Going racing...where do I get stuff and what do I need??

[Mopar Boy]

So I am going to do a bit of tracking in the car. My first track day will be at The Pitt race with the OH VCA. Then I have a NARRA day coming up at some point.

So, what do i need to be track certified? I already am an ACR so I have the 5 pt belts.

I have a 4 year old Snell approved helmet.

Tires are 3 years old.






As for items I need, I gather I need to change brake fluid. Is Motul 600 the stuff? How many bottles are needed to bleed my system?

Also, where do I get the paint protecting film that is blue (or whatever color) from?


Is there anything else I need that I am missing?

Thanks!

 

[MTGTS]

I'd get some Motul or SRF brake fluid, SS brake lines, and fresh pads.

fresh engine oil

How old is your coolant? trans fluid? diff fluid? clutch fluid?

Make sure your helmet is SA certified and not just M certified.

Are your 3yo tires PS2's?

 

[PJ9454]

SRF, I can boil Motul and then your brakes go to the floor with no warning. When racing anything for the first time, always tap the pedal quite a distance from an upcoming brake zone to be sure you still have brakes prior to the start of your braking area. Lots of cars lost by not doing that.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Mopar Boy...good for you !!

I remember an excellent talk given by Jim and Kathy Stout at an Ohio VCA Party in March about two years ago...complete with a printed prep and tech sheet. You might contact Jim and ask for a copy...and, if that fails, send your fax number to me in an e-mail and I will dig up a copy and send it to you.

Have fun, Dude !!

P.S....don't be surprised if they assign an extra few hundred pounds of weight to your car...as an equalizer...because of it's obviously faster due to the YELLOW color !!!

 

[AZTVR]

I need to change brake fluid. Is Motul 600 the stuff?
Also, where do I get the paint protecting film that is blue (or whatever color) from?

SRF, I can boil Motul and then your brakes go to the floor with no warning.

I think that unless you have a bunch of track weekends under your belt, you won't be using your brakes hard enough to boil the Motul. It is possible; if you are extremely aggressive or over use the brakes; but, I do not believe that 98% of folks starting out have a need for SRF. Most don't even use Motul at first. But, you certainly want fresh fluid and I think that you can't go wrong with the Motul.

As for the blue "film," I think that you are seeing the 3M painter's tape that lots of people put on.

 

[rjsrt10]

The "blue" film is nothing more than painters tape. Found at any hardware store. Won't damage your paint, and when your done for the day just peal it off and your paint is still perfect underneath.

 

[BlackSnake99]

If your 5 points are original to the car, they are out of date. Each racing sanctioning body states a maximum lifetime for the harnesses. For instance, NHRA, SCCA, NASA and BMW CCA requires that SFI-rated belts to be replaced after 2 years. FIA harnesses have an expiration date usually 5-years from the current year.

 

[01sapphirebob]

You have a p.m.

 

[TowDawg]

If you're running with NARRA, the belts don't have to be in the certification dates. They just need to be in good condition.

I hope there's no long straights on that track. Otherwise you might go over backwards with that wing!

I had to throw some kind of jab in there since Chad is probably still getting used to having a job and might be too tired to get on the boards.

Glad to see you're getting it on the track. It's entirely too much fun.

 

[Allan]

The wing will create enough aero drag to keep his top speed down, and make the track day a lot safer for everyone.

 

[Allan]

Seriously though, the only problem with tracking a Viper, is that you have to keep going back because it's so much fun. The next issue is the faster you go, the faster you go through tires.

 

[AZTVR]

Seriously though, the only problem with tracking a Viper, is that you have to keep going back because it's so much fun. The next issue is the faster you go, the faster you go through tires.

DEFINITELY this ^^^^^^ (and brakes)

 

[Allan]

Yeah, I wasn't gonna mention that 'til he's really hooked. ....Fuel, drivetrain fluids, Oh no.

 

[Allan]

You're better of getting hooked on street drugs. -They are cheaper, and less addictive.

 

[MTGTS]

If you're running with NARRA, the belts don't have to be in the certification dates. They just need to be in good condition.

Correct, I've never had anyone check mine. Even if they are out of date they are better than 3 points if something were to happen

 

['93 RT/10]

Are 5 point harnesses typically required for the track? Or are the standard 3 point belts acceptable?

 

[Allan]

Are 5 point harnesses typically required for the track? Or are the standard 3 point belts acceptable?

Most open lapping days or club organized HPDE's don't require anything beyond oem 3 point seat belts.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

All good advice in this thread. I second Matt's suggestion of changing all your fluids front to back. Transmission and diff make it a bit pricey but the best insurance is fresh fluid, and when was the last time you changed them anyway?

 

[Mopar Boy]

Thanks for all of the input!

I'd get some Motul or SRF brake fluid, SS brake lines, and fresh pads.

fresh engine oil

How old is your coolant? trans fluid? diff fluid? clutch fluid?

Make sure your helmet is SA certified and not just M certified.

Are your 3yo tires PS2's?

Ahhhh, lets see here. Yes, they are PS2's.

And Helmet is SA.

