6
Getting on a Track
- Thread starter tfcGTI
- Start date
raisin racin'
New member
Find your local SCCA (Sports Car Club of America) region through the national SCCA website (www.SCCA.com). The SCCA conducts autocroses (low speed (up to 70 mph) events to home your driving skills) and Performance Driving Experiences (non racing lapping on full size road courses).
If you want to do track events with your GTI, NASA Pro Racing: www.nasaproracing.com. In addition to actual wheel to wheel racing, they have HPDE (highspeed performance driving events) on actual tracks such as Road Atlanta. BMW clubs also have excellent driving schools on race tracks using your street car. If you want to do autocross, SCCA would be a great choice.
Good luck and let us know how your first event goes.
Good luck and let us know how your first event goes.
dowright82
WRX Convert
Just finished running about 40 laps around a 1.8 mile road course here in Nashville TN . . .
My car: 2010 2 Door White GTI 6-speed
Bone stock except for
Hawk HP+ Pads (amazing)
TRMotorsports MT-1 17x8 Wheels
Bridgestone RE50 225/45/17 (140 treadwear)
Let me first say I've driven MANY cars hard (WRX, 911 turbo, Legacy GT, Mustang GT, Mercedes 320 kompressor, mercedes sl500 amg)
My impressions of our cars on a track:
AMAZING.
1) XDS is phenomenal, I don't care what you've heard or who you have heard it from
2) Our suspension STOCK is absolutely WONDERFUL on a track. VW got it RIGHT this time. This track was VERY dynamic with lots of off-camber turns, 2 hairpins, and a long straight where I reached about 118-120 before braking for hard left.
3) Even though I only had about 2600 miles on the car, I did NOT take it easy. Once I figured out optimum tire pressures, my car was truly overtaking much more (should have been) capable cars, including my good friends TRACK-PREPPED integra type-r (i'm not lying, he had to let me pass twice and has MUCH more track experience than me)
4) Some cars in my 2 heats (i raced in two because I was the official photographer) Dodge Viper, Mazda RX-7 (track prepped, and one of the few cars i had to let pass), Honda s2000 (very fast, lots of mods), bmw 2002, TWO e46 m3s (couldn't keep up, probably due to drivers, but I'm not sure), Supercharged 2000 mustang GT (continued to slow me down and be an ass until I finally changed heats)
5) The lightweight wheels and aggressive tires no doubt, helped me a lot, but I want you to know that anyone who says these cars need Big Brake Upgrades if full of sh*t. I was putting this car though tougher braking scenarios than i've ever put through a car (WITH STOCK FLUID) and my HP+ pads NEVER ONCE showed signs of fade. Our vented front rotors do the job just fine!!
6) Track your car. You will NEVER fall more in love with it.
Pictures (of course, none of my car since I was the photographer) and in car VIDEO soon to come!!
My car: 2010 2 Door White GTI 6-speed
Bone stock except for
Hawk HP+ Pads (amazing)
TRMotorsports MT-1 17x8 Wheels
Bridgestone RE50 225/45/17 (140 treadwear)
Let me first say I've driven MANY cars hard (WRX, 911 turbo, Legacy GT, Mustang GT, Mercedes 320 kompressor, mercedes sl500 amg)
My impressions of our cars on a track:
AMAZING.
1) XDS is phenomenal, I don't care what you've heard or who you have heard it from
2) Our suspension STOCK is absolutely WONDERFUL on a track. VW got it RIGHT this time. This track was VERY dynamic with lots of off-camber turns, 2 hairpins, and a long straight where I reached about 118-120 before braking for hard left.
