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      07-20-2019, 08:01 AM   #45
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Originally Posted by jmciver View Post
Keep an open mind, be very humble and check your ego at the track gate (or even better, before you leave your house on track day). Regardless of how big (or small) you think your ego is now regarding your driver skill level, force yourself to make your ego even smaller. As long as you respect the fact that your 450+ HP turbo car is more than you can handle if you try to use the car's full potential, you will have fun as you progress at a pace that is right for you. You need to be honest with yourself here....

Some will say that an F8X M3/M4 is not a good novice track car because it is a very powerful and capable car - too powerful for a novice. IMHO, I think that is only true if the novice driver has the wrong mindset when getting behind the wheel on the track for the first few times.

Lastly, as several others have mentioned, since this is your first event, just go out there and have fun. HPDE's are a very fun experience, regardless of skill level. Good luck.
Perfect advice
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      07-20-2019, 09:24 AM   #46
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Can you link a good one? Helmet that is. I don't have an adjustable head rest either
If you have a GoPro, it should have come with one adhesive strip that you can attach to your helmet.
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      07-28-2019, 02:05 PM   #47
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First time on track, just go stock. Maybe flush brake fluid if it’s been over a year. My first time there were a total of 3 F8X’s in novice. All 3 were stock, not even brake fluid. This was NCM Motosports Park. And all 3 of us were under 2:35 for that track. All 3 of us were running full DSC on. Tires looked much more worn on the outside edge but might survive another day (not weekend) the way we were driving. Brake pads smeared deposits all over the rotors but no fade during the 25min session. But col down lap start at 21min mark because it takes 4min to get everyone off that track.
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      07-28-2019, 03:29 PM   #48
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If you maintain the car to the BMW service intervals...depends.

You want brake fluid that's < 6 months old.

Otherwise, just have the suspension, brakes, and tires visually looked over.

Then your car is ready.

I'll add this...hydration. You NEED to hydrate the day BEFORE! If you show up dehydrated, it won't get better that day. Hydration has a significant impact on mental capacity.
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      09-17-2019, 05:15 PM   #49
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Originally Posted by Tommy L Garage View Post
No insurance needed.
I respectfully disagree. While HPDEs are generally pretty safe (depending on who is sponsoring), I would never track a car that was more money than I could afford to write off. While certain tracks are "safer" than others, stuff that is completely out of your control can and does happen, and there's no quicker way to ruin your year than totaling an expensive car and getting $0 for it (I won't even go into if you have a loan on it). Also consider that whatever happens on the track, *you* assume the risk for your own vehicle. Someone hits you, it's still your responsibility for your own car. You spin and take out a guard rail, it's your responsibility for your car *and* the guard rail repair.

Who you run with also matters. I've found BMWCCA, PCA, and Chin to be very well run, very safety minded, and have very little tolerance for shenanigans that puts others in danger. I've found lower cost options like TrackDaze allow WAY too many cars on the track, let advanced drivers run in every run group (which makes it even more crowded). I've never run with NASA and probably never will, as it's got a rep for catering to the most aggressive of drivers. I've run with a couple of other regional clubs, but generally prefer the above 3, especially Chin.

Also note that it's HIGHLY unlikely your regular auto policy would cover an HPDE, regardless of what people tell you. If they ever even catch wind of your tracking, good luck not getting dropped there and then. With track insurance, you don't need to worry about it, what happens is between you and the track insurance company.

The old adage, "gotta pay to play" applies here. Smarter to just budget track insurance as part of required expense. You'll sleep better.

As far as costs, figure on $350-$600 track fee for a weekend depending on track and car club, plus hotel room, plus food, plus incidentals, plus track insurance, and wear items. I typically average around $1200 a weekend all in with my e92 m3, not counting wear items. The faster you go, the higher that bill will be amortized over the tracking season. I've seen beginners burn through a brand new set of street tires and brakes in a single weekend. That's not too fun. As others have said, focus on learning about your car and being smooth, pace will just happen as a natural progression. And listen to your instructor, they'll keep you safe. And have fun! It's a total blast as a hobby, albeit a very expensive one :-)
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      09-18-2019, 03:56 PM   #50
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There was a 4 car wreck at Sonoma in T11 at the last De I attended. Someone spun from too aggressive throttle application, driver behind following too closely to avoid the spinning car. Another driver broke hard to avoid (came almost to a stop?) and was rear ended by the 4th car.

And a bad single car wreck where someone (club instructor... ) spun in T9 from trying to recover putting 2 off and ended up with the car almost vertical in the tire wall.

Event before that a car had rotor crack and due to loss of braking, took out another car as they both were turning in.

Stuff can definitely happen! Stay safe and check your wallet and/or insurance before going

Another thought... HPDE insurance comes with 10/20% deductible. Depending on your specific German car and deductible choice, you can buy a cheapo competition car for the price of the deductible! (Eg there is a 500whp sub3000lb c5z for sale for $14k, and that’s the cost someone in a 420whp >3500 lb stock f80 insured for $70k with 20% deductible would have to pay).

