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SE 2002 Track Day Sunday, May 26, 2002 List of Participants and Worker volunteers A day at the Talladega Gran Prix Raceway (TGPR) has become an integral part of the SE Meets. This year, Club MR2 is sponsoring the track day and will be coordinating the events taking place at TGPR. The number of cars participating is limited to 60, with a track fee of $85/car (max of 2 drivers/car who will have to split run time unless two entry fees are paid).
The Talladega Grand Prix Road course is a 1.35 mile road course located just north of Talladega AL. It was specifically designed with the motorcycle rider in mind, so it has only one concrete retaining wall (on the pit straight). Because of this, the track is excellent for those new to track events while still providing a challenge for track regulars. To participate in this event, you will need to address 2 things:
Car Prep Tech Inspection: We will be following the FCA (Ferrari Club of America) tech inspection sheet when it comes to car preparation. It can be found here: http://www.TradeTutor.com/tgpr/tech.htm Although there will be many cars participating, we will be conduct a quick tech inspection of every car going onto the track. We will be checking for tires (must be showing tread and have no visible cord), leaking fluids, loose items (your battery must be securely fastened), loose bearings and/or lug nuts, brake pedal and throttle engagement, and any loose or cut hoses. While our tech inspection will not be as thorough as the one on the FCA tech sheet, we ask that *ALL* of you print out the sheet, head out to your car and do a through inspection for yourself. If you are not mechanically inclined or don't know what to look for, ask a friend or a mechanic you trust to do it. Do it not for us, but for your safety. Although there is ample run-off room, no one wants to be in the passenger (or driver's) seat of a car with with no brakes, loose wheel, etc. Brakes: For those new to track events, by far the most talked about topic is brakes. TGPR has front and back straights where a well driven MR2 can exceed 90MPH (over 115MPH for heavily modified turbos) On the back straight you have to slow to around 50-60MPH; you will need to slow down to around 60-70mph at the end of front straight. This kind of speed reduction takes its toll on the brakes after a short while. Brakes are the most important system on the car when it comes to track days, and we highly recommend everyone think about their current system and figure out whether or not it will be adequate for what they are looking to do at the track. A well working braking system can be a joy on the track, allowing the driver to use the car to its fullest. A poorly operating braking system can make an otherwise enjoyable track day quite miserable. Sitting out laps while your brakes cool is not fun...spend the time and money needed to ensure you have adequate pads and fluid. Fluid: The one thing that we want *everyone* to do is bleed their brakes. Fresh fluid of any kind will more than likely be better than what is in your car right now, but we recommend going to your local Ford dealer and picking up a can or two of Ford's Heavy Duty brake fluid. This has been a racer's secret for years as this fluid has an unusually high boiling point (550F) for fluid coming from a large automotive manufacturer. There are other good brake fluids out there, but the Ford fluid has a high boiling point, is easy to find, and is cheap ($3-5 a can). Pads: Many people have run stock pads on the track, but with limitations. Although every car has different setups and will be wearing different tires, with fresh brake fluid your stock pads will most likely be the limiting factor on how many hard continuous laps you will be able to do. Some people have run stock pads with no ill effects, others have had good luck upgrading just the rear pads. Simply be aware that brakes are a major player in track time and will be the first thing to sideline most people. Heavy braking can create enough heat to boil water on your wheels, make sure the pads on your car are up to the task. Rotors: Make sure your rotors aren't warped. Warped rotors severely limit the stopping distance of a car, and will remove a lot of the enjoyment of a track day when you car violently vibrates coming to a corner. Tires: If you are not familiar with TGPR, it used to have a very abrasive track surface that gave good traction but ate tires pretty quickly. The track has since been paved, and it is much easier on tires while still giving good grip. You will not be able to run the track on tires that are showing cord. If you intend to run street tires, we suggest you fill the tires to *at least* 35 psi. While there is an air compressor at the track, there may be a long line if everyone has to use it. You will want to bring a tire gauge if you don't already carry one in your car. Gas: Fill up before coming to the track. Our otherwise efficient Mr2s get far worse mileage on the track. Turbos average around 4mpg and MKI NAs get 6-8mpg. Turbo or SC guys running on the ragged edge of detonation may want to take some precautions to keep from blowing up an engine as you will be at WOT quite a bit. We recommend a colder heat range plug for those with modified turbos and SCs. (NGK heat range 6 is stock for the SC and turbo, heat range 7 is one step colder) The rest of the car: Although we heavily stressed brakes and tires above, it is still important to have the rest of your car in good shape. Go over the tech inspection sheet and see if you can find anything that is out of the ordinary on your car that may cause problems on the track. You will need to have everything out of the car when on the track, so if you don't want to have to pack and unpack in the pits, plan to leave what you don't need at the hotel. Also, if you have made any special fuel mods, you may want to double check things to avoid a fire. There will be extinguishers at the track, but I believe they are the dry chemical type which can damage electrical components. Driver Prep Helmet: You will need a helmet to run on the track. It must have a Snell rating of M90 or higher. We are working on acquiring loaner helmets, but at this point you will either have to provide your own or borrow from one of the other drivers attending. If you purchase a helmet for the event, don't go cheap. A good helmet will cost at least $90, but it will serve you for many years. Driver Experience: We will be breaking up the drivers into groups of 6 based on driver experience and how fast their car is. More than likely we will run 25 min run sessions with a 5 minute change over between groups. Later in the day when some will stop driving, the groups may be combined. Even with 60 cars, there will be plenty of track time. Last year, we had 55 participants and most were tired by 2pm. Even die hard track junkies are weary of lapping before the day is over. *ATTENTION* if your plan on participating in the track event, send an e-mail to David Hawkins with the following information. We will add you to the list of participants below and place you in a run group once confirmation of your payment is received.
It is not required, but you may want to try an autocross before coming to the track. While there are differences between track driving and autocross, the adrenaline rush that some get while going flat out is quite similar. Although this rush is exciting, learning how to subdue this rush is what allows you to concentrate more on the task at hand and drive faster. Don't think that autocross or track time is needed to enjoy your time on the track, but it can help you mentally prepare for the experience. Mental Preparation: Don't get in over your head!! It is unfortunate to read of car club events where people wreck their cars by being over-zealous. In 4 IMOC track days held at TGPR, we have had only one serious mishap (not counting off-course excursions into the mud or mechanical failures) when a supercharged car stuffed into the water barrier in 2001. We have been injury free and would like to keep it that way. While track time is a good place to find your limits, approach them slowly and realize when you reach them. We will have several experience drivers on hand who would be happy to offer instruction or insight. We want every car driven to the track to be driven away from the track. Come out, have fun and be safe. Huge thanks to Steve Neese, who prepared this checklist for the 2001 SE track day. |
