Worried about tracking my Supra

[razorlab]

I remember doing Track days before there was any such thing. We called them open practice days back then and they were held the Wednesday before a scheduled race meeting at that particular track. The only requirement was a current race licence. It was cars of any type, carts and bikes. Twenty minutes on track for each so 20min on and 40 min off. I used to watch the Supercarts going around and thought if I was going to get involved in 4 wheeled track stuff thats the way I would go. Those things were fast as, quicker than anyone from memory on the short tracks.
Phil

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[lucky phil]

Please tell us more about your glory days.

I will when they're over.
Phil

 

[Rocksandblues]

worried and tracking don't go together well.
AutoX events are a good way to learn and get comfortable w car control. Worse case is eating cones.

My local track has a ladder system of events- where you start with lead follow events at parade pace, then track attack where they take out the challenging or risky sections and then track cross then hpde w instructors, and on.

 

[FLtrackdays]

Anyways, in Assetto Corsa I do decent with the lower powered cars like the Miata and gt86 but when I step up to cars with more power I seem to have more issues with control. I think this is part of the reason I am more nervous tracking the Supra.

So…why get rid of the 86 if you feel like the Supra is too much car for you? 86 is the perfect starter car, and it sounds like that’s where you’re comfortable.

Agree. If you haven’t gotten rid of your GR86 and don’t need to financially, don’t do it. Keep it until you really get comfortable driving it on track. Once you’ve moved up to solo qualified and are comfortable passing and being passed anywhere on track, move on over to the Supra. Every car should be driven like a momentum car, including the Supra. Being forced to maintain that momentum will translate over much easier if you do just that

 

[TurboZX10R]

Just don’t crash.

 

[exe36m3]

I'm a big fan of the BMW Car Club of America. Your track days all get instructors and it's got a pretty vibrant auto-x program. Look up your local chapter. The people you meet will be local vendors, race car drivers, etc.
The Supra has gotten pretty positive support from its BMW cousins!

 

[RedSupra]

You also don’t hurt yourself or die when you crash in a video game. You also don’t have to pay for insurance to cover a car you crash in a video game. You also don’t hurt other people if you crash into their cars at high speed in a video game.

Real life and its causes and effects have a tendency to be a check valve on driving on the track and self preservation in general. Well, at least for most.

Exactly. I can safely try different things in a sim without those worries to see what happens when I do X and the consequences are Y. It also shows me that going from a low powered momentum car to a high powered car is much different and how much faster things can get out of control.

When I was on track with the GR86 I was on the slower end of the novice group still trying to figure out how to push the car knowing that it was was still on the stock Primacy tires which were definitely not the best for the track.

So yes self preservation of my self and my instructor and not getting into any wrecks in real life is completely different.

 

[RedSupra]

Agree. If you haven’t gotten rid of your GR86 and don’t need to financially, don’t do it. Keep it until you really get comfortable driving it on track. Once you’ve moved up to solo qualified and are comfortable passing and being passed anywhere on track, move on over to the Supra. Every car should be driven like a momentum car, including the Supra. Being forced to maintain that momentum will translate over much easier if you do just that

I have not gotten rid of the GR86 yet but close to it. I can afford it and the cost of the track plus insurance. Between the wife and I we have 4 cars on the road so monthly insurance is close to $500 and we don't have any accidents. I also pay storage costs in the winter for the Supra and GR86 so everything adds up eventually. All the cars are paid off so that's a plus. I just feel like I am pissing money away on 2 fun cars when I can only drive one at a time and maybe put some of the money I save from insurance and storage to better wheels and tires and to improve the Supra.

 

[Davo307]

Coming from someone who's been tracking over a decade with nearly 200 track days under their belt I say stick with the 86. I do a lot of coaching; frpm super novice to the very advanced level (looking for fractions of a second).

For all of the new Supra guys I get at the track for their first experience it's always an "interesting" time. You own the 86 now, you know that car, get comfortable in that car now before you double the power under your right foot.

If you jump to the Supra now I suspect you pick up bad habits that you carry with you your tracking career. I see this every weekend I'm out there.

The cost of running an 86 is cheaper than the Supra. Enjoy that car for now.

Also, I loved Pitt Race when I was up there for Nationals in 23'!

*edit

If you don't plan on buying a new Supra than tracking the 86 for another year or two means the prices on used Supras come down a lot more and make your Supra purchase cheaper.

 

[spaghettihoes]

Thanks for all the replies.

I forgot to mention I built a racing sim (nothing fancy) and I am playing Assetto Corsa and have been trying to get better. I know it's not real life but I think it has helped me out. I have gotten decent at Watkins Glen enough to be comfortable with the track but I am still having issues with Pitt Race. Those are the 2 tracks I have done with my GR86. At Watkins Glen I had an in car instructor and Pitt Race was lead follow. I think having an instructor in car is much better for me.

