|
I'm taking my RS to the Toronto Motorsports Park this Saturday for open car lapping. I've never been on a track before. Any advice? https://torontomotorsportspark.com/open-car-lapping/
|
#
¿
May 8, 2018 15:49
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 18, 2024 12:34 |
|
|
Are the OEM pads and fluid good enough to just go out and do a couple learner laps? I'm not trying to push it and the laps aren't timed, I just want to get a feel for what it's like to be out on a track. I definitely plan on getting an instructor and taking it easy.
|
|
#
¿
May 8, 2018 17:09
|
|
|
BlackMK4 posted:In a RS? Yes I figured. That would be an odd thing for Ford to cheap out on. I'm actually a little worried that the car can write checks my inexperienced rear end can't cash. I've definitely never been anywhere near its limits on the road, and not for a lack of trying. PaintVagrant posted:Yup. The RS is pretty drat good right out of the box. Do you have the 2018 model with the LSD? No 
|
|
#
¿
May 8, 2018 17:19
|
|
|
PaintVagrant posted:The non-LSD version will heat brakes up a bit quicker, because of the TVC system. However, if youre new and just feeling out the limits, you very likely will not get them to fade in a 15-20 minute session. Thanks. The website says helmets are optional. Do I need to go out and get one? Do I run with windows up or down?
|
|
#
¿
May 8, 2018 17:26
|
|
|
Gigi Galli posted:I recommend a helmet if you're in any way big enough to tap your head on anything in the car. The point about having the windows down is being able to indicate to other drivers to pass you if you're holding them up and the group rules require point bys. As a beginner (or experienced driver really) you'll want to do this. The rules say use your turn signals to signal someone that they're clear to pass. What do I get for a racing helmet? I need one for my GF too then.
|
|
#
¿
May 8, 2018 17:37
|
|
|
BlackMK4 posted:Some people will probably disagree with this, but find a friend that rides motorcycles and borrow a couple of helmets that fit properly, rather than spending money and finding out it isn't your thing. I'll call and ask if they have ones I can borrow. Thanks. How much height does a helmet add? I'm a tall guy and I'm pretty close to the sunroof as it is.
|
|
#
¿
May 8, 2018 17:50
|
|
|
ZincBoy posted:I will likely be there this evening and have run this track many times. Look for a race prepped silver BMW in a white enclosed trailer. The car will have R14 on the front and back windshield. I need to replace my wheel studs as one broke and it depends on how long that takes... Hey man, always awesome to find local goons. I actually had to reschedule because everyone wanted to take my grandma out for an early mother's day dinner (why not tomorrow?  ) I'll probably be going for memorial day, but have fun!
|
|
#
¿
May 12, 2018 15:26
|
|
|
Ended up rescheduling for next sunday. 
|
|
#
¿
May 12, 2018 16:21
|
|
|
I'm at Toronto Motorsports Park. Open lapping starts in 20 minutes. I couldn't get an instructor so I guess I'm going blind. If I don't die, I'll let you know how it was!
|
|
#
¿
May 20, 2018 21:40
|
|
|
Considering there's a big fuckoff concrete wall there without a runoff, I'm taking that corner at road speeds.
|
|
#
¿
May 20, 2018 21:49
|
|
|
Just got done. So my best piece of advice - don't go out nervous! There I am, first time out and I'm given the wave to go. Start rowing the gears - first gear to 30mph, shift to second to 60mph, shift to third to 90mph, shift to... second gently caress! Tach pegs all the way up at 8k. I figure I hit 9k minimum based on the speed I'm going. I immediately throw it in neutral and the car starts freaking out at me - chimes, blinking lights, an ominous message that says "Engine Malfunction - Service IMMEDIATELY!" Car goes into limp mode and won't rev past 2k. I throw on my hazards and slowly make it back to the paddock. My head is swimming "gently caress, I've been out here 15 seconds and I wrecked my car!" I'm running the numbers silently about how much a rebuild is going to cost. Realizing I need to get some idea about what kind of damage I'm looking at, I plug in my OBD2 reader and turn the engine over with held breath. The read comes back... clean. No check engine light, no codes. I pop the hood. I smell a faint hint of burnt oil, but everything sounds fine. No knocking, no grinding, no loping. I check every gauge in Torque. Everything looks totally fine. A 10 minute drive around the parking lot proves completely uneventful. To be continued...
