VIR

Have had my Supra A90 for 3 months now. Questions
1. Changed front pads - had same fading issue others have had. Went with Hawk - any thoughts?
2. Watched video on changing pads on A90, no mention of sensors. Found one on driver front, is that only one (haven’t looked at back yet)
3. What about seating of pads-didn’t find anything in with pads.

Tires - stock Michelin’s great but wear pretty quickly. Bought new set of Pilot 4S on new rims, will just change wheels on track day. IF I get them - just found out they are on back order.

And that brings me to: I’m going to VIR as part of the Toyota Supra thing. I’m an advanced non racer. Go to local track in Brainard WI several times a year. Any one have any thoughts on VIR?

I heard VIR is awesome track. brake pad wear sensors are only present on one side of axle (one in front, one in back). pads are expected to be replace on both side each time. since fluid circuit shares left & right, theoretically, it should wear same amount. I would've gone with GLOC or carbotech for track use. But not sure on hawk and i think it depends on compound of series it makes. from other car, S2000, Hawk track pad was slightly better than stock pad but inferior to GLOC. that was my experience. Supra's stock brake pads are actually pretty good and one thing i noticed is it's making grooves like LP and sort of bedded with pad that making larger contact point of rotor & pad. I feel like brake is even better after multiple days of track than before but that's just my feeling. Also, make sure to bed it properly before taking it to the track. enjoy.

Raehan said:

Any one have any thoughts on VIR?

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Have fun and avoid the grass if it rains

Hawk pads are more track leaning, so will see. Stocks really faded on hot day about 20 minutes in., Used EBC yellow stuff on Hellcat, were great but couldn’t find them when I originally ordered the pads.
1000 miles to VIR from here but I gotta try it at least once. On long track day BIR is great, come off long drag strip into NASCAR style sweeper, then on to a fast right before you have to really slow down.

Just use whatever brand and pad fits your budget and your objectives. If you're cooking the stock pads, grab something that performs in the higher temp range. The Hawk DTC line has been around forever and are bullet proof but dust like crazy -- typically high initial bite, a little less on modulation, and short on pad life. GLOCs (and Carbotechs) were my preferred compound when racing for longevity reasons but were more sensitive to bedding - whereas the hawks you can throw on any rotor and it'll make friends in a lap or two.

A dedicated track pad is going to be noisy as hell - so if you're doing just a couple events a year, slap in aggressive pads for the event and plop the stocks back in when done.

VIR is very easy on tires. Did 2 days on stock tires and had minimal wear. Brakes are another matter, and I made the mistake of trying to make stock pads work (this was last year so not many options available yet). Two huge braking zones per lap down from 140 mph or so to 55 or so and stock pads just give a really long pedal at first then overheat and smear and wear fast. Went to CSG C2 next and was huge improvement in feel and heat capacity.

VIR is a great track, and probably in the top 5 in USA. Stay at the track if possible....studio rooms over the garages in the paddock are awesome as you can park right outside your room and take a break up there during the day and it overlooks the front straight. Also renting a garage is awesome, especially in the summer to get out of the heat.

You can have fun and play around with the car in the slower corners, but be very careful with:
1) picking up speed in the uphill essess, they are over 120 mph in a stock Supra taken properly but it takes lots more curb than most think
2) turn 10 (south bend) as it has an early-ish apex, blind exit, and going wide at exit often pulls people back into inside wall
3) watch the curbs on full throttle exiting the lower esses (6b) as that is another fairly common area that catches higher torque cars off guard as a little wheel spin tends to start a slide into the inside wall here as well.

Did a little review of VIR with the Supra last year here: https://www.supramkv.com/threads/shakedown-of-my-new-supra-at-vir.2378/#post-54799

What Hawk pads are you speaking of? Didn't know they made full track pads for the A90 yet....

Got awhile ago, just installed. I think I got them from summit and they were described as a street track hybrid with better heat tolerance. Brembro’s on the Hellcat I had were great even on such a heavy car but fronts wore out quickly. Went to the EBC yellow stuff and was very happy with them but couldn’t find anything for Supra.
Excited about VIR but some trepidation also. BIR doesn’t have much in the way of elevation changes or blind curves except on long straight into sweeper. I like speed but sounds like I may winp out a bit here. But thanks - I will look at their map with the above in mind. Like fast, crumpling up my shiny new ride - not so much!

BTW - pads are super easy to change with exception of wear sensor, hard to get off old pad and hard to get on new one.

VIR is phenomenal. See which group, at Mid-Ohio, the Supra were all group 1 or 2 NASA,

Group 1. I have prior track experience and was told they will decide my track status once I get there.

Raehan said:

Group 1. I have prior track experience and was told they will decide my track status once I get there.

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just tell'm you only drive flat out and to be placed in the fastest run group.

VIR is great, had to start with an instructor and had limited track time to learn the course. Instructor was way to controlling, never got a good feel for the course and he kept telling me to ”slow down”. Wanted to stop and ask him to get out! Met lots of local weekend racers. Great bunch. Almost made me want to move there I want to try Road America, closer and looks really intimidating!
The Hawks were great, scared the s#$% out of instructor going down hill into right hander. Yah Hoo!!!