First time taking my S out to Sears Point
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 15,082
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville, TN
I took my S to Sears Point last Sunday. I decided at the last minute to get some high performance brake pads. I started a thread Saturday in hopes of locating some pads. I went down to the track and had no luck there. I got a hold of matt about 8:30 pm and made arangements to pick them up. I drove from Sonoma to Alemeda and got there about 10:00 pm. Got back to the pad about 11:15 and installed the pads. After cleaning up, I took her for a spin. The pads seemed to work when cold but when they got hot, I was kind of weary. After heating up and cooling down the pads for 15 miles, I rolled back to my crib. It's now about 2:00 am. I change the oil then take a shower and get cleaned up.
I go out to bed the pads in some more. I heat them up (a couple of 60-80 mph short stabs) then let them cool down for a while and repeated this process. Again I was kind of weary about these pads. after letting them cool off for a while i decide to do one final bedding process at high speed. I got up to about 112 mph and then mashed on the pedal. They seemed to work ok. I got up to about 105-110 and did the same thing. This time it was differen't. Sparks were flying everywhere from the front wheels, I was like what the f__k. So I chill out thinking it was normal and let them cool back down. I thresheld braked one more time at about 80-85 mph and they were fine (no sparks).
I rolled back up to my apartment and when I looked at my brakes they were fine. Now it's 4:00 in the morning, daaaaayuuuuum. I set my alarm clock and crashed. The next morning I woke up at 7:35, my alarm didn't go off. I set it for 6:30 pm instead of 6:30 am (like a dumbass). I brushed my teeth and combed my hair and I bounced like a rubber ball.
I rolled up to the track at 8:05 am (just in time for the drivers meeting) and got my transponder. The first session was just a feeler. I shaved off a little over 4 seconds on the 2nd session. I wound up bleeding the brakes after both sessions. By the third session the brakes were finally starting to work in such a way that I began to trust them more. I shaved off 1/10 of a second on my third session
The brakes still were not what I had hoped for, so at lunch I bought some ATE gold from Rylan and flushed as much as I could through all four wheels. I probably didn't get the new ATE all the way to the calipers but I did the best I could with the time on hand. Nevertheless, it was a lot better than before.
the next session was the forth session. I felt really comfortable in the car. The pads seemed to work consistantly and after bleeding the brakes 3-4 times and tweeking tire pressures about 4 times I felt the car was as good as it was gonna get and really didn't feel like tweeking it any more. I shaved off one more second after the forth session.
While preparing my car for the 5th session, A girl approached me and asked if she could ride with me and I said ok. Out on the track, I tried to be as smooth as possible. Keep in mind this person who doesn't know me very well (we chatted for a short while before going onto the track) is trusting her life with me. I was able to concentrate on being smooth, then I started to push just a little harder. I averaged a lap of 77.48 mph on the 2.7 mile Sears point Raceway, a little bit slower than the previous session by myself. We were close to the end of the session when we were coming out of turn 12 and the engine started to sputter. By the time we were 1/2 way through turn one, the engine was completly off. At the top of the hill, it started back up, then sputtered a couple of more time through 3 and 3a. After we passed the crest of the hill after 3a, the engine stayed running ALL the way around the racetrack (at low speed). I had to point everybody by me. I even used 6th gear once, primarly using 4th and 5th gears to limp her to the pumps.
She (Amy) didn't mind us running out of gas, she was a pretty cool chic (just gave us a chance to chat some more). We rolled back to the paddock area and I dropped her off. I think she really enjoyed the experience out on the racetrack.
After that last (5th) session, I made NO adjustments to the car with the exception of retorqueing the lug nuts. I went back out after 20 minutes and stayed out for a whole hour (3 sessions worth). The brakes seemed to work as good as they were going to get so I pushed as hard as I could. This resulted in me approaching turn 10 at 114 mph. I really had to have faith in my S and primarily my tires to go as fast as I could through turn 9 to get a good run approaching turn 10. I was mashing on my brake pedal as hard as I could. If you go into 10 in a stock S with street tires at above 100 mph, you can pretty much kiss yer car goobye. I think I entered 10 at about 65-70 mph, I'm not sure.
My top speeds were faster than they had been all day but my lap times were not any faster. I think I was so consumed getting my car slowed down that I was a little rough entering the corners (and a little to fast) which caused my exit speed to drop a little bit and ultimitly raising my lap times.
I didn't get a print out of my last 20 minute session and the times have not yet been posted online but I ran my fastest lap on the 4th session at 2:02.912 at 79.665 mph. Hopefully the last time sheet will show a faster lap time.
Anyway, I had a blast. I ran about 175 miles throughout the day. I could have ran another 200 miles easily but oh well. The main thing is that I drove my car home in one piece. Any day that you can drive your car home from a race track in one piece is a GOOD DAY!!
I go out to bed the pads in some more. I heat them up (a couple of 60-80 mph short stabs) then let them cool down for a while and repeated this process. Again I was kind of weary about these pads. after letting them cool off for a while i decide to do one final bedding process at high speed. I got up to about 112 mph and then mashed on the pedal. They seemed to work ok. I got up to about 105-110 and did the same thing. This time it was differen't. Sparks were flying everywhere from the front wheels, I was like what the f__k. So I chill out thinking it was normal and let them cool back down. I thresheld braked one more time at about 80-85 mph and they were fine (no sparks).
