I was out at Bedford today - great great sunny day
On the second picture you can see the coach pointing out to me the apex and until when to hold the inside of the turn
Amazing how much these guys can actually push you further than you think the car can go - definitely worth the £25 per session!
I was there yesterday, your car looked great, thought it was a mere GT3 with RS wing at first due to the colour and lack of decals
Yesterday would have been perfect for beginners, plenty of space on track and great weather, good standard of driving aswell, apart from that black GT3 gen 2 upset a few people I heard! _________________ 997 GT2
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 9:33 pm Post subject: Want to do the occasional trackday - aware of anything?
Hi All
I'm planning to do the occasional track day, maybe 1-2 a year in Taupo, NZ. Ambient temps anything from 5-25 degC. Is there anything I need to be aware of before I do? i.e anything apart from having reasonably new oil, brake fluid etc. Do I need to be aware of any oil starvation issues, is there anything I really " should be doing" before tracking the car? tyres will be standard ones. I'm not a really good driver by any stretch....
Cheers
Matt _________________ 2005 C2S aero kit, Post IMS updates?, short shift, PSE, Chrono Plus, Bose, Sports adaptive seats, Full Black leather with ALum dials surround.
NXI20 Paul Ricard
Joined: 02 Feb 2008 Posts: 3341 Location: South Bucks
Aside from sensible prep beforehand, you need to keep an eye on tyre pressures. If you're using standard road tyres, I would aim for not more than 34F 38R measured when hot. Tyre wear will be considerable if they are allowed to go too much above those pressures.
Build up speed slowly, pace yourself & the car. 20 minute stints is a good starting point. Keep yourself hydrated to maintain concentration.
Remember to do a cool-down lap to allow the brakes to cool & then stop the car & leave in gear without the handbrake on.
Good luck _________________ Nick
2004 GT3 CS in Atlas Grey with too many mods to list!
1995 993 GT2 recreation in Polar Silver
2010 GT3 CS in Riviera Blue
1978 Carrera SC Barn Find in Red (restoration project)
orangecurry Donuts For Windows
Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 9627 Location: West Sussex
Posted: Sun Mar 17, 2013 10:29 pm Post subject:
...nor sit stationary with the footbrake on when you come in.
It's worth putting a decent brake fluid in the system, say Motul RBF600, which works on road and track.
Buy a decent helmet - you only have one head.
GD Barcelona
Joined: 20 Jun 2007 Posts: 1281 Location: Surrey-ite
After the helmet, insurance is next on the priority list!!
spyderman Suzuka
Joined: 26 Jul 2009 Posts: 1094 Location: near Milton Keynes
Posted: Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:30 pm Post subject:
I've only once had oil starvation with my 986 on track and that was Rockingham (banked for part of the circuit) so I don't think you need to worry about that. Boiling brake fluid could well be a problem though - depends on how fast you are and your braking style. _________________ 2004 Boxster S 550 Spyder Anniversary Edition
Igurisu Montreal
Joined: 14 Jan 2013 Posts: 544 Location: Lancashire
More general stuff, tyres and brakes, these get worked much harder on track than on the road.
I did my first track days last year, did one in April and loved it and ended up going for two more. Biggest mistake the first time was staying out on track too long (I was having so much fun).
With standard tyres and pads/fluid, the tryes went off after 5 or 6 laps, this will vary from track to track. But staying out on them once they've gone off makes the cornering rubbish and wears the outer edges incredibly fast.
Standard brakes also went off quickly for me (6 or 7 laps), but again will depend on the track. So on my first track day by lap 9 or 10 I really wasn't achieving much due to lack of traction from tyres and lack of stopping power from the brakes.
Second day was much better, did a max of 6 laps in a session including a warm up and cool down lap.
Third day I fitted dot 5 brake fluid and EBC yellowstuff pads, stuck to my 6 laps and I think I had a good balance.
