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Team Wang Phillip Island Report and Pics.

Snowman

By Snowman,
in Victoria

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FATGTS-R Experienced

FATGTS-R

Posted
Posted

I have read this thread with interest and must say I am now itching to make my maiden track day debut with my car, an R31 GTS-R.

As a bonus from work, I was taken to calder park a couple weeks back to drive 8 hot laps in a V8 race car. It was awesome and now I want to take my own car out there.

On the reliability and safety side of things ( more HP can wait till i figure out how to steer ) my front brakes are R32 GTR with RB74s and motul fluid. Will I need to upgrade the rears from standard to something like comp 2s?

I have height/damper coil overs and a front strut brace but have no idea what the optimum settings for the height and damping should be. Hoping some of you more experienced guys can help me out with this.

I do have an oil cooler but will fit an oil temp gauge before I get out there.

Anything else I should have in terms of safety or reliability?

Now, on the track day itself I read earlier somebody saying an instructor came for a few laps with them. Is there always instructors available for tuition? Do you have to pay for there instruction?

Maybe one of you guys can come for a spin with me?

Now are there any sites or anything that I can read up on about the rules and procedures etc. Like what all the flags mean and stuff?

How are times recorded for each lap? I assume a device is attached to your car or something?

Sorry for the long post but I am very interested in doing a track day but want to get some information first.

Thanks in advance,

Jayson............

Snowman Grand Master

Snowman

Posted
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Posted

Jayson,

I can help you out with the answer to most of these questions.

Firstly - the most common problem I find is people make track days a lot more complicated than they really need to be - especially when starting out. The only thing you really need to start is good brakes and fluid. This you have already. I wouldn't be too concerned about your rears just yet.

Flags - every time you do a track day before you get on the track you will have to sit through a lecture on this. But if you want to get some advanced knowledge you can click on the flags at the bottom of the PIARC website and they will tell you what all the flags stand for. http://www.piarc.com.au/aa1/default6.htm

Going back to my first point of over complicating things. I have height/damper adjustable suspension. I can tell you right now after all the track days I've done I am still MILES away from being in a position to get any advantage by playing with these settings. Just get your ride height to where you want it, I set my damper to the hardest setting - and then just concentrate on braking and turning at the right spot.

Track instructors. The only place I know that offers this is PIARC on their Saturdays. You can also do things like the Murcott Motorsport Training day at Sandown but that aint cheap. A lot of the sprint days do allow passengers in the morning practise. I know the up coming HSV day and the Maserati day both allow passengers in the mornings. There will be one of us that will be happy to show you whatever on these days if you like.

However - you will also find that if you haven't been to a track before they will group you with slower cars. When I first started off (Feb this year!) I never had any instructors - and there was only me from here going to these days then so I didnt know anyone to show me any tips. I found the easiest way to learn was to find a car I felt I would be comfortably faster than and follow him around the track. Once I was comfortable I found a faster car and then followed him and so on.

My first track day for example I started off following a Pulsar (!), then moved on to following a mini cooper S, and finally a Bowell Nigari before I was confident to try on my own. But as I have said a few times - dont over complicate the matter in your head. I'm sure the recent new boys can vouch for this wisdom as they were all the same.

Oh - and theres nothing scientific about lap timing mate. We aren't racing for sheep stations. All thats done is a room full of people with stop watches and a pen. :)

ylwgtr2 Grand Master

ylwgtr2

Posted
Posted
Jayson,

Oh - and theres nothing scientific about lap timing mate. We aren't racing for sheep stations. All thats done is a room full of people with stop watches and a pen.  :)

Or by a nismo MFD lap timer datalogger :D :bananaman

West Grand Master

West

Posted
Posted

Good stuff guy..

i WANT to go on track too, i just got frontmount, wide rims..apart from that Coil-over coming from JP therefore at the moment ride heigh and stuff still standard included my brake pads.

So first i would need is brake fluid and racing pads?

- secondly oil-cooler?

Anything else that i need? Will you be at the signing up day Snowman so i can throw questions at ya? :)

Roy Grand Master

Roy

Posted
Posted
... So first i would need is brake fluid and racing pads?

- secondly oil-cooler?

To have plenty of fun you will NEED:

- Helmet, go to motorbike place and pick up a Standards Australia tested helmet, ($100-200)

- Race Brakes RB74 or Bendix Ultimate front pads, rears are far less critical so i would run whatever you currently have, then when they die look into a nicer pad that still works fine on the track & road.

- Brake Fluid, like engine oil ppl have their favourites, i use AP Racing Formula DOT 5.1 Road/Competition Brake & Clutch Fluid. Part No. CP4510 , but may change to Motul RBF 600 whish i have heard good things about. Cheaper and still very effective is the Caltex GP 600 Racing Brake Fluid.

As for an oil cooler whilst i think they are a great idea, i ran my car without one for over 2 years and somehting like 2,000+ track kms. The typical session length -means you only get 3-5 laps when you consider you have to warm up parts and more importantly cool them down.

Prior to attanding a track day, you should just check your:

- fluid levels

- brake pad life

- tyre condition

- and depending on kms from last service i like to have a fresh oil filter and sump of oil. If you have already done 3,000kms on the oil then an oil change is only $70-80 and is peace of mind.

