pit-pony

HPDE on the track, if leaving in competitive mode, will the rear brakes be overworked ( C6 Z51 car, stock rubber, Carbotech XP10 front & XP8 rear).

Short-Throw

The rear brakes will intervene when a correction is needed, which is completely dependant on your driving. It is possible to drive the car fast on track with little A/H intervention by being smooth and not throwing the car in and out of corners. You haven't mentioned your experience level, but rotating the car via trail braking will surely call for A/H.

Also consider: worn rear pads are much cheaper to replace than quarter panels, and you.

Let your ability dictate whether you should leave all systems off or not.

Have fun!

Mike

DJazidca

I usually run in competition mode (and have done so for 6-7 years), and my rear brake pads show very little wear. In my experience, competition mode only intervenes when you really screw up. If my car was a dedicated race car, I would run with everything off. Competition mode is nice insurance if you need to make sure you don't mangle any bodywork!

crease-guard

I just did my first HPDE a couple weekends ago. The first day I ran with the TC/AN turned on. It kicked in about every corner. Power would reduce, brakes kick in and the *** end would be all over the place. My instructor thought it was being a little too intrusive so the second day we switched to competitive driving mode. After 2 laps of the back brakes kicking in and slowing me in the corners my instructor had me hot pit and turn everything off. After that my enjoyment level and driving pleasure went up by leaps and bounds. I was now able to drive the car hard through the corners and could actually feel when I was smooth and when I wasn't. For me, the AH/TC was kicking in so much I wasn't getting any feedback from the car. My instructor said I was quite aggressive and followed the lines well and after one weekend he recommended me to move up in group on that track.

I've read a number of threads about guys cooking their rear rotors in a day or two with the competitive mode left on.

My C5 is a dedicated track car and the track I run is VERY wide open and there just isn't anything to hit. I think if I was running a new track or a tight track I would leave on the Competitive mode until I felt experienced enough to turn it off.

Jay

AU N EGL

if you can run lap after lap after lap with AH/TC ON and have it not intervene, then you are smooth enough, to turn it off and run quick laps.

in most caes AH/TC saves ppls butts. Leaning to be smooth and consistent is vital.

Then learn to go fast.

Poor-sha

I'm always very interested in these threads when the pop up because I've always run my C6Z with AH in comp mode (well for the first year I ran it in normal mode). In my experience the only time it cuts in is when trying to trail brake like Short-Throw said above. Other than that it is a great learning tool because it really only cuts in when you're not smooth. Not to mention the fact that's probably saved my butt more tan once. I've been running this way for 3 years now and have yet to replace my rear pads (although I've replaced LOTS of front pads).

However, I gather from these threads that the C5 must have had a much more intrusive AH system since it's always the C5 guys that say that you can't drive on the track with AH on. I've never driven a C5 on track so I don't dispute that and I'm not surprised just given the vintage - my Porsche (an '03) has a horribly invasive AH that I usually turn off on the street it's so bad. Bottom line is that technology advances and I suspect the C6 has a much better system.

sothpaw2

Granted I have developed what I think is a very smooth style of driving, but I have tried it for whole days in comp mode and for whole days off. I've looked at lap times(by 2s), and my best were actually in comp mode but then that was a cooler (25 ambient cooler) weekend. With similar weather, all off was 1sec faster but then I had bars & shocks on the slower day so I think this was more driver related (I was trying a lot of new things).

This was also true at VIR--my times last year with all off were 4 s slower than this year with comp mode in similar weather but then I had bars & shocks this year which I'm certain helped (and I wasn't trying so many new things w/driving).

When in comp mode I rarely if ever see it come AH come on. If it did, I over drove the corner a bit. I guess if I was good at trail braking it would be an issue but not there yet.

As for rear brakes: let me just say that after running 11 days on my first set of wilwood H rear pads purchased over 2 years ago, most of those in comp mode, there is still plenty of usable pad left. If the computer doesn't come on much it won't do anything to the brakes.

Hope this helps!

Andy

matteo

Guess that I'm a bit confused or not reading this properly.
I have a C6-Z06.
The default setting is "TRACTION CONTROL AND ACTIVE HANDLING ON"
The next position is "TRACTION SYSTEM OFF" but I believe that the active handling remains "ON".
The final setting is "COMPETITION MODE" which I assume cancels all the nannnies. Is it possible that I'm missing something?

Short-Throw

There are 4 settings:


Competitive mode does not cancel all nannies.

You need to hold the selector button down longer and you will then see all systems off.

