Oil cooler, spare coil packs, PS4S @ 50% tread, E85?

[ChaseTheFox]

First track day is around the corner, excited but nervous about thhe car surviving 4 hrs of track time. It will be hot at Sebring 2nd week of Sept.

I just installed coilovers, pads, rotors and ss lines, and did all fluids (motul 600 BF, motul gear 75w90 in diff and tranny, coolant flush, Royal purple 5w20) This i feel good about.

Car has 58k. Its been good to me but only owned it for 8k. No idea status of coil packs, should i have spares? Not sure of spark plug age/condition.

Any advice for this noob would be greatly appreciated!

Its tuned for e85 on OFT and logs look good. I have no access to e85 at the track other than a 45 min drive away. My plan is to arrive with 30 gal in cans and 3/4 if a tank full. Any idea how much track time that would get me roughly? The car is running really nice on this fuel and although it would be more convenient, i dont have any logging or adjustments made to my 93oct files.

Is an oil cooler necessary considering how hard the car will be pushed combined with high ambient temps?

Lastly but not leastly, tires (stock size, mich ps4s), will they last me if they already at about 50% tread, maybe a little less.

[cmiovino]

There's a lot going on here, so I do think you have some right to be concerned/intimidated.

First up, your first track day is going to be stressful. This is why I recommend starting out with something like a few autocross events, graduating into a Track Night in America event (low key track day), and then getting more into HPDE events. It sounds to me like doing 4 hours of track time at a big name circuit is a lot for a first timer.

Second is the car itself. Personally, I'd want a shake down event or something before a bigger track day like this. I wouldn't recommend installing a bunch of stuff right before the event because you never know how it's going to react on track. The car could be terrible to drive, too stiff, too loose, something can work it's way loose, etc. The good news here is you did a lot of the fluids, so that's promising. Do absolutely check the oil level prior to running and fill it a 1/4 inch or so above the full dot on the dipstick. This is where I run mine for autocross.

Given the event is in the 2nd week or Sept, you have about 3 weeks before it. Are there any local autocrosses you could hit up as a bit of shake down and get some limited seat time to feel the car out? This might help shed some nerves.

4 hours of track time... if you're actually running all or most of that, is a lot. Like a lot a lot. Expect those tires to get eaten up on the outsides. At 50%, they'll probably survive, but you'll see a ton of wear. 4 hours is borderline endurance racing.

Brake pads are key for track days. You NEED upgraded ones to survive. You might not need a strict track pad, but it's probably a good idea given the time you'll be out there. You don't want fade or them to just completely stop working. Hopefully the pad is upgraded to at least an entry level track pad and you properly bed them in beforehand.

Fuel-wise with E85, I'd fill the car fully up and bring what you can. ~15-16 gal in the tank plus two more tank fulls in cans should be plenty, even at the 20-30% higher burn rate of E85. You don't want to run out, so the more the merrier I suppose. Don't worry about running the car at 3/4 tank or lower to reduce weight or anything. Just full and replenish as needed throughout the day.

Spark plug and coilpack-wise, personally I'd change at least the plugs out at 58k. The interval is 60k and tossing a track day at the car isn't exactly street driving. CSG recommends the coilpacks and plugs be straight up replaced at 60k. I think it's a bit overkill on the coilpacks, but they even suggest 30k for more track oriented cars on both. Given that, I'd at least do the plugs on yours.

Biggest thing I can suggest is to go into it with the mentality you're there to have fun and get through it. Not put down lap times or really even focus on getting better and better each lap. You'll probably see some improvement, but don't get too focused on that. Focus on learning the line and driving at like 80%.

[autoracer86]

The tires should be fine I already done 5 track days on the PS4 and they have life left.

I got a basic OEM style oil cooler for my first track day and I would recommend you do the same especially with the high temps in your area.

Oil I ran 5w30 and for brake pads CL brakes RC6 compound

Running a proper track pad is always a good idea in some cases its necessary.

You might want to think about just doing 2 maybe 3 laps tops before pitting if you don't plan to upgrade your pads and/or add an oil cooler. Also make sure you have a way to monitor oil temps. Which I think you can do with the gen 2 cars

[NoHaveMSG]

Coil packs were updated in 15', you have a 17', should be fine. I've only lost one coil pack in my 13' at the track.

I get about 5 gal in 20-30 min of track time with E85 depending on the track.

If you don't have a cooler, I would run 5-30.

[Ultramaroon]

Forget about the parts list. You'll be fine as long as your battery is strapped down, and you aren't leaking any fluids. Focus on surroundings, and driving safely within your own personal limits. Learn the rhythm of the track day in general; the paddock, getting on and off the track, how to do point-bys, keeping a lookout for the flaggers, etc. etc.

Work on being the best noob you can be. That will be plenty rewarding enough. I guarantee you'll be wiped out by the end of the day.

[M0nk3y]

Are you testing your fuel prior to consumption? This is a big push to get you a proper flex fuel kit if you’re only going by what you’re testing prior to fill.

I’ve used 4-5 gallons per session if it’s 20+ mins.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Clipdat]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Forget about the parts list. You'll be fine as long as your battery is strapped down, and you aren't leaking any fluids. Focus on surroundings, and driving safely within your own personal limits. Learn the rhythm of the track day in general; the paddock, getting on and off the track, how to do point-bys, keeping a lookout for the flaggers, etc. etc.

Work on being the best noob you can be. That will be plenty rewarding enough. I guarantee you'll be wiped out by the end of the day.

I got wiped just reading this. I need a nap now.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Clipdat

I got wiped just reading this. I need a nap now.

