Teach me MSR Houston/HPDE preparation: Grassroots Motorsports forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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Jan. 7, 2009 3:57 p.m. Strizzo Dork

I'm thinking of signing up for my first HPDE event at the end of this month at Motorsport Ranch Houston and was wondering if there's anyone here (billy3?) thats had some experience there. i know some people bring dedicated track pads/rotors for their events and im wondering if i should do the same.

I'll be driving the mazdaspeed3 which weighs around 3100lbs and has a little over 25k on the oem brakes, so i'm more looking for confirmation that it would be a good idea to go ahead and do the swap/have the spares on hand than for someone to tell me i'm stupid for considering it.

the next thing is tires. the fronts currently on the car have about 6k on them and have about 2/3rds to 3/4ths tread left, and the rears are the originals (not my doing, picked up nails in two tires, which were replaced by roadhazard protection) with probably 1/4th to 1/3rd tread left. i've got a stack of OEM takeoffs with less than 50 miles on them in the garage, so i could (if i had to) have a set of (almost) new tires on for the event.

finally, anyone have any further suggestions for an hpde newb like myself?
Jan. 7, 2009 4:11 p.m. carguy123 Dork

DON'T DO IT! . . . . . . . . . . . . . You'll be hooked for life and then all the money you'd get to spend on yourself will go in the car. Oh wait! That is spending it on yourself so I guess it's OK to do it.

There goes the girl friend!

OK how do you add line spaces to your posts. I tried 3 different ways to space down after the first line and none of them worked.
Jan. 7, 2009 4:52 p.m. Salanis SuperDork

As long as you have enough tread depth and enough meet on the brake pads, you should be fine. Maybe check if your brakes need to be bled, but they shouldn't.

You will be too busy learning to try to push your tires and brakes to their limits.

Just get yourself mentally ready. Maybe read some theory books. Go in with the mindset that you want to learn and have fun. Focus on getting a good line and mental game before trying to go fast. If you do, you'll probably be smoothly passing the guys in muscle cars who were blowing your doors off in the first session.

Don't push yourself to the point where you're getting scared. If you're afraid, you can't learn.
Jan. 7, 2009 6:01 p.m. billy3esq Dork

Whom are you running with? They'll have guidelines for tires and brakes, etc. My personal rules are more than 1/2 pad at all four corners and legal tread on all tires. You might want to go with 2/3 pad in the front, but as a new guy, you'll probably be ok with 1/2. Brake fluid should be less than 6 months old. Torque your lugnuts (while the wheels are cool) at least twice daily, and preferably before each session. I typically do mine first thing in the morning and right before I go out for the first time after lunch.

As for the track, I've only been there a couple of times, and never in anything with as much power as a MS3, but I can offer the following:

The track is sort of bumpy for a road course. A MS3 should be soft enough that it won't matter that much, but if it's wet, watch for ponding in some of the dips.

Be sure to get your car slowed down for the bus stop, if you don't you'll spin. I had a guy in an EvoVIII spin in front of me two or three times there.

Gut check is a lot of fun in the normal direction (CCW), but you may need a slight lift. Going the other way (CW), get slowed down well in advance of it because that little right left (which you can't see until you are on your way up the hill) will come up before your car will settle.

Don't push it coming out onto the pit straight in either direction. Going the normal way, the pit wall is offset, but pretend it isn't. Going the other way there's some sort of curbing there for the pit entrance/exit that will bounce you towards the wall if you hit it.

Have fun.
Jan. 7, 2009 10:10 p.m. Strizzo Dork

its a NASA HPDE. i'll look at the tech inpsection form to see whats expected. does NASA/MSR usually have loaner/rental helmets or should i get my own?
Jan. 8, 2009 7:52 a.m. billy3esq Dork

I don't know about helmets, but I'd get my own.
Jan. 8, 2009 8:01 a.m. Xceler8x HalfDork

I tracked my MS3 when it had 4k miles on it. I was completely hooked and now save the 3 for the street.

I would say that changing your tires to the stock takeoff's will work very well. If they are stock MS3 tires they have a 220 or so treadwear rating. They're soft for the street. They stuck really well at the track. I was in the beginner group but a 924 couldn't run from me on R comps. That car should've left me for dead so I blame it on a beginning driver.

Other than that my car was stock and stone reliable. I think you'll have a blast. That 260 hp comes in real handy.

I think you'll surprise a few folks. I wanted to show up with a vacations worth of crap in the back like a beachball, a stuff dog looking at the hatch, a lawn chair or two, some empty boxes setup to look like luggage. Then they told me I couldn't have anything in the car. Oh well. Maybe @ Lemons....
Jan. 8, 2009 8:05 a.m. abrussich New Reader

MSR used to have suits and helmets available for rental. Might be a good idea to give them a call and find out.
Jan. 8, 2009 1:54 p.m. billy3esq Dork

Xceler8x wrote:

I think you'll surprise a few folks. I wanted to show up with a vacations worth of crap in the back like a beachball, a stuff dog looking at the hatch, a lawn chair or two, some empty boxes setup to look like luggage. Then they told me I couldn't have anything in the car. Oh well. Maybe @ Lemons....

The last time I ran MSRH, I was down there on a member day as a guest. There were a couple of new guys out there, one in a 911 and the other in a 350Z. I was in my Focus with the car seat still strapped in the back seat and was lapping them over the course of the 30 minute sessions. I wonder what the message boards had to say about that one.