How much wear on the car when you track it?

It really depends on your skill level. For a newbie, not too much. You might want to tape up the front of the car to protect the paint.

As you get better, considerable. And no matter what the marketing says, its a street car and not really built long term for track duty....but again, as a newbie, it's not going to be an issue for a while.

 

^^^ agreed

At the more extreme level (where you are driving the car very hard), we have anecdotally been using a 10:1=15:1 ratio...said otherwise, 1 hard track mile equals 10-15 street miles.

Normal consumables (tires, brakes, fluids) obviously wear quicker when tracking a car, but the wear rate (and ultimate maintenance and replacement rates) on lower control arms, bearings, bushings, ball joints, radiators, hoses accelerates. (BTW those items listed are typically replaced annually if not more frequently on race cars. A typical race car - Challenge, Super Trofeo, Cup Car...built off stock platforms....may see 5-7K miles of track use in a very heavy year).

On the other hand, my wife will do the odd track day in our Speciale, she's not pounding curbs or going crazy, the likely incremental wear on the car is minimal.

 

It kind of depends on your level of track work you are planning on doing. If its an easy drive around a track where you get to test the speed high speed of your Ferrari then its all good., if theres any competitive element (And believe me theres always someone who thinks they are Lewis Hamilton out there) then the opportunity for damage and high degrees of wear goes way up. I personally have a dedicated track can and for real racing I have a TAG racing Kart.

Last time I was out on a track, two cars in our run group crashed and had their cars written off... Thats not normal but be warned it happens and thats an expensive day out. Its not just your skill you have to be concerned about .... its everyone else around you, most people have no idea how to drive fast on a track. Cold tires, inexperienced drivers make for a lot of pain!

 

It will stress the car a lot when you properly track it. Tires and Brake pads will wear quickest, then the suspension system. If you push the car a lot then you may have problems with the brake fluid boiling. I am using Castrol SRF Racing and it is really good. Make sure your pads are good before going to track and make sure everything is well warmed up before you push it.

After 2 or 3 track days, I take the car to service to change the engine oil, check/replace brake fluid, check/replace brake pads, clean the rotors and open the holes on the discs, plus recheck the tire geometry

 

I can only agree with the people here. I boiled my (standard) brake fluid in my 458 this year, never had that problem in the past even on fast tracks with hard braking zones like Spa Francorchamps. This year, however, my lap times were tumbling fast and I could hear the groaning of the brakes. I think it is time I stop tracking my 458. A real shame because it is SOOOOO much fun!!

Some people here already mentioned it, but they are NOT built for track time!! Absolutely not!! They are road cars, just very fast ones and 80% of owners will never run into the car's ability levels. But for the more talented people, you will find out soon enough....


Onno

 

If you want to have fun on a race track, buy a race car. These cars are not built to handle heavy track use. Even the cheapest of dedicated race cars will outperform a street car and you'll be safer doing so.

 

Agreed with all of the above. But, if you are going to the track just a few times a year and you just want to get more experience with your actual car then I say hire an instructor and the wear and tear will be worth it. You'll appreciate the car even more.

 

Much of the 'wear and tear' depends on the driver. Their skill is one factor, but some people are slow and hard on equipment, while others are fast and easy on equipment.

I have been tracking street cars for 30 years, along with dedicated race cars. I have a tendency to be easy on equipment. As a result, my wear and tear has never been very large. You will go through consumables, but for the average Ferrari owner, the car will take your 'abuse' with a yawn and ask for more!

 

True, it's much safer and more fun, but to run a race car you need to have experience to do so, plus you need special tools, and special parts to maintain and service it, even while on track. You can't even drive it to the track. It's a whole different story and it's way more expensive than running your own street car on track few times a year.

 

Lot's of great comments here so I won't repeat. I've done a lot of hard track time with the intent of improving lap times using telemetry and mods to go faster and faster.. once you skill level increases to a certain point the wear on the car can be substantial.

I have since transitioned from lap times to simply having fun and enjoying the car. I know some 458s that have 1000s of miles of track time on them that are just fine but are driven by experienced drivers that know how to have fun without putting themselves, the car or others at risk.

 

Very true - the 458 and myself dance a lovely tango these days, I know her very well and she's completely predictable as a result. This would not be the case if I had not tracked her.

This is a VERY good point that is often overlooked. Thanks for bringing it up! Unfortunately, you can't do anything with it - it is just an unquantifiable fact of life. All I know is that I would never buy some cars of some people because I have seen them in action on the track, and I would not hesitate to buy from other people for the same reason!


Onno

 

I too boiled my brake fluid, as I was driving at 9/ or 10/10ths for a couple sessions - ended up having to run off the long straight. No damage, but a definite pucker moment.