Most importantly, don't be pushed or goaded into driving at speeds you're not comfortable with, go at your own pace _________________ Pete
996Turbo Cab
york911T Trainee
Joined: 01 Oct 2009 Posts: 60
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 9:30 am Post subject:
+1
Finding the limit of your 911 is a very unforgiving experiment. You can push an m3 to its limit and when the rear lets go its very predictable and easily fixed. something like this: "GRIP GRIP GRIP! IM GOING TO LET GO IF YOU DO THAT! THATS IT IVE LET GO! BUT PROD THAT ACCELERATOR AND CORRECT THE WHEEL AND I'M ALL YOURS"
abusing a 911 in the same way will result in one sure thing - planting it in a tyre wall or worse. Everytime you find yourself pushing the car, getting faster faster and getting more confident is probably the best time to bring it back to the paddocks! The 911 is an all or nothing car ie GRIP GRIP GRIP, THEN NO GRIP. THERE's not really any between, and because if where the engine is, it is not easily fixed unless you at pro level and have tamed your beast. If you want to find the boundaries - pick a track with plenty of run off or an airfield. That way when the tyres let go - you won't be sticking it on trailer back to the body shop for a very expensive repair not covered by insurance.
I don't push it in the corners but I can vouch for investing in Sort Cups tyres - worth every penny and will see you managing those corners far quicker than road tyres with less risk of letting go unexpectingly.
Martian Sepang
Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 2905 Location: Bury St. Edmunds
..... The 911 is an all or nothing car ie GRIP GRIP GRIP, THEN NO GRIP. THERE's not really any between.......
Maybe this is the case for a 911 pre 1989, but a properly geo'd car post '89 will not be. The cars got better with every incarnation and certainly a 997 doesn't just throw you off when the tyres start to lose grip! _________________ www.manheller.com
Martian Sepang
Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 2905 Location: Bury St. Edmunds
....I don't push it in the corners but I can vouch for investing in Sort Cups tyres - worth every penny and will see you managing those corners far quicker than road tyres with less risk of letting go unexpectingly.
You don't push it in the corners? Sounds like some training wouldn't go amiss! 911s are great in corners, especially for traction on the way out.
And yes, Sport Cups are also road tyres and good in the dry but not so good in the wet. Sport Cups are good, but I think the best dry tyre is a Toyo 888 and wet/all weather a Pilot Super Sport.
The OPs 997 will not spit him off once the limit has been found, just get the car geo'd and make sure all the tyres/brakes/levels are up to the job.
..... The 911 is an all or nothing car ie GRIP GRIP GRIP, THEN NO GRIP. THERE's not really any between.......
Maybe this is the case for a 911 pre 1989, but a properly geo'd car post '89 will not be. The cars got better with every incarnation and certainly a 997 doesn't just throw you off when the tyres start to lose grip!
...... as iirc you both have the same car. _________________ 2007 Guards Red 997 Turbo Tiptronic
ex 2004 Polar Silver 996T Tiptronic
ex 2002 Seal Grey 996.2 C4 Tiptronic
ex 1978 Silver 924 Manual
orangecurry Donuts For Windows
Joined: 13 Mar 2008 Posts: 9627 Location: West Sussex
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 12:24 pm Post subject:
york911T wrote:
Finding the limit of your 911 is a very unforgiving experiment. You can push an m3 to its limit and when the rear lets go its very predictable and easily fixed. something like this: "GRIP GRIP GRIP! IM GOING TO LET GO IF YOU DO THAT! THATS IT IVE LET GO! BUT PROD THAT ACCELERATOR AND CORRECT THE WHEEL AND I'M ALL YOURS"
abusing a 911 in the same way will result in one sure thing - planting it in a tyre wall or worse.
My experience is very different from the above.
My 993 is set-up to oversteer not understeer, and it gives me plenty of warning, and is very progressive and controllable when grip has departed.
Oh not that photo AGAIN....
(I am on Bridgestone S-02, a very well regarded track-biased tyre.)
Deliberately provoked to get the back out coming out of the chicane at Goodwood.
...and almost at full lock, keeping the accelerator feathered
Speedtrap Spa-Francorchamps
Joined: 20 Mar 2011 Posts: 254 Location: London
Posted: Sat Mar 30, 2013 9:09 pm Post subject:
One VERY important thing is make sure you tighten up your wheels nuts after a track day; or at least check to make sure they are not loose (from experience). _________________ "A small seed in a big apple"
Did my first 911 track day a couple of months ago. My brakes/fluid went off after about 6-8 laps as did the tyres RE50A's. I have just had Pagid Rs29's and Super blue fluid put in for my next track day this month.