Fluids, diff has been done, engine oil obviously done, the rest is factory. BUT, the car has 5300 miles on it. Should I be changing everything still or????

Also brakes are all original too. Barely seated!

SRF, I can boil Motul and then your brakes go to the floor with no warning. When racing anything for the first time, always tap the pedal quite a distance from an upcoming brake zone to be sure you still have brakes prior to the start of your braking area. Lots of cars lost by not doing that.

That is great info! Thanks!

Mopar Boy...good for you !!

I remember an excellent talk given by Jim and Kathy Stout at an Ohio VCA Party in March about two years ago...complete with a printed prep and tech sheet. You might contact Jim and ask for a copy...and, if that fails, send your fax number to me in an e-mail and I will dig up a copy and send it to you.

Have fun, Dude !!

P.S....don't be surprised if they assign an extra few hundred pounds of weight to your car...as an equalizer...because of it's obviously faster due to the YELLOW color !!!

Thats great info! And yes, Jim and Kathy's talk this year is where this all started! I have badly wanted to race cars since I was about 7 or 8 and have intentionally avoided taking the car to the track for fear of liking it too much. Its a slippery slope. But its time.

LOL. At the speed I plan on driving I think even the red cars will have a chance at beating me!

I think that unless you have a bunch of track weekends under your belt, you won't be using your brakes hard enough to boil the Motul. It is possible; if you are extremely aggressive or over use the brakes; but, I do not believe that 98% of folks starting out have a need for SRF. Most don't even use Motul at first. But, you certainly want fresh fluid and I think that you can't go wrong with the Motul.

Excellent. Thank you.

As for the blue "film," I think that you are seeing the 3M painter's tape that lots of people put on.

Really? Thats it? I always thought they were large sheets like 18" wide! Guess not!

 

[Mopar Boy]

If you're running with NARRA, the belts don't have to be in the certification dates. They just need to be in good condition.

They are perfect. One has a drool mark from when I attended my first VOI with it but other than that it is good!

I hope there's no long straights on that track. Otherwise you might go over backwards with that wing!

Hate to admit, that was funny!

I had to throw some kind of jab in there since Chad is probably still getting used to having a job and might be too tired to get on the boards.

I appreciate that! Its not the same without him around here. I intentionally left a grammatical error in a post two days ago and he never called me out on it!

Glad to see you're getting it on the track. It's entirely too much fun.

Yeah, thats the part that worries me!

The wing will create enough aero drag to keep his top speed down, and make the track day a lot safer for everyone.

Smart butt! You really are on a roll though!

Seriously though, the only problem with tracking a Viper, is that you have to keep going back because it's so much fun. The next issue is the faster you go, the faster you go through tires.

Yeah, I wasn't gonna mention that 'til he's really hooked. ....Fuel, drivetrain fluids, Oh no.

You're better of getting hooked on street drugs. -They are cheaper, and less addictive.

Yeah. This is the bad part. I really want to become a track rat. Problem is it can't be with this car as it is too clean to be punished like that. I need something with 53,000 miles, not 5300. I have a bad feeling this will have me hooked like a race slick. And thats not good!

All good advice in this thread. I second Matt's suggestion of changing all your fluids front to back. Transmission and diff make it a bit pricey but the best insurance is fresh fluid, and when was the last time you changed them anyway?

So with what I said above on the mileage, what do I need to do? The diff was done 3000 miles ago when I added the 3.73s. Oil was done 1 year ago and only has 400 miles on it. Everything else is factory.

Thoughts everyone?

And thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions!

 

[MTGTS]

I def. swap your coolant if it's never been done and add a bottle of water wetter to it while your doing it.

I'd do the trans fluid as well since it's pretty easy to do.

Diff fluid will be alright as it's not original but those 3.73's will generate a lot of heat on track. You'll have to keep track of how many events are on that fluid in the future. I change mine out after about 5 weekends and I have 3.45's. I drilled and tapped a drain hole in my diff to make it easier as I knew I would start doing it more often.

 

[DrumrBoy]

If you're doing a DE thing, then ordinary coolant is OK.

Race tech requires no glycol based stuff (slippery when wet - Bon Jovi) but DE is run what ya brung as long as its safe and doesn't leak. There are a bunch of arguments raging about aluminum corrosion and the link water wetter stuff. I'm not a chemist or metallurgist so I have no idea whether its correct, but I opt to not use it in favor of other similar products that aren't challenged on the corrosion promotion issue.

Lastly, you might want to throw some higher heat pads on the front brakes..... and change 'em back when you get home. (Hawk Blues or something in that neighborhood) http://www.hawkperformance.com/motorsports/compounds/

 

[96GTS]

The fluids in the car might only have 5300 miles, but considering that the last Gen II was built in 2002 your stock fluids are AT LEAST 10 years old. Racing is expensive because of the proper maintenance required for all the systems to function as if they were new. If this is your first time at the track, please understand that the limits of the car are probably above the limits of your driving skills and it's easy to get in over your heads. Don't concern yourself so much with lap times, but focus on the basics and build from there. If there's classroom time, make sure you're there. Stay hydrated because the last thing you want to do is lose your concentration on the course.

