How important are good tires for road course racing for a total newb

[jimbow]

Originally Posted by stevey_frac

Just to confirm Jimbow...

You're doing this with the stock V6 Calipers? Not the SS brakes?

Yep, stock v6 brakes.
I've been doing HPDE, Instructing and Time Trials for almost 20 years.

I was at Barber Motorsports Park last weekend.
Brakes - never boiled the fluid
They worked well (I need to check to see if I need new pads before the next event.
Before this event I changed to the RS rims and better tires (500 treadware)
Played a little with pressures, the tires worked better starting at 30psi
When I made a couple laps under 2 min I was happy and done for the weekend (as its set up a bonsai lap would be in the 1:40 range) which would have been a good time trial time. Since I was only instructing that 2 min time is my goal, keeps the tires from squealing at every turn but is quick enough to pass more folks than having folks pass me

I love this car - need to see if someone can remove the speed limiter and then it will be my non-race track car. I have a Corvette for my race car - need to get an engine in it. Maybe the weather gods will shine on me and I can get it ready for May.

[jessrayo]

Originally Posted by jimbow

Yep, stock v6 brakes.
I've been doing HPDE, Instructing and Time Trials for almost 20 years.

I was at Barber Motorsports Park last weekend.
Brakes - never boiled the fluid
They worked well (I need to check to see if I need new pads before the next event.
Before this event I changed to the RS rims and better tires (500 treadware)
Played a little with pressures, the tires worked better starting at 30psi
When I made a couple laps under 2 min I was happy and done for the weekend (as its set up a bonsai lap would be in the 1:40 range) which would have been a good time trial time. Since I was only instructing that 2 min time is my goal, keeps the tires from squealing at every turn but is quick enough to pass more folks than having folks pass me

I love this car - need to see if someone can remove the speed limiter and then it will be my non-race track car. I have a Corvette for my race car - need to get an engine in it. Maybe the weather gods will shine on me and I can get it ready for May.

I suspected those brakes would work fine if you had the right pads and the right fluid. I'm fairly certain any good tuner could remove the limiter for you. Just make some calls.

[Norm Peterson]

I suspect that removing the speed limiter might be cause for stepping up a bit with the pads such as from XP8's to XP10's.

But without forced induction, or a pretty high entry speed to the longer straights, or straights effectively a bit longer than half a mile I'm wondering how much past about 120 you're actually going to see.

Your 2012 LS in stock tune runs about the same power as I have in my '08 GT, and I can touch just past 120 at NJMP/Lightning and get slowed enough for T1 to not squeal the tires, and that's with about 2600' to play with coming out of T9. That's a close enough match to what an acceleration sim predicts I need for distance to have some confidence in.

Your LS' brakes are fractionally bigger than mine (but have to deal with a couple hundred lbs or so more weight), and I was feeling some fade with XP8's toward the end of a 25 minute session in 50° weather with two hard braking zones spaced about half a lap apart.


Norm

[jimbow]

Originally Posted by Norm Peterson

I suspect that removing the speed limiter might be cause for stepping up a bit with the pads such as from XP8's to XP10's.

But without forced induction, or a pretty high entry speed to the longer straights, or straights effectively a bit longer than half a mile I'm wondering how much past about 120 you're actually going to see.

Your 2012 LS in stock tune runs about the same power as I have in my '08 GT, and I can touch just past 120 at NJMP/Lightning and get slowed enough for T1 to not squeal the tires, and that's with about 2600' to play with coming out of T9. That's a close enough match to what an acceleration sim predicts I need for distance to have some confidence in.

Your LS' brakes are fractionally bigger than mine (but have to deal with a couple hundred lbs or so more weight), and I was feeling some fade with XP8's toward the end of a 25 minute session in 50° weather with two hard braking zones spaced about half a lap apart.


Norm

Barber - speed limiter not a problem
VIR, Road Atlanta, even CMP and Roebling - Speed limiter :(
VIR Back straight was the first time I saw that silly little message just as I was passing the south paddock, that's a long straight. I was sure I was gonna hit 140 and have to brake real early for the turn at the end.

Yea, when I get the speed limiter removed I'll be calling the good folks at Carbotech for a set of front XP10.
I run xp12/10 right now on my Corvette - I'll probably move to XP16 or 24/XP12 later this year (I think I got the numbers right - don't quote me on that)

I'm a Carbotech guy - especially after the guys in the C5 corvettes were cracking rotors every day using the Hawk DTC compounds