I think Cups/Corsa's/888 would be good to have.
Completely agree with the wheel nut thing... nearly completely lost a wheel on the 'ring in my old 335i
floatingkiwi Newbie
Joined: 06 Oct 2012 Posts: 38
Posted: Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:02 pm Post subject:
Just did my first day, it was bl))dy awesome is all I can say! Car performed flawlessly, didn't use any oil over a whole raft of afternoon sessions. Struggling for front grip all day but I suspect tyre pressures were still too high at 36F 40R hot. Oil temp got up to around 110DEgC at the hottest point (don't know how that compares). Need new front pads...
Brakes have got SRF fluid in them - didn't have any brake fade at all. In fact the faster I went the better they got.
Fantastic car.
Matt _________________ 2005 C2S aero kit, Post IMS updates?, short shift, PSE, Chrono Plus, Bose, Sports adaptive seats, Full Black leather with ALum dials surround.
Martian Sepang
Joined: 18 Mar 2009 Posts: 2905 Location: Bury St. Edmunds
Glad you had a good trackday, SRF fluid is the best.
The best pads, although expensive, are made by a company called 'Endless'. They last about 5 times as long as standard stuff, brake harder but are about 2 or 3 times more expensive.
Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:08 pm Post subject: Track Day Preparation ?
Hi guys,
My first trip in the 997 has been booked, five days, three tracks (as above) in June '14.
Ive done a few trackdays in the past, Le Mans, Zandvoort, Dijon, Ledenon etc etc on the continent so i can do the driving, but what parts am I likely to need to take for the trip?
The car is a 997 C2 which will be on new rubber and brake discs/ pads, but I'll take new pads, brake fluid and oil. Anything else? When does fade typically set in on these tracks on standard stoppers?
Brake fade....when is it going to kick in....easy answer is when you're trying
hard !!!....and if you're the last of the late brakers, and you're coming down
from big speeds (130mph +) you'll start encountering fade sooner rather than later.
My first year of tracking, I was the undisputed master of not knowing what
the peddle in the middle did...so consequently I seldom encountered brake
fade or brake dust. In a standard car running standard discs and pads, when
you start to encounter fade you'll need to come in and give them a rest. Just
don't forget your ''cooling down lap'' and do not apply the handbrake when
you're parked up...just leave it in gear !.
Gt cars have brakes which are pretty special, most of us are running non
standard rotors and pads which don't suffer the same fade levels as standard brakes....
Don't forget your Autoglym insect remover.... _________________ 981 Cayman GT4 Club Sport
991 GT3 RS 2016
997 GT3 RS gen 2 2010
997 GT3 gen 2 2010
997 carrera 4s cab, power kit
993 carrera 4 cab
964 carrera 4 cab
911 carrera
911 sc sport
911 sc sport targa
GregR1 Silverstone
Joined: 17 Aug 2013 Posts: 124
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 1:33 pm Post subject: Track day Prep
Hi guys
Posted this query up in the trackday section but got surprisingly few responses. I have done a lot of track days in the past but I'm taking the 997 on a Euro jaunt next year to Spa and Zolder. I'm doing a mental checklist of all the things I need to do pre-trip to make sure I don't come a cropper mechanically.
The car has just had a major service and is about to get the coil packs, RMS replaced and a new clutch. Tyres will be replaced (road rubber rather than extra sticky track rubber) shortly and the front suspension was overhauled 12 months ago. Any other potential weaknesses that will be shown up by a long trip to Europe and two days of thrashing? Obviously I'll have oil, brake fluid and pads, but should the (new, OEM) discs manage to hack it?
Thanks in advance - looking forward to doing it in a car with aircon this year rather than the trip to Le Mans and Dijon in an Elise this year!
Greg.
Maxie Yas Marina
Joined: 11 Mar 2007 Posts: 8406 Location: London
Posted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 2:04 pm Post subject:
Greg - you might want to post up in the GT forum as the guys over there do a lot of track days than the the ones on the 997 forum.
~ Maxie _________________ Currently Porscheless, 2018 BMW 640d M Sport +
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