Preparation for track day

[vik]

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I would like to ask those who participates often on track days:<o:p></o:p>
How to prepare best?<o:p></o:p>
I red this forum up and down and what I understand minimum is:<o:p></o:p>
- racing break fluid<o:p></o:p>
- racing pads (please recommend some I can get in EU)<o:p></o:p>
- no OEM rotors (I have drilled one)<o:p></o:p>
- cooling modifications from Phaeton<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
next step is MovIt or MTM break kits?<o:p></o:p>
<o:p></o:p>
Cheers<o:p></o:p>
Vik<o:p></o:p>

[ott]

If it's first time I would not worry about modifications, except fresh brake fluid. Just check that you have enough tyres and brake pads, as they tend to wear very quickly and get full tank of gas. First try to get passenger ride with someone experienced, so he can explain you the lines and even better if you will get training session with instructor.

It's not "pedal to the metal" type of fun like dragracing, first you have to learn to be smooth and efficent and only when your skills are enough to be quick, it makes sense to start using money for modifications.

And if you really like the track racing, it's may-be better idea to get another car for track as RS6 isn't that great trackday car. I have done some trackdays with my RS6 just for fun, for going fast and enjoying this, it's too big and heavy.

[JAXRS6]

That's excellent advice, ott. Any road course track observer would note most participating cars, even sedans, are smaller than the RS6. Our beasts ARE too big and heavy for truly agile track fun, just like the E55s and M5s. M3s, A4s, S4s and the like typically are plentiful because they're smaller. Yes, the RS6 handles well for its size, but that size and weight -- especially the forward bias of the weight -- are enemies of track fun.

Sure, you can mod the heck out of an RS6 to enhance brake durability & the like, but it does get very expensive and may not be worth spending when a smaller car can do better. Advice to me from an experienced enthusiast here in Florida was much the same as given by ott: For the first time just start out with plenty of stock rotor left, maybe even stock pads (or upgrade if you wish), and see what happens. Brakes should be fine for a few laps -- maybe longer if you don't push too hard. If symptoms develop you can always just stop or "cruise & cool." Then think about how much fun you had, how other cars peformed in comparison, and whether you want to go to the expense of continuing to track the RS6.

I drove a chipped 1998 B5 A4 1.8T quattro in my only track experience. It was a blast, a bit slower in the straights than a stock B5 S4 but more fun in the corners (and maybe a little faster there) because of the lighter front end.

[vik]

no no, I´m not a freshmen :)
but I allway had lighter cars or motorbike
Last time it took 6 laps and I was out of brakes

what is the key to drive fast laps on RS6 (I know it is possible)
fluently?

[ott]

Ok, then it's different story. I have never run timed laps with RS6, but sure with heavy car you have to be more gentle because otherwise it will give up quickly - overheated brakes, tyres. Set of racing pads is good idea, but cross drilled rotors are usually a problem as they will crack.

[JAXRS6]

no no, I´m not a freshmen :)
but I allway had lighter cars or motorbike
...what is the key to drive fast laps on RS6 (I know it is possible)
fluently?

Does your experience with lighter cars include quattro or AWD? Obviously I'm no expert, but I recall from my Audi driving school that smoothness in weight transfer is a big issue during transitions ... and that there are differences between RWD and AWD in dealing with turns. Maybe someone else can be more specific; I'm trying to recall from 2001.:vhmmm:

[vik]

I drove TT (250HP) and RS4 on track
from motorbikes Ducati Monster 900 + 748 on slicks

[vik]

but all are in comparison to RS6 light weight...
simply I don´t want to burn down the brakes again
If you will look to track times in magazines (profesional driven) they are hell fast

[Benman]

Ok, then it's different story...


Yes, in that case, different pads and the Phaeton shields would be a good idea along with Motul RBF600 brake fluid. Scroth makes a 4 point harness which doesn't per se make you faster, but not sliding around in the seat helps for faster times. Oh, and different wheels!!! The OEMs are tanks. SSR made some wheels for the Beast that are 10lbs per corner lighter than OEM, huge difference in handling. Not to mention some R-Compound tires... but be careful with R-Comps as Gote here found they get hot real quick with the weight of the RS 6.

Ben:addict:

[SpinEcho]

I'm no expert, but having taken my Beast to the track I would suggest:

"Slow in fast out" works with most cars but particularly with the RS6. I found that I really had to get my head around entry speeds - I always wanted to go in too fast but all that did was produce understeer. Once I found the discipline to slow down a bit more before turn in, I was able to get back on the throttle a lot earlier without fighting the car. The beauty of AWD is being able to nail the throttle early compared to the RWD competition without having to worry about oversteer.

