MetalMustang

So in a few months track days are going to start happening again here in the Dallas area run by the local Porsche club. A couple of people have been asking me if I was going to go, which I would love to (cant think of a safer place to find the limits of the car so I never spin out on the highway or something terrible like that).

Originally it was just going to be a fun learning experience, but a certain co-worker has decided to raise the stakes. He's extremely competitive and when he got a Masdaspeed3 a year or so ago he bragged up and down to anyone with ears that he'd kick anyone's *** on the track/street/etc and how much cheaper it was than all their cars and how much better it was on top of it. After talking some incredibly rude talk he ended up not going to a single track day all of last season...He complained about this and that, mostly blaming it on his wife, and then dropped a good 2k on tires, an intake, and a tune. Then he went back to bragging about how great it was (claiming 300hp at the wheels...in his dreams!). Of course once again, he never put his money where his mouth was.

Yesterday a friend was talking to him about track days coming up and said he should go and that I'd be there with my new GT, to which he lovingly replied "but why? Mustangs are completely worthless on the track, who would want to take such a ****ty car out there and embarrass themselves in it?"

Now, the guy he was talking to OWNS A MUSTANG, which he even let him drive on the track the only time we convinced him to go out there! (Because of course he couldn't take his masdaspeed3 there, too many excuses!). The arrogance and rudeness was just staggering...

So I come to you guys asking for any and all track advice you can give me because I need to go out there and DESTROY him! The event I'm going to go to in march is a Time Trial course setup on an old runway strip laid out with cones, so I'll have a few nice stretches to use my power advantage. Any advice you guys can give me would be awesome, I'm very new to race-related driving (outside of the Gran Turismo series of games haha) so any tips are appreciated. My Mustang co-worker friend will be giving me all the help he can too, though his race times dont "count" because he has upgraded wheels which is "cheating" (even though the other guy would have too if he didn't destroy them on road nails...)

Enfynet

Don't overcompensate? I've never been to a curvy track but powering through corners will put you into a slide... if you can control that you should do ok. I'm afraid to try because I know i would overcompensate and spin out. Or, let him go first and just follow him... then get more aggressive from there?

ILikeBond

Don't be afraid to drop from 5th to 3rd!

classix_stang289

54,000 miles on my car and i have never brought it to the track yet. i dont know why, i just havent. i would like to though.

ILikeBond

^^ Ditto. As a pseudo-New Year's resolution, I'm going to try to look into it. I think I've determined that the nearest tracks to me are, like, at least a few hours away, so its not the easiest thing in the world. But I'm looking at maybe joining an area Mustang club, and I know they do track events and stuff, so maybe that can get me into it. I don't really have any friends that are into this sorta stuff, and it's a little too intimidating to drive 2 or 3 hours to a track alone, when I've never been. But maybe joining a club will help, meet up with some folks, make some new buddies to show me the ropes a little...

Antigini-GT/CS

Learn how to heel-toe downshift if you don't already. I've been itching to go out to a track day with mine, but my closest track is also about 2 hours away. I've had the opportunity to be a passenger in some very fast cars around. Learn your lines, quick and smooth downshifts and just have fun. Its your first time out, don't put too much pressure on yourself. It wouldn't even surprise me if you co-worker didn't show up.

ILikeBond

BTW, metal, a little inspiration

http://www.allfordmustangs.com/forum...on-racing.html

cop on my back

Metal Mustang, are you talking about an open road course or autocross? If an open road course, the Mustang should out perform out of the corners and on the straights no problem. A mazda should be able to out brake the Mustang into a corner, but with a Mustang as far ahead as it should be it won't matter. I have not taken mine on an open track, should this year, but I am sure that is how it would play out.

If you are talking autocross, which I have done for years, his car could quite easily beat you. There are factors to take in to account though,

1) Track layout, tight or more open? If tight, advantage Mazda.
2) Any upgrades to the Mazda brakes or suspension, will also give it a big advantage.
3) Tires, does he have street or R-compound? If street, then there is no advantage.
4) Autocross experience? If either of you have any experience then that is an advantage.

The big thing I read in your post is "I want to destroy him". If you drive over your head you are not going to achieve your goal. Many will tell you that you have to drive slow to go fast, meaning drive smooth and not too fast into the corners so that you apex them correctly. You could also crash your car if you try to go faster than you or your car's ability.

Go and have fun, and you will have fun, if you beat him take it as a huge bonus. I will tell you, when I brought my bone stock 05 GT that was 4 months old to the track to compete in autocross I turned a lot of heads, not because it was the newest Mustang, but because many were amazed at the cars perfomance when you look at the size of it, it is a big car. Coupled with my previous 9 years of autocross in other Mustangs, I beat a lot of people that thought I wouldn't touch them.

Good luck and let us know how it goes.

Shotokan1509

Is your car stock?

Honestly the biggest problem I see is your competitiveness, if this is your first time...do not go out there to beat him, go out there to have fun and do the best you can no matter what he is doing. Above all remember, is beating him worth hurting your car, yourself, and your wallet? If in the course of driving for yourself, you happen to best his times, well that is just icing on the cake!

Arkady001

Sneak down there early and take a half-day track tuition - in the same way that most decent Golf Courses have a resident 'Pro' to advise and tutor, many race circuits do the same.
Do an online search for advanced/race driver tuition in your area - it'll end up being worth more than any $200 -300 worth of mods you make to the car...

MetalMustang

The type of racetrack is something between an Auto Cross course and a Road Track, it's setup on a big blank chunk of asphalt+cones like an autox but the course is a lot more open with some nice areas to really build up some speed. I should be able to get up to about 100 in one stretch, so the course is going to be pretty neutral towards both of us. I have an 09 GT (automatic, didn't really get it to race ironically) with no mods (I am going to try to keep it stock for the first year before I start spending any extra money on it...)

Above all else I'm going to keep my safety and the health of the vehicle my top priority, but (IF he even comes out) putting the hurt on the Mazdaspeed3 would be some truly sweet icing. Honestly, if he doesn't even show up then I win just by going and having a good time. I suppose the initial glove-slap got my blood a little hotter than it is now that a few days passed. Thanks for the tips!

2007alloygt

The Speed3 is a pretty good car all around, I once raced one on the highway from about 70-100, I only put about 2 car lengths on him if that, don't know if he was stock or not though. I have a buddy with a MS6, same engine bigger car, and he has an intake, tune, along with a few other small mods, and I am pretty sure that his car would take me in a straight line, he would also kill me in the corners (he does have AWD, the MS3 is FWD). If you are still stock, the race should be even depending on track, it will come down to who is the better driver, and if he has been to a track before, that will definitely be him. My suggestion is to get some practice first, get a few cheap suspension mods along with an intake and tune, and then you should be able to take him down pretty easily.