Yesterday, I attended a High-Performance Driving Event (HPDE) hosted by Tracks Unlimited.
Oct 15, 2011: Nashville Superspeedway (all makes) | TracksUnlimited
I entered as a novice, as it's better to enter humble and get promoted, than to enter cocky and get demoted.
They assigned an instructor to me and the three different goups run separately. My instructor drove his wicked Porsche during the Red (advanced) runs.
I learned a LOT about my Crossfire's handling yesterday. I learned that, even with their limitations, the stock brakes are no joke. It's all about how long you brake versus how early you brake. Many people made the mistake of applying too little pressure for too long, which cooks the brakes more than a decisive jab for a much shorter distance. Hard on the brakes, turn, shoot out was the name of the game yesterday. 2nd gear was too low for much of the infield, I was breaking traction and had to shift to 3rd before I hit turn 4. 3rd gear through the corners was too high, as the engine dipped down to 3K and I had to rely on smooth lines and momentum to alleviate that. Shifting mid-corner caused the line to suffer...
I went out there with the remaining 4/32" on my front Contis and the new BFG KDW rear tires. To my surprise, the Contis continued to grip decently. Each session allowed ~10 laps, and by the sixth lap of each session, the tires would definitely lose grip and start to feel oily. Nashville's road course is a fairly slippery track to begin with... this ultimately helped me as my car is set up so that the suspension alleviates the lack of power. NSS was a perfect track for the Crossfire because it is VERY technical, and the infield section is only punctuated by a brief backstretch. I found that upon exiting turn 5, I could leave the car in 3rd all the way until I hit turn six, which was perfect because I was right at redline and I didn't have to shift when I jumped hard on the brakes. The final chicane section was my favorite -- it was fast, had some elevation change, and I just felt comfy.
Front stretch was both frustrating and encouraging. I had to point by a lot of faster traffic that would point ME by in the corners, but I learned that, with a good exit from the last turn, I could manage 120mph at the end of the front straight. Not shabby for a Limited. It was comical though because as soon as I came out of the last turn, I would waste no time in pointing by the cars with double the horsepower. I tried pointing an S2000 by me on the straight, though, and he *barely* had the grunt to do it. I literally had to back completely off the gas. Once we hit the corners 1-2, I never saw him again. Phenomenal driver.
Turn 1-2 was a PITA, as you had to slow from 120 to ~90 for a gradual left-hander, back on the gas, immediately followed by a SHARP ~20mph left-hander. That was the brake cooker that sent many folks home early. Two Bimmers boiled their factory fluid, and had to quit early. One hero in an M3 came in with rotors so hot they were literally blue...
Halfway through the day, the instructor told me I was a 'natural' at it and spoke to the administrator of the event after heat 3, and got me promoted to the intermediate group. One of the admins, Sharif (owner of Forged Performance in Atlanta) told me that they only do that for one/two folks per event, so I should feel proud. They sent me out a fourth time with a check-driver and he embellished my first instructor's sentiments. Highlight of that run (the whole day, actually) was when he said "when is that yellow Z06 going to point you by?"
Heats 5 and 6 were by myself, no instructor along, and the loss of 200 pounds was immediately felt.
By the end of the day, the brakes were still performing like champs (even though I learned that Akebono pads are NOT track pads) and nothing broke. My Conti's have finally bit the dust... I'll likely replace them with BFG's just to have a set that matches the rear.
The Crossfire drew a lot of attention. I had to explain the Mercedes motor "swap" (LOL) to roughly ten different folks. Many said "it's too pretty to race". One guy had never given them much thought, but after seeing how they handled themselves in the corners, and considering that the Limiteds can be had for $10K, he said it would be his next daily driver. That guy was the owner of the yellow C6 Z06 I was pushing through the corners.
I highly recommend Tracks Unlimited as a great way to learn your car's limits. My car did things yesterday that I never knew it could do, and it's because I felt safe pushing the limits yesterday with no fear of cops or oncoming traffic. Without a road course, I would have never known what it was like to bark the tires downshifting into fourth while braking from 120mph to 95mph, all while turning left
After yesterday's event, I can clearly say I learned a LOT and looking back on the Dragon, I wasn't putting the car nearly as close to its limits as I had first thought.
These babies continue to impress.