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My track day at TWS last weekend

2K views 14 replies 10 participants last post by  greer 
#1 · (Edited)
It was great fun and I have a whole new appreciation for what the Beast can do!

I went to the Driver's Edge event at Texas World Speedway last weekend. It was my first track time other than the M5 DE and it was truely awesome. There were about 100 cars there divided into 5 run groups according to experience. My group (green) was the novice group and was pretty busy. There were four sessions each day.

The first session was a basic familiarization with the track. Second session they allowed passing but most folks were so overwhelmed they didn't remember to check their mirrors, much less point anyone by.

By the third session some folks were starting to get up to speed and there was a bunch of passing and things got really busy. I started bringing my speed up and by the final laps, I was getting worried because I was still trying to memorize the track instead of just looking through the turns like I should have. I was also distracted by a squadron of Subaru WRXs that were just tearing it up! I let them go past me as soon as I could since they could really cook through the esses. About that point, the DSC had the brakes getting pretty heated up. I could smell the stink of the pads every time I tried to accelerate out of a turn. I was really glad I had put in the brake ducts and had fresh ATE Superblue on board! I never got brake fade the entire weekend.

While waiting for my next session, someone grenaded a supercharged C5 corvette at the end of the back stretch, leaving oil in one of the quicker turns on the course (7). They red-flagged the track and put down oil dry.

In the fourth session, everything started to come together. I gridded closer to the front so I wouldn't have to pass so many people. I shut off DSC since I decided it really couldn't save me if I screwed up big enough, and I had figured out that you need to power through the turn or the car just understeers like mad. Traffic cleared out the oil dry in turn 7 pretty early and by the end of the session I was back to full speed through it. I was starting to look through the corners better, and with the exception of the Subarus, very few people were quicker. I actually started seeing the corner workers since they are positioned inside the apex, where you need to be looking if you're going to get through the turn well. I was hitting the rev limiter in 3rd on the back stretch and 4th on the front! I was coming down off the banking at about 110, and braking to 80 before turning into turn 2. I think I actually entered slower after scrubbing off some speed, but I was too busy to look.

The next day was much cooler with constant cloud cover. The first session went pretty smoothly with everyone getting back into the groove.

Then it started to rain.

We pulled all our junk into the nearest garage and waited as other groups ran. They pulled us green folks into the class room for a talk about where to be especially careful - like turns 1 and 12 where if you go off, you will slide across the slick wet grass without scrubbing much speed and into some drain culverts. That would be Bad.

By the time we finished the talk, the rain had dried up and with a couple more run groups before us, the track had dried out nicely in time for the second session. This one went pretty well also. I [might have] lapped my wife who was running her Z3 2.8 :biggrin:

[EDIT: upon further review, I think she may have gridded ahead of me that run, so maybe I didn't lap her. Maybe we need some timing and scoring equipment, but perhaps its better not to know! As the Car Talk guys say: sometimes it's better to be happy than to be right.]

We broke for lunch and sure enough it started to rain again. We helped one of the Subarus bleed their brakes. Those WRXs have the tiniest rotors for how quick they are! At the start of the third session, the rain was steady enough that they had us run windows-up and use the turn signals instead of hand signals. I left the DSC on and felt some wiggles but never got sideways. There were 8 spins in our group. At least two were the Subarus :hihi:

For the final session, the instructors told us to take it a little easy since we'd be getting tired and you don't want your last memory of the weekend to be taking your car home on a trailer. I started out with DSC on, but the track dried out pretty well, and there was red Audi TT that I just couldn't catch because DSC wouldn't let me power out of the turn. By the time I did switch it off, I was down to just a couple laps left. I caught the TT, but didn't have enough time left to pass him. I took solace in the fact that he was still braking in some of the wrong spots.

Driving "fast" on the street is just not the same anymore. It's actually pretty boring and pointless. I do have an all-new hatred for people that don't let you pass hmmm

I need to score some more track time!

By the way, good to see you again Andy! Were you able to get some lap times with that timing equipment ? I wonder if there are some reasonably cheap data loggers I could tack onto an old laptop. I'd love to know how fast the turns are and what kind of G-loads the car is taking.
 
