Watkins Glen show down. Whos gona winn??
 

So this weekend me and a bunch of my friends are going up to watkins glen. We all have bets on whos going to beat who.

My 370z :tup: - stick (novice driver) brake pad, oil cooler, slicks, gutted, muffler delete

2010 GTR - auto (novice driver) Slicks, downpipes, cat back, brake pads

2010 GT3 RS - stick (never to a track) Tune, slicks, and lowered

2006 GT500 - stick (Hasnt been to a track in a long time) Built motor around 700 wrhp tuned, (possibly slicks)

2011 SS Camaro - auto (used to race cars, dont rember what kind) Stock tires, sway bars, brake pads


I think the GTR hands down is going to beat us all. I think between the rest of us is fair game. The GT3 guy has never been to a track in his life, the camaros on street tires, the mustang has no suspension work and IMO to much power for the track, and im under powered but, i can drive pretty good.
My goal is to beat the GT3 bc its my cuz and we have this on going rivalry about whos gona win. i think its a long shot but i have the driving advantage. We are going by fastest lap time for the day.

Whats your predictions?

The GTR without question, especially in trap time. It will rocket out of the gate with slicks and should be putting down a bit more power than stock, it is also pretty much idiot proof to drive.

2nd: GT3RS
3rd: I'm betting on you and the 370z
4th: GT500, will have massive traction problems
5th: Camaro SS

Nice set of cars, should be a blast. Good luck and enjoy.

i think id swap the gt500 and the camaro just bc the camaro guy has a lot of racing experiance. i gotta run that GT3 down lol but the GTR is def going to win. my 16 year old brother prob could beat us around the track in that car.

thanks :)

GT3 RS - Spin off at turn 5 or 6 due to a panic'd lift
GTR - will survive the weekend
GT500 - will blow up, or he'll crap his pants at the end of the back straight, or he will cook his brakes trying to slow down from 160 mph
Camaro - will get sideways through the esses causing him to drive like a pussy the rest of the day

Basically if you keep it on the track you'll come in behind the GT-R. Only place I can compete with the GT-R is on tight twisty tracks like NHMS by using better tires.

Hey chris have you raced at the Glen? if so do u remember a lap time?

Ive been studying the track like crazy making sure im the best prepared. Plus this whole racing thing is what i love to do. I think the GT3 is going to be my best challange. but to drive that car around the track well you have to be a REALLY good driver. from what ive heard porsches are one of the hardest cars to drive around a track. The guy in the camaro will be right up my butt bc he has beem racing for years and goes to the glen all the time.

i can beat the gtr because his car is worth 80k and mine is at 25k............

be safe, not much runoff at the glen...

the only way you can beat them is because you are a better driver, you dont stand a chance car vs car..

with your new tires, 2:15?

Yeah if the Camaro guy knows what he is doing and knows the track then he will be pretty quick even on the crap rubber.

I have not raced there yet outside of iRacing. Using previous club results as a guide I think you will be in the 2:16 to 2:20 range on the race rubber. Probably towards the latter given that this is your first time there. That's where I hope I am anyway when I go there in September.

camaro is not hitting anywhere close to the teens with the stock tires, i saw a heavily modded one driven by a good not great driver at 2:22 to 2:23 on pilot sport

The guy that owns the car isnt worried about 80k. they bought that car just to race. his 20 year old kid is driving that, along with his 500whp srt jeep. he owns the gt500 too. Hes the guy w the huge trailer.


o thats right you said that in my build thead duhhh :shakes head: im a very ambitious and love to drive so im hoping to be at the 2:16 range :tup: im an extemely quick learner and i actually listen when people talk. non of the guys im going with will listen lol. First time on a track they moved me to HDPE 2 bc i was almost laping guys in 1 durning the first session of the day.

cossie1600 what was ur time at the glen? i forgot what u told me

god dang, can i blow him and get a gt3 too

i honestly dont remember, it was not in the teens. i am slow, on top of not having slicks. also watkins glen is a handling course, its not just hp. the corners are extremly long and wide. you can corner 3 or 4 mph quicker simply by having slicks. 2:16 is definitely within target

thats my cuz gt3 lol. hes the one im gunning for. the guy will all the cars is my good friends dad.

i have watched ur video at the glen along with like... 50 others. i have a print out of the track on my wall at work, i have a turn by turn print out that shows u apexs and stuff in my work binder. i could almost tell u the degrees of each turn lol. i know which ones are up hill down hill. i fell like ive been there already haha.

