Don't sell the R-Comps just take at least a few run groups on the street tires so you get a better understanding of how the car reacts. When I do track days I usually do the first run group (sometimes 2) on my street tires, just to keep it real. Then I put on my RA-1's for the rest of the time.

 

Small suggestion... get some new pads.

Hawk HPS are HORRID for a track pad and honestly, I'm suprised that you didn't have any problems or have any pads left.

There's a bunch of threads on here discussing some more "track" pads.

 

next time take someone with you to take pics! glad you had fun! It is addicting

 

Congrats man! Enjoy. I won't give you any unsolicited advice. Just keep on keepin on and stay away from the mustangs... lol. Or at least don't contact them. Plus get some pix next time.

 

What if you pass everyone but you're in the highest group? God I loved my Evo on the track... R-compounds may be "cheating" but slicks are just plain stupid (good stupid).

Practice with street tires is double awesome: A) yeah, you get better at learning to drive on track because you're not "cheating" on R compounds. B) You become a better driver on the tires you're driving around on all the time. In the few events I've been to in the Porsche (all stock) I've learned more about driving it around town than I did the Evo (which had R-compounds and track pads almost all of its 3 year track life).

 

If my RA1s are cheating I don't wanna play fair.

 

RA1s are bringing a gun to a knife fight... Slicks are bringing a f***ing panzer. Seriously, I didn't think the Evo could handle THAT much better. Once your RA1s are toast, if you're not doing competition and they're allowed, pick up a set of slicks. Stupid easy to drive, once the slicks heat up. But I don't mean they're cheating in a bad way, just that it makes it easier to drive (so cheating yourself), and faster. I used RA1s for 2.5 of the 3 years I tracked it. Then about .2 on V710s, and about .3 on slicks.

 

No question. RA1s are not even the best available of their family or even brand.

Then again I get them for the right price and they do well by me and I can still get good feedback and use them in the wet and drive them for a LONG time as long as I keep flipping them.

At some point I will try something much more aggressive but for now I'm still new and stupid and trying to soak up as much seat time as I can.

 

This is an interesting thread.

To the OP what size NT01s were you running?

I too am surprised those pads did you justice. Especially on R compounds.

 

Nittos are 255/40/17 on 5 Zigen black rims... i did lines and brake fluid as well as the pads before the track.... i noticed a visible wear on the rotors... i am still with the stock ones and i have 25000 on the car and i am possitive they are finished after driving them hard for three days... i have not read the thread about the HPS.
whats wrong with them pads???? i was going to run my bbs rims with the stock advants but i had too little tread left and i was affraid i may blow a tire so i got scared and went with the nittos... Plus i am getting pictures.. there was a company making pics all three days.. checked last night and they did not have them out yet. i will check later on and if they have them i will upload them here...
I had a lot of fun and i am already looking for more upcoming events..

thanks to everyone for the nice comments..

 

How much wear did you put into the nittos? My first time out with R compounds I over drove them and they got pretty lumpy!

The HPS pads are ok for the street but overheat when hammered on at the track. Its rather shocking you didn't have a crumbly mess after the second session.

Can't wait to see the pics. Want to know how the stock struts handles those sticky tires.

 

i was amazed with the way the car handled.. i did not expect it to be so nice. i thought i was going to have too much uncesrteer and probably not so stable on the straights but it felt very nice. As for the brakes no problems at all , no fading no overheating.. every session i was going deeper and deeper in the corners and the car was stopping...Tires look fine.. i think i did not take too much life out of them. fronts had more wear and than i switched them on the last days so they weak out evenly... they look like they were chewed up but the tread depth is almost like new. pics are not up yet.. i am still waiting.

 

First off, congrats. Good to see that you had a great time.

As you get faster you will quickly exceed the capacity of the HPS pads, though. I used HPS on my first track day as well and they ended up fading on me towards the end of the day (longer session), and that was with all-season tires on the car. There are a lot of opinions out there in regards to which pads to get, but I think it's pretty much unanimous that you will need a dedicated set of track pads if you're going to run a tire like the Nitto NT-01 (unless you like really squeaky pads on the street ).

l8r)

 

As I recall you said you had springs... that was about it there. HPS pads and great shoes.

I say keep the good tires. Just put some street shoes on the other rims and use those for the first few sessions or in rain.

Get some track pads and swap those on either before you go or at the track. You will as is said above get faster than the HPSs soon. Very soon.

As for coilovers. There are many good options but I went Zzyzx as I feel I got about a $5500 system for $2500. Thats a bit more than I wanted to spend but no need to upgrade.... ever.

 

Awsome! Track days are addictive!


Untrue. Last year I did a two-day event at VIR with MDA in the green group. On the first day I was only passed by one bimmer. On the second day I pretty much passed everyone (including that bimmer). I felt that I should've been moved up to the next group, but being that it was my second track day the instructor felt that just being faster than everyone in the group doesn't qualify one to be moved up. Experience counts, and if something had gone wrong I may not have known how to react.

Some will raise the concern that if a driver (novice or experienced) is quicker than the rest of the group, it's a waste of time to have him/her be stuck behind slower traffic for most of the session. I agree, it's very frustrating. I also found myself then riding close behind other cars because I was so impatient to get the point-by. Later it was pointed out that not only was that a safety concern, but doing so in a novice group could seriously upset another novice driver who suddenly finds a car in his entire side mirror. Don't let frustration and red smoke overcome track etiquette. I learned it the hard way:
http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread...&highlight=evo