[MotoSteve]

Just got back from my first track day in my car. Had quite a blast.
2018 STI
Perrin AOS
Michelin AS3+ All Season Tires
Moderately Aggressive Alignment (specs in my build thread)
RBF 600 Brake Fluid
First: here are some videos
This was my fastest session of the day.
1.

Honestly I had a great time.

Various Notes
1. I was surprised by the stock brakes. they did soften up when hot, but didn't further deteriorate.
I am likely going to be buying these guys in an attempt to help keep the brakes cooler. I had to do a cool down lap at the end of each session. If I didn't, my pads were smoking when I pulled off. I would also like to get some road & Track pads that are better suited to the temps. Unsure if steel lines are necessary at this point; I'll likely hold off on those until my fluid needs to be changed again..next year.
Boomba Brake Cooling Deflector - 2015+ WRX / 2015+ STI
2. All season tires were totally fine. Yes, I had to take it easy on the turns and had to manage my slip angle. Yes, it slowed me down. Yes, proper summers or real race tires would have been much more effective. I doubt I'll do another day on the all seasons for the sake of keeping them now as dedicated street shoes, but I definitely want to pick up some Bridgestone potenza RE17Rs.
3. This was absolutely a ton of freakin fun and I can't wait to go back

 

[JaySin]

Sweet...nice video!
Looks like a blast!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kenziel719]

"Its not dangerous, it's a racetrack" ???

 

[Camaromjr]

I might suggest to look at the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S as a very good tire for daily driving and for the occasional track event.

I would suggest that you look into an HPDE event (Chin, HOD or NASA). Spending time with an instructor in the car will quickly improve you skills and times.

Cool down laps are essential. Even with track oriented rotors and pads (yes, these pads squeal like a stuck hog), you need to do cool down laps. Brake cooling ducts and back plates help a lot, but you still need cool down laps. Do NOT set your emergency brake after a session. Check tire pressure as it will increase with the heat of the sessions.

All fluid changes become far more frequent (oil, differential and ever brake fluid if you really get out there). Tires, rotors and brake pads are consumables. Good pads will last 5-6 track days, at the most. Rotors are a little more longer lived, but expect to change them (no cool down laps will equate to warped rotors pronto). The Michelin tires will last 6-8 good track days and 5,000-6,000 miles.

 

[MotoSteve]

Regarding Tires, I'm gonna mount the stock summers on and ensure they are toasted by the end of summer between driving and track use. I'll look into the 4s, I've heard they have great reviews.. A REALLY POPULAR option out here seems to be the Bridgestone RE17R.
My goal is to toast the stock tires and then invest in a dedicated set of wheels and track tires. Run A/S's forevermore daily driving.

Yeah I learned about cool down laps AND the E-brake at this event from a local instructor. good call, things I didn't think about. I'll be checking tire pressures if I notice additional slippage and such. I did bring my bicycle pump and digital gauge w/ me just in case.

I already swapped in RBF600, and will probably rotate that out once a year. Next time I do it, I'm having braided steel lines put in as well. Differential and oil will also be at reduced intervals. thanks for the advice.

My goal regarding HPDE and such is basically this timeline

2018: 5 total open lapping days, or less if my summer tires are thrashed before then. Purchase dedicated wheels/tires. If my Oil temp & pressure gauge (I bought an aftermarket setup) indicate high temps, also purchase a CSR radiator/oil cooler.
2019: Do as many NASA HPDE instructor events as possible, the High Plains Raceway Driver School, and obtain NASA Comp license
2020: Compete in NASA Time Attack: we'll see if this actually materializes.

 

[RayfieldsWRX]

Looks like a blast, thanks for sharing!
My only time at anything resembling a track was in a 911 Carrera S down at the Porsche Experience center in Atlanta, around their track with an instructor in the car. It was crazy how much more he could do with the car, once he got behind the wheel, lol. I thought I had been doing pretty well...

