First full track day experience in my 2025 Integra Type S

[SugarFreeDE5]

Had my first full day at Raceway Park of the Midlands on Saturday in Pacific Junction, Iowa. Overall it was a great experience. Aside from some rain in the morning and it being a bit chilly everything went great.

The car actually does phenomenal in the rain. I spun out a few times but a good friend of mine is the driving instructor at this track so he took me out and got me all figured out.

Car is stock except for:
apex 18x9.5+43 wheels
Hawk DTC-60 brake pads in the front
Tires are 285/30/18
Continental extreme contact 02’s
Not the original size I would’ve run. But I got 8 of them brand new for 200 a piece so I tried them. No complaints

Pins pulled and the struts pushed in but never got around to getting an actual alignment. The shop I tried to go to would only set it up to whatever the specs were on the computer so I’ll have to find a real alignment shop before the next event.

Just for info. My best time of the day was around a 1:51. My instructor buddy ran a 1:46 which is competitive with most cars in stock form. So don’t let anybody bag on the FWD too bad.

ps: @Victorofhavoc I hope you see this. Congrats on the baby. If you ever come up for an event let me know. I’d love to buy you a beer and see the PRP in person.

Only pictures I have is when I swapped the wheels at home sorry for dropping the ball there.

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[SugarFreeDE5]

I forgot to add. The tire shop I mounted the track tires at forced me to put TPMS sensors in because the car came with them. Even though I didn’t want them on my track wheels, they said it’s a safety liability blah, blah, blah and I have to put them in.

Of course they don’t work. I made sure they were the 433mhz ones and everything. Not sure what’s going on there but I can’t wait to go in there and lose my….. mind.

if anyone has any ideas there I’d love to hear them

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Had my first full day at Raceway Park of the Midlands on Saturday in Pacific Junction, Iowa. Overall it was a great experience. Aside from some rain in the morning and it being a bit chilly everything went great.

The car actually does phenomenal in the rain. I spun out a few times but a good friend of mine is the driving instructor at this track so he took me out and got me all figured out.

Car is stock except for:
apex 18x9.5+43 wheels
Hawk DTC-60 brake pads in the front
Tires are 285/30/18
Continental extreme contact 02’s
Not the original size I would’ve run. But I got 8 of them brand new for 200 a piece so I tried them. No complaints

Pins pulled and the struts pushed in but never got around to getting an actual alignment. The shop I tried to go to would only set it up to whatever the specs were on the computer so I’ll have to find a real alignment shop before the next event.

Just for info. My best time of the day was around a 1:51. My instructor buddy ran a 1:46 which is competitive with most cars in stock form. So don’t let anybody bag on the FWD too bad.

ps: @Victorofhavoc I hope you see this. Congrats on the baby. If you ever come up for an event let me know. I’d love to buy you a beer and see the PRP in person.

Only pictures I have is when I swapped the wheels at home sorry for dropping the ball there.

I appreciate it!

Great to see someone else that runs rpm. I rent it out usually 2 to 3 times per year and instruct there or just R&D stuff. I'm glad they repaved some of the areas, but it's still in such poor shape.



This video is when the car was 100% stock, brakes, alignment, tires, tire pressure, everything. I ran consistent 1.48s that day and had a few laps dip into the 1.47s. We started off the morning soaking wet and it was cold so the track never 100% warmed up, and my buddy popped his torque converter so if you look closely there's a trail of fluid that follows the ideal line for the second half of the track. That part got SLICK, which made for some fun handling at the apex, lol. I went back after pulling pins, alignment, potenza race tire, carbotech brakes, and the Cobb tune and ended up running in the low-mid 1.30s. Still about 5-6 seconds off from what I ran there in my Z, but that was a ground up racecar... This is a street car. Within 5 seconds is astoundingly good. With the alignment I have now and the crs tire, I bet I could touch 1.31s.

If you ever come down to Ozarks or you come out with nasa MidAmerica give me a shout!

 

[SugarFreeDE5]

I appreciate it!

Great to see someone else that runs rpm. I rent it out usually 2 to 3 times per year and instruct there or just R&D stuff. I'm glad they repaved some of the areas, but it's still in such poor shape.



This video is when the car was 100% stock, brakes, alignment, tires, tire pressure, everything. I ran consistent 1.48s that day and had a few laps dip into the 1.47s. We started off the morning soaking wet and it was cold so the track never 100% warmed up, and my buddy popped his torque converter so if you look closely there's a trail of fluid that follows the ideal line for the second half of the track. That part got SLICK, which made for some fun handling at the apex, lol. I went back after pulling pins, alignment, potenza race tire, carbotech brakes, and the Cobb tune and ended up running in the low-mid 1.30s. Still about 5-6 seconds off from what I ran there in my Z, but that was a ground up racecar... This is a street car. Within 5 seconds is astoundingly good. With the alignment I have now and the crs tire, I bet I could touch 1.31s.

