My track day at Pocono Raceway! (with pictures)
- Thread starter ZeusCGP
- Start date
Accumulator
Well-known member
tanha said:
If you can, do BeaveRun first, the learning curve is much easier and it would prepare you for M-O better than the other way around. BeaveRun is a great course to learn on but IMO M-O can be a lot to digest. BeaveRun is also a lot easier on your brakes so you'll know if an upgrade is called for without having to park it; M-O can cook inadequate brakes to the point that you'll have to retire early (gee, guess how I know
).Accumulator said:If you can, do BeaveRun first, the learning curve is much easier and it would prepare you for M-O better than the other way around. BeaveRun is a great course to learn on but IMO M-O can be a lot to digest. BeaveRun is also a lot easier on your brakes so you'll know if an upgrade is called for without having to park it; M-O can cook inadequate brakes to the point that you'll have to retire early (gee, guess how I know
Who do you usually run with? We run with NASA. You might even know one of us, it's a small world!
BRAKE UPDATE
I dont know what autocross'ing is like, but this road racing experience involved lots of very hard braking.
My friend Mike was awesome enough to do the 12" front rotor upgrade for me at his house today, Friday 28th. We ran into a problem of not being able to get the bolts out (not the pins). It took many hammer hits and sprays of PB Blaster to get them out. Mike noticed it look like the factory used Loctite on the bolts... but it wasnt Loctite. Turns out it was melted metal from the old brackets stuck in the threads! Mike used a wire brush to get them clean while I put new dust boots in the new brackets (get new dust boots, it's nearly impossible to get the old ones out of the old brackets).
So we bedded the brakes and then I drove home. Feels similar to the old brakes (before the road racing) but I'm going easy on them for the first 400 miles.
I dont know what autocross'ing is like, but this road racing experience involved lots of very hard braking.
My friend Mike was awesome enough to do the 12" front rotor upgrade for me at his house today, Friday 28th. We ran into a problem of not being able to get the bolts out (not the pins). It took many hammer hits and sprays of PB Blaster to get them out. Mike noticed it look like the factory used Loctite on the bolts... but it wasnt Loctite. Turns out it was melted metal from the old brackets stuck in the threads! Mike used a wire brush to get them clean while I put new dust boots in the new brackets (get new dust boots, it's nearly impossible to get the old ones out of the old brackets).
So we bedded the brakes and then I drove home. Feels similar to the old brakes (before the road racing) but I'm going easy on them for the first 400 miles.
Accumulator
Well-known member
ZeusCGP- Good move, upgrading your brakes :xyxthumbs That's gonna make a huge difference next time you track it with regard to fading. Glad to see you didn't put on drilled rotors, popular as they may be.
That was interesting, how trashed the OE stuff really was. Not Loctite indeed!
Tanha- I don't do much of any track stuff these days and most of my experience was at various driving schools; my wife and I were *serious* about learing this stuff back in the day but we never kept it up. I did BeaveRun (Security Driver's Course, quite the experience ) sorta recently, in Autumn '04, but Mid-Ohio was ages ago (mid-'90s) with the Mercedes Benz Club. The two courses were an interesting pair for you to mention as I drove big cars at both of them and could compare how they were on the cars' brakes. Oh, and M-O just *kills* your front left tire as I recall.
That was interesting, how trashed the OE stuff really was. Not Loctite indeed!
Tanha- I don't do much of any track stuff these days and most of my experience was at various driving schools; my wife and I were *serious* about learing this stuff back in the day but we never kept it up. I did BeaveRun (Security Driver's Course, quite the experience
) sorta recently, in Autumn '04, but Mid-Ohio was ages ago (mid-'90s) with the Mercedes Benz Club. The two courses were an interesting pair for you to mention as I drove big cars at both of them and could compare how they were on the cars' brakes. Oh, and M-O just *kills* your front left tire as I recall.Accumulator said:Tanha- I don't do much of any track stuff these days and most of my experience was at various driving schools; my wife and I were *serious* about learing this stuff back in the day but we never kept it up. I did BeaveRun (Security Driver's Course, quite the experience
Well, if you ever plan on heading to either track again, let me know! I don't know if you heard, M-O was just repaved in March, and all the concrete areas are gone. Might be a little less aggressive on the left front, but the layout's still the same - all those right hand turns!
Accumulator
Well-known member
tanha- Yeah, I really oughta get on the track more often...just not that appealing an idea with the cars I have now and it's hard to find time to get away. No, I hadn't heard about M-O being repaved. BeaveRun has asphalt down over a lot of the previously bare-dirt areas, that'll make it a lot more civilized, especially when it rains.
Getting to the track does take a lot of time, prepping the car, packing up, making the hour drive. I've never heard anyone say it wasn't worth it though. My biggest problem has been finding the parts I want in stock - now's a bad time of year to shop.
I think I heard BR has new management; hopefully they'll rescue the place from all their financial problems and poor planning.
My biggest problem has been finding the parts I want in stock - now's a bad time of year to shop.I think I heard BR has new management; hopefully they'll rescue the place from all their financial problems and poor planning.