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Track day advice


duudiz

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Hi guys, had my zed for nearly a year now and I think it's time for a track day. My local circuit is Oulton park which is a great track from a spectators point of view at least. I have an 05 UK GT zed with nothing more than a scorpion exhaust and spacers front and rear. I do have a full set of Goodyear eagle f1's fitted though which should be ideal.

 

Any general tips?

 

I have racing experience on short ovals and have done one previous track day in the brand new Civic Type-R.

 

What tyre pressures?

 

And most entries seem to be Clio 182's etc, how will the zed fare against them assuming drivers are of a similar level?

 

Thanks guys

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Just leave your car exactly as you would for the road, and make sure fluids are topped up. Literally, that's it.

 

Oulton is a power circuit, like for like it'll be quicker than a 182. In the real world they'll walk all over you, Sod's law :)

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First thing i did before tracking my zed was change the brake fluid to DOT 4. Last thing you want on track is brake issues. Also worth checking your pads, destroyed mine the first time out. When you thinking of going Oulton? Might join you

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very little prep needed, check the amount of brake pad material and all the fluid levels when you start the day and again at lunchtime, and keep an eye on the tyre pressures. if its a dry day then the pressure will likely go up 5psi as the tyres heat up, so i'd start the day at 33psi, do a few sessions to get heat in the tyres, then drop them down to 35psi hot.

 

Oulton is a long lap, so i'd be limiting yourself to probably at most 6 laps at a time, then come in. Also, as with every car and every trackday, make sure you do a decent cooldown lap (trying to use brakes as little as possible) at the end of every session - your car will thank you for it. And don't put the handbrake on in the pits!

 

We're off to oulton in 3 weeks time - it'll be our second time there, hopefully weather conditions will be better this time around!

Edited by brillomaster
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Thanks for the advice, all valid points and I had thought of most. I will definitely change the brake fluid as I have been told beforehand what a significant difference it can make.

 

Phil - not sure if I will be going this year or early next, work permitting I guess!

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smooth is fast! if you're sliding a lot you're losing momentum, see if you can find a guide online to the lines of the track to have a glance over before the day. if you get the lines right you're halfway there.

 

had a friend come out in my 944 and he was all over the place, felt as though he was pushing it but the laps were massively slower just because he was trying too hard and as said above don't try and stay with other drivers. a well sorted 182 or vts/vtr with track tyres and a half decent driver will smash a newbie in a Z with road rubber on

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a well sorted 182 or vts/vtr with track tyres and a half decent driver will smash a newbie in a Z with road rubber on

 

Not always :lol:

 

10171088_1530258863872868_469952665080567257_n.jpg?oh=67d74594db4d1cbf59c4cdd5d18dc7fc&oe=56BD264A

 

We actually ended up twin drifting it at one point, that was mad.

 

Two best pieces of track advice I ever got given (the other guys have got the prep bit nailed):

 

1. If something appears in your mirror, he is going faster than you - let him past.

2. If you come off the track, you only have yourself to blame. You can have just as much fun at 95% as 100% but its a lot less expensive in the long run.

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One thng's for sure, even if its slightly damp, don't try and follow a Clio! Best time I've had at the ring was a wet track, all the power houses slipping and sliding, the Clio stuck to the road and running rings around them Normal service resumed once the track dried though........

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a well sorted 182 or vts/vtr with track tyres and a half decent driver will smash a newbie in a Z with road rubber on

 

Not always :lol:

 

We actually ended up twin drifting it at one point, that was mad.

 

 

 

christ he's got some decent opposite lock on there!

 

oh one more piece of advice...sort of similar to the mirror comment above. Don't be the guy who's holding everyone up in the corners but then nails it on the straights only to hold everyone up again at the next set of corners. very few things more annoying!

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christ he's got some decent opposite lock on there!

 

Hes a hell of a driver TBH, I had some epic battles with him in my all over the UK (and a few places in Europe as well) but it goes to show how good those Clios are, amazing little cars :)

 

Theres a pic somewhere of both cars sideways with about 8 ft between them, cant say Id trust many people to twin drift FWD/RWD at the same time :lol:

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