My Mk5 Zetec-S 1st Track Day
18-12-2012, 11:40 AM
#1
My Mk5 Zetec-S 1st Track Day
I thought i'd give you all a quick update of how my track day taster session at brands hatch went.
Im no stranger to track days, but i thought i'd book a 20min taster session to see how my standard zs daily driver held up on track. I went down with my bro in his MK1 fiesta.
I gave the ZS a full service the day before, including new front pads (pagid oe road compound) and 2 new rear tyres. Now i know its a bad idea to change pads so soon before the day, but during the serivce i noticed the pads were nearly gone, 2mm left so airing on the side of caution i changed them. She now wears a matching set of Bridgestone ER300s. Which have really calmed the previously "lively" back end down, strange as it was on Yoko S306 before. I took oil, water, a jack and some tools with me.
I arrived on track at 11am, for my 12noon start-time. The track was damp with the racing line starting to dry out. After 2 pace-car led laps we was let loose, i approached druids fairly steadily 40mph 3rd gear turn in, wanting to see how slippery it was off the line, so i powered away from the apex, holding a tight line rather than letting the car run out wide and as soon as i touched the throttle the front end pushed wide straight away... It was very slippery off the racing line! Various cars spun out, including a puma and a 106 rallye in our session.
As a whole the session went well, the zs really does handle nicely communicating on the limit and planting nicely when turned in hard. I suffered from steering shudder towards the end of the 20mins coming down from 90-95mph on the main straight, so the brakes were obviously not liking the heat. I do wish it had abit more straight line speed/power as i was tussling with an E36 M3 through the corners for him to get away on the main straight, i'd then catch him through the corners and it did become quite frustrating, Until afew 3 laps of this i overtook him on the brakes into mclaren. The aforementioned 106 rallye proved a good fight for the zs, he was stripped, caged n harnessed with various engine mods and we were constantly overtaking/outbraking one another throughout the session.
So apart from the brakes and slight lack of grunt i have no other problems or complaints...
Im going to look at perhaps replacing the discs with new oe spec or drilled ones, or maybe plump for the ST front brake set-up with fast road pads. I may fit a K&N induction cone i have for the ZS purely to add to the intake noise.. Maybe some rear axle spacers and strut braces too lol.
Then book an open pit day at either brands or snetterton. So much for a daily driver lol!
Once the pics r up online i'll add a link!
Im no stranger to track days, but i thought i'd book a 20min taster session to see how my standard zs daily driver held up on track. I went down with my bro in his MK1 fiesta.
I gave the ZS a full service the day before, including new front pads (pagid oe road compound) and 2 new rear tyres. Now i know its a bad idea to change pads so soon before the day, but during the serivce i noticed the pads were nearly gone, 2mm left so airing on the side of caution i changed them. She now wears a matching set of Bridgestone ER300s. Which have really calmed the previously "lively" back end down, strange as it was on Yoko S306 before. I took oil, water, a jack and some tools with me.
I arrived on track at 11am, for my 12noon start-time. The track was damp with the racing line starting to dry out. After 2 pace-car led laps we was let loose, i approached druids fairly steadily 40mph 3rd gear turn in, wanting to see how slippery it was off the line, so i powered away from the apex, holding a tight line rather than letting the car run out wide and as soon as i touched the throttle the front end pushed wide straight away... It was very slippery off the racing line! Various cars spun out, including a puma and a 106 rallye in our session.
As a whole the session went well, the zs really does handle nicely communicating on the limit and planting nicely when turned in hard. I suffered from steering shudder towards the end of the 20mins coming down from 90-95mph on the main straight, so the brakes were obviously not liking the heat. I do wish it had abit more straight line speed/power as i was tussling with an E36 M3 through the corners for him to get away on the main straight, i'd then catch him through the corners and it did become quite frustrating, Until afew 3 laps of this i overtook him on the brakes into mclaren. The aforementioned 106 rallye proved a good fight for the zs, he was stripped, caged n harnessed with various engine mods and we were constantly overtaking/outbraking one another throughout the session.
So apart from the brakes and slight lack of grunt i have no other problems or complaints...
Im going to look at perhaps replacing the discs with new oe spec or drilled ones, or maybe plump for the ST front brake set-up with fast road pads. I may fit a K&N induction cone i have for the ZS purely to add to the intake noise.. Maybe some rear axle spacers and strut braces too lol.
Then book an open pit day at either brands or snetterton. So much for a daily driver lol!
Once the pics r up online i'll add a link!
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