[Apologies for the extreme length of this, didn't start out planning to write War and Peace]

Father's Day this year was a family outing to a track day. Actually I signed up for track day before I realized it was Father's Day and then turned it into an epic save by 'suggesting' that for my gift this year I wanted a 'family outing' that umm happened to include everyone piling in the second car, driving for 3 hours and sitting around watching me track the Vantage.

I know this is old hat for many of you (and that a number of you have actual racing experience) but it was the first time I'd ever had the opportunity to take a car out on a road course and test its limits. I found it to be a somewhat revelatory experience. I'm curious about the experiences others have had tracking their cars so please feel free to share.

I expected to learn about the limits of the car when pushed to the edge but also had a sneaking suspicion I would learn just as much about my own limits.

For those who live in southern Ontario, the event itself may be of interest since it is going to be repeated (definitely next year, maybe a few more times this year as well). It is a charity cancer research fundraiser and this run spanned the Father's Day weekend. They set the track on a private airfield NW of London, ON. The air strip is used to land full size jets so it's pretty big (each main runways over 5000 ft long) and the triangular arrangement of the three runways lent itself very nicely to the creation of a road course.

Pylons were used liberally used to create a good mix of low and high speed corners and a couple 1000 ft+ straights. With the wide tarmack and lack of any barriers on the corners, it was relatively safe for newbies like me. Misjudge a corner, you don't run into too much trouble aside from some grass. It's an invitational but if you're interested, it's easy to get an invitation (you can just PM me for e.g , kidding ... www.targabuild.com for more info).

The road course ran for the morning and early afternoon. Mid afternoon it was shut down and a VMax course was set up, basically a drag strip on one of the 5000 ft runways.

Fortunately one of the organizers was an instructor and spotted me for a few laps in the passenger seat. A BMer guy but he really liked the car interestingly. While solo lapping (or with my son in the passenger seat) was a total blast, I understand better now how important 'fear management' is in driving a car fast (and well). I've been a long time fan of many racing series but I now have even more admiration for the guys who can just drive on the edge, at the limit for hours on end. To be able to hit corner after corner perfectly (when a perfect corner really means you come out the other site wondering how the !@$* you didn't slide it right off the track) over and over is a tremendous skill.

Anyway, I didn't get passed all day, never spun out, never put more than 2 wheels on the grass, had some faster cars chasing me who could not catch me (incl a Viper that was rather persistent but spun out of a corner behind me - in the spirit of fraternity I let him waste me on the drag strip later ) and had so much fun I nearly ran out of gas.

My suspicions that the suspension would be my main 'issue' with the car were pretty much confirmed (not that it's bad, just that it could be better, I'm lusting after the Sport Pack now).

The cats made the car hands down the best sounding car out on the track (variety of BMers, P cars, a Viper and a V10 R8 were amongst the participants on day 2). You could hear it from the pit area no matter where it was on track.

With the ECU tune, I never felt acceleration was an lacking on the road course. On the drag strip later though, the limits of the car were more obvious. Once you hit 180-200 km/h, torque starts to fade in 5th and 6th in the high RPM range. But the Viper and R8 were around 245-250 km/h on the gun at the end of the straight and the Vantage was around 225 so respectable given the hp advantage they have.

I did find some difficulty occasionally getting 2nd engaged coming out of hairpins, not sure if that's a clutch issue or technique (2nd was completely 'closed' had to bail into 3rd). Need to get that modded pedal for better heel-toeing.

I'm definitely hooked now although I have a feeling this could be a very expensive habit. Certainly there were a few corners where I could smell years of clutch life wafting away through the cabin.

I wanted to post some video of the day but I'm still a GoPro newb so did not get decent footage. Here are a couple vids recorded the day prior (I only went Sunday) by a guy with an good video set up. You can see the real time track layout in the display on the vids.

 

Sounds like a great outing! I've done track events before, but never with my Vantage. Must be nice to really get to run the car full tilt without concern of tickets or harming someone.

As for your comments about admiration for racers, I completely agree. When I watch on-board camera footage of F1 drivers, I almost can't believe how fast they drive through all the twists and turs. These guys must not have whatever gene the rest of us have to feel fear.

 

Looks like a great day out!!!! The Vantage can be a little truculent 1st-2nd sometimes, I like to give the manuals a little double declutch on that change wherever possible, seems to help a lot.

So amazing to get off the road and into a controlled environment and really push yourself and the car.