Mike

BEZ06

Hi Matt

There a 4 modes in the C6:
BTW, I got your PM - thanks/merci!!:o

Bob

matteo

This is so interesting. I've always run the car (at the track) in "Comp. Mode" and never knew anything else was possible. I always thought that I was too chicken-**** to get the tail hung out very far. Also have never had a rear pad wear issue. (StopTech fronts, stock rears)
I'll be back on track again in 2 weeks and am really looking forward to trying out the "new mode".
What great information!

Short-Throw

Just be careful as you may have had your butt saved with comp mode many times and never realized it.

NemesisC5

After attending Spring Mountain 3 day Beginner Course in June 2008 I purchased a used (55k mile) 02 C5Z in August 2008. For a year I drove 1 & 2 day HPDE's w/instructors and a number of track days without instructors at a small 1.3 mile course (on average 1 event every 3 weeks). I drove to and from events and eventually upgraded to R compounds and then to stiffer sways after lots of seat time and developing skills. Progressed through the run groups: green, then blue, blue solo, yellow, and finally to yellow solo (I never made red race group, explanation follows). I drove all events in COMP with the exception of a few days on my last sessions. On a very cool October 2009 morning on the short 1.3 mile track with new tune and wider tires driving my first session I turned all nannies off after 5 laps. On an S turn section after a short straight I had a snap spin 180* at about 90 mph and slid backewards into a heavy duty chain link fence. Damage of $18k PLUS so my car is still sitting on stands in my garage. I'd be driving the car now if I had been driving in Comp Mode or using common sense instead of several stupid mistakes...

1. That was my first time to drive in session 1 without Comp Mode
2. Cold morning and cold track with only 5 laps, the track & my new wider tires were likely not up to temperature
3. New tune and car was very responsive, cool weather helped too
4. Unfamiliar with new setup

I am embarrassed to post but hopefully this will save somebody their car and possibly more. I KNEW better but the endorphins were flowing and I did not follow my usually cautious ramp up to speed. The nannies on our Corvettes are very good protection for us and our cars. Unless you have track day insurance or can afford to replace your car I think my mistake illustrates what can happen. Two months later I was laid off from my job. I found another job but my hobby has been "on hold" since October 2009.

RC000E

Like stated, you can be faster out of Comp mode, but if this is just an HPDE situation there's nothing wrong with leaving that last second or two on the track. Have a good time running the car at 90% with AH there to back you up in case of a fluke situation or a momentary lack of awareness. Doesn't really make sense not to. In my situation, sometimes I get a little extra wild for the fun of it just to see how good the AH system is...lol. It's pretty awesome...you can be a real hack and go pretty fast in a Corvette without hurting yourself, that's for sure.

Bill Dearborn

Active Handling will apply a rear brake if the front tires are pushing (understeer) and it will apply a front brake if the rear tires are sliding (oversteer) so if you aren't smooth it will get both the front and rear brakes hot. If you are smooth you can go many laps without it interfering.

I used it in an SCCA/NCCC combined autocross today. It started raining and traction was extremely limited so I decide to see how the C6 AH compared to the C5 AH. About the same. As I was going around U turn corners I could feel and hear it applying the inside rear brake as the front pushed or if I got on the power too much I could feel it dragging a front brake to yaw the car so the tail wouldn't swing out to far. Actually got a better time with it on than I did the previous run with it off. By the way my best time was in the dry where I got FTD for Corvettes and had overall second fastest time of the day (dam*** AWD Subaru).

Bill

pit-pony

I will leave CM on for sure.

I was just curious if my rear pads would take a beating to the extent of not lasting the weekend. I control the front pads but the AH manages the rear :-)

Thanks everyone for sharing.

My son is driving his C5 Z06 on the track without any aids on but I, less adept don't have as much recent experience in my C6 will have help from the car. We did take the Spring Mountain basic course a couple of years ago and I left everything on but I didn't have to worry about maintaining the equipment as a fresh car was always at hand.

The C5 runs R888 and Carbotech XP12/XP10 and my C6 OEM tires and XP10/XP8.

Our pair:

Bill Dearborn

AH controls the fronts as well (see post above). It depends on which end of the car is not yawing correctly.


Bill

pit-pony

Gotya, thanks.

jvp

Sean -

I put a lot of track miles on my former '99 coupe (almost 8 years worth) before upgrading to my C6Z06. The difference in how Comp Mode works between the two platforms is quite dramatic and noticeable. However, I personally never felt the C5's Comp Mode to be too intrusive assuming I wasn't being an idiot. Yes, it did intrude more than the C6's does, but it wasn't undriveable.

The hot shoes will say otherwise, and their opinions are just as noteworthy (perhaps more so) than mine.

jas

jvp

You sure about this Bill? I could be wrong, but I thought it went:

Oversteer == outside rear caliper
Understeer == inside front caliper

jas