Did motorcycle track days for years. Sold my bikes and took a hiatus. Just went back to the track with a car, for the 1st last Sunday. Was a blast and now I’m feeling the itch to make it a regular thing!
Track Day Junkies or Car Enthusiasts Here?
- Thread starter ebnash
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I like small sporty cars! I like plenty of low rpm torque, engines which are eager to rev, a hard suspension and most importantly- handling.
I also prefer cars to be stock- the way manufacturers designed.
Having said that, other than adding a little amount of fun to my daily driving, and watching programs like Top Gear, I don’t do anything else.
I also prefer cars to be stock- the way manufacturers designed.
Having said that, other than adding a little amount of fun to my daily driving, and watching programs like Top Gear, I don’t do anything else.
The car pictured s a 2018 STI, but lots of modifications from stock. After power upgrades, Dyno was at 498HP and 450 Torque.
Ohlins coilovers, front and rear adjustable control arms, swaybars, all upgraded bushings and all drivetrain mounts upgraded to higher durometer.
Has original Brembo 6 piston calipers, but race specific brake pad compounds, high temp brake Fluid, and stainless hoses. When the rotors are done, they will be upgraded to slotted and floating 2 piece style. I’ll swap in street brake pads in between track days.
Upgraded and wider Forged wheels with DOT approved track compound tires.
The car did amazing in 107f temps all day. No brake fade and tires were absolute glue. Depending on heat cycles and tire wear over the next few track days, I’ll decide if I want to have a dedicated set of wheels/tires.
Ohlins coilovers, front and rear adjustable control arms, swaybars, all upgraded bushings and all drivetrain mounts upgraded to higher durometer.
Has original Brembo 6 piston calipers, but race specific brake pad compounds, high temp brake Fluid, and stainless hoses. When the rotors are done, they will be upgraded to slotted and floating 2 piece style. I’ll swap in street brake pads in between track days.
Upgraded and wider Forged wheels with DOT approved track compound tires.
The car did amazing in 107f temps all day. No brake fade and tires were absolute glue. Depending on heat cycles and tire wear over the next few track days, I’ll decide if I want to have a dedicated set of wheels/tires.
More of a spectator than a participant. I used to go to our local drag strip on Monday nights, which was basically a “run whatcha brung” quarter mile shootout. Mostly cars running in the high 13s, with a few running in the 12s. Saw a Gremlin beating motorcycles once. That was a trip.
I am a Jeep guy. And mine is certainly no longer as the engineers designed it @cshubhra ?. I do all the work on it myself. I like to go rock crawling. It’s the most fun you can have below 5 mph. We usually take a trip up to Hot Springs ORV Park (formerly Superlift), but we added one to our family about a month ago, and I no longer have enough seats in my 2 door.
I am a Jeep guy. And mine is certainly no longer as the engineers designed it @cshubhra ?. I do all the work on it myself. I like to go rock crawling. It’s the most fun you can have below 5 mph. We usually take a trip up to Hot Springs ORV Park (formerly Superlift), but we added one to our family about a month ago, and I no longer have enough seats in my 2 door.
Here is a geezerly response. Any car with suspension firm enough to corner for competition could be a problem for daily use by anyone with health complaints with their hips, back, or bladder. I've had several friends who had Honda products that had tight suspension who aggravated their problems just with commuter driving. For those of you with none of the complaints above, carry on. One friend sold her car and cured her health issue. Disclaimer: I am a moderate (but not pokey) driver; I keep up with traffic, but that's it. I've driven regularly with talented drivers and they simply have a concentration for it that I don't.
As a teenager I marshalled a few special sections of the RAC rally; a few track events at Goodward and some hill climbs. For a number of years I owned (and regularly drove) a Morgan +8 (as per MSO's response: not something to try and drive unless all joints working 100%) but I've never taken part in a track day (when I sold the Morgan - one of the biggest regrets in my life - it went to a guy who wanted it for racing).
We have Summit Point Raceway here (serves the DC/VA/MD/WV area). I've done several "FATT (Friday at the track) events there and used to autocross my 93 NX2000 there on the small track. Track days are unbelievably fun, but risky for a daily driver. Autocross is solo, lower speeds and less taxing/risky on the vehicle.
For the track events, I always took our 96 Impala SS with some mild performance and handling improvements, certainly no big HP car, but fun. I belonged to an owners club and we would do several track days per year as a group. The driving school there used to use old Chevy Caprice 9C1 police cars, so I fit right in. I also did an event at Watkins Glen with the Impala, and got up over 140 mph on the main straight!
You definitely get the "red haze" out on the track with others. There's always that next car to catch and pass. Sometimes I was having so much fun, I found myself laughing out loud in my helmet.