3) Even though I only had about 2600 miles on the car, I did NOT take it easy. Once I figured out optimum tire pressures, my car was truly overtaking much more (should have been) capable cars, including my good friends TRACK-PREPPED integra type-r (i'm not lying, he had to let me pass twice and has MUCH more track experience than me)
4) Some cars in my 2 heats (i raced in two because I was the official photographer) Dodge Viper, Mazda RX-7 (track prepped, and one of the few cars i had to let pass), Honda s2000 (very fast, lots of mods), bmw 2002, TWO e46 m3s (couldn't keep up, probably due to drivers, but I'm not sure), Supercharged 2000 mustang GT (continued to slow me down and be an ass until I finally changed heats)
5) The lightweight wheels and aggressive tires no doubt, helped me a lot, but I want you to know that anyone who says these cars need Big Brake Upgrades if full of sh*t. I was putting this car though tougher braking scenarios than i've ever put through a car (WITH STOCK FLUID) and my HP+ pads NEVER ONCE showed signs of fade. Our vented front rotors do the job just fine!!
6) Track your car. You will NEVER fall more in love with it.
Pictures (of course, none of my car since I was the photographer) and in car VIDEO soon to come!!
Cannon03
Ready to race!
I'm sooo jealous. Sounds like a lot of fun! Congrats.
donwright82,
Thanks for the write up. We have been waiting for the first person to really track the Mark VI. I have a couple of questions.
BRAKES: Regarding the XDS, did you ever feel it kick in at anytime? If so, under what circumstances and what did it feel like? How much time were your runs? I know you mentioned you had not break fade which is great. Any signs of wear from the pads? Did you remove the dust shield?
SUSPENSION: You indicate the suspension is great in stock form. What is your track experience level? Were you trail braking in any corners? How does the car behave at corner entry, mid corner, and corner exit? How much understeer were you getting and where? Any oversteer at any point? Is your alignment stock? If so, what are your settings.
Can't wait to see the pics and vids. Make sure to continue updating us with any new on track observations and experiences.
Thanks for the write up. We have been waiting for the first person to really track the Mark VI. I have a couple of questions.
BRAKES: Regarding the XDS, did you ever feel it kick in at anytime? If so, under what circumstances and what did it feel like? How much time were your runs? I know you mentioned you had not break fade which is great. Any signs of wear from the pads? Did you remove the dust shield?
SUSPENSION: You indicate the suspension is great in stock form. What is your track experience level? Were you trail braking in any corners? How does the car behave at corner entry, mid corner, and corner exit? How much understeer were you getting and where? Any oversteer at any point? Is your alignment stock? If so, what are your settings.
Can't wait to see the pics and vids. Make sure to continue updating us with any new on track observations and experiences.
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dowright82
WRX Convert
Vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MQpRkNbj2g
Pic below (i was official photographer, so only got one good shot of my car)
More on driving experience later . . . please reread my post above, I'm somewhere in between intermediate and expert level driver (based on my track days I've been to)
Car was PHENOMENAL - no, I did not remove dust shields, but my new wheels (TR Motorsports MT-1 17x8) breath pretty well - - - -
Pic below (i was official photographer, so only got one good shot of my car)
More on driving experience later . . . please reread my post above, I'm somewhere in between intermediate and expert level driver (based on my track days I've been to)
Car was PHENOMENAL - no, I did not remove dust shields, but my new wheels (TR Motorsports MT-1 17x8) breath pretty well - - - -
donwright,
I'm not sure why I'm asked to reread your post. You mentioned how "phenomenal" the car is compared to others you have driven. However, every car has its weaknesses. Historically, a weak point of the GTI is corner exit speed. This is due largely to inside wheel spin and its overall understeering tendencies. The XDS should addresses the former. The Mark VI reportedly has a stiffer rear sway. This should help reduce understeer (at least on entry, particularly with trailbraking). However, I have wondered how much, if at all, understeer is reduced at corner exit. In any event, thanks for sharing your observations and video.
I'm not sure why I'm asked to reread your post. You mentioned how "phenomenal" the car is compared to others you have driven. However, every car has its weaknesses. Historically, a weak point of the GTI is corner exit speed. This is due largely to inside wheel spin and its overall understeering tendencies. The XDS should addresses the former. The Mark VI reportedly has a stiffer rear sway. This should help reduce understeer (at least on entry, particularly with trailbraking). However, I have wondered how much, if at all, understeer is reduced at corner exit. In any event, thanks for sharing your observations and video.