GT350 North American Track Tour

[fuhrius]

I appreciate the comments, but realistically for HEAVY track use, you will need a trailer and a couple extra sets of wheels/tires unless you live close to the track. Most of us are traveling a few hours to and from tracks so running the wheels/tires on the car isn't practical especially with R-compound tires. If the car is tracked heavily, you will be mounting/dismounting tires after every other, or even every event, depending on how competitive you want to be. Based on how all of my track wheels start to look after a relatively short while, your stock CF wheels aren't going to be looking very good. Mounting race tires is challenging enough already without having to worry about minor rubs and scratches while doing it. With the expected cost of them, I would imagine most Rs that see heavy track use will be running an after-market lightweight aluminum wheel of some sort.

I think you're right about that.
I'm probably in the 'not-so-hard-core' camp for the foreseeable future. I'll likely be doing 6-10 track days a year with the R, live about 60 miles from LS / 70 miles from Sonoma / 120 from Thunderhill...and I don't have a tow vehicle / trailer setup so I'll be driving to the track. I'm not going to get a second set of wheels (btw, after some laps and a nice layer of brake dust built of on the wheels...those carbon hoops look damn sexy...better than when clean, IMO...I like matte versus glossy black finishes typically)...but sounds as if I'll be looking at a healthy tire budget. That's ok...from what I could tell yesterday, the only mods required for the R are safety equipment and drivers. I'm going to continue working on the later (I've been doing a couple schools a year now for the last 5 or 6 year) and keep a '8-9/10ths' attitude with the R at HPDE stuff. Even at 8-9/10ths, it'll be smoking just about everything else at most track days.

 

[fuhrius]

I'm now second-guessing myself as to whether what I saw was actually a gt350 or a well-done clone...I got only the briefest of looks at it as it went past on other side of the road. I was expecting to see it there yesteday..but then again, there are a lot of different events / venues for car stuff this weekend in Monterey so, perhaps, there more cars in the area going to different events.

other notes from yesterday:
- the liquid blue wasn't as amazing in person as it was on screen
- the red was the standout color, IMO. It really had me second-guessing my AG order. I asked all the Ford guys I could (and some of the folks hanging around who'd seen AG at other events) and their opinions were pretty consistent....comments like 'it grows on you' and 'it's certainly unique'...not the highest of praise ;-) but I've always thought it was going to be one of those colors that doesn't have universal appeal...and that's cool with me
- after the hot laps, I jawwed with some of the engineers and we were talking about 'mods' required for heavy track use and, aside from safety equipment, they were asserting that nothing was needed. One guy suggested that, perhaps, a second set of wheels / tires was in order....BUT...not for the reason some have been suggesting. He said that we I might want an extra set of wheels tires to drive to / from the track with since the Cup's wear pretty quickly. I will say that they had incredible grip on track
- the non-electronics package R (that I'm getting) feels really spartan inside...and I liked that

I gotta believe there will be more than 4 cars at the track tour.

 

[fuhrius]

sorta unrelated side note:

What a way for a kid to get his first exposure to the track....my 17-yr old sun spontaneously jumps into a yellow GT350R with Gene Martindale at the helm, and loops Laguna Seca on a perfect August day. Talk about high likelihood of getting hooked!
(so far, he's only done car control / auto-x - I sent him and the wife to a Skippy car control class just before he got his license...he had fun....but's nothing like blasting around a track.)

 

[Grant 302]

'Brake duct' pic from Rick. Pointed at, but not plumbed with hose to the spindle/rotor area.

 

[ArizonaBOSS]

'Brake duct' pic from Rick. Pointed at, but not plumbed with hose to the spindle/rotor area.

I have actually become friends with one of the former brake systems engineers from the S550 and he is telling me that a non-ducted air source, combined with a deflector plate or scoop at the control arm can be just as (if not more) effective than a fully-ducted setup.
This is because with a duct you are limited by the overall flow volume of the duct itself, also the scoop has the ability to pull in additional air on its own as well.
Also you don't have to worry about rubbing through the ducts at high steering angles.

This "ductless" cooling setup is actually common on Corvette and Porsche performance models.

 

[VoodooBoss]

Wow what a great day. At the very end of the day my son and I were able to get hot laps in the 350's. All I have to say is WOW! The cars are hooked up.

I did get several of my questions answered but not all. The general tone was both the R and TP are ready for the track so just drive them stock. More later.

 

[superhero]

Wow what a great day. At the very end of the day my son and I were able to get hot laps in the 350's. All I have to say is WOW! The cars are hooked up.

I did get several of my questions answered but not all.

The general tone was both the R and TP are ready for the track so just drive them stock. More later.

Thats great for they buyer. But the aftermarket manufactures are not going to like that statement. However we know mustang owners will always try to improve where Ford left off. Sounds like the 350 TP is the way to go. Should be a ton of fun.

 

[Fomoco302]

Wasn't the Boss promoted as a RCWLP? The aftermarket has done quite well with Boss owners.

 

[steveespo]

Wasn't the Boss promoted as a RCWLP? The aftermarket has done quite well with Boss owners.