Interesting to think of all the different ways to allocate your track dollar, and the idea of tracking your fav German street car versus cheaper/faster prepared cars
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      11-11-2019, 11:43 AM   #51
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Camber plates and different tires are recommended. This is my front tire after 2 autoX events. I pushed the car as hard as I could and got great times, but now I need 2 front tires and definitely need camber plates. The stock Michelin's aren't bad, but do start to fall apart once you push them hard. Car has 9,000 miles. Outer half of the tire is pretty beat up
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      11-11-2019, 12:40 PM   #52
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I got fully into track days in 2017 and early 2018, had a crash, took a year off, and am back at it again. I spend a lot of time preparing the car beforehand, since I usually have to drive 3+ hours to whatever track I'm going to and I don't want to bring my whole garage.

I only bleed the brakes if I've boiled them previously. I use ATE fluid and it has been perfect under even the most demanding conditions at Monza. I do oil changes every half interval with BMW oil. Brake pads get inspected and I swap out the anti-rattle hardware for solid aluminum pieces that will tolerate the heat.

Track day insurance is harder to get here in Europe, so I'm more careful. My car is in the upper third of the speed echelon, beaten soundly mostly by Porsches and Ferraris, but vastly ahead of all of the Fiat 500 Abarths running around. Even still, my #1 rule is "No racing. You have to be able to drive home at the end of the day." I've hit a huge coolant spill on the Nurburgring, too, right at the exit of Youtube Corner, so your future is not always in your hands. It was a hard lesson to learn, since the "red mist" is what contributed to my crash. Although fun, I have to approach track days dispassionately and keep the competitive spirit restrained. It's also important to remember that track driving stays at the track. At the end of the day, drive home like grandpa and give your car a break.

Costs:

$300-$500 for track sessions
$300-$1200 for fuel (depending on location)
$200-300 hotel
$100-200 food

So far, brake pads are lasting a long time.
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      11-11-2019, 12:41 PM   #53
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I run Castrol srf on all the cars I track, I flush it once per season usually. When I ran motul 600/660 it boiled and turned black in 1-2 events.

Engine oil I run Amsoil 5w40 euro formula with change intervals of 5000-7000 miles never burned a drop in the S55 (knock on wood) this is daily + track days.

Carbotech XP12 front and Carbotech XP10 rears is what I run. I tried the pagid rs29 in my previous 991 and my F80 and they were just not up to task.

As everyone have mentioned you can just track the car relatively stock without issues. People tend to over-mod and "track build" their cars before actual tracking and end up getting lost in what mods actually help and doesn't help.

Tracking with the stock PSS is a good start since stickier tires will just masks ur mistakes and when things go south, you wouldn't know how to react. Pace yourself and run full traction off, since alot of ppl tend to rely on the nannies and overdrive their cars. I am by no means acting like a pro, just a guy who do a handful of events a year.

Lastly, enjoy

Also this the lastest mounting setup I tried and it held up pretty well
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      11-11-2019, 05:39 PM   #54
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmciver View Post
Lots of "interesting" advice in this thread for someone attending a first time HPDE event - especially the car/mechanical stuff. But I would have to agree with most of it. So I guess I will throw in my $.02.....

Keep an open mind, be very humble and check your ego at the track gate (or even better, before you leave your house on track day). Regardless of how big (or small) you think your ego is now regarding your driver skill level, force yourself to make your ego even smaller. As long as you respect the fact that your 450+ HP turbo car is more than you can handle if you try to use the car's full potential, you will have fun as you progress at a pace that is right for you. You need to be honest with yourself here....

Some will say that an F8X M3/M4 is not a good novice track car because it is a very powerful and capable car - too powerful for a novice. IMHO, I think that is only true if the novice driver has the wrong mindset when getting behind the wheel on the track for the first few times.

Lastly, as several others have mentioned, since this is your first event, just go out there and have fun. HPDE's are a very fun experience, regardless of skill level. Good luck.
Great advice. People all seem to have different purposes... some enjoy learning to play with limits and/or get fast. Some enjoy just driving the car (even after they have been doing it for a long time) and don't even care about lap times. Some are ego freaks. There are a quite of bit of competitions/egos indeed even at HPDE-as lots of people who used to be nice in my novice days don't even say hi to me anymore... LOL

But as far as learning how to drive better, it's like engineering- there is no room for ego.

