A "Parting" Gift from my first Track Day :p

"K-Roll-PorscheTamer" (k-roll390)
08/02/2017 at 12:32 • Filed to: Neat

Just noticed it today, five days later. It’s not curb rash from a public or boring neighborhood street, it’s curb rash from a track day, BRO!!

Or cars and coffee.... ;)

DISCUSSION (23)

E92M3 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 12:45

Stay off the rumble strips.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > E92M3
08/02/2017 at 12:49

Oh boy did I use those rumble strips. I used the heck outta them; to the point where my instructor said I was using them a tad bit much and to dial it down and remember to use the whole track. It took driving into one (what might’ve caused this in retrospect) while taking a corner too tight. :p

Grindintosecond > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 12:57

Using rumble strips Is using the whole track......

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 13:10

That’s a bad habit to get in to. Anything that isn’t a full on dedicated race car should only be using maybe 4 to 6 inches of the curb, if needed. Depending on the track, those rumbles can be 8 inches tall and will absolutely destroy your car.

E92M3 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 13:10

I had an instructor at Road Atlanta keep telling me to hit a rumble strip so I could carry more speed on corner exit. After that session I noticed it curbed the shit out my rims on that side, and pinched the sidewalls just like your picture.

Not worth a tenth of a second, especially for a HPDE.

Little Black Coupe Turned Silver > Grindintosecond
08/02/2017 at 13:10

Until you hit a patch of 8" gator teeth and rip your car apart.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Grindintosecond
08/02/2017 at 13:25

That’s what I was thinking at the time lol.

Grindintosecond > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 13:26

Who was that guy? A Proper gentleman racer with string backed gloves? “ You’r driving has become garish and improper. Please, sir, refrain from curbage ,”

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > E92M3
08/02/2017 at 13:27

Exactly. I was told to use them as necessary and when it was for a proper exit, exiting to a straight for example. But my initial thought was as with any and all apexes: USE THEM ALL!

Learned muh lesson by the third run.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Grindintosecond
08/02/2017 at 13:31

Well, technically I had two instructors, both told me not to use all the track but not all the rumble strips; in different wordings. Rumble strips should have safety orange labels saying “drivers discretion is advised”. :p

Grindintosecond > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 13:31

I suppose they are drivers budget restricted. Speed costs money.

Captain of the Enterprise > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 14:18

Where was it and how much for the track day. I would like to try that and live in metro Detroit. It would only be my 05 Corolla but I think it could still be fun plus I could bring my camera and take some shots.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 14:38

I think you need more air in your tires. You shouldn’t be scrubbing the side walls going around turns. I see that by the tread. I’m guessing your more obvious damage was from the tire rolling over the rim? Do you know what kind of PSI you had/have in there?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
08/02/2017 at 16:10

I had between 32-34psi in each tire before I left for the track day in the morning. What does it mean for the tire to roll over the rim?

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Captain of the Enterprise
08/02/2017 at 16:10

You’re moving here?? It’s at Waterford Hills. Its fun to drive and watch!

Captain of the Enterprise > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 16:29

I’ve been in metro Detroit my whole life. Currently I’m in downriver but I’m hoping to move to Dearborn next year.

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > Captain of the Enterprise
08/02/2017 at 16:34

Why the heck haven’t we gotten together at any point?? (Unless we have and my memory is very terribad and I apologize)

uofime-2 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 16:41

oh dear, that’s likely not nearly enough for that sort of tire with relatively soft sidewalls. I used to have to run 40 to keep mine from rolling over. different tire and car but similar situation

K-Roll-PorscheTamer > uofime-2
08/02/2017 at 17:02

I was thinking that temperature would increase the tire pressure enough....Next time I’ll go up to 38psi next time. Should that be a high enough starting point to see if it doesn’t happen again?

Captain of the Enterprise > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 18:01

We haven’t. I was going to go to the Michigan meet up but it was the same day as my sisters college graduation.

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/02/2017 at 19:55

You have the right idea. Temps and pressure will go up but you need to start higher. If you want to go low rent (advised) you can put white shoe polish on the tire from the bottom tread around to the sidewall (just one stripe will do) and see how much gets scrubbed off and inflate or deflate until you’re only slightly on the sidewall. Like 1/4" to 1/2" or so.

The more specific way to do it is with an infrared thermometer. Point the red dot at the center of your tread when you come off the track and compare with the inside and outside tread. If you have a large temp difference, say, higher at the center of the tread, you’re over inflated and driving only on the center on the tread. Let a little out. You want the tire to be the same temp across the treads.

I can tell that you left a ton of speed behind by the color of your tires too. The tread changes color from the heat. The sidewalls won’t match the tread. The tread turns a bluish color or a gray. I think your tires were rolling over and you lost a lot of speed with the loss of grip.

The good news is that you’re gonna be a hell of a lot quicker next time. The added pressure helps turn in too in a major way so the car will settle down in turns. You’ll be stoked. I’m already stoked for you.

uofime-2 > Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief
08/03/2017 at 09:25

the first part is really how to do it, because with street tires and their soft sidewalls, you might have to run the tire “over inflated” from a tread block perspective to keep the sidewall from rolling over

uofime-2 > K-Roll-PorscheTamer
08/03/2017 at 09:33

You’re right they absolutely will gain some pressure during a session, but often not enough and not fast enough. Indeed when your come off track you will want to check your pressures and you’ll often need to knock them down a bit between sessions.

Sure, 38 is a good starting point. Like flynorcal said use shoe polish or sidewalk chalk on your sidewalls to see if its still rolling over and adjust your pressure accordingly.

It’s better to be to high than to low. Which is convenient because its easy to tell you’re to low and hard to tell you’re too high, the only good way is to knock it down a psi or two and find out it wasn’t to low.

Tire pressures a very finicky aspect of tracking, but don’t sweat it to much. Your first events are really just for getting a feel for it and learning procedure and manners.