I rolled back up to my apartment and when I looked at my brakes they were fine. Now it's 4:00 in the morning, daaaaayuuuuum. I set my alarm clock and crashed. The next morning I woke up at 7:35, my alarm didn't go off. I set it for 6:30 pm instead of 6:30 am (like a dumbass). I brushed my teeth and combed my hair and I bounced like a rubber ball.
I rolled up to the track at 8:05 am (just in time for the drivers meeting) and got my transponder. The first session was just a feeler. I shaved off a little over 4 seconds on the 2nd session. I wound up bleeding the brakes after both sessions. By the third session the brakes were finally starting to work in such a way that I began to trust them more. I shaved off 1/10 of a second on my third session
The brakes still were not what I had hoped for, so at lunch I bought some ATE gold from Rylan and flushed as much as I could through all four wheels. I probably didn't get the new ATE all the way to the calipers but I did the best I could with the time on hand. Nevertheless, it was a lot better than before.
the next session was the forth session. I felt really comfortable in the car. The pads seemed to work consistantly and after bleeding the brakes 3-4 times and tweeking tire pressures about 4 times I felt the car was as good as it was gonna get and really didn't feel like tweeking it any more. I shaved off one more second after the forth session.
While preparing my car for the 5th session, A girl approached me and asked if she could ride with me and I said ok. Out on the track, I tried to be as smooth as possible. Keep in mind this person who doesn't know me very well (we chatted for a short while before going onto the track) is trusting her life with me. I was able to concentrate on being smooth, then I started to push just a little harder. I averaged a lap of 77.48 mph on the 2.7 mile Sears point Raceway, a little bit slower than the previous session by myself. We were close to the end of the session when we were coming out of turn 12 and the engine started to sputter. By the time we were 1/2 way through turn one, the engine was completly off. At the top of the hill, it started back up, then sputtered a couple of more time through 3 and 3a. After we passed the crest of the hill after 3a, the engine stayed running ALL the way around the racetrack (at low speed). I had to point everybody by me. I even used 6th gear once, primarly using 4th and 5th gears to limp her to the pumps.
She (Amy) didn't mind us running out of gas, she was a pretty cool chic (just gave us a chance to chat some more). We rolled back to the paddock area and I dropped her off. I think she really enjoyed the experience out on the racetrack.
After that last (5th) session, I made NO adjustments to the car with the exception of retorqueing the lug nuts. I went back out after 20 minutes and stayed out for a whole hour (3 sessions worth). The brakes seemed to work as good as they were going to get so I pushed as hard as I could. This resulted in me approaching turn 10 at 114 mph. I really had to have faith in my S and primarily my tires to go as fast as I could through turn 9 to get a good run approaching turn 10. I was mashing on my brake pedal as hard as I could. If you go into 10 in a stock S with street tires at above 100 mph, you can pretty much kiss yer car goobye. I think I entered 10 at about 65-70 mph, I'm not sure.
My top speeds were faster than they had been all day but my lap times were not any faster. I think I was so consumed getting my car slowed down that I was a little rough entering the corners (and a little to fast) which caused my exit speed to drop a little bit and ultimitly raising my lap times.
I didn't get a print out of my last 20 minute session and the times have not yet been posted online but I ran my fastest lap on the 4th session at 2:02.912 at 79.665 mph. Hopefully the last time sheet will show a faster lap time.
Anyway, I had a blast. I ran about 175 miles throughout the day. I could have ran another 200 miles easily but oh well. The main thing is that I drove my car home in one piece. Any day that you can drive your car home from a race track in one piece is a GOOD DAY!!
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 15,082
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville, TN
Originally posted by Fyrestrike
Great read, do you have speedbleeders?
Great read, do you have speedbleeders?
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 348
Likes: 0
She (Amy) didn't mind us running out of gas
hey tony... i would love to take my car out sometime just to get the feel of it. any recommendations on classes / track time at sears point that would let me mess around with my S?
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 15,082
Likes: 0
From: Knoxville, TN
NASA will be at Sears on May 23rd. The event is strictly a HPDE (high performance driving event). The HPDE is primarly for streetcars (depending what group your in) on an open track basis. A HPDE is NOT a race but open for the purpose of lapping.
Instructors are available if you want one and I could lend a hand with bleeding brakes, setting tire pressures, making sure the car is safe to go on the track. I also am very familiar with the track layout.
If you are interested, let me know.
Lates
Tony
Instructors are available if you want one and I could lend a hand with bleeding brakes, setting tire pressures, making sure the car is safe to go on the track. I also am very familiar with the track layout.
If you are interested, let me know.
Lates
Tony
Trending Topics
Registered User
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 348
Likes: 0
just playin dong... btw, what r u doing searching for your name? hmmm, i never thought of doing that 
whats the word on them springz
RACER - i am interested in a beginner level instruction of/with my S... anyone ever here of an S specific class?
whats the word on them springzRACER - i am interested in a beginner level instruction of/with my S... anyone ever here of an S specific class?
