Sep 28, 2019
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Stouffville
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Corvette 1989
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if so i haven't seen any posts on time attack racing maybe looking in the wrong spot...does anyone here do any grass root style racing? so what are u driving how modified is ur car or is it stock?
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I participate as much as possible. Currently, I only do Autocross and the occasional lapping event. Long term, I want to participate in Time Attack and get competitive in it.

Currently, she is a bone-stock 2009 Corvette Base 1LT without Z51. Tires are Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 and the wheels are take-offs from a base, non-Z51 C7 (I bent two stock wheels when I did my first lapping event). I will have an oil cooler installed by a friend before the snow melts.

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ya I've heard lotsa fun and cheap trouble is don't know where to start

The best place to start is by going to your local AutoX events. They would be held by your local motorsports club. Just go and have fun! You should be able to find something with a quick Google search. If not, go to some local car meets and talk to people. Chances are, there's at least one person there who participates in motorsports.


Get used to doing more maintenance on your car. Before you do ANY autocross or track events, flush your brake fluid with DOT4 fluid. If you haven't for a while: flush your transmission and diff fluid as well.

Don't do any modifications to your car yet. Spend money on gaining experience, not parts. Once you're comfortable with the car, get some up-rated brake pads (Hawk and Stoptech are good brands). You can go with stock rotors. Sticky tires would be next. The Firehawk Indy 500 is a great, inexpensive tire. I was very comfortable pushing them to their limits on my first track event. I found them progressive and predictable.

Alignment is also an important thing for the track to improve handling characteristics and improve tire life. This link is an excellent pdf to follow when setting up alignment.


Brake pads are necessary before going to the track. I didn't replace mine before my first event and after 1 lap of each session, I experienced severe brake fade. I had extreme brake failure once every session. I was comfortable with it because there was never anyone near me and the track was wide-open with long runoffs. I have Stoptech pads and rotors on mine now, upfront. The rear is still stock.

When you begin hitting the track, you'll want to start flushing your engine oil after every day at the track. Same with brake fluid. Your alignment will need to be redone after each track day as well.

I personally believe in modifications that improve reliability and safety over performance. Make the car able to run forever before you make it faster: add a cooler to everything, starting with engine oil. There's also the power steering cooler, transmission, rear diff. Not all are critical, but not a bad idea. If you find yourself on a very hot day and your engine temps are going up, If you get more into track events than autocross, an oil cooler is paramount as your oil temp can skyrocket very, very quickly to dangerous levels during a short stint on the track. I saw it hit 155C in my car when I was at the track.
 
I do auto-x type events, but just local stuff. I don’t even have national points. I have been known to also do open track days at AMP now and then.

I don’t use the vette though. Too many safety requirements/restrictions because it’s a convertible. I use my 83 Mustang:

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Started out as a base model v6 auto hatchback, only option it had was a sunroof. Heck, it didn’t even have a center console! Lol!

It’s many things, but stock is no longer one of them.

Engine: 1989 block, forged pistons, motorsports cam, roller lifters, edelbrock performer rpm air gap dual plane intake, holley 750 with vacuum secondaries, bbk longtubes, magnaflow full stainless exhaust, and on and on:

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Transmission: T5, hurst short throw shifter

Front end: Bilstein struts, 2002 Cobra lower control arms (longer arms, low friction ball joints, etc), modified K-member (didn’t want to go tubular for road racing), camber/caster plates, SN95 Mach 1 springs, sn95 steering rack, solid rack bushings, bump ateer kit, sn95 wheel hubs, 5 lug wheel conversion, pbr cobra brakes.

Rear: 8.8 ford, 3.73 limited slip, 31 spline carrier, 31 spline sn95 axles, rear disc brakes, maximum motorsports (MM) HD lower control arms, sn95 Mach1 rear springs, bilstein rear shocks, MM panhard bar, MM torque arm, full length subframe connectors:

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Sn95 “Bullit” rims.

Lots of body mods like the lowers, the hood, the t-tops, etc. the front “fog light” openings are now ducts to direct cooling air to the front brakes. I probably should have left out putting in T-tops:

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Since you’re restricted to running with the tops in and the t-top “cassette” doesn’t add any torsional strength tk the chassis (makes it worse actually), but I just couldn’t pass up the “80’s cool” of t-tops. I use it as a weekend cruiser (when it’s together and painted all the same color) as well as playtime at the track, so T-tops were worth it to me.

Goes like stink, 1 G skidpad capable. Corners like a rat in sneakers on a rubber floor... it’s mystified some good drivers before and other, supposedly “more capable” cars.

Thier problem is; they see an ill handling, floaty, slow, low reving, snap oversteer 80’s fox mustang. But there’s not much 80’s mustang in there anymore, it’s all serious kit. So unless someone checks it out in the pits, they never know it’s a serious track car until they are staring at the time slips. It gets lots of confused looks after a run. I wish I could say it’s because of my skill, but, well...you know.....lol!
 
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That is a really awesome Rustang! My kind of car! Woo!

I love the rear-mounted shocks in the last photo there! hahaha!

I'm beginning to lean more towards modifying The Flying Banana, as opposed to replacing it with a newer one. I have already began planning out the order of mods to fit in the class I want to compete in.

I don't do National autocross. It's honestly is becoming less appealing to me than time attack or lapping days. Yes, there is a massive difference in cost, but I really enjoy driving around, lap after lap, working on perfecting my line and braking points.
 
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