 

[AZTVR]

As for the blue "film," I think that you are seeing the 3M painter's tape that lots of people put on.

Really? Thats it? I always thought they were large sheets like 18" wide! Guess not!

There is another option, easier to install. I have only seen one guy that's done it; but, his car has a perfect paint job and he shows up at the same event repeatedly. He uses three layers of clear kitchen shelf paper from Home Depot/Walmart.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[Paul Hawker]

Depending on the event, you might need to add a fire extinguisher. You can easily mount it in front of the passenger seat, or behind the headrests. I should be accessable from the drivers seat in case of need.

There is already a mounting point for the extinguisher on the floor, where you can also mount a 5 point anti submarine belt.

Vipers really come into their own on the road courses. The Vipers can hand with all the other exotics, and really pull hard off the corners.

You will have a much better feel for what you will need after your first track experience. The other Viper drivers are usually very free with their advice, and they will share their experience.

 

[gb66gth]

BIG PILE OF MONEY >>>>>racing=small pile of money

 

[DrumrBoy]

Depending on the event, you might need to add a fire extinguisher. You can easily mount it in front of the passenger seat, or behind the headrests. I should be accessable from the drivers seat in case of need.

There is already a mounting point for the extinguisher on the floor, where you can also mount a 5 point anti submarine belt.

Vipers really come into their own on the road courses. The Vipers can hand with all the other exotics, and really pull hard off the corners.

You will have a much better feel for what you will need after your first track experience. The other Viper drivers are usually very free with their advice, and they will share their experience.

Roe makes a nice mounting bracket for a little extinguisher. If you can get the gas-type rather than the yellow powder type....much less clean up if you ever have to use it. Don't ask me how I know.....

 

[Mopar Boy]

I def. swap your coolant if it's never been done and add a bottle of water wetter to it while your doing it.

I'd do the trans fluid as well since it's pretty easy to do.

Diff fluid will be alright as it's not original but those 3.73's will generate a lot of heat on track. You'll have to keep track of how many events are on that fluid in the future. I change mine out after about 5 weekends and I have 3.45's. I drilled and tapped a drain hole in my diff to make it easier as I knew I would start doing it more often.

Diff is drilled and tapped already so that should be easy! And valid point. Again, not thinking more than an hour or so total on the track so fluid should be OK.

If you're doing a DE thing, then ordinary coolant is OK.

Race tech requires no glycol based stuff (slippery when wet - Bon Jovi) but DE is run what ya brung as long as its safe and doesn't leak. There are a bunch of arguments raging about aluminum corrosion and the link water wetter stuff. I'm not a chemist or metallurgist so I have no idea whether its correct, but I opt to not use it in favor of other similar products that aren't challenged on the corrosion promotion issue.

Lastly, you might want to throw some higher heat pads on the front brakes..... and change 'em back when you get home. (Hawk Blues or something in that neighborhood) http://www.hawkperformance.com/motorsports/compounds/

Thanks! I will consider this.

The fluids in the car might only have 5300 miles, but considering that the last Gen II was built in 2002 your stock fluids are AT LEAST 10 years old. Racing is expensive because of the proper maintenance required for all the systems to function as if they were new. If this is your first time at the track, please understand that the limits of the car are probably above the limits of your driving skills and it's easy to get in over your heads. Don't concern yourself so much with lap times, but focus on the basics and build from there. If there's classroom time, make sure you're there. Stay hydrated because the last thing you want to do is lose your concentration on the course.

Very solid advice! Thank you! I have no intention of going out to impress people or myself on lap times. This is a laid back event so I can become comfortable on the track.

There is another option, easier to install. I have only seen one guy that's done it; but, his car has a perfect paint job and he shows up at the same event repeatedly. He uses three layers of clear kitchen shelf paper from Home Depot/Walmart.

You must be registered for see images attach

Wow! Would that not just kill cooling airflow!?

Figures....a vette.

Depending on the event, you might need to add a fire extinguisher. You can easily mount it in front of the passenger seat, or behind the headrests. I should be accessable from the drivers seat in case of need.

There is already a mounting point for the extinguisher on the floor, where you can also mount a 5 point anti submarine belt.

Already has one! I have one in all my vehicles.

Vipers really come into their own on the road courses. The Vipers can hand with all the other exotics, and really pull hard off the corners.

You will have a much better feel for what you will need after your first track experience. The other Viper drivers are usually very free with their advice, and they will share their experience.

Another suggestion is to call Jon Brobst at Parts Rack. He has run pace car duties for years, and has all the latest scoop on safety and performance Viper needs. He has deeply discounted track gear, and knows his stuff. He has put tons of laps at most of the tracks, and will steer you straight. Each year Viper has unique track needs, and a call to him will certaintly pay off.

Thanks for the ideas as well. All solid points!

BIG PILE OF MONEY >>>>>racing=small pile of money

Yeah..... sadly true.

 

[99 R/T 10]

Check your *** Robert

 

[Mopar Boy]

Check your *** Mike.