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Cold Weather Track Advice

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@byronj and I along with a couple of other friends will be heading to Sonoma Raceway for Asphalt Friday the day after Thanksgiving. I'll be doing something I haven't had to deal with living in CA: tracking in cold weather. The temps could be in the high 30's or low 40's for the first session and it isn't expected to get much over 50 in the afternoon. The good news is it should be mostly sunny and no rain. Besides the obvious to take it easy until some heat is built up in the tires do our members from the frozen tundra in the North or our East Coast members have any additional advice? I'm thinking of not lowering tire pressures as much as I usually do before the first session.

@blacksheep-1
@Black Boss
@steveespo
 
Well i can report what i did 1week ago in sonoma.
First session 45f
Second session 55f
First 4 laps I was driving on ice lol.
But
IMO
Our cars love colder condition due to the weight ( rick for your Porsche not sure lol)
I did my PB in the first session. Lap 8.
I started as always around 28. It just took little longer to warm up. I ended around 36psi anyway.
I would start 28 29 take it easy for more laps and then push hard after 5 laps.
The lap time went 1 sec slower with temps around 77 out. Asphalt probably ended to be around 85.
Fyi even if didn't rain the day before
We had some water on turn 3 and turn 10. So pay attention.

I still deciding if I go laguna, sonoma or just go buy stuff at livermore outlet lol :)


Sent from my LG-H932 using Tapatalk
 

Grant 302

basic and well known psychic
I set the pressures the same way...on the chart like Rob has taught. Temp conditions are often just like that up at Willow/Rosamond in the Fall/Winter/Spring. I only bump up a little from the chart if the pavement is going to be wet and I'm expecting significantly lower 'hot' operating temps.

Just be extra careful on the out laps and focus on warming up the fronts.
 
Definitely use the PSC2’s. Don’t know Sonoma, but start at 27/28 (one psi lower on the inside tires) if you expect to drive hard by the end of the first session.

I ran Michelin slicks at VIR a week ago in the low to mid 40’s and they were great. Softer compounds warm up quicker on cold, dry pavement.
 
6,361
8,184
Well as you know, hot pressures ALWAYS dictate cold pressures and never the other way around. So if you ran the car in 80 degree temps..with say a track temp of 100 and you achieved the target hot pressures, you should have written all that down.
So whatever those cold pressures ended up at, when the tires cooled down is your new normal.
Take the new normal and add 1 psi per 10 degrees and you have your new 40 degree cold starting pressures.
80 degree, - 40 degrees =4 x1 psi = plus 4psi to the starting colds.
or search for the chart that Grant mentions, plus there is a general "psi gain per track" chart around here as well so if you didn't take good notes you can still ball park it using that chart

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/tire-pressure-mapping.13121/

https://trackmustangsonline.com/threads/nominal-pressure-increases.14504/
 

steveespo

Lord knows I'm a Voodoo Child
Moderator
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Cookeville TN
Like the wet the cold is not something to fear but to be prepared for. Remember to try and keep the R compound tire above 50 degrees as much as possible. Nick brought a portable heater and some moving blankets to keep our tires warm in the garage the nights before our track sessions. We set cold tire temps about 2psi higher than usual then adjusted each session according to hot temps. Be careful to warm everything up gently, a warm up session can be enough to get tires, brakes, oil and gear lubes up to operating temps before pushing laptimes. Also enables you to feel out how much grip the track has. No reason not to run in the 40s-50s, back east we have started track days as low as 19 deg F and had a good safe time.
 
Thanks, I’ll add 2-3 psi to my normal starting pressure.

@byronj a couple of years ago it was threatening rain at Sonoma and I swapped out my SC2’s for MPSS the night before. Of course it didn’t rain and I had a miserable time on the street tires. Stick with the SC2’s.

I’m on Pirelli P0 so no sticky rubber for me. Surprisingly the NO spec Pirelli’s are significantly stickier than the ones Ford uses.
 
2,198
1,065
Bay Area
@blacksheep-1
I'll be on brand new tire if I run my Cup 2s. So hopefully the track will be dry enough on Friday. If not, I guess I could make a trip to the tire shop.

@VoodooBoss I did LS last year and it was wet. I was surprised how much fun I still had on the PSS but I'd rather be on the Cup 2 set up for a better fun factor
 
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Generally, after a wet track, you'll want to run stickers, or new tires, that rain washes away rubber and it will take awhile to get the track to rubber in again. VIR and the runoffs was a prime example.
 
1,246
1,243
In the V6L
I did Area 27 back in October when the morning temp was a sunny 40F. It took the track a long time to warm up, but the PSC2's were fine with it. Give them a chance to build a bit of heat and they'll come in ok.
 
Its going to rain for a couple days prior to the event so the track will be pretty green. I’ll be on well broken in tires.

What could possibly go wrong?.....we are going to be the first run group out in the morning after at least two days of rain on a very green and cold track, on cold tires.

No stress.....It's not like we're tracking in a brand new Ford GT, lol.
 

Bill Pemberton

0ld Ford Automotive Racing Terror
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Blair, Nebraska
The original Pilot Sport Cups were frankly horrible in the cold and the 2s are improved there and in other areas, but it will take more time to get the tires up to temp. Just do all the things advised, from adding some tire pressures to taking it easy during your early laps. Don't be surprised if the tires feel quite greasy for 3-4 laps ( since they are new) and with the cool temps, but great time to work on your lines and you will have fun. One thing I like about cool temps is there seems to be less tire clagg left all around the track ---- my tires came off the track in Topeka ( late October ) cleaner than when I mounted them, ha.
 
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One other thing, be sure to mark the valve stem locations on each tire. With heavy braking/acceleration on cold tires they may slip on the rims causing vibration. At least if they do, you know the vibration is wheel balance related.

Then switch L/R (remembering to adjust pressures) and any further slip will reduce the effect, as well as balancing tire wear.
 

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