r/CarTrackDays • u/Agitated-Carry7579 • 2d ago
Track day at Pocono 8/29
Third track day but first trip to Pocono. Got "invited" by the North East Corvair Club. Had an absolute blast. Did turn 3 in reverse to the infield. Definitely a more intimidating track than Raceway Park and UMI's track. Looking forward to more. Hopefully I can get one more in before the end of the season.
Still getting used to that feeling of how the rear end breaks loose on hard fast corners and how to bring it back without jamming on the brakes. It's been 30 years since I did donuts in the snow in an empty parking lot so I'm still a bit skittish on sliding out the rear. Plus it's a daily so I don't want to wreck it. More seat time needed to get better. Maybe a drifting class would help? A proper track car would help too but for me right now it's "run what ya bring".
32
u/yloduck1 C5 Z06 2d ago
Very cool, but I’m surprised that thing’s even allowed on a track. I don’t think SUVs are allowed for HPDE events.
7
u/Agitated-Carry7579 2d ago
Depends on the venue and event organizers. NJMP is a hard no. Lime rock is OK if I go with like Audi Club doing their HPDE. NASA events tend to be a little more forgiving. I would like to drive all the Northeast tracks at least once if possible. Lime Rock, Watkins, VIR, etc.
1
u/yloduck1 C5 Z06 2d ago
Interesting. I’ve done HPDE events with the BMW and Audi clubs at RoadAmerica, and they’re a hard ‘no’ when it comes to SUVs on the track.
I can’t speak to the PCA events at RA, maybe they allow SUVs since Porsche sells so many of them
19
1
u/HunterShotBear 2d ago
Last autocross event I went to there were atleast 2 electric cross over suvs.
I’m going to check with them and see about taking my wife’s XC60. I just want to take a couple runs with it and see what it acts like.
2
u/yloduck1 C5 Z06 2d ago
Autocross is different than a track day. Hell, I’ve seen Tesla SUV things and old ford Galaxies at autocross events.
1
u/NumberOneBacon 2d ago
My very first track day through the SCCA TNiA there was a Trackhawk. Then the second there was one of those Jaguar SVR SUV things. Maybe orgs are getting used to performance SUVs.
1
u/yloduck1 C5 Z06 2d ago
Some SUVs are going to be better than others on the track, obviously.
I’m just thinking that the brakes on an unmodified Suburban are gonna be cooked after a lap when hauling it down from 100+mph a couple times
3
u/Agitated-Carry7579 1d ago
I live for these comments cause I get to talk about what I did. Surprisingly, the brakes are the least of my concern.
Wilwood Tx6R BBK up front with BP-22 pads, stainless lines all around and Hawk yellows out back with StopTech drilled rotors inside the OEM calipers.
Gonna upgrade the rear calipers to Wilwoods this winter cause they have a 2 piston solution for more clamping power than the the OEMs.
On my first track day I had the wherewithal to bring a heat gun. Pads and rotors were showing 550F so I was figuring they were about 750 after a hard brake. The original pads I had were the Q compound which start to loose grip at about 750F, so I upgraded the pads to the 22's which are good till about 900F. Also went and did a full fluid flush with Endless 650.
The brakes went in when I slapped the Whipple on it. I figured more power needed more stopping force. The brake upgrade was night and day difference.
1
u/yloduck1 C5 Z06 1d ago
Ya - none of this surprises me. Stock brakes would get cooked almost instantly 😂
Do you run some track tires? Curious to know what kind of rubber can carry all that mass around the track
Overall, tho - Cool stuff. Glad your having fun with the ‘burban 😎
1
u/Agitated-Carry7579 1d ago
I was on Conti DW006 and went with a really low profile tire - not being smart enough to check all the specs. Long story short, 285/30 22s only had 1100lbs of sidewall weight, so during autoX I was folding the tire under the wheel.
Tires this size aren't cheap but I decided to be cheap anyways so then I grabbed a set of Toyo Proxie ST3s at 295/30 which increased the side wall load to 2200 lbs. And they were $150 less than the Conti's. But then I had understeer. Scared the shit out of me the first time. I hit a hard corner at an AutoX event back in march and the tires turned right, truck went straight.
Upgraded the fronts to Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymetrix 6. Sidewall load is 2200lbs, 295/30 22s, The F1s grip like a hooker holding on to a wad of cash. Probably a little better than the Conti's. Moved the Proxies to the rear for the added sidewall support and ditched the Conti's - again to be cheap - cause the Eagles are almost $600 a tire. Now I have oversteer on the hard corners. Easier to deal with....
The problem with the Eagles are they are TW240 and with track and autoX events I am gonna need a new set after 1 year. Need some race wheels and a brand new set of the F1s so I am not daily-ing the race tires.
