DE Blackhawk Farms May 7th - 986 Forum - The Community for Porsche Boxster & Cayman Owners

bmx672 · 03-24-2008, 10:45 AM

I wish they didn't do them during the week all the time. I live really close and would go more often. I always go to the Octoberfest PCA event there though!

djomlas · 03-27-2008, 12:41 PM

thats my b-day...

quick, everyone pitch in and sign me up :dance:

Chills · 03-31-2008, 12:16 PM

Too bad you aren't coming along, DJ.

Is anyone else going? I am going to be the only 986er at this event?

racer_d · 03-31-2008, 01:47 PM

I would recommend a brake fluid flush and bleeding. I have never been to this track to know how it "eats brakes" but having brake issues is a real bummer. If it's your first event, and you don't think this will become addictive (yeah, right

) then I would recommend just flushing the brake fluid with a good DOT4 fluid and even new OEM pads. If you think this will be a trend, you might want to upgrade to a track duty brake fluid like ATE Gold and even a performance brake pad.

Most importantly, listen to your instructor. They are there for a reason. You will not impress your instructor with blazing speed. You will impress him/her by doing as they tell you

you will impress them by being smooth, patient and having track awareness. Since you have some time there already, you have a jump on the complete newbies.

Chills · 04-01-2008, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by racer_d

I would recommend a brake fluid flush and bleeding. I have never been to this track to know how it "eats brakes" but having brake issues is a real bummer. If it's your first event, and you don't think this will become addictive (yeah, right

) then I would recommend just flushing the brake fluid with a good DOT4 fluid and even new OEM pads. If you think this will be a trend, you might want to upgrade to a track duty brake fluid like ATE Gold and even a performance brake pad.

Most importantly, listen to your instructor. They are there for a reason. You will not impress your instructor with blazing speed. You will impress him/her by doing as they tell you

you will impress them by being smooth, patient and having track awareness. Since you have some time there already, you have a jump on the complete newbies.

Thanks for the advice, racer_d. The brakes are definitely the first order of business. This Saturday I'm heading to a friend's shop who I just found out used to do track events in his 911 years ago and is a certified Pcar mechanic. He's going to help me flush my brakes and put the DOT 4 in. He's got an Audi that he tracks... maybe I can convince him to come back to the light. lol

I'll heed your advice and listen closely to the instrustor. I am not going to this even to learn to be fast, I'm going to learn to be smooth. That's a mistake I made when I started out with the sportbike, I tried to hard to be fast. I want to learn how to drive my Boxcar the way it was designed to be driven.

racer_d · 04-01-2008, 11:56 AM

Be sure to check with either the group you are running with or with the track itself for any rules related to "convertibles" or "broomstick tests".

See, the 986 Boxster rollbar hoops are a bit low, so if you are seated, in the car, with a helmet on, and the helmet sits above the "line" drawn from the windshield header and the rollbar, you could be in trouble. You might even try the test now w/o a helmet and realize a helmet will add about 2" to the top of your head.

Where I live, some regions don't enforce the broomstick test.. some are fanatical and even one track (VIR) requires 986 Boxsters to use a Brey Krause Rollbar Extension (about $700 new, used can be had for about 1/2 price).

Its best to know before hand than to get to the track and be told you cant run.

** a popular, and economical, DOT 4 fluid that resists brake fade well is ATE "gold" or ATE "blue". You might want to consider using it.

NickCats · 04-07-2008, 10:22 AM

Chills,

Who are you running with ? Chicago PCA ?

I may be interested...

Nick

jmatta · 04-24-2008, 08:19 AM

Hi Chills,

I'll be at BFR that day...I'm a Chicago Region instructor (last 8-9 years) and will have my 911 (green #72) there, as well. Do flush your brakes and even look into a slightly more aggressive pad than OEM. Blackhawk is very hard on brakes and a 986 is certainly not the lightest of cars. If you plan to do more than one or two events, pick up a set of Pagid orange pads or comparable. The new owners of BFR have made some nice improvements and the track has been repaved since you last visited. You will not be the only Boxster; we've been getting quite a few at our events and BFR is a great track for the car. You will also be OK without the rollbar extension; our region does not require them. I assume you will run with stock belts...not the best, but it's also acceptable in the novice groups.

Jerry Matta

Chills · 04-24-2008, 08:41 AM

Thanks for the advice, Jerry. I flushed the brakes 2 weeks ago and ordered a set of OEM front pads. My fronts are at 50% and the rears are closer to 70%, so I wanted a set just in case.

I've seen the Pagid pads and will likley get some after this trackday. I learned from sportbikes when upgrading start with brakes, then suspension, then go from there.

I can't wait to see BHF since its been repaved. My trackday friends have good things to say about it. They've also told me the owners redid the shower/bathrooms. Way cool!

I'm looking forward to learning as much as I can. I've been watching the roster on the registration site and have noticed the other Boxsters. I also saw some pretty cool 911s will be there, so I'll be sure to have my camera.

Nice color for your car. It matches my trackbike.