If you ever come down to Ozarks or you come out with nasa MidAmerica give me a shout!

I watched that video. That was my goal but I’m definitely not that smooth yet. I was hoping the track would warm up a little more on Saturday but it didn’t get quite warm enough. It’s not to bad now surface wise but I don’t think it’ll ever get back to the glory days before it all flooded. Not to mention the paddock and parking and everything are terrible. My friend that instructs up here has a frs race car that is in the 30s too. Idk if I can get enough seat time to be that good.

I ordered some spec R springs and ball joints that hopefully I’ll have by the next event. I have enough of those continental tires to last me through the year probably and then I want to try a 200tw next season.

Would you mind sending me some alignment numbers just so I have an idea of what to shoot for. Especially since you have so much experience on the platform.

I’m definitely shopping for woom bikes for the kids now too….

 

[Victorofhavoc]

I watched that video. That was my goal but I’m definitely not that smooth yet. I was hoping the track would warm up a little more on Saturday but it didn’t get quite warm enough. It’s not to bad now surface wise but I don’t think it’ll ever get back to the glory days before it all flooded. Not to mention the paddock and parking and everything are terrible. My friend that instructs up here has a frs race car that is in the 30s too. Idk if I can get enough seat time to be that good.

I ordered some spec R springs and ball joints that hopefully I’ll have by the next event. I have enough of those continental tires to last me through the year probably a them I want to try a 200tw next season.

Would you mind sending me some alignment numbers just so I have an idea of what to shoot for. Especially since you have so much experience on the platform.

I’m definitely shopping for wool bikes for the kids now too….

The woom bikes rock. I'm pumped my little guy will be on a 20" wheel so he can go faster. He's been on some 4mi rides with me and I think a little more wheel, he'll be in the 7-8mi territory fast!

Right now my alignment is sitting at -3.5c front with the strut tops loosened to get as much castor as possible (I forget how much - all of it that's available). -2.0c rear, but it could use a touch more back there and a toooouuuuuuuch more rear bar. Like 10% more rear bar and -2.2 would probably be perfection. Toe I run 0 front and about an ant's leg worth of toe in in the rear. I don't recommend that little in the rear for most people for braking stability. If you're not used to trail braking hard and being slightly sideways while on the brake, it can be hairy. I'd aim 1/16" total toe in in the rear for most people on a dry track. Wet, can take a bit more in.

I've also gone to a Porterfield r4s rear pad. It's a light clubsport level pad and does a decent job so far with the rear pad heat management. It's also on a dba 3000 Sprinkle rotor, because every bit back there helps. I might try a ferodo ds2500 in rear next time, but I've also got a couple sets of spare oem pads sitting on a shelf.

Happy to share any other setup tips!

Does your friend drive or instruct with NASA at all? It's a small world, and I know of at least 5 orange frs racecars running around. One with an LS in it

 

[SugarFreeDE5]

The woom bikes rock. I'm pumped my little guy will be on a 20" wheel so he can go faster. He's been on some 4mi rides with me and I think a little more wheel, he'll be in the 7-8mi territory fast!

Right now my alignment is sitting at -3.5c front with the strut tops loosened to get as much castor as possible (I forget how much - all of it that's available). -2.0c rear, but it could use a touch more back there and a toooouuuuuuuch more rear bar. Like 10% more rear bar and -2.2 would probably be perfection. Toe I run 0 front and about an ant's leg worth of toe in in the rear. I don't recommend that little in the rear for most people for braking stability. If you're not used to trail braking hard and being slightly sideways while on the brake, it can be hairy. I'd aim 1/16" total toe in in the rear for most people on a dry track. Wet, can take a bit more in.

I've also gone to a Porterfield r4s rear pad. It's a light clubsport level pad and does a decent job so far with the rear pad heat management. It's also on a dba 3000 Sprinkle rotor, because every bit back there helps. I might try a ferodo ds2500 in rear next time, but I've also got a couple sets of spare oem pads sitting on a shelf.

Happy to share any other setup tips!

Does your friend drive or instruct with NASA at all? It's a small world, and I know of at least 5 orange frs racecars running around. One with an LS in it

He used to instruct for NASA he doesn’t anymore. I’m not sure what color it is now but it has a 3.5 liter Honda motor in it. Justin Kelly is his name.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

He used to instruct for NASA he doesn’t anymore. I’m not sure what color it is now but it has a 3.5 liter Honda motor in it. Justin Kelly is his name.

Ahh yeah I have met Justin a while ago! I started driving with NASA MidAmerica in 2017 and didn't get very active as an instructor and official until 2019, so it was infrequent interaction since I believe he was in and out of roles there as the director and ownership changed. I do recall him being a great driver! He might remember my silver number 44 gti that was notorious for hunting down corvettes and mustangs, or my 34 370z that was almost always the fastest car in the de4 group in late 2020-2022.

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