lobe50

Hi all.... Being new to this coming from drag racing Mustangs I am curious about trying the car out on a road race track?

I found that Thompson Speedway in CT is less than 30 min away and is having an all day event with instruction next week.

Am I crazy for taking a new C300 to the track to try it out?
Has anyone done this and how was it?
Thanks for the input!!

NYbenzzz

never drag raced mine, but i can imagine high 14's or low 15s on a bone stock c300.

nothing wrong with racing any car. i've seen plenty of people bringing cargo vans, LOL.

lobe50

Thanks... And just to be clear.. My post was regarding a road race track not quarter mile.
Sorry if I confused anyone...
I am asking about taking it on more of a handling type track w straight aways and curves..
Thanks

Bueller178

Go and have some fun!

lobe50

Thanks, I think I might give it a try. I miss drag racing a bit, so maybe this will fill the void for a bit lol

We will see how thise Pirelli P Zeros stick lol

lobe50

It is scheduled for this WED in CT

Chance of rain , but they said it is rain or shine.

Not so sure about ripping around the corners in the rain?? LOL

Shadwell

Thats what tread is for...


Don't be the first or last out at the end of the day..
Let others clear the racing line and most stacks are in that "one last session"

lobe50

Thanks for the advice!! Looking forward to it :-)

lobe50

So the update on my first track day:
It was an awesome experience!! We have drag raced for many years, so this is a whole new world. I had a great instructor and by the 2nd out of 4 sessions out I was in the front of the pack passing Z06's. Now by no means am I saying my car is faster than a Z06. I learned quickly the power is needed , BUT not what wins those kind of races. It is all about the driving skill, suspension and tires. You really have to use your brain 100% of the time. It was setup to not actually be a "race", so if less experienced drivers were approached on their instructor would have them wave you by if you were on their *** LOL.

So speaking of tires ....It started to drizzle toward the end and of course I pushed it just a bit to hard in a very tight turn and just slid the front tire onto the cement border. As I accelerated through it the concrete spit the inner side wall. I was running Pirelli P Zero Run flats that came on the AMG wheels I bought.

I was going to replace just 1 tire, BUT started trying to research if there were better tire options to use as a summer tire while throwing in 2-3 times a year at the track??

So new question is what are your tire recommendations? And would I need to replace all 4 or can you just do the front 2 since the rest are all in good condition.

Thanks for any input!!

DapperStyle

Replacing 1 or all 4 depends on the tread depth of the other tires. Tire Rack does tire truing/shaving and will shave a tire down to match your current depth.

My opinion is get some Michelin Pilot Super Sports if you want a summer tire that can handle a couple track days a year. You won't regret it.

lobe50

Thank you!! I measured the rears at 7/32
The other front tire that survived the day measures 4 to 5 /32 on shoulder and 6/32 in the middle

Jawknee_5

I use to Autocross my 2005 WRX STI and was running Potenza which stuck to the asphalt like gum on a hot day (not sure if that's a good analogy). Later in the cars life, I switch over to Nitto Motivo, which had a stiff sidewall for those hairpin turns. I really miss those days.

Like you mention, autocrossing and drag racing are at two ends of the spectrum. Why I love autocrossing was the adrenaline you get going from a straightaway to a turn which IMO takes a lot of skills. It's not about HP but essentially driver skills and a precise tune machine. I've seen a Honda CRX take out big boys.

With that said, you should look into suspension and perhaps bigger disc brakes. Tuning is the name of the game and a few twitch here and there will make a big difference to your car.

Glad you had a great time....I miss those days and hopefully be out on the track in the future with my C400