In for results! Good luck to you and all your friends.

I will be going to the next hpde. My go fast mods should help my Z at the track. 4.08s are prob a great track mod I'd think.

my guess is the gt3 will out do you as long as the driver
Isn't terrible and Perf guys said your friend was a good driver In the gtr so im sure he'll get the best time.

The gt500 has globs of power but that will Hurt. The SS may also surprise you. Im anxious to hear the results. It's today right?

waste of money for track days, get tires and coilover

Cossie did you even read the thread?

You said it, not me.

First time out I couldnt care less if I went around then track slower than a ford Taurus.

4.08s will NO DOUBT help a 370z out on a tight track.

You go around a lot of threads posting info. But you seem to love to talk down to many. Not sure why. Race rubber is not needed for amateurs. I've saw you write you are not fast yourself. I know true track heads and guys white370 went with last time that are still on street rubber.

Sure both things you requested will help , no doubt. But by no means is it pointless to go without them.

And keep in mind I didn't get 4.08 for track days. I will do track days at my leisure and not a penny spent will be a waste.

As my passion for the sport grows so will my cars prep. I will not agree it's a "waste" without. And dont you run re11s? You have no clue what wheels I have and rubber I will have when I go.

As for suspension stock or eibachs with my camber kit will serve it's purpose just fine. No one is driving there car to it's limits when they are new to this.

I type on a phone most of the times, so I have to keep my answers short. I am trying to help you save money. If you don't want to listen, that is fine. I made all the mistakes that the newbies made, you will be amazed at how little some of the smaller things do. If you can justify $1000 on <1 second, more power to you. If you ever want to be competitive in a class, many of the mods won't even be legal.

PS: At Watkins Glen, the 4.08 gears will make you up/down shift 10 extra times. Some of the time you gain will be wasted in shifting..

what the 4.08s does for this car is unmatched by any one mod I have done, and it is not even close.. I was more into running a good 1/4 mile time... And I will run a mid 12 second pass by the end of this season, I can guarantee that..

My Z was a full second quicker in the 1/4 mile than 4 other Zs I went with last month... I am a track Newb for sure, but I can not see how that wouldn't translate into my Z being quicker around the track... From my understanding its driver that really matters the most... but throw you in my car with same coilovers and tires as a stock Z and I think my car would be a good bit faster...

the 4.08s gear length is not all that short, but it allows for MUCH better acceleration low in 2nd, 3rd, and even 4th gear.. It would be a learning curve on what gear to be in, but I guarantee if you did 4.08 fd or maybe better yet the 3.90s you would be thrilled with the outcome...


ANYWAY, back to WHite370s track day.... I think it was Aug 1 and 2 no? How did it go?!?!

The problem is that the shortened gears is going to potentially render 3rd gear useless given all the high speed turns at the glen. As a novice you'd be fine, but shortened gear ratios doesn't buy you any power on track, it just shortens the ratios and brings them closer together. On a short tight track it would possibly work out better. I can tell the difference in ratio just between my 2 sets of tires this last weekend. I preferred the taller ratio as it eliminated a couple of shifts and I was in the power sweet spot, but this varies for each track.

i dont disagree with you one bit about it helping at the drag strip since you only go straight, i am just saying it wont help much at the track as you will make a lot more 4th gear shifts at the glen. i am not saying mods dont help, some just dont help as much as you think. also its fine if you are running for yourself, but many places have limits on what you can touch within your class, just a heads up. if you want to test, put some 285 30 18 on your car, you will have a rough idea as to what the gear change would feel like

True. Makes sense.

Hey guys sorry it took so long didn't had much time at the track to look at my phone. I think you guys will be surprised at the outcome.

Gtr - 2.11
Porsche - 2.18
GT500 - 2.25
Camaro - 2.27
370 - 2.28

The instructor in the porsche showed him how to race around the track. Unfortunately my instructor was more focused on showing me lines. So he never showed me breaking spots and how to go around fast. Everyone else got the racing instuctor. I got the the guy who wants you to learn how to drive. I'd have to say I did learn a lot from the guy. The gt500 ran that fast be of the stupid amount of hp it had. It turns out that his other son took the car and he's a better driver than his dad lol. I think I coulda been on the low 20's but unfortunatly I got moved up to the solo group just in time that everyone wanted to leave and they were my ride home. So I never got to run by myself.

You made it home in one piece, that's part of the battle. Hey how do you like the Hankooks

Losing a passenger can be worth 4 seconds on a course that size. You definitely could have achieved low 20's with a little more time behind the wheel. I usually opt for 2-day events if it is a new course for me as just by "sleeping on it" you can pick up 2 seconds.

I totally agree. Hankooks were awesome. Much better than the pirellies. I don't have much more to compare them to tho.

I most DDR could have made it to the low 20's. My driving instructor, let's just say he wasn't a small guy. And sleeping on it I actually picked up 3 seconds from the first day to the next. If they kept the long corse in the afternoon on the second day I could have knocked off time between no passenger and being able to figure out my braking positions. All in all I had a blast learned a lot and came home w my car.

They changed the configuration on you guys? What did you guys run, the NASCAR track on the second day?

Braking points are something you have to figure out on your own, you can't really go off by what someone is telling you. You can use what they say as a reference, but you need to find the g-spot by yourself. I personally like to use reference points on the side of the track, never use something that is not stationary (i.e. cones) Also you have to add in the "oh $hit factor" with the blue railings on the side.

Glen is not a popular track due to its weather and location (fair or not, that's just what I am told by the clubs), most clubs run it at least than full capacity, you should be able to find something relatively easy if you are looking to for quick turn around.

Yea we ran the nascar track the afternoon of the second day. I didnt run it bc no one else but me wanted to run it. The whole braking points will come to me in time. Over all it was still a great weekend.

heard good things from codie's dad man... glad you boys enjoyed the track event.

when are we finally gonna mod that 370 of yours to compete with codie ;) ?

glad you had a good time... Its cool to see the camaro act can go around turns too.. I am not a hater or many cars and I like all the cars you went with...

its crazy how close you all were...

But all there times were solo? and you had a passenger? That makes your time very impressive... the 370z seems to be a great track car for people like yourself..

I can not wait to get out there... just need to do a few things to the car first.. if not this year, Def next year will be a busy schedule for road racing...

How did your brakes hold up ? No signs of ice mode?

When i have as much money as him haha. after going out this weekend ive noticed little things id like to change on the car. but all the big things will happen over the winter, or when money starts pouring in

we all had instuctors. mine was by no means the smallest. the car is sick around the track. it surpised the crap out of me the first time and it just keeps getting better. the things that you can do with the car stock suspension and motor, its mind blowing. i was passing vettes, GT mustangs, i even passed a ZR1.... this guy was by far that slowest guy on the track. no one knows why he was so slow. but i actually laped the guy twice.

Brakes were perfect. no ice mode, no brake fad, no boiling fluid. only problems i came across was the god awful fuel starvation. and i started to lose the clutch at the end of the 25 min session. I think its mainly due to the fluid bc i didnt swap it for high temp fluid.

i know why, the car is really expensive and the guy cant drive

We had one of those at ours. It was a brand new track prepped yellow viper, painfully slow around corners. Nice guy though.

ah , have perf throw in some motul fluid in and the SS line , makes a big diff !

That's why comparing cars based on HPDE is such a crabshoot, too many variables. If I have a 100K car, I know I would drive slow too. Heck, you should give the guy credit for showing up.

Yep, he drove 400 miles each way, drove it on track and drove it home. Nothing wrong with being a bit cautious especially when your skills aren't fully developed. I like to keep my car on the black stuff as well so I'd say I'm usually only driving 9 to 9.5 out of 10 to leave a little fudge factor. There were a couple of tire wall incidents over the two days, one of them quite heavy. It's never fun seeing a car brought in on the wrecker.

When I was in NJMP two years ago, I pushed my car a little too hard and went onto the grass. Thank god these new tracks have huge runoffs compare to the older tracks.

I have motul brake fluid. No brake lines yet. Didnt have the money for those along w everything else. Working on the brake lines, sway bars and a set of coil overs.

I do give the guy credit. It takes some balls to being a car like that out there. Butttt I think he could have beat on it a little bit lol

Coming home with a complete car and a little slower then coming one w a wrecked car.