 

[MotoSteve]

Looks like a blast, thanks for sharing!
My only time at anything resembling a track was in a 911 Carrera S down at the Porsche Experience center in Atlanta, around their track with an instructor in the car. It was crazy how much more he could do with the car, once he got behind the wheel, lol. I thought I had been doing pretty well...

yeah it was a total blast can't wait to go back.

I met a friend there who also had a 2018 STI but opted for an instructor. I really wanted to follow them and hold the instructors line so I could practice, but he had dedicated tires on and I was really playing tire management so I gave up on that goal.

I've seen it plenty of times on bikes though. Your limit and somebody else's limit are night and day..even in the same driver's seat. It's wild.

 

[SonicWagon]

Looks like a blast, thanks for sharing!
My only time at anything resembling a track was in a 911 Carrera S down at the Porsche Experience center in Atlanta, around their track with an instructor in the car. It was crazy how much more he could do with the car, once he got behind the wheel, lol. I thought I had been doing pretty well...

A good friend of mine from college is a Porsche club instructor who has been tracking his dads 911 cup car since he was a teenager and he took me out on some twisties once in his 330i and I had no idea what a horrible driver I was until he started pushing his car.

 

[Camaromjr]

Regarding Tires, I'm gonna mount the stock summers on and ensure they are toasted by the end of summer between driving and track use. I'll look into the 4s, I've heard they have great reviews.. A REALLY POPULAR option out here seems to be the Bridgestone RE17R.
My goal is to toast the stock tires and then invest in a dedicated set of wheels and track tires. Run A/S's forevermore daily driving.

Yeah I learned about cool down laps AND the E-brake at this event from a local instructor. good call, things I didn't think about. I'll be checking tire pressures if I notice additional slippage and such. I did bring my bicycle pump and digital gauge w/ me just in case.

I already swapped in RBF600, and will probably rotate that out once a year. Next time I do it, I'm having braided steel lines put in as well. Differential and oil will also be at reduced intervals. thanks for the advice.

My goal regarding HPDE and such is basically this timeline

2018: 5 total open lapping days, or less if my summer tires are thrashed before then. Purchase dedicated wheels/tires. If my Oil temp & pressure gauge (I bought an aftermarket setup) indicate high temps, also purchase a CSR radiator/oil cooler.
2019: Do as many NASA HPDE instructor events as possible, the High Plains Raceway Driver School, and obtain NASA Comp license
2020: Compete in NASA Time Attack: we'll see if this actually materializes.

Good list. Let me suggest an add: Purchase "Track Event Insurance". This can only be purchased for HPDE events, not open track days. This runs ~$200 per event and can be purchased as a package for a ~10% discount. This is usually for the entire event, be it 1, 2 or 2 day event, the cost is pretty much the same.

 

[MotoSteve]

haha if that Mustang didn't hold his line, I might have needed that..

 

[Camaromjr]

Steve,

I re-looked at most of your first video. You were at the point where your tires were talking to you. I am unsure how the AS rubber will communicate beyond that point (do they let go gently or like slicks -- hang on for the ride --- both feet in). Track / ambient temperatures will play a large part in how tires perform, too. Too cold and no grip. Too hot and greasy "slip slindin' away".

My counsel still stands. Go to a HPDE event and get an instructor in the car. You will find that you are braking too early, not clipping the apexes close enough (a wheel up on curbing is OK), you may be turning in too early and that you are not using the entire track. 2-3 laps with and instructor and you can easily find where you are losing speed and time.

Good run and the car seemed to stay fairly neutral from what I could tell.

As far as passing: It should have been stated that there is no passing in corners and only by "Point By" in the designated passing zones. This is one of the issues with just an open track day. Dive bombing someone in the corner can often lead to bent metal. A cardinal rule in passing is that the car initiating the pass assumes all responsibility for safety in the pass. In other words, if the Mustang did not hold his line and came back into the racing line, that contact would have been on you. In HPDE more advanced classes, you can have open passing. However, you have been trained by instructors and passed along after passing senior instructor "ride alongs." In other words, strict regulation of passing in both the where and how for lower classes. In upper classes, you are driving with drivers with far more experience that have been certified as safe for these classes.

