my first track day with my 05 lgt limited wagon

hey guys, wanted to share my great track experience with you guys. took my wagon out for the first time to learn how to drive it. amazing! i love how my wagon drives. such stable turning with power. after the event, only 1 tire had damage, front driver side. i think because of the long banked sweeping right hand turn.

http://oi47.tinypic.com/j73jfd.jpg

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/386639_4070085962306_2017291485_n.jpg

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-snc7/307280_4070063081734_2063252655_n.jpg

car setup:

tc105n 17x8 +42 (15.9lbs!)

continental dws 235 45 17

stock brakes with centric posi pads and centric rotors

tein flex damping set to 10 clicks

front perrin 20mm sway bar

aem intake

catless up pipe

megan down

3" mid

blitz nur spec axle back

1.2 degrees camber front

2.1 degrees camber rear

54% front vs rear weight balance with me inside 3/4 gas tank

51.9% right vs left weight balance with me inside 3/4 gas tank

weight with me inside 3632lbs with 3/4 gas tank

drove to track, drove all day, and only had 1/3 tank left. drove home on the same tank! i measured 10.2mpg for my acutal track time.

streets of willow CW dec 29, 2012

i was part of beginner blue group

weather was 40F and windy. occasionally snowing alittle.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZHDZ9caGU]Streets of Willow DEC 29 2012 - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon MT Pre session 2 snowing proof - YouTube[/ame]

session 1 (follow the leader) camera mounted on driverside rear window:

[ame=www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiHU00c628c]Streets of Willow DEC 29 2012 - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon MT, Session 1 Beginner Blue - YouTube[/ame]

session 2 (first time on the track alone! FREEEEEEEEEEE... and scared, too much traffic in my session) go pro aim more to see my shifting, my favorite position:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKocePwYtlg&list=UUc5b4SPpy7CrUN2wUVVqCOQ&index=1]Streets of Willow DEC 29 2012 - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon MT, Session 2 Beginner Blue - YouTube[/ame]

sessoin 3 (you guys will like the celica spin out) camera mounted on rear most part of sunroof center:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yydiva8cv8M]Streets of Willow DEC 29 2012 - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon MT, Session 2 Beginner Blue - YouTube[/ame]

my session 4 (you guys will like the mustang action!) camera mounted to passenger headrest:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BG8lvxm6x_U]Streets of Willow DEC 29 2012 - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon MT, Session 3 Beginner Blue - YouTube[/ame]

here is my tracking info from my phone. not sure how exact it is. but nevertheless... it is what i got.

http://oi46.tinypic.com/9jgaph.jpg

so, to debrief:

camera mounting positions were hard to pick out. since i borrowed the gopro and also used my point and shoot. it was hard to see where they were pointing. i think... if i were to pick up a setup... i would want 2 x gopro. one on the rear driver side window and one on the sunroof. but the second choice, i hate how the rear view mirror blocks everything. so i think i am going to may be remove it? then you can see everything.

learning the lines really isn't that hard. staying on the line cause you don't have enough grip is another thing. also, fear does kick in alot especially when there is dirt in the hard braking zones and your abs kicks in. or if you need to brake and you can see the braking zone cause it is hidden behind a turn. over all i had a great experience learning what my car is capable of and how it reacts at the limit.

honest plans:

POWER, is enough. no complaints.

SUSPENSION, needs rear sway bar to make the car more neutral, i had to turn it a little by sometimes just ever so slightly dragging the brakes at times. front needs more camber, may be from 1.2 to about 2 degrees? i think that will give me the best handling setup while be easy for daily driving.

BRAKES, i do think the dws was able to not over do the brakes. with the new tire setup. i want to put on my brembos. i already have posi pads for them and regular centric rotors. so i think this will be my final setup.

TIRES, i do really like the DWS. but i plan to try out DW or may be KDW2 in 245 40 17.

EXHAUST, a loud exhaust is great to help you know what rpm you are at. but for daily... not for me. i noticed alot of people just dropped their mufflers or the whole exhaust. may be i can try that? would like to get the apexi WS2 system.

track recommendations if you plan to go:

bring a jack for tire checks and misc

one of those car stoppers (triangles?) - after track time, you need to hold the car with no ebrakes. they could be damaged to clamping to a hot rotor.

small tool set in case you start to find things loosen

torque wrench for wheels are super important! need to torque down the wheels at the right rating. hot and cold they start to creep. you need to check after every run. you don't want to be the one whom wheel went off flying. either from over torqued lugs and they snapped or a fallen off lugs from being too loose.

tire pressure gage, for some reason i went to track with cold 22psi? i thought i had 35! after 1 event it went up to hot 48psi! friend helped me and got my hot pressure down to 34psi. which made the car handle alot better.

