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Yesterday I took my '13 G37S sedan to its first track day. Surprisingly it was very predictable and much quicker than I was expecting. Still a touch slower than my old Evo, but I was shocked when I passed these other cars.
Video of you passing these cars turning hot laps or it didn't happen. The only way you passed all those cars on track is if you're an experienced track veteran and it's their very first time on a track. Or they were on a warm up lap. Maybe.
Video of you passing these cars turning hot laps or it didn't happen. The only way you passed all those cars on track is if you're an experienced track veteran and it's their very first time on a track. Or they were on a warm up lap. Maybe.
Oh ye of little faith. I am very experienced on that track, but 1st time with that car. The Evo driver is also very familiar with that track and we had fun going back and forth. I thought the R8 driver would have an advantage with the AWD, but I think I had a tire advantage.
The Z06 was most surprising. In the 2nd session we were about 1/2 a lap apart and we seemed to be meeting in the same spot. So the next session I started right behind him to see if I could keep up thinking he would blow my doors off. We both ran the first 2 laps pretty slow getting the tires warmed up and then the pace picked up. This track only has a few short straights so he still pulled away from me there, but I was much faster in the braking zone and the corners. He was getting on it pretty good as he got the back loose a few times. If it was a longer track like Road America he would have surely blown me away. He did have the crazy Michelin tires that are basically slicks and the carbon ceramics. This was the 3rd track day he had done this year and my 1st so far.
I think you are right though, it has a lot to do with seat time. There was a guy there with the exact same Evo I sold (and only had on that track once), but he had a lot more hp. This was his second year there with the car and he was still running slower laps w/ quite a bit more power.
It was on a trailer in front of me when I was registering so I figured the guy was pretty serious. I was praying he was not in my run group, but of course he was the first to line up. He was driving clean lines, but I just gradually reeled him in. Then again, it was the V8 and not the V10, but still I thought it was cool.
Not too shabby, lighter wheels and brakes might make a difference for you.
+1 for the video
The forged TSWs were the lightest wheels I could find with the right offsets- 19x9 and 19x9.5 that didn't break the bank. Each weigh only about 21lbs when everything else I looked at was 27-35lbs. I already upgraded the pads, fluid, and braided lines. I suppose I could go to 6pots up front if I got serious about turning it into a dedicated track rat, but kind of overkill for my daily driver.
Sorry, I didn't take any video. Had I known there would be an R8 and a Z06 in my run group that I would catch, I would have gone out and bought one. I was also quite surprised by the results.
My original point of this post was that the G37S sedan is a great track car when it is set up right. I thought I was going to be way off pace due to the weight and set up of the car, but it was actually very close in lap times to my '14 Evo which was one of the fastest cars on that track.
Yup, pretty capable track car for a sedan. I was ahead of and or passed everyone on the track (c6 corvette, STI, mustang gt, 350z to name a few) except for a nismo Z that seemed a bit quicker. It was the rookie class and I could tell some guys were babying their cars (not that there is anything wrong with that). Seems like some of the guys were doing the same thing on your track day (that z06 should blow the doors off everything unless they were overheating, LOL) but hey, a wins a win! . Either way, I bet you had fun.
That R8 looks friggin gorgeous! As does your car as well lol
The R8 was sweet and the Z06 was just sinister.
Originally Posted by AroundTheG37
Yup, pretty capable track car for a sedan. I was ahead of and or passed everyone on the track (c6 corvette, STI, mustang gt, 350z to name a few) except for a nismo Z that seemed a bit quicker. It was the rookie class and I could tell some guys were babying their cars (not that there is anything wrong with that). Seems like some of the guys were doing the same thing on your track day (that z06 should blow the doors off everything unless they were overheating, LOL) but hey, a wins a win! . Either way, I bet you had fun.
I am glad you noticed similar results. I was pleasantly surprised that the car now lives up to its plates "4DR Z CAR." I was in the top "advanced" run group. At 1st I thought the Z06 had to be ******* it, but his tire wear told a different story. He just was not running perfect lines through the corners and could have braked a little later. Also if the straights were longer he would have pulled away from me. This was a short technical track so I could keep him in range in the straights and then caught him in the corners.
Do not consider passing hotter cars at track days a testament to your skill. The last time I ran a my somewhat modded Sentra SE-R at Texas World Speedway, I passed two Vipers and almost ran down a late-90's Z28. Those guys were exercising caution -- they had to drive those vehicles home. I trailered my car.
I also ran down G35's in my stock Miata at the annual Texas Z club meet in 2009(?) at Motorsports Ranch Houston.
My buddy in is race-prepped Sentra SE-R passed a retired small-block Chevy IMSA car one cold February day at Motorsports Ranch Cresson. The owner and team were trying to get the car to run right. If it were in top shape, it would have lapped my buddy every time around the track.
What you should celebrate is surviving a track day with your ride home intact. I've seen quite a few people who cried. I broke a wheel on my Miata at one track event when I walloped the end of a curb. Cut it just a red c-hair too close...
Do not consider passing hotter cars at track days a testament to your skill. The last time I ran a my somewhat modded Sentra SE-R at Texas World Speedway, I passed two Vipers and almost ran down a late-90's Z28. Those guys were exercising caution -- they had to drive those vehicles home. I trailered my car.
I also ran down G35's in my stock Miata at the annual Texas Z club meet in 2009(?) at Motorsports Ranch Houston.
My buddy in is race-prepped Sentra SE-R passed a retired small-block Chevy IMSA car one cold February day at Motorsports Ranch Cresson. The owner and team were trying to get the car to run right. If it were in top shape, it would have lapped my buddy every time around the track.
What you should celebrate is surviving a track day with your ride home intact. I've seen quite a few people who cried. I broke a wheel on my Miata at one track event when I walloped the end of a curb. Cut it just a red c-hair too close...
Haha! Well, that is about as close as you can cut it in a Miata. Sorry to hear about the wheel though. Fortunately in all my years of track days, that has never happened (knocks on wood).
Again, I am trying to give credit to the car as being much better on track than I expected.
04-11-2016, 11:11 AM
I am very experienced on that track, but 1st time with that car. The Evo driver is also very familiar with that track and we had fun going back and forth. I thought the R8 driver would have an advantage with the AWD, but I think I had a tire advantage. 
. Either way, I bet you had fun.
Haha! Well, that is about as close as you can cut it in a Miata. Sorry to hear about the wheel though. Fortunately in all my years of track days, that has never happened (knocks on wood).
