Quote:
Originally Posted by BRDHNTR
Oh man, I wish this thread started last week. I am going up to the Glen this weekend with the GVC of BMW CCA. I have never been on a track before, so I am nervous as it is. I think that I will watch the youtube video a couple times to get a feel for the layout of the track. The maps just don't help as you can't see the elevation changes and camber changes. I am running the OEM tire setup, and I just put new brake fluid in but I left the pads on as they seemed to have a lot of material left on them.
That said, I am not too worried as my lack of experience and lack of slicks should keep my speeds/mechanical stress down as well. Oh, and I was planning on leaving DSC ON. Do you think I should use MDM? I have no plans to turn the system OFF.
So nervous.
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Being nervous is good!
Try to relax while being nervous though. A little trick my first instructor taught me on how to relax was this.. Before you start out, grip the wheel as tight as possible, close your eyes and take a deep breath, let it all out slowly. Then take off..
Good job swapping the fluid out. You will be totally fine on stock gear, especially if you have no prior experience. All the race pads and compounds do is let you go faster. It is not safer and actually with r compounds that dont make noise, its less safe because there is no warning of grip loss, they just let go! You need to drive wihtin the limits of the car, and if your limit on stock gear is 10 seconds slower, who the hell cares!! You're still having fun, right? Its not a race, its a way to safely experience your car near the limit.
Work on:
1. Being smooth
2. keeping your eyes open all around you, look far ahead
3. learning the line (watch Lucid video a LOT, he has good lines - look where he is turning in, where he is on track entering a turn, how smooth his inputs are..). Don't worry too much about pre-learning track camber and elevation - most of it is obvious when you're on track, and there are very few off-camber corners, and even those are not bad.
You instructor will guide you so trust him, especially if he has m3 experience - most clubs try to match up driver's car type with students. Let him drive your car, you'll be scared to do so, but its fine. Watch where he's turning in, where he is braking - use the braking signs on the side for reference. Start at the first braking sign, then move in as you feel comfortable.
MDM etc - Initially, leave it all on, use sporty on throttle and suspension (pre-setup M mode for this so you dont have to hit a bunch of buttons in line). Use MDM later in the day or next day when you know the track more. I wouldn't turn it all off your first time out, especially on a fast track like WGI.
You are about to experience one of the most fun things you'll ever do. Have fun, relax and enjoy it safely. Watkins Glen is an AWESOME racetrack.
PS - bring and drink LOTS of water. Force feed it, you wont realize it but you can get dehydrated quickly.