Well deserved

[EndlessAzure]

If you're not trailering the car, I'm not sure how I feel about carrying 10 gal of fuel inside the cabin, let alone 30. Fuel consumption varies a lot by track. 1/4 tank per 20 minute session is a good estimate on e85

I usually get by hauling an extra 5 gal and arriving about 30 min out on a full tank. I've only run out of e85 once on an extra session day on a long course. 10-15 gal extra should be plenty

Ideally, flash back to stock tune and scope out your first track day that way on pump gasoline. One less thing to worry about

[ChaseTheFox]

Thank you everyone for your input so far, very helpful!

Not sure if this changes much but, to clear a few things up, the 4hrs of track time will be broken into eight 30 min sessions over 2 days, so althought its alot, its not all at once! It will be at a PCA event, a client of mine is an instructor and will ride with me the the entire time the novice group runs.

My mistake I'm running 5W-30 not 5w20. Should I be in the clear there or still consider the oil cooler?

I want to go ecu tek/flex fuel, but not really feeling like i have the time/motivations to be re-tuning the car with a remote tuner at the moment. The car is running well, as long as i bring quality fuel, i feel like that will help me eliminate more variables.

Brakes are by R1, it's their e-line kit designed for autocross aggressive driving and light track. This is just my daily so didn't want some super squeaky stuff.

Looking for autocross events as we speak, anyone know of anything coming up in the next week or two in South Florida let me know. Great idea to shake it down, if nothing else at least try to get a better handle on how my brakes, alignment and damper settings are functioning.

[autoracer86]

Originally Posted by ChaseTheFox

Thank you everyone for your input so far, very helpful!

Not sure if this changes much but, to clear a few things up, the 4hrs of track time will be broken into eight 30 min sessions over 2 days, so althought its alot, its not all at once! It will be at a PCA event, a client of mine is an instructor and will ride with me the the entire time the novice group runs.

My mistake I'm running 5W-30 not 5w20. Should I be in the clear there or still consider the oil cooler?

I want to go ecu tek/flex fuel, but not really feeling like i have the time/motivations to be re-tuning the car with a remote tuner at the moment. The car is running well, as long as i bring quality fuel, i feel like that will help me eliminate more variables.

Brakes are by R1, it's their e-line kit designed for autocross aggressive driving and light track. This is just my daily so didn't want some super squeaky stuff.

Looking for autocross events as we speak, anyone know of anything coming up in the next week or two in South Florida let me know. Great idea to shake it down, if nothing else at least try to get a better handle on how my brakes, alignment and damper settings are functioning.

Would suck to need a oil cooler and not have it. Depends on so many things... I notice when my GF tracks the car the oil temps are around 10-15f cooler then when I drive. All you can really do is keep an eye on the temps keep them below 260 in my opinion.

How quickly you get up to unsafe temps is based on a lot of factors. Could take you 2 laps could take you 5. A oil cooler just gives you more head room to stay on track longer.

as for brakes the pads are the most important part. Not really sure what pads you have based off what you wrote but they are most likely not track pads. But if you're not driving too fast then it should be fine. I have no clue your level of skill just because its your first track day doesn't mean you will be going slow. I was pushing on my very first day with the instructor beside me. Everyone is different in the end

best of luck and enjoy the day

[villainous_frx]

These are just my opinions from 3 years and quite a lot of events in this car.

First track day nerves: Have fun, be safe, and bring LOTS of water! Is the organizer/event offering in-car instructors? If so, it will not hurt to have one. If no, ask other more experienced drivers for a ride along. I assume you're in a beginner group, don't be afraid to give point-bys. They're free to give and will get a quicker car off your rear bumper letting you focus more on the driving. EDIT: I see that there will be an instructor, follow their advice and ask questions if you have them.

Suspension/Brakes: As long as you have relatively new pads and are mindful of what they tell you, you'll be fine for your first day. For suspension, a good alignment and starting at the mfg's recommended damper settings if adjustable. I am of the opinion that for the first few events, messing with the least amount of stuff is better.

Coilpacks: Coilpacks are mainly an issue on the 12-14 cars, however they have failed on newer models. If it would make you feel better, bring a spare and the tools to swap one. Personally I have not had one fail on my original 4, however I carry 1 for each connector style in my track tool box (to help other drivers).

Fuel Type: e85 is nice and does give a decent power bump, however it's annoying to deal with at the track imo. My car is tuned with FF running ~e60 will burn off about 10L in a 20 minute session. Swapping to 93 is easier, more convenient to find if you run low, and you won't have to worry about fuel level as much.

Oil Cooler: Not for your first few events. I see you have a 2017 BRZ and 5w30, keep an eye on your oil temperatures and if they really start to creep up, back off for a bit (your brakes will also appreciate this reduced pace and cooling). Ultimately only you can decide if an oil cooler is right for you. There are strong arguments for both, and I fall into the pro-cooler camp.

Tires: Listen to what the tires are telling you. PS4S will get greasy eventually, you’ll notice it coming on. When this happens, just back off and let them recover. See the oil comment.


Some notes of my own: the organizer has or will likely send out a checklist for self-tech. Fill it out honestly and address any problem items. If you're not qualified to do so, bring it to someone who is.
Check ego at the door, there will always be someone faster than you. Just let them pass and get to the end of the day in 1 piece

Most importantly, again, be safe, have fun, and bring lots of water!

[blsfrs]

In my area, PCA and BMW club events require a pre-event inspection by a "qualified" speed shop.

You download their form, the mechanic fills it out, and you turn it in at registration.

No form, no drive.

[ChaseTheFox]

Originally Posted by blsfrs

In my area, PCA and BMW club events require a pre-event inspection by a "qualified" speed shop.

You download their form, the mechanic fills it out, and you turn it in at registration.

No form, no drive.

Yeah that was done, it passed no problem, but they arent looking at really any of the stuff i'm asking about, mostly basic safety is their concern am i missing something?