I'll be picking up my Z06 in the next month or two, and I don't have much experience with tracking, and I was wondering how many 6speeders are out this way hitting these tracks? I would love to get the lowdown/ learn some tips on the best way to get started and such before the weather breaks, so I can make some plans to get across the state and flog this thing! Thanks.

 

I usually do Gingerman 5-6 times a season. It's a good track to get some experience on if you're a noob to tracking. It's fairly technical so it's not the easiest on brakes and tires. However, I'm sure your car will be much better about those consumables than my S4. You also get a couple long straights that let you open her up a little. Check out these websites of groups that do driving events at Gingerman(and other tracks in the midwest):

http://www.cgimotorsports.com/
http://www.audiclubna.org/component/...dar/Itemid,72/
**no you do not need an Audi to participate and these are usually very well run events!

I can't speak to the other 2 you mentioned but I'm hoping to do Grattan this year. You might also want to consider heading down to Chicagoland and try out the Autobahn Country Club. Excellent facility and depending on the event, you get 3 different track configurations.

 

I used to do gingerman 4-5 times a year, Now its tough to even make it out for one day. It's a fun track.

 

raced Gman before - great fun track with little chance of crashing. Great to start out at. From what I've heard Grattan is considerably more challenging and Mid-Ohio is even more. If you are just starting out I would advise you get comfortable at Gman first.

 

I have several hundred laps at Gingerman under my belt and as the others have said, Gman is a great starter track. No real chance of damage if you go off unless you bury a tire.

With that said, here are my 'tips' (I am in no way a professional, just a track junkie and Gman is only 40 minutes from home) All tips and speeds are relative to my 996:

Turn 1 (left): Much faster corner than it looks, brake hard at the 2 marker and late apex. Let the momentum of the car push you out to the track out point. Once you complete the track out, start heading for the outside/blend line at turn 2. This is a 45-50mph corner.

Turn 2 (right): Stay very far outside and stradle the pit out blend line, look up and watch for the tree on the horizon (still outside) just past the last advertising sign, when this tree lines up with the center of your hood, turn in hard and clip the second apex. Apply power and track out just kissing the far edge of the track out pavement. Keep the hammer down. This is a 45-55 mph corner.

Turn 3 (right): This is a VERY late apex corner. It takes some cajones, but stay out until you think you are going to run straight of the track. Turn in, hitting the last couple of feet of the apex and again, track out and hit the end of the concrete pad poured. This is a 30-45 mph corner.

Turn 4 (left): Not really a corner but a nice full throttle dog leg to the left, clip the apex and get ready to brake hard for 5. I hit about 80-90 mph here.

Turn 5 -6 is (left) a combo corner. Both are left handers in succession. I normally stay wide for 5 so I can carry a bit more speed then dive into 6. When tracking out of six, go heavy on the throttle and allow the car to drift out to the concrete. Be very careful of the end of the strip, there is a pot hole that will pitch you across the track if you hit it.

Turn 7 (right) is a pretty mellow corner. Again, late apex it and stay to the outside of the track and set up for turn 8. I tend to make sure the passenger wheels are riding the pavement line.

Turn 8 (right): I have seen a bunch of different lines here, but what works for me is to early apex 8 so I have the ability to allow the car to settle before late apexing 9 or I will run out of revs between 9 and 10.

Turn 9 (left) is going to come up really fast if you carry some decent speed through 8. I late apex here and drift out to the end of the track out point. Using the entire track here allows me to stay in third, if I mess this up, I lose a lot of time as second is bumping the rev limiter before I get to 10.

Turn 10 (right) is a really important corner, you want to carry as much speed as possible through here as the straight between 10 and 11 is one of the few open passing areas you will find when starting out. Stay outside for the first part of the corner and late apex then track out to the middle of the track out point, keep the hammer down and talk yourself into turn 11. I hit about 125-130 here.

Turn 11 (right): I late apex here because there is a dip in the pavement at about the middle of the apex, it's enough of a dip that you will unsettle your car if you hit it at a decent speed. Once I late apex, I throttle steer around and basically get a bit of a drift going to carry a bit more speed through the corner. Once settled at the outside of the track I keep it pinned until I just pass the second flag stand, then it's hard on the brakes to scrub al of the speed for turn 1.

Again, this is all in the 996 with MSPCs and racing pads (Pagid Blacks).

My fastest around Gman is a 1:36.XX.

Good luck and I hope to see you out there!

 

Turn 2:





Turn 3:



Turn 2 again:

 

Wow guys, I really appreciate all of the feedback. The only track over here on the east side is Waterdford, and it may have been good for my WRX, but not so good for the z. I will definitely be out at both G tracks this summer, and look forward to getting started.

 

Not much to add to jstgermaine's excellent overview of the track. I missed this past season with one of those " once in a lifetime" engine builds( it better be!) but I did get a 1000 track miles up there in 06. Gingerman is one of the few tracks around that offers open track days on a regular basis. From Spring to Fall, there is open track every Tue, Wed, Thur from 5:30-8:30 in the evening for 60$. I am self employed and have a flexible schedule and would take days off and blast up there for a quick 3 hours. Some times I only got 3 20 minute sessions, othertimes I was the only one there for the whole evening when it was late in the season or raining. Bikes are alowwed on Wed only so those days are usually the least track time for cars since they cannot run together. Prepare to spend lots on tires and pads if you go on a regular basis. It is a great track for beginners but still avery challenging one for more experienced drivers. Few tracks have as much run off as Gman. If you hit something there you probably deserved it.....

 

Thanks man. All of this really gives me a better idea of what I should know about getting started. I have watched quit a bit, but this summer its time to get into it. Yes, I am aware that a few 20 minute sessions will kill gas, pads and tires faster than most could imagine. I'll probably get some real nice brake fluid so I dont boil that. Either way, I am pretty excited to step up to a Z06, and I look forward to meeting some of you 6speeders out there.

 

KPG and Confused,

I too am self employed and would love to get a group of us together for some TNT sessions. A small group of my friends (all early 911 owners) do at least 1 Thursday a month and more often every other Thursday during the summer.

-Jerry

 

Jerry, I live in Novi and usually drive the 160 miles to the track, although this year I will be trailering with a new single place trailer. I would love to join you at the track this season. Kevin

 

I am in Ferndale, so we could get a caravan going from the eastside if that made things easier. Lucky for me that Z06 is close to 30mpg! We'll have to pick a date that works for us as the time approaches, but sounds like a fun day to look forward to.

 

I've run at Mid-Ohio and it's arguably one of the best tracks in North America. I'd suggest it to anyone interested in running track days there.

Mark "Feff" Pfeffer
www.MVPTrackTime.com

 

i've run both grattan and gingerman...most fun i've had was gingerman in the snow

 

I do events at Road America and Blackhawk, but I have yet to make it to Gingerman. The Badger Bimmers do an event there each year with CGI.

This is the year I will make it to Gingerman.