Anyways, in Assetto Corsa I do decent with the lower powered cars like the Miata and gt86 but when I step up to cars with more power I seem to have more issues with control. I think this is part of the reason I am more nervous tracking the Supra.

I used to race formula Mazda and tracked my Evo/240sx when I was younger but lived in NYC and didn't own a car for 12 years. During that time I relied on sim racing and karting (125cc rotax) to keep my skills up and after getting back into tracking again last year I can confidently say that the skills carry over.

The biggest one is obviously track knowledge but you build reactions and learn to anticipate car behavior which definitely matches and I was shocked at how similar (and arguably easier) real life was. I had a few hairy oversteer moments (especially when my front sway bar endlink broke off) and my instincts to correct the car from Asseto Corsa worked exactly like in the sim.

The anxiety of real life is definitely different and it changed the way I used the sim. When I was competing in leagues or hot lapping I would start by going too fast and then finding the limit by slowing down, now in the sim I try to progressively find the limit while minimizing major mistakes as you would in real life. That's a skill that you aren't incentivized to do in sim but it is really valuable when you're on track IRL.

 

[GRMan]

I am most likely getting rid of my GR86 and I have only done 2 track days in it, but would like to continue with at least 2 to 4 days a year if possible. I am worried about something happening to my Supra and of course that is the risks we take. I'm still a novice so sometimes I think the Supra is too much car for me.

From everything I have read here it seems the stock brakes, pads, and MPSS tires would be adequate for me to start and I would just have to bleed the brakes with some RBF. I know sway bars are recommended as well but not needed right away.

After reading through everything here, is there something I am overlooking? I don’t want it to be a garage queen as they are meant to be driven and my goal is not to be the fastest person on the track, but to just have some fun for a day. Am I being over apprehensive about tracking my Supra?

Think you are overthinking it.

I have had both (the 86 is gone now but missing it), the Supra is a more sophisticated version of the 86. The biggest difference is the amount of grip the Supra has over the 86. The 86 is quite eager to oversteer, but controllable once it starts to slide. The Supra tends to fight the slide (and regain traction) so it’s harder to drive at the limit. This is the handling dynamics I have come across when both are on stockish suspensions.

This means you will be be fine on the Supra as long as you don’t try to find its limit until you really get to know the car.

 

[FLtrackdays]

I have not gotten rid of the GR86 yet but close to it. I can afford it and the cost of the track plus insurance. Between the wife and I we have 4 cars on the road so monthly insurance is close to $500 and we don't have any accidents. I also pay storage costs in the winter for the Supra and GR86 so everything adds up eventually. All the cars are paid off so that's a plus. I just feel like I am pissing money away on 2 fun cars when I can only drive one at a time and maybe put some of the money I save from insurance and storage to better wheels and tires and to improve the Supra.

If your driving group offers the cheap insurance for being towed off track or need to repair the facility, do that. Otherwise, I don’t buy track insurance. Take that same amount of money and put it in a money market account if anything was to happen. That’ll easily take car of any damages from you not listening to your instructor or driving like a jackass. Sounds like you’re the type of person that won’t go beyond what they’re telling you and you’ll be fine.

That’ll save you a ton of coin. Just going at the green group pace until you’re comfortable. Pay a pro if you’re really worried about learning how to pick up the best habits you can carry forward. That would be cheaper than track insurance as well.

 

[Kroberter]

Ppf the front, get rock guards and save your money for tires. The Supra is a weapon right out of the box. I wouldn’t do anything until you know how your driving style impacts the car. You’ll start to see what needs improvement from there. Don’t let one of us idiots tell you how to track your car.
The car will handle track days all day long if you take it a little easy on braking and turn in. I’ve done 3 full tanks of fuel in one day all on track and it never skipped a beat.

 

[NES]

I am most likely getting rid of my GR86 and I have only done 2 track days in it, but would like to continue with at least 2 to 4 days a year if possible. I am worried about something happening to my Supra and of course that is the risks we take. I'm still a novice so sometimes I think the Supra is too much car for me.

From everything I have read here it seems the stock brakes, pads, and MPSS tires would be adequate for me to start and I would just have to bleed the brakes with some RBF. I know sway bars are recommended as well but not needed right away.

After reading through everything here, is there something I am overlooking? I don’t want it to be a garage queen as they are meant to be driven and my goal is not to be the fastest person on the track, but to just have some fun for a day. Am I being over apprehensive about tracking my Supra?

It depends on the track. If it’s a track known to be hard on brakes, you’ll need pads, or pit out early once you feel brake fade. High performance brake fluid is a must. Put it in sport mode and leave the nannies on.

Driving 8/10’s on a track will always be more fun than 10/10’s on the streets. At 8/10’s, you should have a safe day driving with a reputable track organization. Enjoy the Supra!!

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