Hello all,

Going to KH on Tuesday night with the 2003 WRX (standard brakes and suspension at present).

Any tips for driving this car on track?!?



Brian.

 

Get someone to sit with you 1st time out and show you the lines.

Warm the car up over 1-2 laps.

Keep on top of what your brakes are doing. If you've never experienced proper brake fade, going into duffus is not the place to find out. Always do a test brake about 50-80yards BEFORE the brake boards. I would say that you'll get 4-5 hot laps before you start to get scared

Always do a cool down lap. Try and coast around and not touch the brakes, obvioulsy staying out the way of the folk on their quick laps.

Make sure you have a full tank of optimax as you'll probably need to refuel at least once.

Apart from all that,.... enjoy it as you'll soon get the bug

 

Thanks for that John. ALL good advice.

I will take it easy in the first few laps to get the lines and also heat the car up. Brakes have some life left in them yet so the track should be a good way to finish them off before I buy better pads. Cooldown lap for the brakes and car too!

I will be coming straight from work in Edinburger so will fill up there, then sit in congestion for 30 minutes no doubt!!!!

Hopefully the car will be fine - could do with not gubbing it!?!?

 

Yup stay away from anything more solid and imovable than you........they are walls
All advise by John is good, aint driven on track before myself but I would add .... no matter what everyone else is doing go at your own pace. Build up your pace , dont try and beat KH lap record on yer first lap, and enjoy neebs...Im jelous
Spooks

 

Todays top tip.......

If in doubt..drive flat out....

Seriously though, if you follow what John says, you cant go wrong Brian.
Good luck !

 

Brian, ditto what John said.
Also use your first 2/3 sessions to gradually learn the track, KH has some strange corners in it that take some getting used to, as John said watch out for the dreaded brake fade into Duffus and the hairpin.
Don't try and race somebody until you feel confident, you'll be amazed at how quick an experienced KH driver can put a relatively standard and possibly slower car than yours round the track.
Most of all have fun...

John.

 

Thanks John.

I can totally appreciate the bit about lesser car/better driver. So many people speak of the performance of the car but I totally believe the driver has a lot more to do with it. Maybe in a straight line but a good driver in a 200BHP car versus a poor driver in a 300BHP car is an obvious one?!?



Soon find out what category I am in

Brian.

 

Standard Scoob brakes are absolute mince for track driving I'm afraid and will fade very badly after a few spirited laps.Unfortunately the straights at knockhill are not long and offer little time for the air to cool them. This is not,however,as terrible as it may sound and can be managed by breaking earlier and more progressively into the heavy braking areas of duffus and the hairpin. A big issue at KH is when you are down to about a 3rd of a tank of fuel you can experience fuel surge at the hairpin when,due to the cornering forces,the lack of fuel can result in a momentary shortage in uptake and the engine can cut for an instant before picking back up again.I would advise that you fill the tank to the brim as close as poss to KH (Kincardine Bridge) to avoid this.

Do a slow run down lap before you come in to let things cool down then let it idle for another 2 mins or so in the pits to let the oil cool down to. Do not park with your handbrake on as the pads will be roasting hot and can warp your disks if you do,so get some chocs or park in gear and leave your handbrake off.

Use your mirrors and watch the wee guys with the flags and you will have a fooking blast.

 

Cheers for that Judge. Good advice.

The brakes will hopefully be OK as I will be taking it easy anyway - it is an 03 WRX.

Brian.

 

Forgot about this one. Always catches me out. Usually powering out of the hairpin in 2nd...grab third and....wait......wait.......**** back to second, thinking WTF's wrong with my car... First time it happens you think that you've really gubbed it.

 

My advice would be to not brake whilst turning in.........Maybe obvious but it's the easiest way to get out of shape .......Weight distribution is the key component to the cars behaviour. The corner after Duffus Dip us a strange one......

Oh and stay of the painted "kerbs" when it's wet :- guaranteed to get the tail oot unexpectedly this way.........Look in yer mirrors all the time and watch oot for the Elises as the think they own the track . Also start saving for the SIDC day as you'll do this session and be champin' at the bit. Take a camcrder too if you have one

have fun

Cal

 

Cheers Cal,

 

Stupid question, but is the handbrake such a big problem?

The rear pads will be very hot, but my understanding was that the handbrake doesn't use the rear pads - it uses the brakes shoes inside the rear disc. I suppose if the rear discs are hot, then you could get some binding on these.

I certainly wouldn't leave your foot on the brake in the pit lane as you're likely to leave a horrid pad imprint on the disc.

Stefan

 

Oh and for God's sake, don't let The_Gza in on a pax lap

 

Thanks ozzy - advice taken - especially the second bit!!

 

Any more tips?!?

 

make sure when putting your helmet on the visor is to the front

Seriously - all the best , I look forward to hearing about it at the West Lothian get together

Keith

 

Who's all going up tomorrow then ?
I may go up and take a few pics if the weather is decent.

 

I might travel up for a look and a chat.

Brian, was the trackday insurance expensive or difficult to get?

Stefan

 

Trackday Insurance Whit's That???

Most Companies who cover trackdays charge around £200 for £15000 of damage and an XS of no less that £2500. Is it really worth it?? Using some track sense, staying out the way of the nuttas, will you get more damage than £2500 worth, to cause a claim? If you are going do it, do it right, then the additional monies of £12500 may not be enough

IMHO cover is not worth it. Also focuses the mind.....glasshoppa'

 

Hmm .......

One of the lads put his new SP1 into the gravel last Saturday, so no insurance doesn't sit too well in my head right now. Wasn't his fault either which makes it even more sickening.

Stefan

 

Stefan, it's like everything mate. Everyone sees it differently. Personally I think it is another rip off created in the wake of the ned-nugget era' Every trackday is catagorised as a battlefield similar to that of the demolition derby at the end of the banger races.

Most likely if you dent, ding, prang your car it will be under £2500...in MOST cases, so it's a calculated risk. If you do the job proper and roll it, or do damage similar to those posted by Zeolite will £12500 be near enough on a car valued upwards of £20000 to replace a twisted WRX.

It's all a con mate.....up in their Ivory towers, the bar'stewards