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#2 · (Edited)
Thanks for a great write up. Same for me, driving fast on the street is not as much fun. I have now been to the track a few times and it really is addictive. Did you notice you were a better driver when you were back on the street. It always surprises me the feeling of control I get after these events:byebye:
 
#3 ·
Welcome to the addiction!

Next step: Track wheels and tires! Once you have a few schools under your belt, the tires make a huge difference in cornering grip.

My next fix is in two weeks: 2 days on Sears Point, then the next two days on Laguna Seca! Wheeeeeeee!

Just picked up new Kumhos for the M6.
 
#4 ·
pmiranda,

Your summary is the best I've ever heard about a track weekend. Such a good write-up that I don't even need pictures to imagine it. Glad you had fun. And you're lucky to have a wife who likes wasting rubber as much as you do. Soon, the entire family can go down to the track in their respective cars for a family outing of high-speed fun. Do you have any kids? :)
 
#5 ·
Great play by play. I'm doing my first M5 track event in two weeks, and from your article it seems that I won't be able to just "take it easy" and conserve tires and brakes. Oh well. Another $1,500 down the drain.
 
#6 ·
Excellent writeup!Really nice!

all the best
adam
 
#7 ·
Paul,

Great seeing you again too! Glad you had some fun in the BEAST!

Yep, the Hot Lap Timer (http://www.ioportracing.com/hotlap.htm) worked really well. You position the track side reciever just to the inside of the concrete wall and when you come whizzing by on each lap, the in-car transmitter triggers it. It records and keeps in memory each lap with a time, so you can review it later when you finish your session. I managed a couple of personal best times of 2 minutes 5 seconds on Sunday morning before the rains came, which was only 5 seconds behind some really fast guys in Z06, Porsche TT, and a Viper. So, I feel pretty good about my driving and my car at this point.

The Cobra R was performing flawlessly as usual. I gain a deeper appreciation for this machine every time I take it on the track. The brakes, tires, and engine were all working very well this weekend.

Glad you had fun and stayed safe, and hope to see you again at another event soon. Would also be nice to see some additional M5 members at other events too.

By the way, I am headed to Iowa next week for the SVT Cobra Mustang Club National meet at MidAmerica Motorplex. Should be a blast!! A brand new track!! >>> www.midamericamotorplex.com

By the way, I hit 150+ on a couple of laps coming off the front straight and into turn one, hitting the transition around 135 or so... WHEW!!! What a rush!!! :) :D
 
#8 · (Edited)
AndyMenard said:
I hit 150+ on a couple of laps coming off the front straight and into turn one, hitting the transition around 135 or so... WHEW!!! What a rush!!! [/B]
:eek: :eek: :eek:
Wow, and I thought 120 was fast! Maybe when I get into a more advanced run group I'll need to get into 5th on the front straight to stay out of people's way, but for now, I'm happy to leave plenty of room for braking when I come off the banking!

My Pilots seem to have held up decently so far, but there is some "feathering" or something on the leading edge of the outside tread blocks. Maybe I should do a few laps backwards to even it out hiha

I'll have to check the brakes out, too, they don't quite feel "right" anymore. Maybe the rotors got a little glazed.

Maverick: our cars ARE our family. No kids, but half a dozen neices and nephews!

[EDIT: By the way, Andy, did you ever swap the motor in that -R like you mentioned at the summer hill country drive ?]
 
#9 ·
Pmiranda;
Great write-up! :cheers:
It describes very well the first (and only) track event I've been to. I've been just too busy to get into the fall events around here. VIR (Virginia International Raceway) books full months in advance.

Anyways, like you I ran a session or 2 with DSC on but shut it off to learn the car. We didn't have rain. You probably learned more about the car's handling because of the rain. My best moment was passing a Roushe supecharged Mustang. It was more because I had the better line through a sweeper and blew past him entering the straight. At the end of our 2nd day we were told to take it easy as well. However, I followed an instructor in a Porsche Boxter with R compound tires and pushed rather hard to keep up. I finally decided to save the tires and she (yes) ran away from me.

My brakes held out well but were a bit soft for a week or so. By the time I got the car in to have them checked, they were fine.

I agree that driving fast on the street now just doesn't have the same appeal. My latest trip through the mountains of NC is almost an exception to that, but is another story. As soon as I get some pics up, I'll post the details.
 
