MentalWard

Hello Fellow 37-ers,

I have a Track Day scheduled for the mid of June (Pocono Raceway) and I have a few questions for anyone out there that has done the same.

Mostly in the realm of tires...

I have Summer Sports on the car now, as I am from the south, but currently live in the north. I am about done with the current rears, as the dealer told me they are "almost" shot. I dont plan on doing much driving before the track day, and I am planning on replacing the entire set after the track.

The question(s) I have are:
1 - As I am mostly planning on learning to power break and power slide my car, should I
a. Keep the tires I have and hope they hold up all day
b. Get the new set of rubber Before the track and Really wear them in on the track
c. Try and buy a used pair of rears just for the track

The additional question(s) are - I have a Fujita Intake on the car already.
I have the Sport features but not the sport package (haters hate - I bought it used and it was what was available)
What is the Best bang for the Bucks Mods I could/should do before the track for about 2k or less...

Thanks for any/all help...

Mental Ward
2008 G37

GoFightNguyen

iTrader: (14)

It kind of seems like your "Track" desires are going to be counter to whatever they want to teach you. If you're spinning, you're not going. Ideally, you want to avoid breaking traction around corners. Drifting is cool for show, but you're just converting money to air. Just a personal opinion.

Whatever the case, for a track day, I recommend broken in tires, neither brand new ones, or excessively worn ones. If you plan on buying new tires before the track, you need to put at least 300-500 miles on them. This removes the outer layer of rubber and burns off the mold release chemicals they put on the tires. If you have worn tires and stress them too much, you can suffer a blowout at race speed. I'm guessing that since you're asking about "budget race mods", you don't have a roll cage in the car.

Cooling mods

If your area is very hot, or if you think it'll be hot AND you'll stress the car, you'll want some cooling mods. An oil cooler is a pretty good idea, since it provides both extra volume and extra cooling beyond the oil pan shedding heat.

Brakes

Dedicated track pads, track rotors, stainless lines, and motul fluid. You don't want to boil your brake fluid, and street brakes are typically not going to allow you to brake late before your turn in.

Helmet

Quality helmet. Don't skimp here. DOT and SNELL rating, anything before 2005 rating is probably not allowed.

Inspection

Get a pre-race inspection. Seriously, have someone who knows what they are doing make sure you have >50% of your pads left, good rotors, full brake fluid, good tread, and no leaks. Change your oil before the track day, top up your coolant, change your diff fluid, and your transmission fluid.

Check your car as well as you can BETWEEN track sessions. Things can go wrong quickly. At the very least, pop your hood, check brake fluid, cooland fluid, oil level, tire pressure (WITH A DIAL GAUGE, not some crap stick gauge), tread wear, brakes, and rotors.

Dough1397

I visited the track the first summer I got my car. I had stock tires (RE050a) that were quite worn but not yet bald. My goals for the day (first time at a track) were to learn the line and have fun in the corners, the tires held up just fine.

GoFightNguyen has posted some solid recommendations that will definitely eat your 2k budget. I would emphasize fluids. If you do nothing else, fresh fluids all around will probably be the best insurance and best bang for your buck.
-Old brake fluid or air in the lines will result in under performing brakes and may pose a safety issue.
-Engine oil, fresh oil will give you the best protection. Oil temps will likely rise beyond safe limits if it is a hot day and you're pushing it. An oil cooler will prevent/delay this.
-Transmission oil and Diff fluid, these will heat up at the track. Ensuring they're fresh and at the correct level will ensure these work as best as they could.
-Make sure you have no leaks in your cooling system and you have sufficient coolant.

PongSanity

iTrader: (5)

cooling mods are your best mods for now... fresh tires but NOT right before you hit the track. Put some miles on them before track day... oil cooler... trans cooler (if you're automatic) and give yourself a full service... oil, oil filter, brake/clutch fluid (if you're manual)... your suspension will show itself as the day goes by for you don't have the sport G... so for future reference... get some sway bars and get a drop to reduce some body roll....

GoFightNguyen

iTrader: (14)

A worthwhile investment is in the driver (that's you). Learn correct terminology, and try to understand how the car is going to respond to weight transfer via braking and acceleration.

