First Time on Track

[John Lumsden]

Yesterday was the first time I have been to the track with my 2019 GT1 AWD and the first time I have been to the track ever. This was a beginner course with about 20 other cars as we follow a pace car around the track for 2 25 min sessions. Although this platform is limiting for pushing your car it was a good first step for me and I still was able to get a pretty good feel for the Stinger. I did the first session without the paddles and the second with.

For the size of the vehicle, the Stinger handles so well. It is very tight and true around tight 90 degree bends. Although one can feel the weight and size of the car, it takes the turns like a compact sedan. The front end seems to dive nicely down into the corners and stick controllably while 80% of the power is in the rear. Where the GT1 thrived was on the s-bend segments of the track where it is not exactly an A+ for handling and controllability, but still is very smooth and tight. This may be because I'm a beginner when it comes to track driving. Coming out of the 70-90 degree turns at around 30-45 mph into the straight away it seems to have a bit of a lag response wise up to about 65 mph but then it surges ahead quickly at higher gears which is what I would expect from a big 6 with two turbos, unlike a turbocharged 4cyl. The paddles seemed to not do as well as when I left it to shift for itself, but then again I'm a beginner who's doesn't have much experience in this arena, nevertheless paddles. Overall, the Stinger is such as blast and I love it even more now that I know what it can do on the track.

 

[Ruturaj]

Did you try turning off traction and stability control?

 

[Jonathan Lasich]

Yesterday was the first time I have been to the track with my 2019 GT1 AWD and the first time I have been to the track ever. This was a beginner course with about 20 other cars as we follow a pace car around the track for 2 25 min sessions. Although this platform is limiting for pushing your car it was a good first step for me and I still was able to get a pretty good feel for the Stinger. I did the first session without the paddles and the second with.

For the size of the vehicle, the Stinger handles so well. It is very tight and true around tight 90 degree bends. Although one can feel the weight and size of the car, it takes the turns like a compact sedan. The front end seems to dive nicely down into the corners and stick controllably while 80% of the power is in the rear. Where the GT1 thrived was on the s-bend segments of the track where it is not exactly an A+ for handling and controllability, but still is very smooth and tight. This may be because I'm a beginner when it comes to track driving. Coming out of the 70-90 degree turns at around 30-45 mph into the straight away it seems to have a bit of a lag response wise up to about 65 mph but then it surges ahead quickly at higher gears which is what I would expect from a big 6 with two turbos, unlike a turbocharged 4cyl. The paddles seemed to not do as well as when I left it to shift for itself, but then again I'm a beginner who's doesn't have much experience in this arena, nevertheless paddles. Overall, the Stinger is such as blast and I love it even more now that I know what it can do on the track.

Where did you go? V.I.R.?

 

[John Lumsden]

I went to Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, VA. I did not play with the traction or stability control. As I mentioned this was my first time on a track.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Cool! I daydream going out to Utah Motorsports Campus (formerly known as [Larry H.] Miller Motorsports Park) on one of their "Wide Open Wednesday" events and tooling around the track, and trying the skid pad, etc.

 

[bpang1]

I went to Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, VA. I did not play with the traction or stability control. As I mentioned this was my first time on a track.

Gotta turn off Traction and Stability if you are going to be on a road course or autocross. Almost not worth driving with them on...great for the real world though.

 

[turboAWD]

Gotta turn off Traction and Stability if you are going to be on a road course or autocross. Almost not worth driving with them on...great for the real world though.

What's the TL;DR version of how to do that?

 

[Ruturaj]

What's the TL;DR version of how to do that?

There is traction control button near shifter, hold it down, you will first see traction control off, after few seconds traction and stability control off, then let go the button.

 

[Callum]

I went to Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, VA. I did not play with the traction or stability control. As I mentioned this was my first time on a track.

Turn it off when you are ready. Keep it on for a few more "events".

I know it's AWD, but trust me...it will get out of hand really quick. I've been doing track days for years and have just gotten to the point where I'm confident enough to let the car rip and just roll with it.

I had the AWD Stinger side ways pretty much the entire day. It's a blast, but learn it at your own pace and safely.

 

[BertBert2019GT]

I went to Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, VA. I did not play with the traction or stability control. As I mentioned this was my first time on a track.

How did you like Dominion? I was thinking of doing the same thing but at Summit Point, WV

 

[CoconutRob]

I went to Dominion Raceway in Thornburg, VA. I did not play with the traction or stability control. As I mentioned this was my first time on a track.

What is the cost to do this, also can anyone go?

 

[John Lumsden]

The cost of the event was $100 for two 25 minute sessions behind pace car. Very good thing to do for the price and for a first timer on the track.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Sounds like a bargain. A pace car doing a brisk pace would be a great intro to what fast track driving is going to feel like. By the end the pacer would be stepping it up, based on how you progress getting acclimated.

The cost of the event was $100 for two 25 minute sessions behind pace car. Very good thing to do for the price and for a first timer on the track.