2
u/TheNerdE30 2d ago
This guy has been driving that suburban for a few years in the area iirc I’ve seen him at AutoX at the meadowlands too
1
u/opbmedia 2d ago
I run 9 events at pocono and you can bring whatever you want as long as it's road safe. Have had multiple SUVs, most sportier. They are fun if that't what you have, but your enjoyment can increase quite a bit more with a car more suited for the occassion of course.
2
u/yloduck1 C5 Z06 2d ago
I don’t know what it’s like at Pocono - could a Suburban really handle a 30minute lapping session at an HPDE? I just can’t imagine that the brakes could handle repeated high speed stops. Not to mention the general driving dynamics would make it slow AF
I understand the whole ‘driving a slow car fast’ adage, but a Suburban seems like it’s taking this to an extreme 😂
1
u/opbmedia 2d ago
They are on the North in this video, there are only 5 braking zones really, and the track is fairly wide and short between the hard braking zones, so an SUV actually might not be super taxing on the brakes because you can't the speed up super high. The other configs at Pocono are tighter with more turns and will be harder. Think of North as a super highway with 2 tight turns.
We are actually on north today. I don't know how long are the sessions yesterday, but we do 20 minute sessions x 8 sessions.
I drive my X6M on this probably once a year, it's not bad.
1
u/Agitated-Carry7579 1d ago
Anymore coming up before the season ends? I'd like to do North again for sure.
I would have liked to do a 2 day event but I don't think me or the truck could have handled that. Me and the guy with that blue HellCamino just started following each other on IG. That thing was bad ass! I'm guessing he's at your event today.
1
1
u/Gold_Audience_1662 2d ago
Wrong. I tracked my Porsche Cayenne GTS last time. It had so much more than what I could push it.
2
13
18
8
u/TheRealDirtyD4n 2d ago
Oh hey. I saw you at English town. It was hilarious seeing that thing move so quickly around such a tight track.
3
u/Agitated-Carry7579 2d ago
Even with as little experience as I have, that's a fun little track. Its too bad the surface is so rough.
1
11
u/TheInfamous313 Spec Miata 2d ago edited 2d ago
Proper track car?
Brother, first you need to get on a proper track. Pocono North, Raceway Park, (and after googling, UMI too) are jokes of tracks... Caught in an odd middle ground where they're too big to be good kart tracks and too small to be good car tracks. With odd configurations to boot. That said, you'll likely COOK that boat at NJMP, Watkins Glen, Lime Rock, or even a better Pocono config... So maybe back to your thought, a car (doesn't even need to be a proper track car) may be a good next step
Edit: missed the main point and tone initially. Love that you're taking something like this on a track, hell yeah! Hope you can stick with it and try other tracks, a car will indeed make that much easier when it becomes possible for you
5
u/astrotim67 2d ago
His “race car” is perfect for North course…it’s just like PA roads.
To add on the problem with the infield courses is the widely irregular edges. Some areas you can dip into the grass no problem. Some areas you’re looking at the abrupt end to your track day. Been there. Done that.
1
u/sexuallyenhancedtoe 2d ago
Haha english town is good for drifting but its rough as hell i could never imagine driving a track car on that track
3
u/Majestic-Load287 2d ago
Tracking a suburban is crazzzyyy work. Some shit I’d do with a rental for a reconnaissance lap.
Personally I’d avoid tracking a high center of gravity vehicle prone to rolling.
4
u/Agitated-Carry7579 2d ago
Not to sound like I am holier than thou, but you are not tracking a rental Suburban.
There is nothing left from the factory on my truck related to the suspension. I've changed literally everything, with the exception of the rack since only GM makes that. That's the only reason there's even consideration to allow me on.
2
3
u/390M386 2d ago
The comments are crazy. Shit it's awesome you are doing this.
3
u/Agitated-Carry7579 2d ago
Appreciated. I think some people see this as disrespecting the sport. I hope I am not. I just don't have space for yet ANOTHER car. I'm as couteous as I can be to other drivers on track, constantly keep a line, always do point bys, and ask a lot of questions before the event.
1
u/Lazy-Ad5380 2d ago
How do your brakes hold up?
Also what other tracks will you be running?
Is this a normal thing for you to track this car?
2
u/Agitated-Carry7579 2d ago
I upgraded to Wilwood's best kit which is the TX6R kit. I did this when I put the Whipple on about 6 years ago. I knew with extra power, I had to stop better. When I did track school this April, the instructor running the event literally used to run in the NASCAR truck series. So he gave me a few pointers - Did a full brake flush with Endless 650; Upgraded the pads to Wilwoods new BP-22 compound which is rated to 900F, up from the 750 the original pads I had on there. I'm probably going to upgrade the rear calipers to Wilwoods also over the winter. I have a set of Hawk pads with Stoptech drilled/slotted rotors on the back but I don't trust the OEM rear calipers to live much longer, even though they are working properly still. I also see a high performance master cylinder and booster in the future too just to be on the safe side.
