First trackday in my F-Type

[NaCl]

Had my first trackday at Bedford Autodrome in my F-Type last week, it was also my first ever trackday in general. Thoroughly enjoyed it overall, and thank you for the advice in this previous thread I opened a while back asking for tips & advice! Prev. thread -> https://www.ftypeforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=9357

In case anyone is reading this who has been on the fence about taking their F-Type on track, do it. A bit of prep is all it takes (brake pads, fluids, fuel) and you're good to go. Javelin Trackdays hosted the Bedford event and the staff & marshalls were all fantastic.

After a full day on track, plus travelling to and from Bedford, no drop in coolant levels or oil! I did about 3-5 laps per stint, plus a cooldown lap before entering the pits, idling for a few mins and shutting off the engine (also ensuring that I didn't allow the parking brake to engage).

Some advice I would give to beginners such as myself:

• Book a session with an instructor. I did a few laps with an instructor and would 100% recommend this to a first-timer. Really helped me to learn the right lines and it built up my confidence greatly to start tackling the track.
• Purchase a set of earbuds (that are suited for helmets). This probably only applies to tracks that have long straights such as Bedford. When reaching higher sustained speeds & RPM, the roar of the exhaust is absolutely glorious, but in my case it also created alot of resonance in the cabin which in turn felt like my head was also resonating within the helmet. After a while it made me a bit nauseous and tired me out earlier than I expected.
• Allow for the tyres to fully come up to temp before pushing it (an obvious one, I know, but you may think the tyres are up to temp sooner than they actually are). I had a bit of a moment and the end of my 2nd lap where I was coming out of the final corner and gradually applied up to 70% throttle but even with the gradual acceleration, cold tyres caused the car to break traction. Thankfully I caught the oversteer in time before I went off the track... bit of a brown trousers moment

I'm planning to go again before the winter season fully sets in, but overall I'm really happy with how the F-Type performed. You definitely feel the weight of the car in tighter turns, but a good set of rubber (Michelin Pilot Sport 5) and assistance from the LSD kept me planted in the corners.

Some photos from the day:

 

[MajorTom]

Good to hear! Sounds like a great day and those are some great shots. How did you do with the engine cover?

Although these machines weren't built for the track they definitely can be great fun on a track and do look great on a track.

 

[NaCl]

Good to hear! Sounds like a great day and those are some great shots. How did you do with the engine cover?

Although these machines weren't built for the track they definitely can be great fun on a track and do look great on a track.

Thanks MajorTom, those are some lovely photos of your Jag on track

For the engine cover, I removed it at the start of the session and ran the whole day without it just to eke out a bit more cooling potential. It also had the added benefit of making the supercharger whine more audible.

And yes, I agree with your latter point. A couple of people were surprised to see the F-Type on a track day but my response to them was that it's basically a car that does (almost) everything. Although it's definitely catered more towards cruising & spirited driving, it can definitely be enjoyed on track

 

[Lord Farquad]

Nice write up and pictures. How do you find the tyres on the road? Have you experienced the Pirellis at all?

 

[NaCl]

Nice write up and pictures. How do you find the tyres on the road? Have you experienced the Pirellis at all?

Thanks Lord Farquad. I had a full set of Pirelli P Zeros for 6 months but ended up swapping them out for the Michelin Pilot Sport 5. The main reason being is that the grip during spirited driving and on wet roads was a bit sketchy, especially when coming out of corners with a decent amount of throttle.

There's also a slip road that I frequently use where I have a bit of full throttle fun, and when pinning the throttle, the rear would begin to kick out a little even when the wheel was perfectly straight.

After swapping to the Michelins, the improvement in grip was immediately noticeable in those same scenarios.

In terms of on track, maybe the Pirellis would be better but I'm not sure by how much.

 

[Lord Farquad]

I’ve currently got the Pirelli’s but have the Michelins on my other car and will likely move to them on the Jag next spring.

 

[msdmjb44]

PZeros are awesome in warm dry conditions.
Otherwise awful for a modern fast road tyre.
For a road tyre very difficult to go past Michelin, across my cars I use PS5/PS4S/Crossclimates.

Any car can do a track day, 99% of the time it will still be better than the driver. Sounds like you did the right prep and a cool down lap is also very beneficial for the car, fortunately on the earlier FTypes at least you can park the car without using the handbrake which prevents pads/discs transferring heat.
Many many years ago I used to instruct at Bedford.

 

[ThomasH]

I also just did my first track day in the F type yesterday at Donington. Absolutely loved it, the car was superb. No issues at all. Was doing 20/30 minute stints as people recommended then 2 cool down laps....mostly for the brakes because I felt these were hotting up and could feel more travel than usual. Think I'll be upgrading my brakes next just so I can have a little more trust in the car when im track.

 

[ThomasH]

P.s would be good to get together on a track day with a few of you guys perhaps in the spring