#10 ·
pmiranda said:


[EDIT: By the way, Andy, did you ever swap the motor in that -R like you mentioned at the summer hill country drive ?]
Paul,

Nope... not yet. I have put that on temporary hold while I get my new business cranked up. If all goes well and I have the funds, I plan on doing this next summer. Too hot to go to the track in the summertime anyway. :eek:

We are planning a normally aspirated high compression modular motor much the same as is inside the car now, but with higher compression pistons, some radical cams (custom ground from billet cores) and some custom long tube equal length headers. Should be good for about 500+ HP at the crank, with about 435 or so at the rear wheels. But more importantly, it will rock and roll in the low to mid RPM range with a noticable improvement in torque. Not that the current motor is a slouch mind you, but the cams in the engine now are somewhat mild, and the real fun does not begin till around 3000 or so RPMs.

Hey, did you get the email from Drivers Edge concerning upcoming events? I just got mine. Hope to see you soon at another event?!!
 
#11 ·
500 HP sounds about right :hihi: I'd love to build a dedicated track car, but I'm not sure if I have the time or money to do it right, and I definitely don't have the space! When we bought our house I was happy to have any garage at all, but now I'm not willing to leave either of our cars outside for any serious length of time to make room for a project car.

Got the email. I'm trying to decide if I want to do Motorsport Ranch to get a track fix before the next TWS event, which is now all the way out in March. It might be better to just run TWS until I get more consistency, since I understand MSR is a very different track and I might confuse myself.
 
#12 ·
pmiranda said:
500 HP sounds about right :hihi: I'd love to build a dedicated track car, but I'm not sure if I have the time or money to do it right, and I definitely don't have the space! When we bought our house I was happy to have any garage at all, but now I'm not willing to leave either of our cars outside for any serious length of time to make room for a project car.

Got the email. I'm trying to decide if I want to do Motorsport Ranch to get a track fix before the next TWS event, which is now all the way out in March. It might be better to just run TWS until I get more consistency, since I understand MSR is a very different track and I might confuse myself.
Paul,

TWS is a great track to learn on... it is not a dangerous track (not much to hit or get you in trouble) and it is not all that technical in nature. Although I have not yet been at MSR, I am told it is a whole different animal from TWS...very technical and an absolute ***** on the brakes!!! I agree that you probably want to do a couple more track events at TWS before branching out to other more technical tracks. It will make you feel more comfortable with the speeds and with the other cars around you going faster. That can be and is somewhat intimidating when you first start out. I am just now getting over that after a whole year of many track events. I am also getting alot more comfortable with the higher speeds into and out of the turns now. And of course, it doesn't hurt that I have tremendous (Brembo) brakes on my car which help raise the confidence levels.

Let me know what you decide on upcoming TDE events. I plan on making as many as my schedule permits. I never pass up a track event if I can help it. mmmmmm
 
#13 ·
Paul and Andy,

I wish that I had met you at the event last weekend. I was driving the dark blue Porsche 996TT in the red group. I actually was standing by Paul's M5 for a while on Sunday talking to the other M5 (Black) that was parked close to your LeMans Blue car. I was actually parked close to both of the Mustang Cobra R's that were there, so Andy's must have been one of them. Next time I will make a point to introduce myself, as I try to go to as many Drivers Edge events as I can find time for.

I got to try out the Michelin Super Cup tires this weekend and I must say that I'm impressed. I unfortunately was unable to time my laps, but I gained several seconds a lap on a friend of mine driving the blue Z06 compared to our last event when we were very even. They even worked well in rain. How did the M5 do on the wet track? I would like to take my M5 out sometime for an event, although I believe the brake duct mod will need to be performed first.

Paul Fanning
Tyler, TX

2002 Lemans Blue/Caramel
2002 Porsche 996 TT Lapis Blue/Natural Brown Leather
 
#14 ·
Unfortunately I was in th green group and spent a bunch of time in the classroom or at the slalom instead of talking and shooting pictures. I should have more free time at the next event. I'm planning on going to the March one, hope to see you there!

I thought the M5 did pretty well in the rain, but I wasn't pushing. I don't know if I ever will push the M5 in the rain. Assuming my wife and I are both employed for the next year, we may buy an older 3 series just for the track. I don't really want to push the limits hard in my car, and she doesn't want to do surgery to her Z3 to put in a proper roll bar.
 
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