New Here! Tracking with Old Stock Tires (in the rain, first time)?

[Joesurf79]

Originally Posted by Zycle

...is it possible to keep a car in a show room condition and track / autocross it? I'm starting to doubt it unless I wrap the car in clear vinyl.

Track it once and keep it perfect? Yes.

Track it twice a month for two years and keep it perfect? Not a chance.

That's why organizations that host club racing have a 50/50 type rules. Has to "look good from 50 feet at 50 mph"

[Tristor]

Originally Posted by Zycle

Is it possible to keep a car in a show room condition and track / autocross it? I'm starting to doubt it unless I wrap the car in clear vinyl.

I don't think it's possible to keep this car in showroom condition no matter what you do. The paint is just ridiculously soft and fragile from the factory. I haven't even gotten to 1 year of ownership on a new car and it's already got significant chunks out of the paint all over, at least 90% of which happened on public streets and highways.


I'm having enough fun driving the crap out of it and the cost of the car vs the cost of getting it fully wrapped in Xpel or something means I'm not even going to worry myself about it. In 3 years or whatever, I'll probably disassemble the whole thing and get it all resprayed anyway.

[Joesurf79]

Originally Posted by Tristor

... In 3 years or whatever, I'll probably disassemble the whole thing and get it all resprayed anyway.

Yes!


2 years ago, I was mad when I had to touch up a stone chip on the front bumper after a track event. Or outright nuclear meltdown scraping mildly leaving a steep driveway...


Weekend before last, someone lost a piece of plastic off of some car ahead of me (miatas seem to shed parts frequently around me for some reason lol) - and it smacked the bumper as I was passing them. My first thought NOW, after 2 years into regularly tracking the car was "Man, I need to get around to rattle canning the front bumper flat black sometime soon". Fast touch ups that way


Time spent on track changes everything - one's perspective the most I think.

[TommyW]

Originally Posted by Zycle

I did a track school with my previous car, 13 Honda CR-Z, in sunny warm conditions. I didn't like the hybrid system running out and some organizations don't allow them on track. The seats were also unable to hold me in place, and I had head clearance issues with a helmet. It also had way too much body roll and I didn't want to start doing modifications. I prefer to just sell + use that money I would have spent to get a better stock car that meets my needs. So I sold the CR-Z and bought a 2013 FR-S with low mileage (18000 miles) which addresses these issues.

Mainly bought the car because I want to do more tracking (it is very addictive) but still have as an only car (I don't need car for commuting). There is an open track session coming up (with dedicated novice group), I'm excited, but it is suppose to be very wet that day. I'm still on the stock summer tires, maybe only 14000 miles on them, have winter tires too, 7mm out of 10mm tread left all around. How are they in the rain on our cars for track driving? They are nearly 6 years old (probably more if they sat in stock at the factory). I'd hate to get rid of tires with lots of life left. Is it safe to track them at all (never mind in the rain)? This would be my second time on track ever, so very new driver, first time with RWD. RWD sounded fun (cue image of Jeremy Clarkson drifting while reading), but it is actually intimidating me quite a bit. TC VSC will be left on! I turned it off for autocross and I spun out (was raining) so those went back on! I never spun in the CR-Z. I'm trying to "get back on the bike" and get over that by doing some more performance driving sooner rather than later. Especially want to get comfortable before the snow hits.


I've read over the track tips post, good advice there!


The car I hope to keep for a long time

Stock tires on a track in the rain will be perfect for teaching you car control. More people should do that.