 

[CKeeler]

I did a couple track days with my Mustang. Looking forward to testing out the Stinger. I've got the sway bars and the brakes, now i just need to upgrade the brake fluid. One of the local track groups goes to Auto club Speedway like every other month. But it's $200. My sister and Brother in law have run it in their Subies and love it.

 

[Dr_jitsu]

If it is your first time you want an instructor to ride with you. Tracking will break all the bad habits you develop from day to day driving.

 

[G-777846]

I did a similar event in October at Mid Ohio Sports Car Course. It was a PDX event run through SCCA, included instruction (they reviewed video after each of 5 sessions of 20 minutes, instructor said drivers tend to become dependent on in-car instructors). I will say that the car seems very comfortable doing 125 mph -- until you ask it to slow down a few times. Needs DOT 4, better pads, and (IMHO) brake cooling ducting. I also got to experience what it feels like to slide while rotating somewhat rapidly 1) on pavement, and 2) through the grass, due mostly to a bad mix of overexuberance and lack of braking power. Seriously, I had (and continue to have) about 1/2 braking power after 10 laps or so. I have since got DOT 4 flush, but haven't gotten around to putting my new Stoptech pads on yet (don't worry, it still has plenty of braking for daily driving -- I just can't pull 1/2 g with the brakes anymore, only 1/4 g). Advertised price is $250, but add the cost of a day off work and a Go Pro Hero 6 (which I've been waiting for the proper justification to get anyway). Oh, and I have to consider that I (probably?) ruined a wheel, which unfortunately contacted the edge of the pavement during my on-pavement slide maneuver. Nanny modes were disabled, paddle shifting was a no-go, had to read a book waiting for the shift response.
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[P22Tyler]

Cool! I daydream going out to Utah Motorsports Campus (formerly known as [Larry H.] Miller Motorsports Park) on one of their "Wide Open Wednesday" events and tooling around the track, and trying the skid pad, etc.

FWIW I did this in my GTI and while it's fun, they put cones in the corners and on the straights that force you to go way off line and slow down. So it's still a good time but they do a good job compromising your speed.

That may not matter to you but I just thought I'd give you a heads up should you ever decide to pull the trigger on this. It's still worth it IMO.

Also sorry if we've had this discussion before, it feels a bit familiar but I couldn't quite remember.

EDIT: I forgot I actually have some video of the track if you want to see it.

 

[MerlintheMad]

FWIW I did this in my GTI and while it's fun, they put cones in the corners and on the straights that force you to go way off line and slow down. So it's still a good time but they do a good job compromising your speed.

That may not matter to you but I just thought I'd give you a heads up should you ever decide to pull the trigger on this. It's still worth it IMO.

Also sorry if we've had this discussion before, it feels a bit familiar but I couldn't quite remember.

EDIT: I forgot I actually have some video of the track if you want to see it.

Thanks! That was very insightful. Yeah, as your ONE comment says, "deal breaker". I would be annoyed by the cones. Thanks for the heads up.

 

[P22Tyler]

Thanks! That was very insightful. Yeah, as your ONE comment says, "deal breaker". I would be annoyed by the cones. Thanks for the heads up.

It is kind of a bummer, but this isn't a serious track day obviously. It's meant to keep speeds down which is probably good considering most people will be using their daily drivers for this sort of thing.

I had my car on all season tires, really no prep at all, it was sort of last minute so I didn't really have much time to change things. The kerbs are obviously pretty rough so I avoided them for the most part too, didn't really use all of the track, etc. But it was still a lot of fun and somewhere you can do stupid things that would be illegal on regular roads. It doesn't look very fast on video but for example I was doing 60-70 MPH during the final slalom, so good fun can still be had, and it's pretty affordable. But whoever set it up knew what they were doing, they force you to go the absolute last place you'd want to go in a corner, or entering a corner, and really make you slow down.

If you wanted a serious track day they do have those, of course the requirements to get in are going to be much stiffer.

 

[MerlintheMad]

If you wanted a serious track day they do have those, of course the requirements to get in are going to be much stiffer.

Not "Wide Open Wednesdays", then. How often are the "serious track days" scheduled? I would only be interested in tracking my car seriously. I don't need the bloody cones, sheesh!? It's not like I am going to go Juan Fangio on everybody. Heh! All I'd do is take proper lines through curves and open it up a bit on the straight parts; early braking, stay off the painted "kerbs", etc. But, how would they know that? This would be a good case of "it's not what you know, it's who you know", in order for me to get out on somebody's track and tool around for a little while. Really, all I'd do is laps, secure in the knowledge that NOBODY is ever coming the opposite way, or side traffic entering, or anything at all but me and my rearview mirrors, so I can get out of the way.

So, Motorsports Park will likely not be my first (if ever) experience on a track. And if it is, it will be sans cones, and only after I have changed my brake fluid/lines out for higher temperature stuff; changed my pads and rotors, and acquired a helmet.