I just completed my first track event, a 2-day HPDE. It was a total blast, more than I expected in every way. The car performed very well, as I got faster each lap. My car is 100% stock. I burned through 2 tanks of gas and got somewhere around 10MPG. I probably had near 70 laps. The power above 6000RPM was very available and useful. I only felt the power lacking during track entrance in 1st gear. Once it was boiling I could usually keep it 5000+ fairly easily. It worked out great because I had a lot of 3rd gear exits at about 6000RPM that would rise to 9000 right at the next braking point. I probably used 50% of my tire life. The S02s did very well in the dry, but not very well in the wet.

I got a black flag on my last lap though, corner workers spotted some black/gray smoke as I shifted. People behind me said it was enough smoke that they thought something blew. I didn't see any of it behind me. Car never missed or stuttered, no oil loss, temps normal, runs perfect, no problems. The only issue is that I was VERY low on fuel. It showed 1 bar of fuel but the light had been on for a while. I actually ran it out of gas on the way home, so I had about 1 real gallon in the tank when I got the flag. Would fuel starvation cause black smoke like that? Did I hurt something? What else could it be?

Brakes - the track had 2 aggresive brake zones, but other than that it wasn't real rough on the brakes. My stock pads and fluid seemed to do just fine, although they did better after they warmed up a bit. But on the way home I now feel like they don't grab as much somehow. The pedal is not soft, but the brakes just don't feel like they are biting like they used to. Pads are still 50%+. Brakes never mushed on the track, I don't think I got near boiling the fluid. Can the pads be glazed somehow? Will this improve with normal street use or are the pads toast? Are my perceptions screwed up?

Thanks for any advice!

 

I've experienced blowing a huge plume of blue/gray (oil) smoke on the track. It happens after a long left-hand sweeper followed by hard braking and a tight right-hander. The smoke happens when getting back on the throttle for the right-hander. If you do a search on 'catch can', you will find several threads that explain the cause. I have installed a catch can, but haven't been back to the track to test its effectiveness.

 

The smoke is normal in hard right hand turns and can be cured with the proper installation of a catch can.

Improved braking can be acheived with higher performance pads (e.g. Cobalt Friction GT-Sport) and high perfromance brake fluid combined with a nice flush and bleed.

Sounds like you're addicted, welcome to the Go-Fast Crackpipe .

 

I have observed enough cars with and without the smoking problem to suspect that it has to do with the effectiveness of rev matching on downshift. It appears to me that those that miss a heel/toe or don't normally do it can create the high vacuum condition that can produce the plume of smoke under certain conditions. This is also the reason that there is such a variation in how much oil winds up in a catch can.. some driving styles create more vacuum when oil is available to the PVC than others.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by 6sigma Brakes - the track had 2 aggresive brake zones, but other than that it wasn't real rough on the brakes.

 

Thanks for the info, I wondered if maybe it was the 'catch can' issue. I'm not up to speed on that issue yet, but will research it. I had the smoke after a long high-speed left turn, then a quick right, on one of my fastest laps. I'll probably swap brake pads for some decent street/track models. I'm glad to know I didn't break anything.

I think I am hooked, it was a total blast. I saw how much I need to improve as a driver. There were some very fast laps by lower powered cars.