It's still a lot better to start with a cheap lighter rotation happy car that you don't need to worry about crashing but at least getting camber plates with good alignment will make the car a lot better than stock to drive and learn.
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      11-11-2019, 10:17 PM   #55
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MyFragileHalogen View Post
Great advice. People all seem to have different purposes... some enjoy learning to play with limits and/or get fast. Some enjoy just driving the car (even after they have been doing it for a long time) and don't even care about lap times. Some are ego freaks. There are a quite of bit of competitions/egos indeed even at HPDE-as lots of people who used to be nice in my novice days don't even say hi to me anymore... LOL
Yeah, all sorts of people at the track. I’m generally friendly with everyone I come across with at the track. Even fellow racers that have crashed my car in the past I have no problems with and hang out with, etc. It’s not like they purposely intended to do some dumb shit and hit the rear of my race car. Life is too short to hold grudges. Move on and have fun. This is not pro racing!
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      11-12-2019, 11:13 AM   #56
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Even fellow racers that have crashed my car in the past I have no problems with and hang out with, etc. It’s not like they purposely intended to do some dumb shit and hit the rear of my race car
2 races ago I heard of an SM competitor admitting in the paddock to purposely making contact to put a competitor off track.

F-ed up
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      11-12-2019, 02:20 PM   #57
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2 races ago I heard of an SM competitor admitting in the paddock to purposely making contact to put a competitor off track.

F-ed up
I’ve only hit a fellow competitor on purpose once.
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      11-12-2019, 03:00 PM   #58
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I’ve only hit a fellow competitor on purpose once.
in the paddock with your fist, or on the track with your car?

people take club racing seriously!!
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      11-12-2019, 05:23 PM   #59
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nicknaz View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaynardZed View Post
Even fellow racers that have crashed my car in the past I have no problems with and hang out with, etc. It’s not like they purposely intended to do some dumb shit and hit the rear of my race car
2 races ago I heard of an SM competitor admitting in the paddock to purposely making contact to put a competitor off track.

F-ed up
There is a reason they call it spec piñata
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      11-12-2019, 07:30 PM   #60
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Originally Posted by 991dc5 View Post

Also this the lastest mounting setup I tried and it held up pretty well
What mic is that? I want to run this to the rear next time so I can get more than just interior wind noise.
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      11-12-2019, 11:01 PM   #61
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmg View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 991dc5 View Post

Also this the lastest mounting setup I tried and it held up pretty well
What mic is that? I want to run this to the rear next time so I can get more than just interior wind noise.
I use this mic, it comes with the TRS adapter that is needed to run with the GoPro external mic adapter. I am able to charge the GoPro with the gopro mic adapter using my incar port C phone charger. I never had to swap the battery by doing this.
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      11-12-2019, 11:06 PM   #62
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 991dc5 View Post
I use this mic, it comes with the TRS adapter that is needed to run with the GoPro external mic adapter. I am able to charge the GoPro with the gopro mic adapter using my incar port C phone charger. I never had to swap the battery by doing this.
Awesome, thanks!
Got any videos, I'd like to see how it sounds!
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      11-13-2019, 10:34 AM   #63
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jmg View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by 991dc5 View Post
I use this mic, it comes with the TRS adapter that is needed to run with the GoPro external mic adapter. I am able to charge the GoPro with the gopro mic adapter using my incar port C phone charger. I never had to swap the battery by doing this.
Awesome, thanks!
Got any videos, I'd like to see how it sounds!
Even with the external mic it still had alot of wind noise, need to find another location to mount it.

sorry op for going off topic in ur thread

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      11-23-2019, 11:43 AM   #64
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Some nice tank slappers trying to chase down the vette :-)
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      12-10-2019, 11:24 AM   #65
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffk182 View Post
Camber plates and different tires are recommended. This is my front tire after 2 autoX events. I pushed the car as hard as I could and got great times, but now I need 2 front tires and definitely need camber plates. The stock Michelin's aren't bad, but do start to fall apart once you push them hard. Car has 9,000 miles. Outer half of the tire is pretty beat up
I am surprised your tires held up that well after 2 events and 9k miles on them. I corded both fronts on my first HPDE day and tires at nearly same usage as yours. Only 1 discount tire in Houston had my tires...not making that mistake again, pre-ordering tires from tirerack to have as spares now.

Going to the track this weekend with somewhat new tires (<2k mlies), hoping to get a full 2 days of track before I have to replace.
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      12-10-2019, 07:50 PM   #66
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ano0oj View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffk182 View Post
Camber plates and different tires are recommended. This is my front tire after 2 autoX events. I pushed the car as hard as I could and got great times, but now I need 2 front tires and definitely need camber plates. The stock Michelin's aren't bad, but do start to fall apart once you push them hard. Car has 9,000 miles. Outer half of the tire is pretty beat up
I am surprised your tires held up that well after 2 events and 9k miles on them. I corded both fronts on my first HPDE day and tires at nearly same usage as yours. Only 1 discount tire in Houston had my tires...not making that mistake again, pre-ordering tires from tirerack to have as spares now.

Going to the track this weekend with somewhat new tires (<2k mlies), hoping to get a full 2 days of track before I have to replace.
I've picked up camber plates and a set of wheels to run a 19" square setup. Planning to run Federal RS-RR since they're cheap
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