 

[MotoSteve]

Thanks for the feedback!

Few things
1. Yep they we're talking and that's why I chose to brake early and apex as I did. Definitely know those candy canes have excellent grip, but I was aware that this is probably all the warning I'd get from these tires and didn't want to go byond that.

2. My stock brake were smoking and I didn't want to see what happened if I pushed them over the limit as they had already gotten some fade so I opted to be on the safe side.
Pads are next in my buy list
2. Actually passing is allowed on this track. Point bys only recommended. Do agree, I'd likely not do that again

Definitely would like to do some instructor based HPDE stuff. First priority is dedicated wheels/tires and possibly an oil cooler setup to handle the additional stress

Thanks again!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Camaromjr]

Thanks for the feedback!

Few things
1. Yep they we're talking and that's why I chose to brake early and apex as I did. Definitely know those candy canes have excellent grip, but I was aware that this is probably all the warning I'd get from these tires and didn't want to go byond that.

2. My stock brake were smoking and I didn't want to see what happened if I pushed them over the limit as they had already gotten some fade so I opted to be on the safe side.
Pads are next in my buy list
2. Actually passing is allowed on this track. Point bys only recommended. Do agree, I'd likely not do that again

Definitely would like to do some instructor based HPDE stuff. First priority is dedicated wheels/tires and possibly an oil cooler setup to handle the additional stress

Thanks again!

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

Steve,

I'll show my ignorance of the STI here. I would ask if brake cooling ducks and brake backing plates are available for the STI? These help not only the brakes but the rotors, too. It was a bit over $2K to upgrade my setup to more track oriented pads and rotors. Once again, brakes are a consumable. Also, keep in mind that a more track oriented pad may have a few compromises for daily driving. Squealing like a stuck hog and a tendency to be "grabby" till heated up are two that come to mind.

 

[MotoSteve]

Steve,

I'll show my ignorance of the STI here. I would ask if brake cooling ducks and brake backing plates are available for the STI? These help not only the brakes but the rotors, too. It was a bit over $2K to upgrade my setup to more track oriented pads and rotors. Once again, brakes are a consumable. Also, keep in mind that a more track oriented pad may have a few compromises for daily driving. Squealing like a stuck hog and a tendency to be "grabby" till heated up are two that come to mind.

Brake backing plates, not that I'm aware of.

Cooling ducts yes - as a mere copy of Porsches, this is created by Boomba and is on my "must have" list before the next track day. http://www.subispeed.com/boomba-brake-cooling-deflector-2015-wrxgclid=CjwKCAiAy4bTBRAvEiwAFtatHItGMk41FCZJHdthbtp1rkqW58qoiP6THsfu1zZrsNe9jVZi2MDDOBoCwYEQAvD_BwE#.WmJjUKinGUk

I'm planning on going with Powerstop "track day/HPDE" brake pads (Front only since currently rear's aren't made at all)and will change them back out for the stockers after the track day.

 

[rexxx0486]

Why did motosteve get banned??

 

[Kenziel719]

Why did motosteve get banned??

Being a bully to the mods.

 

[rexxx0486]

Being a bully to the mods.

Really?? I looked at his posts and didn't see anything ban worthy at all :confused1

 

[RichD514]

Really?? I looked at his posts and didn't see anything ban worthy at all :confused1

I believe they were deleted

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[rexxx0486]

I believe they were deleted

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

Aw thats too bad, did he just snap out of nowhere? Seemed like a decent dude, and he was one of my sources for ambassador coupons.

 

[Jbravo_AK]

Yeah his posts were deleted. Fairly sure he was egging them on to ban him for weeks now in chat and other threads and insulting other members. But meh.