 

Glad you enjoyed yourself! I find tracking a liberating experience - it would be really frustrating not being able to properly exercise my cars (as would be the case if all I could do was drive on the public road).

The V8V is a well-balanced car (unsurprisingly, given its weight distribution). Interesting to hear you say you are lusting after the sport pack. Never having driven a 'regular' suspension car, I can't comment on the difference, but I found the OEM tires to be a big problem - too hard and no endurance at all. I went from sport pack on OEM wheels/tires to H&R springs on very slightly wider wheels and RE11's, so I can't say what a tire switch alone would have done. But the springs and RE11's made a big difference, with a lot less roll in the corners and remarkable tire endurance. As with most road cars, there is some understeer dialled into the handling, but this is easily neutralized by working the throttle on or off. With the RE11's I never had any issues with power oversteer - in fact, the car was very difficult to unstick at the back end - totally different from the RE050's. That being said, I rarely went lower than third gear, partly because I had the same truculence from the gearbox as you, and partly because I just didn't find it necessary with the 4.7's torque.

In the end, as I've written about in past threads, the brake cooling is the limiting factor, and a seriously limiting factor, at that.

So if you've caught the bug, it's time to get some instruction (invaluable!) and get your feet wet on a proper circuit. Enjoy!

 

Ya I'm trying to get my abstract clean so I'm super paranoid driving the Vantage on the road (esp around Toronto where the cops work every freakin' angle to ticket you).

As far as your V12V, you've _got_ to get it on a track .

The feeling (and sound) you get hammering the car WOT on to a straight out of a low speed corner is just phenomenal.

Ya I was trying a bunch of different techniques but didn't find anything that solved it when it happened (and it wasn't predictable either). IIRC I did try double clutching at least once but still had to bail to 3rd.

I just find the stock suspension a touch 'jiggly' but definitely experienced the understeer and tire endurance issues you mentioned. I'm hemming and hawing over a suspension upgrade bc of the $ (in the back of my mind I'm wondering whether I'll want to by an 09+ MY in a year or two so not sure how much more I want to sink into this car).

I do have a line on a brand new suspension pull (damplers, springs, roll bars) from a 2012 V8V S though and that would come in around 3k (would have to source the suspension arms separately if I wanted to full package). I already own a set of the Sport Pack 10 spoke wheels (haven't mounted them yet) so I would have effectively upgraded the car to the full Sport Pack if I went that route. Very tempting I must admit.

I read your comments about this before and was watching for it. Interestingly, I did not note much fade during the day. Admitedly I was not out there for hours on end but I was working the brakes pretty hard (up to around 200 km/h on straights and then late braking into low speed corners). I had a vacuum flush of the brake fluid a few days prior with a high spec DOT 4 synthetic replacement and also was running relatively new Porterfields so maybe that was the difference.

How long on the track did it take before you noticed significant fade?

Yup, I've got a healthy respect for Mosport based on what I've heard. Would only be heading out there with good instruction first. Looking forward to it though.

 

With the the OEM brakes and tires on the car (but high temp fluid), I could do about 5 to 10 minutes max. of hard driving before the tires turned to grease and the brakes started to go away. This is on a track I am quite familiar with, so I was pushing it. Needless to say, the first day I took the car on track I pretty much destroyed the OEM tires and the front brakes LOL.

With the aftermarket setup, including RS19 pads, 2 piece Brembo front discs, H&R/RE11's, I could go 15 or 20 minutes before the brakes started to grind (not really fade, mind you). This was with stability control disengaged, so it shouldn't have been a factor in generating heat. The heat generated at the front brakes was outrageous - my charcoal powder coat HRE's and my grey calipers turned gold and I was seriously worried about cooking a wheel bearing. If I had kept the car I would have started measuring actual brake temps and tried a V8VS/V12V or GT4 front end for better cooling.

Re: good circuits: you should head up to Calabogie some time and check it out!

 

Wow, that's much different than my experience but of course can be influenced by track layout and how hard the car is being pushed. I was pushing the car pretty hard but likely not to the extent you were (track was engaged throughout, was not ready to pop that cherry on my first track day). Never had grinding brakes however (blue rotors OTOH ) and was out for maybe 20 minute stints. Definitely wore down my front tires though.

I've heard about Calabogie too, it's on the list!

 

I'd love to get some track time in - perhaps with a lesson. I'm smack dab between Toronto and London so both are doable.