EMPTY OUT YOUR CAR! track guy got mad just from me leaving a jacket in my back seat! totally true! may be he thought it was goign to fly up and wrap around my head? was really weird. i guess i can see it? but yea. just empty out your car. pockets, under the seats, all those misc stuff.

water! you need to hydrate. you are really being stressed while driving. constantly fearing for your life at every turn! atleast for me. just bring water to help you make sure you brain juices are flowing well. i was lucky and my event acutally gives water generously and also provided lunch! i just brought 2 bottles of water for emergency and lots of fruit to snack on. turned out to be perfect. cold or hot, you will get dehydrated.

ENGINE OIL, i brought 5q of oil. i hear you consume oil being at such high rpm. i didn't consume any. but... my s2000 friend had his overflow tank like spew out alot and he had to refill oil.

Extra gas is nice to have. you can buy gas at the track, 91 oct is about 8 bucks a gallon! they do have higher oct? and outside my track area it was about 3.85 for 91. i brought 2 x 5g jugs of 91 oct and paid 3.55 from costco. haha, so it can save you money. 5g is enough. just to get you back home with out needing to buy gas. it is not necessary, but convenient if you are budget required.

prepare before the track event:

1. honestly... i would watch a video of the track. may be get used to the turns a bit. hard to see lines. but knowing the turns a little does help.

2. i would actually try to wear your helmet ahead. like walk around the house with it on. my neck is sore from wearing it all day. you need to get your muscles in your neck to warm up to the huge weight of the helmet!

Good work. Pushing that thing hard. Mustang guy was a douche

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yea, that mustang was really bad... i really forgot about my high beams... i wanted to start using my hella horns! but i was concentrating on not crashing into him... cause every turn i was literally like afoot off his bumper.

you always think of good come backs like the day after. wish i could have gotten next to him, then honked and make him spin out... hahaha

That Mustang guy would have been ejected from the local track here for doing that shit. What an ass.

i wish he was kicked out...

Are you racing one of the other 99 ABP/Tpe LGT Ltd 5MT wagons? Omg, you are my new effing hero.

yea, i guess i am! i know this combo is alittle rare... promise i was safe at all times...

The V8's just can't compete with Subaru AWD in the twisties. The Boxer engine sounds amazing when you pull the wick tight. Where do you live? Looks a lot like the upper desert. I grew up In Ridgecrest/China Lake area. Palmdale?

i actually live in orange county... track was near palmdale and lancaster.

Don't mistake me. I really want to be just like you. I'm trying really hard not to geek out right now cause I'm so excited you're doing that. I'll try not to make it weird. You had such a good run. Was that really your first track day? Was there anybody you weren't faster than?

Having never actually seen a track day (only read some of the details), I was a little curious as to how the signaling for passing would actually work. I spent the first few minutes of the vid not really understanding what a dick that guy was being. Until you caught the next guys and they both waived you by immediately and I saw how it was supposed to be done did I really realize. By the time I got to the brake check though, I had figured it out.

What was that Impreza you passed? An RS? Essteeai? Just goes to show it wasn't just the awd doing the work. Did you post any power mods? I just saw suspension setup. Stock brakes?

I'd really like to start out doing some parking lot racing this coming summer to see how far I can push my stage 2 and then maybe see how it feels at 3. I've never raced anywhere, not even a drag strip. I drove a Ferrari F430 for three laps and a Mercedes SLS for three laps in parking lot at Gillette Stadium. But that is the sum total of my race experience.

Supposedly, there is some great autox out on an old air force base (Devens) near me that has racing at least half the weekends of the summer. Love to try that. The eventual goal to be moving up to a real track. And maybe even someday, a real track car.

Thanks for recording and posting. Keep us up to date on how things go. (Tell me more about your wagon's mods.)

Don't mistake me. I really want to be just like you. I'm trying really hard not to geek out right now cause I'm so excited you're doing that. I'll try not to make it weird. You had such a good run. Was that really your first track day?

kinda, i had a honda prelude in 2000 which i tracked twice in button willow. i just bought this car in july. been loving it ever since. so officially this was my 3rd time on a track.

Was there anybody you weren't faster than?

in my class i couldn't pass 2 people, not this wrx, but another one. he was modded with 225 re01r tires. so i just cound't keep up. another evo that was running 265 summer tires. man, that car too just had so much grip. no matter how hard i would go in, just can't hold it through the turn. i mean, the dws tires are great. but just can't compare to more contact patch or "R" compound tires.

