Thread: Preparing a Street(turbo) Car for a Road Course?

When I fried my S4 DE on the track last August the one gauge I wish I had more than any other was an analog water temp gauge. Headgasket blew and the the car still ran but the OEM gauge was pegged and the smell of coolant was the only thing that alerted me that something was wrong. The "idiot" stock temp gauge can work for a daily driven setup but when pushing the car at the limit and especially as a turbo you shouldn't rely on the OEM temp gauge. If you begin to smell coolant/water wetter when driving hard on the track you may already be behind the 8 ball. Not good. You may want to get one just for peace of mind, one less thing to think about as the instructor, the flags and other cars nearby will definitely get all of your attention. Call it extra track insurance.

^^^This, x2 and then some...... Took me a couple of months to get this routine down when I started.

All good advice. One thing I didn't understand is the painters tape. So they give you a magnetic number to stick on your car? Is the tape to help keep it from falling off or for scratching?

BTW, Thanks everyone for the great advice! It really helped me a lot. I'll have to report back how the event went. If anyone has any more info, please feel free to share!

I also updated my first post w/all the stuff I bought. I basically have everything purchased except the tires. I'm going to wait a few more weeks to see if I can get any good deals, but I'm pretty set on the Ecsta XS.

-G

For oil run thicker weight. 15 w 50 or Rotella T6 5 w 40.

Pay attention to coolant temps. Close off as many gaps around your radiator as possible. When the car gets hot, take it easy.

Bed your brake pads and rotors BEFORE you get to the track.

Bring a wheel chock as when you get back to the pits you should not use your e-brake after a track session to hold the car in place.

Spark plugs what heat range are you using? Hopefully 7 series.

Hmmm, I'm already using T6 5w-40 on the streets. Was thinking of switching to something even heavier for the track?

Bedding brakes/rotors will happen before the event. I still don't really understand the idea behind brake choks. Would using the e-brake deform or keep heat in the rear rotors? What's the reason for this exactly?

Also, yes, BKR7E's all day.

-G

Yes the e-brake would warp and retain heat in the rear rotors, inducing premature wear on the pads and further affecting modulation. The chock is to keep the car from rolling on on an uneven surface since you won't be using the e-brake.

Ahhh OK, that's what I figured the reason was. Again, something I don't think I would have thought of if I didn't make this post. I'll be sure to bring some chock's as well.

Also, what do you guys think of VR1 Racing 20w-50? Too thick or just perfect for a July track day w/a turbo car?

-G

I really like the Rotella. I ran it in my turbo time trial car and it always held up better than just about anything else!

AND Rotella is MUCH cheaper than Mobil 1..............