Aston.ca a few friends are considering Aug 11th @ Shannonville. Interested in joining?

 

Absolutely! I'm around that part of the summer as far as I can see. Have pm'd you a an email for contact.
Edit - just realized you prob don't have enough posts to get PM's yet. Don't worry, lots of time to build them up . If you want to speed it up, u can go spam the P-car forums with 'Nice wheels!' posts, they won't mind

 

If you are in Toronto or for anyone near there or remotely close by... Do yourself a favor and drive Mosport in bowmanville Ontario... I have competed there and it is my FAVORITE track, of all the tracks in north America I've competed or instructed on. Mosport is a gem of a race track, essentially the front side of the track you are coming down a mountain and the long back stright you climb back up. It's a very very fast circuit, 10 turns, 3 of which are blind on the front side, turn 2 is famous as one of the fastest turns on earth (along with a double apex) ... Of these 10 turns only 2 of them are under 100 mph on a road car even... Its a daunting circuit but sheer bliss and excitement when driven flat out and in executed just right! Formula 1 renowned driver Nikki lauda called Mosport the most exhilarating and thrilling circuit in the world and one of the most challenging. The Canadians are very lucky to have such an amazing circuit... Certainly the most memorable and best circuit I've ever had the honor of competing on and enjoying. Word of advice... Bring your "A" game, respect the circuit, and bring an extra set of ***** as this circuit demands your courage and will humble anyone who doesn't respect it...
Your gonna need everything you got and then some for Mosport!!!

 

^^^ that articulates quite succinctly all I have heard about Mosport. Having grown up around here, I just took it for granted, I had no idea that it was not some B circuit that was just another way point on the various series that ran throughout North America. I was shocked when I found out a couple years ago that it's considered by many to be the premier track in North America. I am also well aware that it is perfectly capable of eating you up and spitting you out (if you're lucky) - I've heard turn 3 is partcularly treacherous.

So in answer to your unspoken question, yes I am definitely planning on getting there at some point, but am 'working my way up to it' .

I've got a neighbour with a GT3 RS who lives across the street. I know he's instructed up there on P school track days. My plan is to convince him to take me around and show me the ropes when I do get out there.

 

^^^ I'll just put it to you this way, if I could I would buy a house and store my race car in Bowmanville just to be close to Mosport. Yes it's that good! Better then you could expect of you have not been there yet. In my opinion it is not only an 'A' track but an exceptional 'A' track, and a highlight of any proffesional racing series. Nothing like that track on earth, very similar to Monza Circuit by way of speed...here in North America Mosport reigns supreme amongst all the most revered circuits. Even having driven the best tracks on the East Coast from Watkins Glen to VIR, Daytona, Charlotte...so forth and so on...nothing compares to Mosport. The feeling you get from driving your best flying lap there is like nothing else.

 

To be sure, Mosport has a well-deserved reputation going back to the 60's with Can-am and Formula 1, a pedigree unmatched in Canada except perhaps by Tremblant. Fast and scary. Bumpy, too. Contrast with Calabogie: slower, technical, new and smooth surface. See attached thumbnails.

 

Got a chance to play hooky from work yesterday and get out to Mosport. What a fantastic, frightening and humbling track. Fortunately it was an organized event (by a local Chevy dealer actually - thanks to Zookie for the heads' up on this one) so there was ample opportunity to have pro instructors on board for lapping. With 7 or the 10 corners being blind (and most high speed) I would say that's a must, particularly for relative novices my me.

At this point I'd say my favourite corner is turn two, a blind entry into a sweeping downhill double apex. Gives you a tremendous buzz to hit that one perfectly.

Mostly vettes and CTS-V's out for the day. I'm now getting used to all the compliments the Vantage gets on track days. And again, with the cats alone, tons of compliments on the sound as well. I had no issues with brake fade during the 20 minute on track session but this is not a track that is hard on brakes generally, despite its high speed nature.

For anyone in the northeast with a jones for tracking, think about a trip up to Mosport. It's the fastest track in NA, very challenging and the terrain is also quite scenic.

 

^^^ Glad you got to expereince it! Turn 2 is my favorite corner out of any circuit I've been on having competed and instructed for 11 years thus far and driving a myriad of circuits in North America and a variety of cars on them. The blind entry double apex, elevation drop is just amazing! A close second are the climbing esses and laces of the boot at Watkins Glen and some other great spots at VIR, Mid Ohio etc...