The biggets thing to remember, in my eyes anyway is dont leave the pits like a cut snake, take a lap or so to steadily build temp into diff, gearbox, engine, coolant, rotors etc. If you work things up to their operating temp, then after a blast cool them back down to the same temp you shouldnt have too many problems. Leave the pits bouncing off rev limits and screaming on brakes whose rotors are cold...well i may be paranoid but my little ritual has always served me well.

So hope my post wasnt too long, but effectively you need very little, just a bit of folding stuff for two tanks of gas and admission. :)

West Grand Master

West

Posted
Posted
To have plenty of fun you will NEED:

- Helmet' date=' go to motorbike place and pick up a Standards Australia tested helmet, ($100-200)[/color']

Yeap got them.

- Race Brakes RB74 or Bendix Ultimate front pads, rears are far less critical so i would run whatever you currently have, then when they die look into a nicer pad that still works fine on the track & road.

Cool, i used to have Ultimate but it was too dusty so i changed it to Metal king ( i think it was ). Looks like i have to go back to that dusty pad.

- Brake Fluid, like engine oil ppl have their favourites, i use AP Racing Formula DOT 5.1 Road/Competition Brake & Clutch Fluid. Part No. CP4510 , but may change to Motul RBF 600 whish i have heard good things about. Cheaper and still very effective is the Caltex GP 600 Racing Brake Fluid.

Can i do this myself or i need a brake workshop to this?

As for an oil cooler whilst i think they are a great idea, i ran my car without one :headspin: for over 2 years and somehting like 2,000+ track kms. The typical session length -means you only get 3-5 laps when you consider you have to warm up parts and more importantly cool them down.

I think i might need this cos' a while ago i drove over a massive rock left in the middle of Westall Extension left my sum dented a bit so i assumed best to have the oil-cooler for some extra oil for the engine.

. If you have already done 3,000kms on the oil then an oil change is only $70-80 and is peace of mind.

Well i do all the services myself, is Mobil1 good enough for TRACK or the expensive ones is needed?

but effectively you need very little, just a bit of folding stuff for two tanks of gas and admission. :D[/QUOT

I'm sorry, i'm a bit dumd here, i don't get this bit?

Roy Grand Master

Roy

Posted
Posted
Cool, i used to have Ultimate but it was too dusty so i changed it to Metal king ( i think it was ). Looks like i have to go back to that dusty pad.

Maybe not...find out the part number and do a bit of homework, they could be fine. The RB74 or Bendix Ultimate just happen to be two of the more common pads used that i know do the job well. There is probably over a dozen pad types you could use that would be fine, but price makes the RB74 or Bendix very attractive.

 Can i do this myself or i need a brake workshop to this? .

Yeh you can, its not overly difficult, easiest if you have a bleed kit, which is cheap; around $20 gets you a cheap one. I find the biggest deal is disposing of it (though if you change your own oil then you already have that aspect sorted) and its a 2 man job. Someone needs to be pressing the brake pedal when you crack the bleed nipple.

 I think i might need this cos' a while ago i drove over a massive rock left in the middle of Westall Extension left my sum dented a bit so i assumed best to have the oil-cooler for some extra oil for the engine..

Mmm, the oil pick up is close to the sump bottom, may be worthwhile to have an expert check it to see if it could perhaps interfere with oil circulation.

Well i do all the services myself, is Mobil1 good enough for TRACK or the expensive ones is needed?..

I used Mobil1 in my RB20, and it always served me well. Some ppl dont rate it all that highly but my experiences have all been good, that said i am likely to be changing to Castrol as too many ppl claim to have had probs with Mobil 1, though i suspect its just a bit of brand bashing.

I'm sorry, i'm a bit dumd here, i don't get this bit?

LOL...basically saying nothing complicated or expensive about going to the track, 9 out of 10 ppl are just there for some fun...so dont be intimidated. The cost of fuel and entry can be more daunting then the car prep aspects, ie $120 entry and 3 tanks of gas :Oops:

SABBAi Grand Master

SABBAi

Posted
Posted

You can take basically any car to the track. It just depends on how you drive it. What Roy says is pretty much on the money. I took my basically stock TX5 to the track with these guys when we were at Wang, and I had some cheap pads, and the oil would have been 3000km old. If it's your first track day, you probably will not go 10/10ths anyways, unless your a freak like Scotsman.

The pads I had were very dusty. I ended up with black front rims. The metal based pads a really bad for rotor wear on the track, especially if they are standard rotors, designed for road use. Let it warm up, and cool down and you'll be fine :D

Snowman Grand Master

Snowman

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Ok,

I have received no word back as yet from the HSV Club. Which means one of 3 things.

1. Its full and they cbf replying to me.

2. They are waiting until after the cut-off date for the cheap rates to reply so that they can try and make us pay more (I'm not paying $200)

3. They are scared we are going to kick their V8 asses and so don't want us there.

So forget the HSV day unfortunately. If we really want to eat some HSV's we should get on the ball early and get to Sandown next month. One thing I was thinking is that Phillip Island whilst really fast pretty much sucks for passing except on the straight and into turn 4. Sandown is a much better place for a Super Sprint set-up that the HSV Club do at the end.

Anyways....

So the next question is - what about the MSCA on Sat 18th? We have to decide today. I'm still keen if someone else is going to tag along. I can get 1 extra non NDSOC member along too.

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