Thanks to a vigilent friend, I got the drop for July 10, Apex Driving Academy out at Motorsport Ranch. -NOVICE CLASS-
Being an Evo owner for 6+ years, I had never really had an opportunity to legally test the limits of the car. Signing up for this seemed the best for what I wanted.
-This is where I give a shout out to KevinD at EvoD for the help in getting my car ready and tuned in time.
Having no prior motorsports history (sanctioned or not), I had Kevin turn the car way down from its potential (2.3L, FP red, big potential) so I would feel more comfortable going in directions other than a straight line. The final result was about 24 PSI boost and conservative timing, since I wanted the car to survive many more possible sessions.
Not being on a huge budget, here's what my car had for track day-
Brakes: Gyrodisk magic pads and bailout special rotors. motul brake fluid
Tires: ~Continentals~!!! extreme contact
Due to a blown strut from flying over train tracks, Buddy Club Coilovers.
Everything else was good to go.
Showing up at the place at 8 AM, I decided to get ritzy and filled the remainder of my tank with 109 octane, since there has been some annoying phantom knock going on, and I didn't want to take a chance.
After sign-in, there's a small class to cover the basics: be nice, no bumper cars, listen to the instructors or you're booted out.
Then came track session 1- cones were lined up and we did a brake check and slalom, and a general drive to help familiarize me with the track.
Back to class, more talking, and track session 2-
The instructor gets behind the wheel and takes it for a spin with you in the passenger seat. My instructor thought there was a problem with the clutch; turns out he was experiencing what I was already used to (quartermaster twin is not very forgiving), so we switched back and took a more spirited drive around.
Class 3 was talking about passing ettiquite.
track session 3 was helmets on, full speed ahead. The instructor was showing me what line to follow, where to brake, and a lot of "go faster".
I got to do a lot of passing
Then it was lunch, and I got dumb.
After class 4 we headed to session 4, and I had managed to forget what i was doing, and was passed up by a talented fellow in the most unassuming junky looking 4.6L mustang. It took a few laps for me to get back in the groove, and by that time, track session was over.
Class 5 we discussed things like turning points, braking, and got to ask questions.
Session 6 I really seemed to do well. I did a good amount of passing (mini coopers can't loose me in the twisties!) and I had my sights set on an M3 before time ran out.
All in all, the novice class is a blast! Especially for a novice. It showed me that my car was not as brittle as I thought, and I could push harder than I thought I could. I had no expectation of the continental tires holding up to track wear, but they pleasantly suprised me! They did VERY well for my power output. But a little noisy. As for using magic pads, I wouldn't use them for any higher powered track sessions, but they do fine for close to stock. It seems they had a little spongeyness for hard braking. The bailout rotors gave me some brake wobble after a few laps, but after session was over and the car cooled down during class, they seemed to return to original shape. I'm daily driving on them right now, and I have no issues.
As for the quartermaster clutch, aside from the instructor not liking it, its behaving exactly as it was before-no problems for me.
At the end of the last session, I was asked what kind of coolant I was running. after 5 track sessions at 20 minutes each, the temp gauge never went over half. He was suprised to know it was nothing more than run of the mill prestone 50/50 or equivalent. I see no reason to replace a stock radiator now.
Tracking my car left me with two problems;
1. somehow, the exhaust had loosened itself and rattles itself against the passenger side gas tank well.
2. after driving the car home and parking it in the garage, the starter decided it was going to go on vacation and wouldn't spin. Hop in, press the clutch, turn the key, and all you hear is the fuel pump. I managed to give it some tender lovin with a hammer, and it works now. (I'll order a new one soon).
-So, that was the experience for me. It was definitelty worth it, and I'm sad I missed the 12 minute window for signing up again.
For what I could reccomend to others- Go for it! Novice class is indeed for novices. You will get a chance to get comfortable with your vehicle, learn it can do a little more, and have a blast doing it too! As a novice they show you a simple line to follow, and where to brake, so no need to worry about heel-toe shifting or trailbraking or stuff like that. I spent the entire track in fourth gear (though I should probably have gone to third for the rattlesnake).

 

that's awesome!!!
thanks for such an indepth description of your first track day,
its been awhile for some of us and its fun to relive it thru your enthusiastic thread

your rotors are fine, if anything they've picked up some pad material from overheating your street pads...
if it doesn't go away, i can loan you some track pads that will remove all that nasty stuff so you can return to your gentle street pads!
You're next pads might be street/track... such as Ferrodo, or HTP+

look for NTEC's
Don Herring MSR Day this fall....we are trying to work out the date at this time....
check out last year's experience
https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/no...-2010-msr.htmlpics begin about post 128

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/no...day-video.html

 

Thanks for the link and the head's up!
I'd love to be able to join if my schedule permits (and the car too).