Along the same vein, don't worry at first about maxing out your straight line speeds. As others have said, concentrate on smoothness first. It's easy to be lazy and sloppy with an idiot-proof car like the RS6 - in general it will just punish you with lots of safe understeer. If you are balls out all the time, your brakes will also let you know in a bad way!

I tried sport auto and paddle shift and preferred the paddles for the degree of control.

Consider a harness as advised above - I am for this season. The OEM seat is horrible and I had sore knees and thighs last year after every session from bracing myself on the door and centre console.

Lastly, don't forget the cool down - important with every car but especially a heavy Beast like the RS6. Everything (especially those brakes) gets very hot and you don't want to park without getting rid of some of that heat!

Have fun! :addict:

[sechsgang]

this car seems quite easy to track on a track which is smooth and fast...but the tight tracks would be a tough job for the RS...that being said, as long as you can feel the balance of the car, and are able to trail brake efficiently, rotating the RS is not too much of a problem ( I can do this on a street...so I would imagine its even easier on the track).



That being said...like others have said...check your rotors and I would probably upgrade to ss brake lines, motul rbf600 fluid and maybe even some pagid oranges or something...



hope all goes well!!!

[ott]

I have also found that S auto position is hopeless on the track, manual shifting it way to go.

Regards harness: it is not straightforward story. Sure, by securing yourself, you will be able to steer the car, rather than keeping yourself on place by the help of steering wheel. But I would never recommend racing harness for a car without roll-over loop or cage. Roll-over accident, which results roof collapsing, will for sure result very serious injuries, as racing harness will no allow sideways movement of the body and your spine will be smashed.

As far as I know, some trackday organisers are even not permitting cars equipped with harness and no safety structure to participate.

Street car without full safety equipment is a toy, not tool, so it should be not used for breaking the lap record. That tiny fraction of the (anyway not that great) speed, which you will loose, is well worth compared to reducing possibilites of getting hurt or destroying the car.

[SpinEcho]

Regards harness...Roll-over accident, which results roof collapsing, will for sure result very serious injuries, as racing harness will no allow sideways movement of the body and your spine will be smashed.

An interesting point and one I have heard repeated many times. But I have always wondered if this is a point based on good evidence or a few anecdotes.

If you have a rollover and the roof caves in enough to threaten your head and C-spine, is having a 3 point belt such an advantage? Or could you actually be in more trouble because there is enough slack in a regular seatbelt that you could actually rise out of the seat and be closer to the roof? There must be so many variables in a rollover scenario that it would be difficult to make categorical statements about the merits of one restraining system over another...

[skiwi]

high bp fluid, as noted above. run colder pads. brake cooling nice for the next trip. the standard (non usa) seats are fine, they lock you in well.

focus on getting your brain to think the right way, focus on lines and repeatability. most peoplle struggle with getting enough "free" brain power to think about the bigger issues (e.g. the next corner).

i found it helpful to concentrate on braking points, which gives you a fixed reference point to try different things (e.g. brake at the 70m board, speed 140; next time earlier and softer braking an trail brake)...

$0.02

[ott]

SpinEcho: I don't have any data to show. May-be there is some, haven't searched for it either. Car without roll-over loop or cage is not really suitable for serious track work anyway and *hit can happen, even if you are in the fully equipped car.

I have seen on different message boards fotos and reports of such accidents and comments by people who are track instructors (sry, I don't have links saved). Enough for me to make the decision not to put harness in my Evo IX, which doesn't have any safety structures.

[Leadfoot]

Believe it or not everyone who is thinking of doing some track days should first sample a 125cc Go-kart without gears. This might sound silly to some but let me explain, one gear means depending on gearing the kart will do anything up to 110mph so maintaining speed through the corners is very important to say the least especially if you want good lap times.

What it teaches you is to be very smooth with your braking and to do it before the corner, something that is very important with a nose heavy car like a RS6. Vik is would say have a go and see how much it will help and the heavier you are the better you will become.

[Benman]

Believe it or not everyone who is thinking of doing some track days should first sample a 125cc Go-kart without gears...

There is much truth to this logic. For the very same reason, the UK has laws limiting what bikes (cc) one can first purchase and then work their way up to bigger and more powerful.

That said, vik seems to already have extensive experience with lighter more agile vehicles on track days.

Ben:addict: