[Harbir]

Originally Posted by asr245

This has me thinking which car should I take - my 2 year old ANHC or my dad's 11 year old OHC VTEC. I believe OHC VTEC would be more fun. What do you think?

As the veteran of a lot of track days in the US in my Lotus, I can offer some thoughts.

Driving on the race track is nothing like driving on the street. people have no idea how different it is. You require a total reset of what you perceive as normal. There is a technique to driving right and only the most talented can figure it out without a lot of instruction. Any person reading this is almost certainly not blessed with such talent. This is because when driven "correctly", a car, ANY car, is capable of going through curves more quickly than you can imagine possible. Your instincts of self preservation force you to lift off the throttle too early, brake too early, enter the corners far more slowly than was necessary. if you just push though to higher speeds without knowing the technique, you'll crash. So learning to drive fast is about learning to apply the technique, and building up speed as you figure out how to do it. It takes a lot of practice and it takes a good instructor.

As to what car to take, my own experience is that out on the track, the limiting factor is the driver, not the car. If you don't know how to swing the racquet at a ball coming at you at 200km/h, whether you racquet is made from carbon fibre or titanium or wood will make no difference what so ever. It is the same on a race track.

Your car should be safe and in good condition. It should have good condition tyres, its braking system should be in top condition with healthy discs and pads, new fluid thats been flushed recently and has no air bubbles in it, brake booster in good shape with no leaks, and you should have your car examined for play in the suspension and steering components so as to ensure that everything is nice and tight.

I have seen pick up trucks at the track, so anything can be driven at the track if you are a good driver and have the experience to know your vehicle's limitations. If you do not, it is better to go with a car that is not excessively tall or that you know is not suited to high speed cornering.

You also have to understand that a race track is an EXTREMELY punishing environment for the car. Wear and tear of the car accelerates fantastically there, even if you come away without car damaging incidents. THe race track is especially punishing for the engine, the wheel bearings, suspension components that handle the tremendous sideways loads, and above all the brakes and tyres. The brakes and tyres take a TERRIFIC beating on the track.

Some cars are better able to handle race track use (say a 911, for example). But even with these cars, you can drive them hard enough to tear them up. And even if you driven them well within their durability limits, you are STILL going to hugely increase wear and tear. So you have to be prepared to accept that your car will take a pounding. There is no escaping that.

Track days also get expensive very quickly. The cost of the fuel, tyres, brake pads, and repair and replacement of various other components can add up very fast.

Also, track days are worth doing only if you intend to do them frequently enough to build on what you learnt in the past before you lose the memory of it so that you you retain and build and get better and faster.

That gets costly.

But if you don't want to do that, then its just going to an amusement part, and not to actually become a good driver nor to have the pleasures that the growth as a good driver brings.

One other thing, on tyres. Super grippy tyres are actually not a good thing if you are not good enough to be competing on lap times. You want a tyre that has a lower grip threshold because typically such a tyre will generate much larger slip angles. A very grippy tyre will keep on going faster and faster, building more and more grip, until it peaks and then grip falls of suddenly and you lose control. A more modestly grippy tyre will not have the maximum grip of the super sports tyre but it has a much broader plateau in the region of maximum grip so that you'll be able to approach the limits of grip much more progressively and without serious consequences if you exceed them. with a super grippy tyre, things happen too fast and too instantaneously at the limit for the typical newbie driver to manage. Once you become good, you can switch to super grippy tyres if that suits you.

But you can also go too fast in the direction of modest grip. longer life tyres may overheat on the track, become really greasy both in grip and feel, and in the worst cases, they'll start "chunking". Chunks of rubber get torn out of the tyre.

Anyway, I hope this was helpful. I would like to go myself. I have not been on the track in a while and have become quite rusty.

[pganapathy]

Looks like I have finally found the required incentive to get my Esteem modded so that I can take it to the track.

Now I just got to find the funds for it

This is really a good initiative by them. Not only does it fund the track when there are no races going on, but it also gives us mere mortals an opportunity to figure out our cars limits in a safe environment.

[urajkumar]

This is interesting! Too bad i am in Chennai!

Driving on the track must be an amazing experience. In fact recently i got driven on the Madras Race track by the BMW Advanced drivers training instructor on a BMW 3 series it was an amazing experience! Like someone said, its the curves which matter & he was only driving sideways ! He did a reverse 360 degree u-turn & then finally ended with an handbrake induced 360 degree skid! what an drive it was!

I doubt if i will ever have the guts to drive like that! Anyway advance cheers to all the BHPians who decide to attend the track day @ BIC!

[reswaran]

Originally Posted by Harbir

As the veteran of a lot of track days in the US in my Lotus, I can offer some thoughts.

That's a terrific summary. Even though most of us know what is in store at a track event, we push it to the back of our heads in all the excitement. This helps the though process.

[Ace F355]

Wow.... I am in for this any day of the week, any week of the year! This is going to be exciting, driving on a F1 track. Thanks for sharing the news.

[m4ugr8]

Originally Posted by Harbir

Track days also get expensive very quickly. The cost of the fuel, tyres, brake pads, and repair and replacement of various other components can add up very fast.

Harbir has explained everything very well, but I would like to add something to this.

Don't forget if you make a mistake loose control of the car and go-off somewhere and hit something, the bill to fix the car will add up and also fixing the track also, BIC authorities are very strict on this, you damage the track you will pay for it and the damages sometimes are very very high, I know of one instance when a car was impounded by the BIC authorities till the damage bill was paid, and that bill ran into Lakhs.

Have fun but be careful, I know the thrill of driving your own car on a Formula one circuit but there are two sides to every coin, That said I will see you guys on the track with my B16 Honda City and the turbo civic, can we have some sort of a Head count here, who is going and bringing what cars ??

[codelust]

Originally Posted by Harbir

Driving on the race track is nothing like driving on the street. people have no idea how different it is. You require a total reset of what you perceive as normal.

This is the most important point and experienced it in person when I drove on the BIC. You may be a very good and experienced driver on normal roads, driven all the circuits on a PS3/X-box, but nothing in the world prepares you for actually driving on a track.

The perception a lot of people I know have of being able to drive on a racing track is that it is all straights, you just sit in the car stand on the A-pedal and life is one endless journey at the redline.

It is not.

You have to figure out braking points (differs from car to car), best lines to take and understand your vehicle well before you can get the best out of yourself and the vehicle itself. It is unbelievably technical and driving on normal roads is no comparison.

The BIC has a few very tricky technical parts (am not sure if they'll allow you to run the proper F1 configuration of the track) where you can easily overcook it. Most importantly, don't let the excitement get ahead of you and play by the rules set by the team, there is a reason why they tell you not to do certain things.

So those of you who are looking to attend it, learn it well, have fun and drive safe.

[anoshdhondy]

I can only imagine wht will happen if I turn up in my car: 2003 SAFARI EX 4x4

Originally Posted by Speed.Demon

Will everyone at the BIC start roaring with laughter if I turn up in my Waggie??


Jokes apart, this is a great initiative by the BIC. I do hope they give some safety instructions and some sort of insurance though, because as someone rightly said, not many of us are experienced track drivers.

[cruiser@0523]

So who all will turning up on bikes ? I will be coming on an R15, but i am confused if a 20 min slot is worth 6.5k + Fuel + transport from Chandigarh, in total spending 10k+ for 20 mins !

[Hatari]

Great initiative. I'm sure we'l see a few 800cc cars with rear wings and the Indian what-have-yous!

I'm sure the organizers will categorize cars as per engine size.
Too large a speed differential can be very dangerous.

Someone had posted pics of a karting session in progress. Is that open to all?

[Harbir]

Originally Posted by Hatari

I'm sure the organizers will categorize cars as per engine size.
Too large a speed differential can be very dangerous.

that would be a very stupid thing to do. Apart from the straights, for non competitive drivers, speed is entirely about experience and skill level, not about horsepower and engine size.

I've seen newbies in 600hp corvettes and 120hp civics lap in the same time. and I've seen instructors in 116hp miatas hounding expert level drivers in 600hp corvettes through the curves, only to be smoked on the straights.

The grouping of track day drivers ought to be based on experience level, that approximately correlates to your speed and your ability to deal with other drivers.

[sajid33]

Originally Posted by v&v

Thats NEWS! i have been waiting for. Would love to test my skills. My Vrs will love the trackday.

Has BIC updated anything regarding the same ?

You might find me behind you V&V ! I would love to follow you in my vRS ! Lets call Abhinav and Ashish also. Two Silver and two Red vRS ! what say man!

[asr245]

JPSI has started taking applications for this event. 1st track day is on 22nd April.

http://www.jaypeesports.com/bic-time-trial.shtml

Originally Posted by cruiser@0523

So who all will turning up on bikes ? I will be coming on an R15, but i am confused if a 20 min slot is worth 6.5k + Fuel + transport from Chandigarh, in total spending 10k+ for 20 mins !

20 min slot? Do you have a source for this information? 20 mins seems quite less. That would translate to roughly 4-5 laps at best.

[Sn1p3r]

Originally Posted by asr245

JPSI has started taking applications for this event. 1st track day is on 22nd April.

20 min slot? Do you have a source for this information? 20 mins seems quite less. That would translate to roughly 4-5 laps at best.

Feb19th session was for an hour. That's a neat time for using world class facility.

[Rachit.K.Dogra]

Hi Guys,

Any info on Riding gear requirements??

I am actually thinking of taking my bike to the track!!