So, I had the opportunity to spend the weekend with the NJC BMW CCA at Summit Point, Shenandoah Circuit for there annual Driver School. Had an absolutely awesome time. The main focus here is on-topic, but I might get a little off, so I decided to group it all together. Let me start with a couple points:

1. This was my first ever event. I've been wanting to do track stuff for years dating back to my 2000 NE, but got shipped overseas, doin' work. Finally got back last year, bought my 197, did everything I wanted to it, and finally got her out there.

2. Shenandoah is so technical. I'm glad I started there. I firmly believe that by starting off anything hard, everything else is easier. I couldn't think of a better track to learn how to "drive" my car.

3. Is it just me, or is it pretty friggin cool to run on the track with a wide array of vehicles? My run group had M3's, 335i's, a 135i, a Z4, an 89 Carerra, a GTI, an STI, a Spec Miata (one of the instructors), and even a Charger SRT-8 of all things. The drivers in my group had a big variety of skill levels, too. Some were like me with zilch xp. A few of the guys had a pretty sizeable amount of auto-x experience. Some others had run Shenandoah multiple times. A true melting pot, I guess.

4. I was the "Token" mustang at the track. 0 others. Hardly anyone would even talk to me until the second day of the event. Good thing a knew a few of the guys out there.

Quick note: Mods in sig, but spent almost the entire weekend at 2/3 front/rear on my Tokicos, for those who wanted to know.

First session, nervous. I'm staging and my instructor jumps in the car. Didn't do a meet-and-greet ahead of time. During the first session, my instructor - who is an M3 guy - says before we talk about my setup, "I can tell this isn't the stock suspension. She handles VERY well." I smiled. This is an M3 guy saying this. I tell him what I'm running, including my all-seasons. He says all-seasons are ok for my first time out, and at lower run groups, but I'll want to get track tires if I plan on moving up to higher groups.

I was having a pretty hard time navigating the "esses" and the turns (the Loop, Hook and Corkscrew) in 3rd gear because I was afraid of swinging my *** end. I didn't even dare touch second. Needless to say, I spent most of my first day in 4th trying to get used to the track, my lines, the apexes, and getting passed by everyone.

My instructor said that my car is not going to beat many of the cars through the corners (and right now that's more of a result of "me" than my car), so I needed to learn how to harness my cars' power on the straights. But in order to do that, my car had to come out of a turn early and as straight as possible. Needed some oversteer in the turns to straighten out early to get on it. This was a challenge because I was "afraid" of cranking on the wheel in sharp turns like the Corkscrew.

By the end of the first day, I ran off the track once and got blackflagged, missed the pit, wore down my stock pads some (yup, I said stock....on purpose, bear with me here), and rolled my right ankle running from the head back to my car for staging.

To the pads. I brought with me my Hawk HP plus pads with the full intention of changing them out once I got there. No chance. The NJC runs a very tight event, so I didn't get any time to change them out. My fault and I can own up to it, because I could've changed them out the day before. It's not too smart to learn how to "drive" my 500whp/420wtq car at an intensive track like Shenandoah without stopping power. However, I made a concious decision to keep the stock pads for the second day because I was too lazy and didn't want to change them out in the rain Sunday morning. Should have done it anyway, but what's done is done.

However, I spent the second day working with what I had, which were some fading brakes. I learned how to hit the "esses" with no brakes, lifting instead. Learning techniques like throttle steering helped, too. As I approached turns, I was braking hard and sharp instead of braking a little earlier. I sacrificed some speed at the tail-end of a couple of the straights, but it's ok. I was learning the entire time. Also, my tires finally started talking to me. Most of the time they were saying good things.

My instructor started challenging me. He had me riding the passing lines around the turns for a few laps until I got used to them. Then he told me to keep up with one of the M3's and then the Carerra. he even wanted me to take both of them on the straights, but I didn't push it because of my braking situation. My car did awesome, I was able to hang through most of the turns, catching up on the straights. He told me to back off them eventually because they started paying too much attention to me instead of driving their own car.

I feel like my car handled really well. I was truly impressed. I was periodically in my instructor's ear asking how he felt my car was behaving. He would say things like "awesome" and "excellent". I would pry for more info, and he would comment on things like the lack of body-roll through the "esses", and it's ability to oversteer well around turns.

One last tidbit here: when I left Summit Point to make the 1.5 hour trip back to NOVA/DC, my right-front started clunking. Metal-on-metal clunking that was consistent anytime I hit a bump at/under 55-ish....but goes away at higher speeds. Dropping it off at the shop today, but I just hope that it's something that came loose instead of something more serious like a broken joint or motor mount.

Other than that, from 2 days ago on, I will live by this mantra until I am done on this earth: BRAKES. Tracking? BRAKES. Been doing this for a while? BRAKES. Lots of power? Brakes, brakes and more brakes. I probably would have done a LOT better had I the correct pads instead of stock. Before I hit FATT next month, I'm gonna make sure I get my Hawks on there.

Open to comments and suggestions. I had a truly awesome experience, and man....I'm hooked. I want to go back as soon as she's ready to rock out, again.

Thanks for looking!

 

Sounds like another one has been bitten by the bug. Welcome to the group.

For brakes in addition to the pads you should think about upgrading your fluid to DOT4 as is has a higher boiling point. Motul or ATE seem to be the most popular. Doing a quick search in this forum on Motul turned up these two recent threads but there are lots more;

https://mustangforums.com/forum/s197...ake-fluid.html

https://mustangforums.com/forum/s197...lk-brakes.html

Both threads contain lots of useful information.

