MX100, where are you located? There are small tracks around that aren't well known, but are really sweet. For instance, there's one I like in W.VA called Summit--has two road tracks a short one and longer one. Check out trackmasters.com because they list driver school events from all sorts of clubs at all sorts of tracks.

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

 

Hearing your story about your visit to the Glen brings back some great memories. Here's my top ten list:

10-Spectating at an F1 event there in the late 70's.
9 -Watching race fans burn a perfectly good (stolen) tour bus in the "Bog".
8-Being arrested doing no. 9 (just watching others create havoc!), and after spending the night in jail, paying my fine back in town, having to walk most of the way up the huge hill back to the track. Thanks to a beautiful Canadian girl who picked me up hitchhiking , I made it back to the track with 5 minutes to spare before the start of the GP.
7-Driving the track in my BMW race car in a BMW CCA school like the one you described. (I was a BMW CCA instructor for 10 years.) You think the student run groups are fun? You should see the instructors run groups! 60% dedicated track cars or race cars, 100% committed drivers. Passing allowed anywhere.
6-Forcing yourself on the downhill turn going into the boot to keep your foot planted on the gas to keep your front wheels planted on the track, (it's a weight transfer thing that your mind just doesn't want to believe).
5- Happy to say none of that pretty blue Armco ever touched my car.
4- Did you know that Watkins Glen isn't really a race track? It's actually a very scenic area that was something special to see even before the track was there.
3- Making the trip up Rt 17 in a barely streetable, very fast car, without getting a single ticket. Can you spell "S.P.E.E.D.I.N.G. T.R.A.P."????
2- Riding in an Alpina prepared Seven Series while blowing the doors off almost everything on the track, in absolutely sedate comfort.
1- And my No. 1 Glen Memory...When my BMW race car broke, I hitched a ride in the instructors run group with Michael Valentine (THE V1 guy!) in his bright green IROC Porsche. Very, very nice fellow; VERY fast car. 300hp and 1800 lbs. I can't believe he drove a priceless factory Porsche race car all the way from Ohio, just to drive the Glen. My kind of guy.

04 G35 6MTS Aero Kit/Nav/Prem/Wint (Hopefully Sept 03)
Warning: Objects in Mirror Are Losing!

 

RacerX--love your highlights. You paint great pictures with words. I'm still grinning, especially about the memorable walk up the hill and the Canadian girl's hospitality!

The night before my first time on the track I had nightmares--that my new G35 didn't pass tech inspection and they wouldn't let me on the track. Different dreams the next night after my first Glen track day--visions and sensations of those sweeping turns while on the throttle gliding through the esses and to the floor on the downhill into the boot knowing my brakes would work.

The instructor group runs are great! I got rides during their runs in a Porsche, a 1976 BMW 2002, and my own car with an instructor driving it. One of the Porsche guys had a racing Porsche with so many mods that there was virtually nothing left of the original car--had 900 HP. I didn't ride in that one, probably would have made me car sick.

Re: the downhill into the boot. My instructor, an SCCA M3 racer, threatened to get a stick to poke my foot and force it to the floor on that downhill. By the end of my second run I finally worked up the nerve. Oooowweeee baby, what a thrill. And he gave me a big grin, thumbs up, and "atta girl!" Next run he asked me if I was ready for more fun. I smiled and sang, "Asher, don't you know 'girls just wanna have fun. That's all we really want...is some fun' "

Yes, I knew that Watkins Glen was a scenic area. I'm a hiker and hiked there last year before I ever saw the track. This year I stayed at a nearby winery Inn overlooking the lake and walked through the vineyards at sunset.

Another "broken BMW/Porsche angel of mercy" tale: The gal who hit the armco this year in her '97 BMW 318ti/Dinan 3 supercharger ride (what a sweet and fast car, creamed from stem to stern on driver's side--ouch!!! she throttled down into a turn before completing a shift) was escorted home in a 911 Porsche by the chief instructor while her car was trailered 250 miles.

And that's my story. Thanks for sharing yours.

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

 

I turned the VDC off since once I had a guy right on my butt and the VDC cut power creating some unexpected and dangerous closure. In this case anyway, the VDC created a hazard. But I suppose one could argue that the crash that VDC may help you avoid outweighs the small hazards the VDC may create. Personally, I'll leave it off unless I'm in the wet.

 

I don't think I'd worry about the brakes when autocrossing. There's quite a difference when braking from 120 vs 45mph since the brake energy is proportional to speed squared - wow I had to dust off that high school physics.

 

I just put on the Stillen slotted rotors and their pads - I'll let you know how it goes, I'm skeptical after your experience. Race-only pads are probably the way to go, as long as the rotors can take the heat. Has anybody else seen how about 20% of the rotor doesn't come in contact with the brake pads (rear)? You can see by the usual corrosion layer that occurs when your car sits for awhile isn't worn away on the whole rotor - seems like a design flaw and a waste of brake capability.

 

True, but the club I auto cross with, see a lot higher speeds than 45 some times, albeit, the speed limit is supposed to be around that. lol on the physics.

John
03.5 G35 14.8 @ 93
02 Maxima SE 14.5 @ 95 (Wife's)
87 Mustang GT 13.2 @ 107

 

Great thread! The Glen is on my list of tracks to run at. Laguna Seca is next on the list though! Might run my Spec Miata there with the LeMans series in Sept... ;-)

In regards to tires, I've run the Khumo and Toyo's (RA1). I think the Toyo's are a better bang for the buck. They last longer than the Khumo's and are more consistent...the Khumo's have slightly more overall grip, but tend to go-away toward the end of a session. The Toyo's last all the way through. In addition, you have full grip all the way until they cord. Make sure you get your race tires shaved to 4 or 5/32's. They will actually last a lot longer than running full tread, which tend to chunk due to heat.

In regards to brakes, I've always found the Nissan/Infiniti brakes to be sub standard (especially on my 300zxTT). I went through all the iterations of brakes (metal master pads to stock sized crossdrilled/slotted to race pads, lines, fluid)...Nothing could take the abuse on the track, so I ended up designing a custom brake kit (I wanted a kit that fit under stock 16" rims on the 300 so I could use the stock wheels with race rubber). Had great success with that kit and it spawned the current G35 kit, which fits under stock 17" rims. If anyone wants more info, feel free to check out www.G35brakes.com I'm running a special sale through August - only $2,000.

03 Sedan-Auto-Ivory-Willow-Prem-Sport-BodyKit-Aero-(www.G35brakes.com)
93 300ZX TT
95 SpecMiata

 

Brakes may indeed be an issue but one alternative maybe something like Baer makes called eradispeed;

http://www.baer.com/Products/EradiSpeed.aspx

The multi-piston big boys are good for heavy track use or bragging rights but un-needed for slight track use (drivers schools) or autox.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small"><EM>Edited by jcv on 07/30/03 07:36 PM.</EM></FONT></P>