MentalWard

All good points - and thanks.
Im having infiniti inspect my car today to get prepared. I have had several track days with a previous 911 down in Fla, so Im pretty familiar with the process. Helmet, shoes, ect for driving are covered.
I fell a roll cage is a bit over the top as I dont really want to make this a Track Car, but want to really learn my car well. This is the first of 2 track days I have scheduled (surprisingly affordable at only $500 a pop).
I agree that I will be continuing the education of my car and not "doing what I want" but, time on the skid pad is a must.
I want a big break kit and a Cat back - but honestly, I am at that point where I will either drop the dosh in mods for the car or get something else. Problem is, there's nothing else out there that really excites me. I have been looking at a Cararra 4 and the BMW 650 - but I Really like the G..
I hadnt thought of an oil cooler or a trans cooler - and both of those sound like a really good idea for a fast and effective mod to the stock setup.

In short - I know a lot of mods seem to add a lot to a car, but in reality, unless you're riding on the edge, the results are honestly minimal... so, i was looking for good advice on performance mods that actually matter. Oil and Trans coolers sound like a Great idea.

And advice or recommendations which ones are best for Infiniti? and or, where to obtain them?

Thanks again for the fast response.

Mental

MentalWard

Just had (today) a full fluid replacement including breaks.. Thanks for the tips.

GoFightNguyen

iTrader: (14)

For a big break kit, run your car into a wall at 100 miles an hour. For a big Brake kit, look at akebono or wilwood.

Stillen gold cup oil and trans coolers, or build your own.

MentalWard

Damn Spellz Cheke... (heheheh)

Sixtus

If your tires are decent and your brakes are decent, don't change them before track day because you will be replacing both the day after track day. my .02 cents
Have Fun

GoFightNguyen

iTrader: (14)

lol, what? I have PSS, and thrashed them for 3.5 hours the last track day I had, they're still going strong and I daily my car.

nbast

A two day event at Watkins Glen did surprisingly little wear on my tires, but took a brand new set of pads down to the metal.

Ryne

iTrader: (12)

If a tire blows out and you crash your car it may not be covered by insurance. You may want to check with your insurance provider to see if you are covered for this event.

GoFightNguyen

iTrader: (14)

You are almost guaranteed to NOT be covered in racing events. You can, however, purchase racing insurance for just a weekend at an increase temporary rate.

Carfreak70852

I will throw my $.02 in here.

I have a 2008 G37S 6MT that I track pretty regularly. I actually just got back from Talladega Gran Prix Monday.

- First mod before any should be Oil Cooler. You won't make it 2 laps before you overheat without it.
- Next should be brakes. You don't *need* a BBK to be fast and effective on the track. You need good brake pads, fluid, and rotors. I have the Akebonos with Carbotech XP10s all around with ATE Superblue fluid, and newer rotors (track only rotors).
- Tires are very important. I bought some new RE-11s last year and they are still lasting me. As long as you aren't close to the wear bars, you will probably be fine.
- Helmet is obvious and you already said you have it under control.

Some helpful hints: The car is fun on the track, just get ready for some awesome understeer. I got some adjustable upper control arms and managed to get my camber around -2.3 in the front. That helped out a lot.

As for you - you do NOT need power mods. That isn't what makes you fast on the track. Example: I took my car to the track with a friend of mine who is an experienced driver. His car makes more power than mine and weighs a lot less. I still beat him by over a second. Power is NOT what makes you fast. Again. Power is NOT what makes you fast. Do some good reliability mods. Definitely an oil cooler, a set of tires, brake pads, fluids, and rotors; anything else your car needs.

Tracking the G is fun. If you have any questions, feel free to PM me. I have videos posted in the proper section on this forum. Should be close to the top.

Good luck and have fun!

EDIT: A VERY good cost-friendly mod I did was buying a Bluetooth ELM (look on Amazon/eBay). I also purchased the Torque app from the app store for my phone with the Infiniti add on. This allows you to monitor oil temps, coolant temps, and anything else you might want to see. It is also good for SES/CELs. You can check them and clear them. I believe the whole setup was $20 including the app costs. WELL worth the money.