 

Hey man, thanks.

Actually, that is one thing I managed to do before I left was flush my brake fluid and replace with BG DOT4. That might have been what saved my weekend.

 

Sounds like you had a great time. I almost went to that event but didn't get my new AP Racing brakes installed in time. NJ BMW runs a pretty good event. Sign up for the trackDaze event in October (TrackDaze.com), I'll be there.

Regarding brakes: you think Shenandoah is hard on brakes...just wait! Try summit main. With your power you will be hitting about 140-145 on the front straight and then braking hard to about 50 for turn 1. It just cooks the brakes. Brake cooling and track pads mandatory.

What section of the track are the "esses" you are referring to? I've driven Shenandoah many times but don't recalling hearing that term before. Is that coming out of the concrete bowl then heading uphill towards the corkscrew?

 

Glad to hear you had a great time out there. Makes you want more after. If your looking for a better set of brake pads, I have ht-10s and dtc-70s for the front that i need to sell/get rid of. Let me know if your interested.

 

TrackDaze is a good idea, thanks! Believe it or not, Summit Point Main is the next track I want to tackle. Will my Hawk HP Plus pads be good enough to handle the prolonged braking from 140-to-50?...or even 110-120-to-50?...should I get a set of slotted rotors, too? I'm not ready to step up to a big brake kit, yet. Wife has been shaking her fists at me recently regarding the dolares I've pumped into my car. I've seen slotted rotors for $75-$90 a piece, so I was thinking about going that route vice spending 3k-4k+ for a big brake kit.

Regarding the "esses", they are actually called the "cave esses". At the event, they closed off the sharp right turn at the end of the tiny straight coming out of the Loop (the Loop is at the end of the back-straight...after Big Bend). Lol, actually, the Loop is where I went off the track. Anyway, instead, they opened up the "Pit Straight", which is on the other side of the jersey barriers (staging lane). The "esses" are after the right turn coming out of the "Pit Straight". The "esses" lead right into the Pistol Grip. That's where I learned lifting.

Lifting, throttle steering and feathering the throttle in turns all made my day, believe it or not. I couldn't believe how well she would turn without me actually cranking on the wheel on the loopy turns.

OH, they also coined another set of "esses" coming out of the Carousel going up the hill. At the end of those is where I learned that my car can take some pretty good cranking on the steering wheel to line her up straight for the Big Bend.

Anyway, I have to work out this clunking issue in the right-front before I do anything, though. Looks like TrackDaze might be my next event...as long as my wife stops shaking her fists at me.

 

Don't do summit main with HP+, you'll cook them for sure unless you really baby it. With street tires Hawk HT-10 would be a good choice in the front. HP+ in rear. CarbotTech XP8 would also be a good choice in the front. Slotted rotors will make no difference in braking, stick with your OEM rotors.

That is an unusual configuration (using the PIT straight), I've only ever done it once.

Anytime you get the *** end light and lift in a turn the rear is going to come around - that can be a good thing (as you found out in the Pistol Grip) or it can be a very bad thing...LOL.

When you say your next event might be Summit Main...what event are you talking about?

Brad

 

No HP+'s on Summit Main, check.

When I was saying Summit Main, I was just saying that I would love to do it next. Everybody I talked to at the NJC event (after they actually acknowledged my existence lol) repeatedly said that cars like mine (high hp, heavier, rear-drive) dominate at the main course. It's a good place to unload the speed, etc.

Actually, I'm pretty excited that there is another Shenandoah event coming up so soon while the things I learned this last weekend are still retained upstairs. I checked the current roster for the Track Daze event...no Mustangs.

If the wife signs off on the Track Daze event, I think I really want to work on braking (because I really didn't have an opportunity this last time out), banging the corners to straighten out as early as possible, and the best gear in the right situation (especially coming out of turns) to best harness my car's strong points (power, drag racing down the straights).

How come you don't recommend a new set of rotors?...aren't the slots supposed to help in releasing heat?

 

Washington DC region of the SCCA is having a PDX event at Summit Main on Sept 25-26, I'm thinking about doing Sat only. Link to Event Page

Shenandoah is comparatively easy on brakes. But its much more technical, more like a roller coaster. I liken it to a giant autocross rather than a road racing track. Nobody I'm aware of even does club racing on it, only time trials. Main is indeed a better track for a car like the Mustang.

I haven't signed up yet but am 90% sure I will be at that TrackDaze event. If you are there I can give you a ride in the advanced group where they allow open passing, even in the corners (with a point by of course).

If slots help release heat its very minor. Historically their main purpose was to allow "outgassing" of the brake pads. Today's brake pad compounds have come a long way and no longer require that. Today the main use of slots on rotors is - they add slightly more abrasion, i.e. higher friction and they better scrub off water and debris in bad weather. The reason I say stick with OEM rotors is purely cost. The OEM rotors are a decent rotor (in spite of what many internet cowboys will tell you). Cheap slotted rotors are Chinease crap and you will quickly crack them. Good slotted rotors like Brembos, PFC, Coleman, AP Racing, etc cost an arm and a leg but really hold up well.

Oh, by the way - you won't have any of that BMW snobbery at the Track Daze event. Typically they have a wide variety of cars and good feeling of camaraderie. I swear - the Porsche guys are more hospitable than the BMW clubs.

 

PM'd!!