My buddies and I decided to book a race track here in Ontario, Canada named Shannonville Motorsport Park. We booked a night event to reduce costs as we only had 9 people run on the track. The cars consisted of 3 Civic DX hatchbacks, 1 Civic coupe with GS-R motor, 1 new Civic SiR hatchback, 1 RSX Type-S, 1 VW 1.8T, 1 S13 240SX, and my G35 sedan.

I realized that having so much power does not mean much on the track. Sure it's good for the straights, but if you do not have kick @ss suspension, MANUAL transmission, amazing brakes, and good tires, you will not do very well. Yes, we are all newbies to the race track but my friends were doing great. I on the other hand tried my best, but after hearing my tires squeel, smelling my engine and brakes, I was a lil discouraged. I sat in my friend's cars as mine cooled after a few laps and the feeling was TOTALLY different.

Reason for my post is to ask why would anyone autocross with a AUTO luxury-sports car? Don't get me wrong, it's a great car and a great experience, but I read on the forum that some auto-x with their G35's. Maybe it would have been a different story if I had manual transmission, but I would definitely prefer a smaller "race-able" car. So many people talk smack about how they want to make their car fast and what is faster than what, but until you experience running on a real race track, there is nothing you should say. Having turbos and s/c's don't mean jack if you run off the course while a lil Civic with a D-Series 106hp is kicking your butt. No, that did not happen to me...haha...but probably would have if we went on at the same time.

All in all, I had a fun time and was definitely a great experience. Whether I take the G35 sedan back is another story. I gotta get me a lil race car first. [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]

We raced on the Fabi track in RED
<a href=http://www.shannonville.com/maps.htm>http://www.shannonville.com/maps.htm</a>

My mods to date:
- Custom clear corners
- Levoc sports alluminum pedals
- Razo automatic shift **** w/ Infiniti 6spd leather shift boot
- Superwhite DRLs/foglights, clear corners, and reverse bulbs
- Painted lower valances
- Eibach Pro-Kit 1.1" lowering springs - I NEED JIC MAGIC [img]/w3timages/icons/smile.gif[/img]
- Injen cold air intake
- 6 wire grounding kit

I will try to have my video in a format where you all can see...hopefully soon.


It's still a G thang!!

 

I'm kinda surprised to hear that. Now I'm curious just how much handling improvements the Eibachs actually can provide when sticking with stock swaybars. I want my 6mt sedan to be competitive in AutoX and track handling without losing ground clearance for everyday driving, and you have now got me wondering if simply replacing swaybars (retaining the stock sport springs) would be best.

 

If you want to auto-x, the best thing to do would be to get hard suspension like JIC coilovers where you can adjust the dampening. The sway bars will definitely help a HUGE part in over and understeer. Adding an LSD would be VERY beneficial as well. There are a lot of things to do, but I don't know if a luxo-sport sedan is the way to do it if you are really hardcore on auto-xing. Just my opinion.


It's still a G thang!!

 

Hey RUmble,

My friend with a GST 16G turbo went auto X the other day and saw a G35 manual there. THe manual kicked his butt because he had a better brake system! SO i think that the G would do well on the track. Get some suspension, lighter rims, and a brake kit and you'll be ready to go! I am going out next sunday to try it out! Post how i do later!!

any suggestions?? Mine is automatic too

 

It sounds like you were overwhelmed by the racing environment - you should have prepared better. Here are some tips:
Loose the alluminum pedals, or maybe the original shift **** needs to be put back. LOL.

 

Yo rumble... don't let the advice (criticisms) get you down. It was your first time out and high speed (and moderate speed) racing, even in a controlled environment, can be scary... after all you have your neck and $30K plus on the line. The Civics may also just "seem" faster (more NVH), but the G may actually be reaching higher speeds, and thus be more unnerving. Don't give up though, after a little more experience, the G should be far more rewarding than the typical "rice boxes".

Also, autocrossing is performed at far lower speeds so it's a far different experience to what you did at the track. It's more technically inclined and the G does well.

Let us know how you do in future visits to the track!

<font color=red>chinee</font color=red>
2003.5 G35s

 

OMG?!? I don't understand why I'm getting rashed on here? Please tell me those who criticised me have been on the track with their G35 before, because if not then shut your mind and stop typing!! Read the topic title because it clearly states "newbie on race track." Thank you chinee for backin me up and yes to all, it was my first time so that was my first impression of my car on the track. I never said I was good, and a DX hatch beating me shouldn't surprise me one bit. Did you see the course we drove on? There is only one straight and with no track experience and automatic transmission, a DX hatch with better tires and suspension mods would kick my butt.


It's still a G thang!!

 

hum....sorry! i was just trying to give some advice! I hope i didn't offend you! If i did, i am sorry!!

 

G35lin > My comments were not directed to you...no worries.


It's still a G thang!!

 

Well as long as you have fun that is good. Get your self a tower bar and a sway bar and you can then keep up with Civic and if you practice do better.

 

Rumble, if your comments were directed towards me, I was just playing with you. Take it easy dude.

 

directed @ Dom, very rude and stupid post

<font color=green>-Rambo</font color=green>
G35c 6MT DG/Willow/Grounding Kit

 

RR, I''ve dealt with him, and deleted his post.(copy in Mods and Admin forum). Seems he's not happy here. In any case he apologizes to Rumble or he's gone.

<font color=red>GSM</font color=red> <font color=black>Silverstone Coupe</font color=black>

 

I do a little auto crossing and i find that my coupe handles pirtty good the only cars that seem to be able to compeat with me is the S2000 the boxter and the m3. Though i i do agree it is very hard to compeat with a auto. I dont know if i would be able to do well on a track either. though i bet that was a ton of fun to race on a track with ur buddies. Hopfulyl some day i will get my buddies together to do that.

Sorry to hear that the G underpreformed

 

Rumble, I give you credit for going out on the track alone. Hope you had the necessary safety gear.

I have only ever driven a manual transmission on the track, so don't know what an AT would be like. I'm also one of very few women who go to the track--at least in the club I participate in. Before I got my G35, I had a G20 and took it on various road tracks here on the mid-Atlantic East Coast area.

Now I have the stock 6MT sedan, and took it to the track for the first time in July. Had a blast. Put a post up a while back about my experience at Watkins Glen at a Bimmer's driver school. With driver schools, you begin your track experience with an instructor in the car until you are performing safely, consistently and smoothly enough on that particular track to go it alone. I can't imagine what it would be like to be a newbie to a track and not have that professional guidance.
You are a brave soul!!!

But I encourage you to not give up on it. Maybe a little different kind of experience, like a club driver school would make a difference as to how you experienced the track as a newbie.

Dreams garnet fire/graphite leather 6MT 2003.5 premium/aero/winter