T O P I C R E V I E W
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Blind
Member # 3052
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posted
Went to an event at the Fontana nascar track yesterday put on by speed ventures.
So much fun! I topped out around 135mph on the front straight and held 120mph through turns 1/2 of the nascar oval. Turn 3 absolutely destroyed my brakes, which took me down from ~120mph to ~45mph to enter the infield road course.
This was my first track day on my new NT01 tires (275/40/17 all around) and I just have to say they are incredible. I was pushing 100mph through the chicane on the right side of the infield, turns 7/8 iirc. I was able to catch up to all the cars that got by me on the oval in the infield. I was in the black / high-intermediate run group with point by passing anywhere. My ~300rwhp car felt under powered compared to the z06 vette's, porsche gt3's, lambo's, 2012 gt500, and ferarri f430 scuderia that were in my group, lol. But not many could hang through the infield
My gopro unfortunately is being used in a project for work so I didn't get any videos from the event
but here's how my front brake pads looked after my 3rd session -
pedal went to the floor before turn 3 on the oval, luckily there was a straight run off through some cones to continue on the oval. Not cool losing the brakes going 120!
My brakes had been yelling at me for 2 laps prior, I just wasn't listening, that corner I would have to brake pretty heavily and for 2 laps I got some bad pulsing through the pedal. I never boiled the fluid or anything, but these were my ford OE cobra pads and not my baer track pads, I didn't have a chance to swap them out before the event and they just melted away, all the material is on my front wheels now!
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SF Coupe
Member # 1810
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posted
I went there last year with NASA. It is definitely brutal on brakes and the engine. We were hitting about 150mph on the straight, usually bogged down to around 145mph in the turn. Turn 1-2 is WOT with aero. You can really feel the stress on the chassis and the aero pushing you into the track at that speed in a turn.
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Blind
Member # 3052
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posted
I coasted through most of the turn, even 120 was pretty crazy forces on the bank. I don't trust my stock wheel studs/wheel bearings/half shafts in the IRS with more force than that. I can't imagine what ~160-180 would be like in a nascar around that.
last time I forget to bring a spare set of brake pads though, I have 2 sets of track pads sitting here in my garage!
I bummed a set of pads with broken alignment clips from another mustang guy and that got me home, mostly using engine braking and my e-brake because the caliper floating around on the broken clips still left me with a pedal going to the floor. good times... [ January 16, 2012, 09:24 AM: Message edited by: Blind ]
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phil a
Member # 6951
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posted
Awesome
I'm about 25 mins from Fontana - how often do they have these types of events? I'd love to come out and take a look some time
I've been to the dragstrip and the auto-x course out there, I was really surprised to drive around that complex and see how big it really is
Phil
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Blind
Member # 3052
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posted
www.speedventures.com
they have another event there Feb. 25th, other groups run there also though, but I like speed ventures because it's very well organized and makes me feel safe.
I probably wont be doing this again for awhile, it's an hour and a half drive for me, I just had to get the ROVAL experience once I prefer big willow / streets of willow, they're cheaper track days too.
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Blind
Member # 3052
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posted
track photog took some pretty cool pics that I stole, thinking about buying a couple prints to hang on my wall at work
Getting passed by the F430 Scuderia on the front straight at ~135mph, I think he was going 145-150 at WOT, sounded so awesome next to my open window! [ January 17, 2012, 10:56 AM: Message edited by: Blind ]
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SydeWaySix
Member # 3596
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posted
Nice pics man! I'd love to try driving on a banked track like that. Seems fun
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