Track day

[jdas03]

I am hopefully going to book in and finally take the s3 on a track day! the car is totally standard but i still think itll be great fun round the track.
I was wondering those who had tracked an s3 before, what preparations are worth doing? I was also wondering about tyre pressures and what they want to be set to on a track? Any other advice would also be welcome

 

[jojo]

Standard 17 or 18" wheels?, check oil levels, brake and power steering fluid levels, and coolant levels obviously, and remove everything you have in the boot you don't need. If you can leave your rear seats at home even better.

 

[jdas03]

18" wheels hopefully help handling a bit, what pressure you reckon for the track? how much difference will it make removing rear seats, could do it but seems alot of effort if it doesn't make much difference?

 

[S3KO4]

how much was it to go, does it include insurance! would you need a crash helmet! I would like to give it a go one day.

 

[voorhees]

Just take it easy and enjoy the rush

 

[jdas03]

I can't give the link as on my phone on here. But I'm doing one at brands hatch, novice day and its 139quid and then 10 quid helmet hire, but I'm sharing it with a mate to save money. I'm not getting insurance, its optional but I couldn't find any cheap enough to bother.
Ill take it slow and steady I think! Lol going back to tips, taking the back seats out and the spare wheel n kit, do you think it'll take some time off acceleration or top end? Also is the car built with that weight in mind? So taking seats etc out ruin the balance? Maybe being picky here but want to give it a good go

 

[voorhees]

Ill take it slow and steady I think! Lol going back to tips, taking the back seats out and the spare wheel n kit, do you think it'll take some time off acceleration or top end? Also is the car built with that weight in mind? So taking seats etc out ruin the balance? Maybe being picky here but want to give it a good go

Personally I wouldn't bother for precisely the same reasons but I have took my spare out before a trackday just for a tad lighter back end,bear in mind not one person on a trackday wants a crash BUT later in the day they get daring....what I found out anyway.

 

[jojo]

18" wheels hopefully help handling a bit, what pressure you reckon for the track? how much difference will it make removing rear seats, could do it but seems alot of effort if it doesn't make much difference?

I would try 32/33 up front and 35/36 rear, this will make the car more responsive on turn in, and a bit more tail happy, is you can actually get the back end out.

 

[jdas03]

Ok cheers ill give that a go. A friend of mine was saying I should go harder with tyre pressures due to higher speeds but ill try your suggestion of 32/36 that's where I have it now and feels good on the road. At novice days what kind of cars do you have generally? I can imagine now lots of chavs in done up 1.2 clios but can imagine I'm probably wrong with that lol

 

[emery1990]

wheres brand hatch, also how long is the day as i was thinking of going to thruxton but on their site it only said one hour with instructor. Bit confused on what a open pit lane is and a 3 group session.?

 

[voorhees]

open pit lane means open to all I believe and 3 groups are beginner intermediate advanced and Brands Hatch is by the M25 junction3 or M20 junction 1

 

[jojo]

Open pitlane means you have an open track which you go on and off as much as you like... with only the track marshalls controlling the numbers of cars on track.

Improtant things for beginners is to have a warm up lap before you start driving at 10/10ths and a cool down lap or two at the end of it to cool the car down, so a slow inlap as it were with no using brakes and off the racing line of other cars. Once you park up, keep the engine running and pop the bonnet to aid cooling, and DO NOT put you hand brake on. Switch car off in gear to stop it rolling away.

 

[jdas03]

Oh yer I heard handbrake stories from my dad who did a bit of tracking in his day, and first fatal error he made was putting the handbrake on and that was it car was jammed lol won't be making that mistake! I was wondering about petrol, the day at brands is 6 20min sessions throught the day, might take a few cans with me in case I run out though I have heard some places have pumps on site?

 

[emery1990]

Ok cheers for clearing that up. 6 sessions sounds like a good amount, normally theres petrol station near by so you can go off site and get it, but then might not be a vpower or other better fuel stations around.

 

[jdas03]

Thats good then, i was going to give it a full tank of v power before i go! What are peoples thoughts on track day insurance for a novice day? its pretty pricey, more than the trackday itself from what ive seen!

 

[voorhees]

I did a session today and just took it easy but still had plenty of 'parada steer' as it was still wet.........adrenaline had me buzzing,it was good.
seeing another S3 off the track (mechanical failure I think) was not good and also another S3 started making funny noises from the brakes when I went for a passenger ride in it...all 8L

 

[jojo]

My brakes was fine on the way home Jase, I think I glazed a patch onto the disks, as the pads seem to be falling apart. Time for new pads and some disk skimming methinks.