the hood and front fascia because pieces of the Civic's engine were launched into my car. A lot of it was from the engine just dumping it off the back, but the tires also picked some up and whipped it at me.

    Favorite part about this story is that they were pitted right next to me and after I had decided that i was just done for the day after that (track was getting way to hot anyway) I was looking over my car and I found a rod bolt from their car in the windshield cowling under the wipers lol. So I went over and gave it back to them and we laughed and drank a bunch of beer about it.

    But yeah.. get some 3M cleargaurd or whatever its called.
     
  9. Remember taking me ex wife’s Acura TL to a track day, then took my diesel Jetta wagon to one. Was all fun until front wheel studs ripped out.
     

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