Having run all of my sports cars on the track, I will say that one or two "fun" (not competitive) track days can be a good time with low stress on the car, but if you're driving like the times count, be prepared to have at least one thing (take your pick) break / wear / malfunction.

I won't be tracking my 458 anymore.

 

I do not track my car but can see that it could be great fun. So a couple trips with an instructor would do wonders to improve your relationship and joy with your street car.

A bit about race tracks - race tracks are for racing (in my mind) and racing is about winning and you do that in a race-only vehicle. Then you worry more about your own survival than the condition of the vehicle. That's when your life gets focused and you realize why you are on the planet. I dearly love racing and I sometimes wonder why owners want their vehicle to be as close to a race vehicle as possible without actually going racing themselves.

 

Given that it is impossible to find public roads where you can safely explore the true capabilities of any modern Ferrari, some track time is definitely worth doing. You quickly reach a level of appreciation about the true essence of what makes driving a Ferrari fast such a special and emotional expeirience. Otherwise you might as well buy a Lamborghini and cruise all day.

The only issue for me with track time, was the addicition issue. I love it! If this happens then my recommendation would be to get a dedicated track car as once the competitive streak takes hold, it is a guaranteed certainty that something unpredictable is going to go wrong either mechanically or driver related. When that happens, you don't want to be in your very expensive F car... I bought a Caterham for the hard track duties - essentially a race car with plates. Cheap as chips to buy and run. Way faster than any production Ferrari around a track. Easy to fix when things go wrong.

 

Because it looks badass

 

One thing not mentioned is safety. Streetcar safety systems are designed for street speeds. Streetcar survivablity is 50G's which is 45mph delta. I race with SCCA. I have raced Ferraris before and have a garage queen 550M that I have tracked once so far just to give it some exercise not flog it. I tracktaped the entire nose, trailered it to the track and drove the car 5/10ths to limit wear and tear plus just a helmet is not much of an improvement in safety gear. The better driver you are, you choose how hard or easy you are on equipment.

Once you start closing in on limits bad things can happen and a proper race safety system is just being responsible to your family and responsibilities. There are plenty of black box records of 100+ G survivable crashes with proper race safety systems.

 

Yes, that's the difference. Not sure if I'm explaining it right but its like always going to the Saturday practice but then just watching the race on Sunday. A lot of effort and money to just sort of pretend. Owning an Fcar is so special but racing anything for real is pure and meaningful - if that makes any sense. -best

 

I recognise that!! Happened to me too. Thankfully I could already feel the brakes going so wasn't pushing too much on the main straight, but I never made the corner.

Great point on safety by fbb and I could also not agree more with subirg that track time is definitely worth your while when you are a newbie. You will get a much better understanding of your car and what it can do (and what it can't). It has absolutely helped me to gain control over my Ferraris, and I am convinced it has helped me prevent a crash on the road earlier this year when my 458's rear unexpectedly lost traction on a dry road with only 25% throttle and I was suddenly facing oncoming traffic on a B road. I corrected the slide without thinking about it, only realising what happened when it was all over and we were pottering along again. Can't bear to think what might have happened...

If you're a newbie, the wear on the car will be minimal. Once your laptimes start improving dramatically, find a different car to track.

One thing though - if you want to sell the car on, track time will for some people dramatically lower the value.


Onno

 

Nobody has mentioned the stone chipping on the paint and windshield. I used to drive an NSX on the track and repainted the front end due to chips and pecking. And the rockers, wheel flares, mirrors etc. also get plenty of pecking. The windshield looked like it had been sandblasted.

 

i had a stone dent my hood with a small chip(through clear bra). problem it the hood is aluminum and very thin... Also the paint seem very fragile and chips easily(rosso scuderia).
my clear bra by the side wings were torn to pieces but protected the paint... Also went through a full set of Stock Mich pS cup 2s. Willow Spring. Pucker moment of the day was going through turn 2-8 at 120 plus. and the car brakes itself in Ct off ( but not TC off?) surprised me . Did the extra click and never happened again

 

Willow is a fantastic track. Glad you got to experience the car the way it is meant to be driven! CT-Off (controllo di trazione in Italian) is the only setting I drive in on the street. All this does is disable the traction control giving you complete authority on when and how much the rear wheels spin. Stability control, and all the other nannies are still enabled so in extreme cases you will have the systems intervene and disrupt your driving. Edit: Or save your bacon

I was driving in the rain with a friend this past weekend with CT-Off exploring the wonderful SSC (slide slip control) of my Speciale. It's a fantastic system on dry roads but a little intrusive in the rain. I just love that Ferrari spends so much time and money on the FXX program just to build a car that lets the average person drive sidewise without really knowing how!