trackday tyre pressures, etc.

[jw2015]

What advice do you track veterans have for a track virgin. I'm finally taking my first shot at a track tomorrow. It'll be a relaxed affair as it's an 'in you own car' advanced driving training course, but I'm curious to know what you guys do about tyre pressures, etc and what precautions (if any) you take to avoid cooking the tyres or brakes.
I don't really want ultimate grip tomorrow as ideally I want to know what the car feels like on the edge of grip(hopefully it'll be raining). Should I stick with the recommended pressures or increase by a couple of psi.

 

[NicD]

Definately do NOT increase as the first hot laps will do that for you (up to 10 pounds+ increase).

I ran with 32 front/34 rear measured imediately after coming in from each session.

Remember to pump up on the way home

 

[Mark_Bennett]

I found 33F/36R to be better for me

Your milage may vary []

It is also probably different depending on the brand of tyre.

Bringing back down to the standard pressures after a couple of laps may be a good benchmark - then experement.

 

[Guest]

You'll probably find the pressure will raise quite a bit on there own once the tyres start heating up.

Check them when you come in and also look at the treads, you can sometimes see the rubber rolling off the tread if there getting too hot.[]

You'll see where the rubber has begun to melt and move around.

 

[jw2015]

I think I'd only be kidding myself if I was bothering to look for melted tyres . I doubt I have the guts to push it that hard, even on a track. It's a very wet day today so things may get interesting without having to worry about melted tyres

 

[jw2015]

No longer a track virgin! I even got acquainted with a gravel trap [] . Had a horribly wet track but that was perfect as my main reason for doing it was to explore the limits of grip, particularly in the wet, and I explored and exceeded them constantly. I'm now convinced that PSM was the most sensible option I insisted on having [] The grip and handling amazed me to be honest. I was only sharing the track with a very timid Ferrari 355 so was finally able to drive to my limits and the car's wet limits. A loss of concentration put me in the gravel briefly but in general, despite my fairly heavy handed approach to the turn in, I still found it pretty hard to upset the car and I could feel every little loss of grip from front or rear. Maybe the Continental's aren't the best in the wet as the instructor found it a bit twitchy on his laps but they'll do me fine. Thanks to the wet I doubt I lost much rubber and, despite a deliberate and disasterous non-psm attempt to provoke and control a bit of understeer, I came away unscathed but for a couple of gravel chips from the gravel trap, but they'll polish out. I definitely have been bitten by the bug but I'd still hesitate to join a group on the track just yet. A trackday course will be next on the list and then maybe a Porsche trackday or a Hot Marques day.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Or the Boxster trackday on the 29th April? [8D]

 

[NicD]

I love track days in the wet!

As you say, you can feel the loss of grip so well, and as the limits are so much lower, you can test them confidently.

Well done!

 

[ClubRacer]

Glad to hear you have been blooded, and without serious mishaps!

Contis definitely seem to be the tyres not to have for the track so when you replace....

I would recommend Don Palmer's Car Control course (he has a website) - and then come along to Castle Coombe on the 29th April!

Welcome to the track driving club!

 

[jw2015]

ORIGINAL: Mark Bennett

Or the Boxster trackday on the 29th April? [8D]

I'd love to but starting a new job on 24th and already have some booked holidays to demand time off for. A trip down to Castle Coombe would have to be a mini-holiday for me from here. Maybe the next one.

 

[Mark_Bennett]

Ooops - Just noticed your location! You've got a point []

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: ClubRacer

Contis definitely seem to be the tyres not to have for the track so when you replace....

Yawn! [&:]

Silverstone, The Ring, Donnington, Jerby, Castle Combe, Mondello Park.

All without falling off.

Oh and on Contis's []

Must be the tyre for the discerning driver.

But seriously pepes Porsche don't give out N ratings unless they mean it.

JCB..

 

[penfold944]

Did you do the International or the National in Modello JCB ?

I must admit its a very nice track - quite tricky and hard on the cars. Nice and all as it is to drive porkers around there, the most fun I had was 20 minutes driving an Ariel Atom around the international circuit. We were actually overtaking Ferrari 360's and 996 GT3 cars..

 

[ClubRacer]

ORIGINAL: JCB..

ORIGINAL: ClubRacer

Contis definitely seem to be the tyres not to have for the track so when you replace....

Yawn! [&:]

Silverstone, The Ring, Donnington, Jerby, Castle Combe, Mondello Park.

All without falling off.

Oh and on Contis's []

Must be the tyre for the discerning driver.

But seriously pepes Porsche don't give out N ratings unless they mean it.

JCB..

The words I've heard are twitchy, woolly on the limit etc. but each to his own!

The Boxster handles so well its still going to be one of the best out there. Actually, I'd like to try them for myself so that I'm not just repeating hearsay(from respected sources).

 

[jw2015]

I can't really say anything about relative roadholding of the Contis in the wet, all I can say is the instuctor said he found the backend twitchy, but he wasn't struggling with it by any means, and I certainly wasn't hanging about myself and had immediate confidence in the grip, despite heavy rain at the time. Classing myself as someone who is very inexperienced with the concept of being on the limit of grip, I was impressed that I could feel every little twitch and loss of grip from the car. The feedback through the steering wheel and through the seat of my trousers was giving me plenty of advance warning before grip was lost completely, and some of that must be due to the tyres themselves. All I have to do now is figure out what to do with all that feedback instead of relying on PSM to save me

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: jw

I can't really say anything about relative roadholding of the Contis in the wet, all I can say is the instuctor said he found the backend twitchy, but he wasn't struggling with it by any means, and I certainly wasn't hanging about myself and had immediate confidence in the grip, despite heavy rain at the time. Classing myself as someone who is very inexperienced with the concept of being on the limit of grip, I was impressed that I could feel every little twitch and loss of grip from the car. The feedback through the steering wheel and through the seat of my trousers was giving me plenty of advance warning before grip was lost completely, and some of that must be due to the tyres themselves. All I have to do now is figure out what to do with all that feedback instead of relying on PSM to save me

The feedback is what I like. I'd rather the tyres tell me that I'm on the edge instead of the fact that I'm going backwards.

 

[JCB..]

ORIGINAL: penfold944

Did you do the International or the National in Modello JCB ?

I must admit its a very nice track - quite tricky and hard on the cars. Nice and all as it is to drive porkers around there, the most fun I had was 20 minutes driving an Ariel Atom around the international circuit. We were actually overtaking Ferrari 360's and 996 GT3 cars..

The International and yes it's a great circuit.