Having never actually seen a track day (only read some of the details), I was a little curious as to how the signaling for passing would actually work. I spent the first few minutes of the vid not really understanding what a dick that guy was being. Until you caught the next guys and they both waived you by immediately and I saw how it was supposed to be done did I really realize. By the time I got to the brake check though, I had figured it out.

so, supposedly. you raise your hand out side the window and signal your 1 index finger. passer then takes the non racing line to pass while the pass-ee stays on line and attempts to help you by releasing the gas a little. beginner groups like mine can only pass on long straights. especially for beginner groups, the pass-ee needs to know someone is next to them. as they may do something stupid thinking nobody is next to them. very good safety rule once you understand it. also, every track is different.

(Tell me more about your wagon's mods.)

yea, i am going to try to post what i have and what i setup. gonna save this for the next time i go to track. keep records.just takes time to compile my information. while uploading files and editing them. i really think the car has plenty of power. i think for me. as a daily driver and alittle track time. i just want to get better tires and put on my brembos. then the car will be perfect. oh wait, rear sway bar to match up the front. then i am done. i really am so happy with the car, power and handling.

Iron Eagle style?

We just made up four minutes. -Chappy

That guy had to know you wanted to pass. Hell you got next to him and he still laid on the 725 nonsense just to prove what an idiot he was.

I've got Michelin Pilot Super Sports on my summers (see avatar). Can't find the limit of the grip on them on legal roads. They are supposed to be wicked sticky for a street tire. You need at least a summer tire on there. Get a set of lightweight cheapy aftermarket wheels and put on the most race worthy tire you can find that still keeps you in class.

Probably not the best idea, but are you allowed to play music while on the track?

you know, i have no idea. i think you can? but i was in a desert area, so i am sure there aren't that many radio stations. also, the car was just so bumpy and stuff i don't think a CD would play...

Can't find the limit of the grip on them on legal roads.

this is why i got regular tires. so i can see what they are capable of. what can i do with them. i feel like that knowledge is so valuable. and i was able to do it in a safe environment. my next set of tires will be DW or KDW2. dont' get me wrong either. i think, dws is just amazing. but for light duty track and budget friendly tread wear life. i am considering going a little away from dws. i mean, i don't need the "S" as i live in california. but i just love the tread wear, i drive alot so it is important to me.

what was your time jason?

I got stuck behind a stupid mustang when I went to Chuckwalla... =.=

what was your time jason?

 

I got stuck behind a stupid mustang when I went to Chuckwalla... =.=

hahaha, my best time was 1.39... did i mention it was snowing alittle!!!

http://oi48.tinypic.com/15oe70l.jpg

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZHDZ9caGU]Streets of Willow DEC 29 2012 - 2005 Subaru Legacy GT Limited Wagon MT Pre session 2 snowing proof - YouTube[/ame]

dafuq...snowing?!

I'll try to match that time on Jan 19th!

Snowing, that explains it. Snow to a Subie is like spinach to Popeye

Nice driving, loved that 3rd vid!

dafuq...snowing?!

 

I'll try to match that time on Jan 19th!

you have better gripping tires. wider tires. more power. you should do much better then i did. i expect you in the 1.35 range. r compound and you can reach 1.32. breaking 1.30 i hear takes aero, front splitter and rear wing. notice i say nothign about power! hahaha... my friend has s2000, stock with aero. can hit 1.25 there on the same day. it is a very short and technical track. i hear it is all about momentum and keeping it. at least that is what my instructor said. and my best advice from the instructor.

how to get good lap times follow these steps:

1. brake

2. shift into gear for turn

3. turn

4. accelerate

5. repeat

don't mix steps. do only 1 at a time.

Snowing, that explains it. Snow to a Subie is like spinach to Popeye

 

Nice driving, loved that 3rd vid!

thanks! i was watching the weather all week. i wanted it to rain so badly. but yea, i was the only one there with tires rated for snow. too bad it just melted when it touched a surface.

You need a big front lip

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but im a n00b when it comes to driving...I've never been there, so I don't know the lines at all

hahah, me too! i am noob also! man, let me see if my other friends are going again to that one. may be i can tag along! just pray that mustang doesn't show up there again... otherwise i want to get police sirens and lights everytime i am behind him... oh, a bull horn making fun of him too...

You need a big front lip

 

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oh yes, i would love to get one. but brakes and tires first.

just get air horn...lol

I've always been wanting to get some type of LED flash lights from China...

but the mustang that pissed me off will be there... unfortunately...

I'll definitely try not to run in the same class as his stupid ass. This guy does not know how to drive at all. Staying in the middle of the track most of the time. When I look back, GT5 has taught me well...lol