Went down to Sebring Int. Raceway today for my first HPDE and I had an absolute blast! Once i got used to the car and how it performed on the track it was just an experience of a lifetime! I would highly recommend anyone to do this at least once in their lifetime, I am seriously hooked now.
Anyways... just wanted to let everyone know what i thought of the cars' performance on the track.
I have a stock 2003 ZO6 with just a K&N Air Filter and Nitto 555RII tires and I changed out every fluid you can change, other than coolant, with high performance fluids.
So! The water temp never got above 220 on the track, and cooled back down to 190 in just one cool down lap. The tires are a god sent! They gripped through every turn, they never spun, I could put my car anywhere i wanted, they never slipped up or skidded (other then the infamus 17 that is like a rock trail), and they were just everything i could want them to be. The brakes never faded, they were solid throughout the entire day and did everything i needed them to do. And lastly, the car stayed in one piece and is in the same working condition as before i went on the track.
I honestly couldnt be happier with how everything went. The people were great, the workers were great, the track was great, the cars were great... just everything was awesome and i wanted to share my experiences with all of you.
Cheers!
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2003 Millennium Yellow ZO6 - Stock except for a K&N air filter, Phillips HID's, Full JL audio system, Nitto 555RII's
I was out shopping for a trailer and extra track wheels and tires after my second event.
I hear ya on the trailer. I used Uhaul this time and they worked fine and all.... but i couldnt get out of my door, their tire covers were too high. So i had to leave my window cracked and take my keys out from reaching through the window... and it rained there and back lol, so the inside got a little wet, not that bad though.
As for me being so positive the first time, i think i just made sure i had the right equipment to do what i wanted to do and that just made the experience awesome b/c i wasnt worrying about anything.
I would HIGHLY recommend tires! I saw so many people have traction problems out there, and i didnt have ANY what so ever. And i made sure i had all the right higher up fluids b/c i wanted to protect everything as best i could.
[QUOE=SomeGuy604;1184062]I hear ya on the trailer. I used Uhaul this time and they worked fine and all.... but i couldnt get out of my door, their tire covers were too high. So i had to leave my window cracked and take my keys out from reaching through the window... and it rained there and back lol, so the inside got a little wet, not that bad though.
As for me being so positive the first time, i think i just made sure i had the right equipment to do what i wanted to do and that just made the experience awesome b/c i wasnt worrying about anything.
next time you use the u-haul trailer check to see if
the right trailer fender lays down so you can open your door
all their car haulers i have seen has this feature
I would HIGHLY recommend tires! I saw so many people have traction problems out there, and i didnt have ANY what so ever. And i made sure i had all the right higher up fluids b/c i wanted to protect everything as best i could. [/quote]
I would highly recommend anyone to do this at least once in their lifetime, I am seriously hooked now.
And its all downhill from there...
Soon you'll have two sets of wheels and tires, one for the street, one for the track, then you'll be looking into upgrades such as larger radiators, oil coolers, improved shocks, sway bars, leaf springs... before you know what hit you, you'll have a roll cage in the car and be racing door to door. Be careful, its addictive... ask Oli or me... we've both been overcome.
next time you use the u-haul trailer check to see if
the right trailer fender lays down so you can open your door
all their car haulers i have seen has this feature
We did try to do that, but the wheels were still even too high to be able to open the door. And because the car is so wide and the trailor is kinda small, we couldnt even open the door enough to get an arm inside, let alone a person lol. Thanks though!
Soon you'll have two sets of wheels and tires, one for the street, one for the track, then you'll be looking into upgrades such as larger radiators, oil coolers, improved shocks, sway bars, leaf springs... before you know what hit you, you'll have a roll cage in the car and be racing door to door. Be careful, its addictive... ask Oli or me... we've both been overcome.
lol thank you very much for your fore-warning, I have been warned of this by others and am very well aware of my budget .
I am still a college student so i made the most important upgrades for now (fluids and tires), and i will worry about other things after i graduate. Until then, im sure it will take a while to upgrade the driver some more before i even need to touch the car
Trailer, race tires? I'm glad my wife doesn't read these forums!
I'm really looking forward to the Z fest and Putnam Park, the autocross, and the dragstrip!
I just bought my Z to USE!!!
I'll change all the fluids, the brakes and rotors were just changed before I got the car along with new Michelin tires.
Can anybody tell me how these tires will work on the track? One thing for sure I'm not going to trailer this car anywhere!
... So! The water temp never got above 220 on the track, and cooled back down to 190 in just one cool down lap. ...
What did you see on oil temps?
Re: the Nitto's ... I would agree, after two days at VIR.
that said, there's a strong case for starting out on full street tires ... (and some groups insist on it for novices.) ... and as experience with vehicle dynamics at speed accumulates, moving to tires with more "sticktion"
I had 15 track days on F1SC's before putting the Nitto's on ... but I'm slow and a slow learner ...
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^VIR Turn 3 '08^-MungoZ06-'03 QS/ModRed - NCCC, NASA NCM Member - Z06 Fest IV,V,VI,VII
I knew I'd be asked that question.... I'm in California and the car is back home in Tennessee. I think they are Pilots???? I remember that there was a large rain groove in the center of the tire.????
Does that tell you anything?
Re: the Nitto's ... I would agree, after two days at VIR.
that said, there's a strong case for starting out on full street tires ... (and some groups insist on it for novices.) ... and as experience with vehicle dynamics at speed accumulates, moving to tires with more "sticktion"
I had 15 track days on F1SC's before putting the Nitto's on ... but I'm slow and a slow learner ...
Honestly i dont know, but i do know that my oil pressure needle above my water temp did what it normally does under hard acceleration... nothing higher then it normally goes, if that helps at all. Why? What is a safe temp and what is too high? I can check the next time i go in like a month.
As for the stock tires first... i was told that as well, but i had no choice... my stock tires were completely done and had no tread left, so i had to get new ones, and i felt much better paying half the price for these and getting way more grip (mainly for less of a chance of spinning out, not better corner gripping). But i ended up running within 4 seconds of my Instructors' fastest lap by the end of the day anyways, so i would like to say i learned very quickly on them .
I have to give MADDDD props to him though, he's my best friends dad and has been a porsche car club of america instructor for over 25 years, and was amazing at teaching!
I knew I'd be asked that question.... I'm in California and the car is back home in Tennessee. I think they are Pilots???? I remember that there was a large rain groove in the center of the tire.????
Does that tell you anything?
Thanks for the quick reply.
The Michelin Pilot Sport Cups or MPSCs are the only Michelins I have run on the track before. They are Michelin's top of the line DOT-R tire unless they have another model I don't know about. Anyway, I have run those only one time. They seemed OK, but I ran them down to cord thinking that I like my Hoosiers and Kumhos better.
A very good friend of mine who runs a GT3 and GT3 Cup car swears by them on his P-Car. To each his own I guess.
The regular Michelin Pilots and Michelin Pilot Sports I suppose are probably a good hybrid tire for both street wear and track traction, but I speculate....
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