Yes and the same will remain for track consumables such as race pads, catch cans, wheels, tires and the like. I am sure long tubes, tunes and muffler swaps will also be popular. The fact that track pack or R option gives all of the coolers and pump set ups for engine trans and diff sort of takes care of the more painful retrofits makes it a better track day car than the Boss from the factory. My problem is knowing that if I spend $60000 on this car, I still will tune, cage and suspension prep it like my current car. Tough financial problem since I don't want to sell the 21 car, just stupid loyal to a machine.
Steve

 

[VoodooBoss]

I'm going to break this up into relevant posts but first was the "VIP" hot laps we got late Friday afternoon after all the racing was finished. I knew we had to get this in Friday because as hard as I tried we were not on the list for Saturday. It worked out in the end and got to meet Jim Owens and Steve Ling while waiting our turn in line. I rode with Steve (not Ling), a vehicle dynamics engineer, and he helped develop the suspension. Although he didn't have many laps at LS he obviously had lots of seat time in the GT350. He was driving a red R with electronics package. He was able to make minor steering inputs to catch the rear as is started stepping out. He was making corrections before I could even feel it. His "drifting" through the corkscrew is something I just don't do. He had the Advanced Trac/TC off and the the suspension in track mode. Like fuhrius my under 18 year old son also got a ride and needless to say he was on an adrenaline high that lasted the rest of the weekend. 8)





Taken during the hot laps session on Saturday.

 

[VoodooBoss]

I'm posting these photos in this thread because I think you'll see the same displays at TT. Photos and intel you'll only find on BMO. Pay close attention to the detail, Ford killed in on this car. In no particular order from the liquid blue display GT350R:

Front brake duct opening towards the front wheel hub




Engine oil cooler



Trans cooler



Exhaust resonator delete



Diff cooler plumbing



Exhaust valve



Check out the plastic covers and fairing



Diff cooler ducting



Diff cooler



Diff cooler pump



Diff



Front underbelly pan with display opening



Front side of front wheel well



Rear side of front wheel well



Note the weight on each cat which I'm sure is for NVH

 

[VoodooBoss]

From the displays:

Front damper connection



Rear damper connection



Check out the size of those pads and note the radial mount holes




Hub with 14mm lugs




Front R splitter



Front and rear under pans



Rear wing and aluminum front bumper bar



Rear wing mount



Twin disc clutch, this should make most of us happy



Torsen, half shaft and shifter



Diff cooler and pump, trans cooler



FPC with piston and rod



Check out the extensive CNC work on this head, something you'd see on a full blown racing engine



Composite oil pan




Track Pack interior



Note the leather piece at the top. I wonder if we can dye that red?



Michelin Pilot Cup 2 tire from the Michelin display. The custom R tires have larger blocks on the outside and will have a special part number from Michelin



Bonus shots of a RR R, note the display in the background

 

[TMSBOSS]

Rick

Very nice!!!

Many of the lessons learned from the Boss are there.

The Shifter and connecting rods jump out as areas to improve. I believe Steve is already working on the shifter support bracket. Manley rods and potentially stronger pistons and valve springs should make this a stout, long lasting piece.

Thanks again for making the sacrifice. ;D World Moderator is a tough job. :'(

 

[VoodooBoss]

Rick

Very nice!!!

Many of the lessons learned from the Boss are there.

This is key. They said they learned a lot from the last time and realized if they want to compete at a high level a parts bin car is not going to work. The work and research they put into this car is impressive! The true test will be to see if cloud9 can get it to overheat!

 

[TMSBOSS]

This is key. They said they learned a lot from the last time and realized if they want to compete at a high level a parts bin car is not going to work. The work and research they put into this car is impressive! The true test will be to see if cloud9 can get it to overheat!

I think the question will be if Gary overheats the engine before any other components.

You just cant drive as well as he does without warning up a few things in the process.

I am watching his videos from RA to prepare for my first track day there in October.

 

[cloud9]

I think the question will be if Gary overheats the engine before any other components.

You just cant drive as well as he does without warning up a few things in the process.

I am watching his videos from RA to prepare for my first track day there in October.

I don't expect to overheat anything on this car. Looks like Ford really thought through everything especially when you look at all the integrated cooling built into everything.....engine, trans, diff, brakes. Heck LS110 and I chased each other HARD on Saturday afternoon in a brutal 90+* sunny humid afternoon at MPH and neither car would give up. We were both running low 230s water and 240s oil even after a very long session of running flat out. It was a blast After the session I looked at the front of both cars with billet grilles and just smiled. We would have likely avoided the cooling issues on the Boss if we would have changed those from the get go. I love the design of the grille on the GT350 along with all the other integrated coolers and expect it will be more than up to the task

 

[ufnavy06]

Side notes: no hot laps for me. But I did meet Aaron Shelby, Carroll's grandson and spoke with him a bit. I also sat in the red R and was able to pass some info to one of the employees working the display. He said something of interest: They have an announcement he couldn't talk about there in regards to the Track Tour.

Also, I spoke with Jim Rinehart, one of the instructors from MMP. Said to expect a very positive announcement tomorrow IRT MMP and the Ford Racing school. ;D

 

[VoodooBoss]

Side notes: no hot laps for me. But I did meet Aaron Shelby, Carroll's grandson and spoke with him a bit. I also sat in the red R and was able to pass some info to one of the employees working the display. He said something of interest: They have an announcement he couldn't talk about there in regards to the Track Tour.

Also, I spoke with Jim Rinehart, one of the instructors from MMP. Said to expect a very positive announcement tomorrow IRT MMP and the Ford Racing school. ;D

Hey sorry I missed you, we kept zigging and zagging. I'm pretty sure they are going to announce GT350 Track Attack! I'm also hoping for rev matching but it might be too late for that.

 

[ChopSui]

Rick, did you get to talk to an engineer(s) about that list of questions you had?

 

[ufnavy06]

Hey sorry I missed you, we kept zigging and zagging. I'm pretty sure they are going to announce GT350 Track Attack! I'm also hoping for rev matching but it might be too late for that.

No worries. Since we brought Jack and it was much hotter than it normally is here, we had to play it cool. And I think you hit the nail on the head. But I wasn't going to say it.