|
|
#
¿
May 21, 2018 01:13
|
|
|
After 15 minutes of quiet panicking, I figure sitting here with my engine idling isn't going to result in any more useful information. I decide I'm here, I may as well go for it again. I pull up to the starting line and get the wave to go. I give it half throttle and start rowing. 80mph at the end of the straight and no complaints - car sounds bored if anything. I give it 2 pace laps and it's completely uneventful. Third lap, I take a deep breath and give it the beans. 30, 50, 70, 90, 105 before I run out of straight and brake hard into the turn. Car is snarling like a rabid Cerberus the whole time. The g forces I get going into the corner are insane - this car can turn harder than I can physically sit straight and hold the wheel. I drop it into third on and punch it. If there's anything wrong with the car, it sure as hell didn't want me to know about it. Tires dug in and I rocketed back up to 90. Ran 3 laps and pulled back in. I can smell the brakes, but otherwise the car looks, sounds and smells like it came off the factory floor yesterday. I went out another 2 times after that and I'm WIPED. The poster above me was right that this is amazingly demanding, both physically and mentally. Car still feels totally fine driving it home - Ford made an absolute tank of an engine with this thing and I couldn't be happier. I'm thinking about doing an oil change, even though I just had one less than 500 miles ago. Anything else I should do maintenance wise to cover for my stupidity?
|
|
#
¿
May 21, 2018 01:39
|
|
|
Doing it was exhilarating but there is so much to keep track of that it's VERY easy to get overwhelmed. I think next time, I'm going to definitely reserve an instructor ahead of time. I agree with the poster above that an HPDE is better for the first few times out. Is there anything like that around here? I'm in Buffalo. Edit: And I don't feel too bad - two people had to be towed off the track, including someone whose wheels were completely locked. All 4. Watching it get pulled off was 
KillHour fucked around with this message at 02:03 on May 21, 2018 |
|
#
¿
May 21, 2018 01:58
|
|
|
KidDynamite posted:Drive to Watkins Glen in August or September with NASA Northeast and you can hang out with me! I'm downstate all the time so I'll definitely do that.
|
|
#
¿
May 21, 2018 02:01
|
|
|
Jesus Christ. Yeah... I'm not sure I'll be going back there. There were definitely some people who don't know how to drive on a track. Most people were fine but there was a red Corvette that didn't know what a racing line was and wouldn't let anyone pass. Tons of people were not following the rules posted on the website. The safety guy was a kid who obviously didn't care and would wander away. His instructions for me were "Wait for me to give the signal to go and this is what the different flags mean." KillHour fucked around with this message at 03:19 on May 21, 2018 |
|
#
¿
May 21, 2018 03:17
|
|
|
KidDynamite posted:Drive to Watkins Glen in August or September with NASA Northeast and you can hang out with me! September is full, so I'm registering for Aug 27-28th. Already asked my boss for time off work 
|
|
#
¿
May 21, 2018 03:44
|
|
|
I feel like I've heard tons of stories about FiSTs not having great cooling, so it's not too surprising.
|
|
#
¿
May 25, 2018 00:59
|
|
|
I can't find ANY racing equipment stores in or around Buffalo to try on helmets. Is there anything around here or do I just have to buy several from a place with a good return policy?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 21, 2018 22:25
|
|
|
I thought motorcycle helmets were rated M2015, not SA2015?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 22, 2018 15:25
|
|
|
So what good would going to a motorcycle store do me? Do they stock SA2015 helmets at most motorcycle stores?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 22, 2018 16:51
|
|
|
Thrash the gently caress out of it - that's what an M3 is for. Get a clear bra if you're super worried about it.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 24, 2018 15:28
|
|
|
Once you get a door ding in the parking lot of a supermarket, you'll stop caring. Now I just have fun with my cars (except the one that's leased) 
|
|
#
¿
Jul 24, 2018 16:56
|
|
|
Aim for the cones to score more points.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 28, 2018 22:31
|
|
|
Along those same lines, I'm doing a 2 day HPDE at Watkins Glen next month. How much tread do I need on my tires (Cup 2s) to last the event? Should I bring a spare set?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 30, 2018 17:42
|
|
|
It's a Focus RS. I assure you I won't have problems with a soft suspension. I'm more worried about them kicking me off the track for low tread.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 31, 2018 02:03
|
|
|
 Screw you, NASA. I have reservations I can't cancel 
|
|
#
¿
Aug 1, 2018 13:57
|
|
|
Well this is turning out to be a lovely day.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 1, 2018 18:05
|
|
|
Just got an estimate for that dent in my door. 2 grand!
