First track day question. Perform maintenance now or after?

I'm kinda anal about oil changes in my vehicles, I change it every 3k and I use synthetic. I would suggest that you just go ahead and change it out before the track event.
Have a great time and post pic's if possible.

Gregg

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTF5ZnSVoH8

 

I always recommend to change after.

 

That guy carried way to much speed into that section and learned an expensive lesson.

 

Actually, he was carrying the appropriate speed IF his car positioning and timing had been correct. This is the same place that totaled five, count 'em FIVE, 360 Challenge cars in May of 2000 before there were tires at the jersey barriers on drivers right and before they moved that wall back a hundred feet. Same accident, worse results.

If you look at the corvette in front, he is taking a correct line and stays further left LONGER on the flat, lefthand bend leading into the uphills.

You can see that the Audi driver is "straightlining" the two early curbs (one on the bend to the left towards the BEGINNING of right curb before the crest at T7), resulting in a hopelessly early apex at T7.

As the car gets light at the crest (the aft part of the right side T7 apex curbing), he is forced by his early entry and his desire not to run out of road on the left to crank in steering input PRECISELY as the car becomes unweighted. He should have opened the wheel and driven straight over the grass on the left.

He also should not have been doing that in someone elses car...

At VIR, the first thing I tell people about T7 is to make a straight line between the end of the righthand apex curb at T7 to the middle of the curb on the left at T8. This will force you to "late" T7 enough so that you HAVE NO STEERING INPUT when the car gets light.

Incredibly dumb and unnecessary accident...

 

Yes I noticed all those thing's also but your insight and what seem's to be personal knowledge of the track is very much appreciated not just from me but I know
'wedouglas' appreciates it also.

Thank's,
Gregg

 

Sounds like the smart approach. You'll have a great time--definitely have someone take photos and post them! Or better yet, try video.

 

do a thorough check if all the fluids are at least decent save the maintenance until after. a track day is very hard on the fluids tho so it might be wise to at least do an oil change before if it's almost time.

 

Was that Anthony Hamilton driving by any chance?

 

You're going to love it. The car is fantastic on-track. It's the "loose nut behind the wheel" that controls your destiny. Sounds like you're sensible.

Add speed slowly, because it's very hard to take it off!

 

lmfao poor guy


"please don't hit the wall ****kkkkkk"

 

As a rule do R8 drivers not track their cars if you have to ask the question here and not on the dedicated sites ?

 

The thinking on the service after the track event is that the synthetic "factory fill" oil in the new(er) car is near the end of it's service life and that elevated oil temperatures, besides burning off the condensate and other dilution agents (fuel from cold starts) will turn the oil dark. The additive package changes color above a certain temperature and so I recommended for years (and still do) that you have your oil and fluids changed after the track event for a nice long service interval before the next one.

The exception to this is, of course, brake fluid, which should be changed before (unless the car is less than three or four months old) the track event, due to the hygroscopic (water absorption) charactaristics, which lower boiling temperature.

 

Given that, I'd say just wait for the normal service interval.

 

cool, thanks for your analysis!

I would add, in the first place the driver is sitting too far back from the steering wheel.

 

If this is your first time you will be nowhere near the limits of the car. So I would change oil after and just bleed brakes before, check all fluids before and add a few extra lbs of air to the tires and bring a tire gauge with you to the track. It is always easy to take out air but hard to add unless you have planed for a way to do that. It should be pretty hot just about anywhere in north america so bring plenty of water for yourself. Know where the temp gauge is on your car and until you get confident with how your car performs take a glance at the temp gauge on the straights. Check your oil level at lunch and your fuel level. When in doubt "never lift off the gas". "If you spin put both feet in". The faster you go the farther you need to look down track.

 

Challenge Race weekend? or open track day?

 

Nope, it was that first Challenge weekend. Either 2000 or 2001, can't remember. There were three on the Thursday test day and two more during the weekend that were damaged badly enough not to continue. Two more went off during the weekend but suffered only flesh wounds... The number seven total sticks in my mind.

 

The story was that the driver was an instructor. The owner was in the passenger seat. It was the driver that was praying, and cursing...

 

>Thanks. I was told the same thing about the brake fluid. The car is only 2.5 months from new, so I'm >guessing that's fine.

Depends on how long the brake fluid was in the car before you bought it. Personally I'd change it, but I've gotten more conservative as I've gotten older....