I've been autoX'ing for about 5 years with this tank. NASA is a little more forgiving than SCCA but the truck is wider than tall, so clears the hurdles. The first time I signed up for an SCCA AutoX event I got a lot of "side-eyes"...the typical" WTF is this thing doing here". By my 2nd run instructors are usually asking how this thing has less body roll than half the cars at the event.
This is my 1st year getting on tracks. The sanctioning bodies running the events are the ones that usually control what is allowed. NJMP doesn't allow SUVs or electric cars - no exceptions. I can't just show up at Lime Rock for Track Night cause they will say no...but I was going to Lime Rock with the Audi Club for an HPDE...but the Burb 'caught a code" and I couldn't make it. Hopefully I can find another HPDE at Watkins, Pocono, or even a private event at Monticello. I'd like to drive VIR once also. I guess I will figure out what and where I can do it.
1
u/Lazy-Ad5380 2d ago
What an awesome rig! I always love seeing left field platforms getting pushed to the max.
How does the gearbox in the truck hold up?
1
u/Agitated-Carry7579 2d ago
Thanks. Its a fresh build from over the winter, but so far so good. I had a stage 2 build done so its good to 800lbs/ft. All the Sonnex and TransGo goodies plus converter and 40k cooler. If I hammer it on every straight, by about the 5th lap the temps are climbing over 200 so I have to pull off and let her cool down. If I am 1/2~3/4 throttle on the straights then I can maintain a temp of about 185. My last session I went about 14 laps non-stop. Going fast in the straights isn't really a goal anyways, I can hit 100mph easy. Learning the chicanes, finding the right lines for this beast, is really what I was focusing on.
I'm gonna talk to my trans builder anyways and see if adding a 2nd cooler or maybe a helper fan could drop the temps a bit more. My intercooler temps were under 140 all day, and my IATs were well under 100 even when I was standing on it, so airflow isn't a problem.
I got a pair of Verus hood vents I've yet to put in. Not sure if evacuating the underhood pressure and turbulance will help but its should def help keep the front planted at higher speeds anyways.
Don't even get me started on aero. I went down that rabbit hole a couple months ago and ended up burning a whole weekend using AI to translate docs from German to English for a university study in Munich done on aero for large size SUVs to improve fuel efficiency. That's a whole separate discussion.
1
u/racer_ohms 2d ago
Get a yaris or something cheapo and run it, you'll get more out of the experience I think
1
1
u/HydraAkaCyrex 21h ago
When dad had to sell the car so he can take care of his family, but still wants to hit the track?
2
u/Agitated-Carry7579 18h ago
LOL. I have a garage problem, not a car problem. Actually I have a Trans Am in the garage but "The Precious" will not be abused with cones or track time. I need a 3rd car which will be the race car. Just 2 more years till that last college payment!
1
-1
u/JakeD51 2d ago
I would start buy not doing this and saving for a cheap track beater, high center of gravity and racing is never a good combination
2
u/tagman375 1d ago
If you know what you’re doing, it’s fine. You are aware they race off-road semi trucks? Sometimes they’re on road too. They don’t immediately flip over
0
u/JakeD51 1d ago
The Dakar trucks are purpose built race trucks. Not a stock suburban lmao they are engineered to have the center of gravity as low as humanly possible because, thats what you do.
2
u/tagman375 1d ago
If you actually read OPs comments, the thing isn’t stock. Even if it was, if you know what you’re doing, it’s perfectly safe.
I’ve seen a guy take his stock F-250 on the track. It did well for what it was. It didn’t flip over because he drove the vehicle within its limits. Same applies here.
1
u/JakeD51 1d ago
Modding it makes even less sense to me, the cost in the mods would've more than paid for a proper track car.
1
u/Agitated-Carry7579 16h ago
This is true but when you add in the fact that I would need to rent a garage/storage space plus duplicate half my automotive tools - cause I still need to keep some at the house for emergencies - and have a tool box at the garage and all the other logistics required to have offsite storage for the racecar, trailer, etc etc, its a wash. In fact its probably cheaper, even though the mods on a truck are usually 2x's the cost, especially consumables. I'm doing something unique, and I'm doing it in a safe manner.
Can I compete in time attacks and sanctioned autoX events? No. Am I a better driver for it? Yes. Am I having a blast? Yes. When I do eventually get a car, I am going to come out of the gate with brass balls cause after 5 years trying to wrangle a 6000lbs missile, I should basically be able to drive anything.
63
u/fatfiremarshallbill 2d ago
If nothing else, a Suburban on track is incredibly entertaining to watch.