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2018 20:07
|
|
|
I don't know. It was parked at a restaurant and when I came out, the door was dented and scraped.
|
|
#
¿
Aug 2, 2018 20:40
|
|
|
How is that supposed to work with ABS?
|
|
#
¿
Sep 15, 2018 17:20
|
|
|
I also don't have to be a millionaire to participate. Or be good enough to have a millionaire sponsor.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 26, 2019 14:20
|
|
|
I bought another set of pads but I really don't want to deal with swapping them out right now because  . I probably should though.  Do these look low enough that they should be swapped out before I show up to the track?
|
|
#
¿
Jul 18, 2019 18:27
|
|
|
NitroSpazzz posted:Hard to tell exactly how much is left and how much was originally there. If you have time I'd swap them, if not bring them to the track and keep a close eye on pads. Comparing them to brand new ones, they look like they're about 50%. The HPDE worksheet did say to make sure your pads are at least 80%. I'm definitely going to bring the new pads and tools with me. I just wanted to make sure I'm not going to be yelled at for not having pristine pads.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 18, 2019 18:37
|
|
|
It's self tech. I just want to make sure I'm bring safe and following all the precautions. My car isn't a hooptie, so if the lug nuts fall off, I did something REALLY bad.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 18, 2019 20:23
|
|
|
I emailed the instructor and he said to just leave them on and if we have to swap them out at the track, he'll help me and let me use his tools. Which I mean... free labor. Can't say no to that.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 18, 2019 21:15
|
|
|
PaintVagrant posted:Sounds like a good deal to me! Jacking the car up takes longer than swapping the pads haha. Apparently, the rears are a bitch to get the calipers back in.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 18, 2019 21:51
|
|
|
First HPDE was a success! I feel so much faster and more confident than I did when I started - night and day difference. It's crazy how fast the RS is when you let it really stretch out. It's also crazy how controllable it is, even after you do something dumb. The instructor had me keep the TC in sport mode, even though I told him it will let you really get the rear end out. Well, we did - first session of the second day, I had a really good line through 12 and was carrying a lot of speed, and I didn't get far enough in on 13. I overcooked it trying to keep in and ended up going into a powerslide. Luckily, I was able to recover pretty quickly (the instructor said he thought for sure we were going to spin out and go off). Was scary, but pretty drama free. Car did exactly what I told it to and didn't snap at all when it got grip back. Took my lumps from that one and really started focusing on keeping in and minimizing angle on those fast sweeping corners. By the end of the day, I really had the track down pretty well and was passing group 2 people left and right. Only person who passed me on the second day was a group 2 Challenger SRT. Car handled it pretty well, considering it was 95 degrees out and super humid. Brakes didn't even come close to fading and I didn't have to replace the pads at all. Only problem I had was the oil would get really hot and the car would go into reduced power mode to keep oil temps down. This would happen like my 4th lap in when I was starting to get faster and the oil temps would be close to 300. I don't know if aftermarket oil coolers are a thing for the RS, but it feels like it needs one. 10/10, would risk life and limb again. 
KillHour fucked around with this message at 03:58 on Jul 22, 2019 |
|
#
¿
Jul 22, 2019 03:55
|
|
|
NASA's website posted:Intent Sure sounds like LeMons to me.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 23, 2019 22:52
|
|
|
GD_American posted:e- lol they put Miatas in the lowest class. Where they belong.
|
|
#
¿
Jul 24, 2019 02:23
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 18, 2024 12:34 |
|
|
FatCow posted:Miatas are slow as poo poo Yep. Here is a comparison I just threw together of some cars you might see on the track, their power to weight ratios (HP/ton) and their 0-60 times. Miata: 133 - 6.2 Veloster Turbo: 135 - 7.2 500 Abarth: 135 - 6.6 Sonata: 139 - 6.9 Civic Si: 142 - 6.3 Toyobaru Twins: 148 - 6.2 Fiesta ST: 149 - 6.9 Focus ST: 156 - 6.3 Mustang EB: 176 - 5.1 Veloster N: 181 - 5.2 Civic Type R: 196 - 5.0 Focus RS: 204 - 4.7 Mustang GT: 251 - 4.4 The car barely faster than a Civic Si isn't going to have an unfair advantage. I threw the Sonata in, partially as a joke, and partially to further my point that anything above a 6 second 0-60 isn't fast
|
|
#
¿
Jul 24, 2019 05:31
|
|