For the track events, I always took our 96 Impala SS with some mild performance and handling improvements, certainly no big HP car, but fun. I belonged to an owners club and we would do several track days per year as a group. The driving school there used to use old Chevy Caprice 9C1 police cars, so I fit right in. I also did an event at Watkins Glen with the Impala, and got up over 140 mph on the main straight!
You definitely get the "red haze" out on the track with others. There's always that next car to catch and pass. Sometimes I was having so much fun, I found myself laughing out loud in my helmet.
It's always a rush to stage a car & try to cut a light, even if you have an old jalopy like mine is. Honestly, if there's someone next to me who I don't think I can run with (usually the case), I'll wait on green & let them go first & get down the track a bit. The only thing that affects is my recorded reaction time between the tree going green & me breaking the start beam. That way, if he hooks it into my lane, I'm not near it.
I am waiting for formula one to begin. No interest in big power or speed, though the car I have has a bit of both.
It started three weeks ago! Tomorrow is the 3rd race, the GP of Hungary. Bit of the same as last year so far.
Jeep junkie here but only for fairly mild trails. No rock crawling (yet), but I did just pick up a 2019 Rubicon...
"which was basically a “run whatcha brung” quarter mile shootout"
I remember spectating at a 'Run What You Brung' event at the Bulldog Bash (a bike festival organised by the HA in England) sometime in the 1980's.
This guy had a souped up Honda CBX 1000 (straight six) and on his third and final run the bike threw a rod and pretty much destroyed the entire engine!
I'll never forget that as I think it was the first time I ever saw a mature man cry!
Regards,
Jay.
I remember spectating at a 'Run What You Brung' event at the Bulldog Bash (a bike festival organised by the HA in England) sometime in the 1980's.
This guy had a souped up Honda CBX 1000 (straight six) and on his third and final run the bike threw a rod and pretty much destroyed the entire engine!
I'll never forget that as I think it was the first time I ever saw a mature man cry!
Regards,
Jay.
I got a charger daytona that I 
ordered in march of 2017. It's my weekend toy. It's far from stock.
ordered in march of 2017. It's my weekend toy. It's far from stock.
In my disclaimer post about not being any kind of a hot driver, I forgot to mention, during a summer job in S.W. Missouri in the sixties, I was the reporter for dirt track racing. It was the real deal, shade tree mechanics running hot rod racers through the red dust and fumes. I think the fuel was jacked up with other-than-gasoline in the most competitive races. I think the rules were pretty loose. One of the songs on the track p.a. system: "We got married in a fever/ hotter than a pepper sprout./ We been talking about Jackson/ ever since the fire went out."
Despite me driving our Dodge Caravan usually, I am a big VW guy. I've never been to a track day, but have always wanted to participate.
If you have a lightweight car with good suspension I don't think you really need big HP numbers.
If you have a lightweight car with good suspension I don't think you really need big HP numbers.
i used to live 30 min away from mid-ohio race track. One day, a friend took me for a ride in a suped STI, 350 hp at the time. Couldn’t believe how composed the car was, yet lusty in it’s grunt. Fine machine you have there, always liked that blue on the Subaru. Mitsubishi EVO’s were their main competitor, is that still the case?
I had fun wrenching on my car for a few years. In the last two years I’ve been hit twice (one was a hit and run that left a permanent gash on my right rear panel/door) and side swiped once.
03 Crown Vic with 43k miles when I bought it.
I’ll try to remember the mods I’ve done.
Stainless Works catless long tube headers into a Borla exhaust.
Custom air intake with upgraded MAF and ported/polished plenum.
Steeda underdrive pulleys.
MSD cops.
JMOD transmission upgrade.
Aluminum driveshaft to 3.73 Ford Racing gears inside a Detroit Trutrac LSD w/ updated spline count rear axles.
93 octane tune.
18 x 8.5 wheels and fancy brakes/rotors.
I feel like I’m forgetting stuff.
Too heavy to be truly fast, but it will smoke any Crown Vic cop car.
03 Crown Vic with 43k miles when I bought it.
I’ll try to remember the mods I’ve done.
Stainless Works catless long tube headers into a Borla exhaust.
Custom air intake with upgraded MAF and ported/polished plenum.
Steeda underdrive pulleys.
MSD cops.
JMOD transmission upgrade.
Aluminum driveshaft to 3.73 Ford Racing gears inside a Detroit Trutrac LSD w/ updated spline count rear axles.
93 octane tune.
18 x 8.5 wheels and fancy brakes/rotors.
I feel like I’m forgetting stuff.
Too heavy to be truly fast, but it will smoke any Crown Vic cop car.
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