TRACK DAY: Nelson Ledges Race Complex – July 2014 - 2013 Audi Allroad B8
 

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My blog post/article can be found here:
TRACK DAY: Nelson Ledges Race Complex ? July 2014 | ari jay comet

And here are direct links to my YouTube videos:


Enjoy!

Nicely done recording. Good lines and speed held as well.

Thanks. I was overall quite pleased with the car-- just wish I had better tires. I was easily able to over-brake them and cause ABS frequently. Also wish the car made 2x the power-- an S5 avant would be the ticket there... one can dream!

Good run!

The road condition looks scarier on video than in real life.

Good videos. Did you have any problem with heat build up on brakes or engine?

Definitely on the brakes. I wasn't thrilled with the overall performance of the stock 320mm brakes and Hawk HPS pads. I've since upgraded to ECS 2pc 345 S4-sized rotors/carriers with EBC yellow pads. I'll have more to write about that in a future blog post, but yeah the stock brakes are not up to the task of hard lapping IMO.... as for the motor heat, I didn't record it so I can't speak to the specifics, but it did seem to heat-soak and lose power over the course of the day. However, as my times improved, the difference in benefits to tires and my confidence offset the reduced power in the straight-aways.

I'm going to be on the track Thursday. I've already replaced my front brakes, but will be interested in seeing how the new ones perform. Hoping for cooler weather!!! :)

First off--- fellow TREG owner here. I had a 2004 V8 and a 2012 TDI V6. Just FYI... :)

Secondly, when you say you replaced you brakes, what did you get? Just curious. And what track are you hitting? Would love to hear feedback as what you're running and how it performs in whatever conditions you have.

I'll be back on a road course in a few weeks to report on my results -- I now have the 2pc ECS S4 345mm rotors with EBC yellowstuff pads... :)

I will be at High Plains Raceway east of Denver. Temps are expected to be in the upper 70's to low 80's.

I believe I have a set of StopTech pads and brakes (don't remember exactly - paperwork is at home).

When I had the brakes replaced by Hardey at Hardey's Motorwerks ---- I specifically mentioned that I'd like a set that was good for daily work and occasional track stuff. Hardey said he had just the set.

I am also running Yokohama YK520 all seasons. They're nearing the end of their live cycle, but they still grip better than the Pirelli's ever did.

I will update later this week.

I'll be curious to hear what you find on the paperwork. I know that StopTech makes rotors for our cars, but I don't know if they offer pads. I attempted the Hawk HPS pads but wasn't very impressed. I'm back for round two now in my most recent blog post HERE with new bigger rotors (different carriers) and more aggressive pads. I've put 1000+ street miles on with them and very happy. Track day soon...

I'd also love to know what sort of temps you see on your rotors at the track. If you have the desire and the time, you should snag a cheap temp sensor gun like I did (the one I bought is and I plan to use it for data collection at my next session. Would love to know your setup and compare, though obviously different tracks and areas of the country-- but still curious.

If it makes you feel any better, I've been running on some Falken Azenis PT-722 UHP tires and they did okay on the track. Not sure how yours will be but I've always been a fan of Yoko tires in general. And in our cars at 2-tons of fun, you're bound to dislike most of the tires out there unless you spend a lot for a nice sticky XL-rated tire.

Be safe out there!

Not to steal your thread Shaka, but somewhat related. I find the OEM brake pads on the Allroad excessively dusty, especially of course the front. Far more so than my prior A5 (presumably it had a ceramic blend?).
What would you recommend for street use low dust pads? Akebono? Thanks.

Shaka
 

My personal experience has been primarily with Hawk and EBC. Hawk performs great on the street but dust levels are similar to oem. The red & green EBC pads tend to dust a bit less. But any good brake pad will dust some. I would suggest the EBC. The Akebono may be nice I just have no personal experience sorry.

I have StopTech rotors and Akebono pads.

The brakes performed brilliantly.... very little smoke and damn near no fade ---- even on the fifth loop around the track.

My bigger issue was with traction control and not being able to completely shut it down..... and by the 5th loop.... turbo lag was becoming more noticeable.

As for everything else.... the Yokohama's performed brilliantly..... no squealing, but scuffed up the outer patches of the tires (of course).

I am also surprised at how I was able to get the rear end to rotate a bit on some of the sharper corners ----- did it with no fuss and as predictable as the sun coming up.

Temps at the track: mid to upper 70's. Humidity: +-30%. Cloud cover kept things comfortable.


Overall ---- very impressed with how this thing did on the track.... completely stock (except for my upgraded brakes.).

That is great to hear. Honestly I've never heard of this Akebono brand before a few weeks ago. Glad to hear they did good for you. As I had posted, my Hawk HPS results were not so good. I'm also guessing your rotors helped. I can't wait to test out my larger S4/S5 sized rotors and new EBC YellowStuff pads... only 3 weeks till my next track day!

What do you mean by the traction control issue? My car is a 2013, and I turned off the traction with the dash button-- at no point did I feel interference from the car. Are you having throttle cut-out or something? As you can see in my videos in this thread the only "traction" aid that I experienced was ABS when locking up my brakes. But when ON the throttle hard exiting a turn I felt no pause or delay from the ESP/traction. What traction "issue" did you have? Real curious....

Yes, the turbo lag/power drop was noted. Hence why I have a FMIC being installed this week Tuesday. I feel that will hopefully help retain more power. And of course cooler temps outside are nicer--- which is why I always look forward to spring/fall track events :) and yes my outside tread of my tires also have some wear/tear.... as to be expected, like you said.

Trail-braking was helpful, I found. But like you said the car does okay-- I think the added weight over the rear end gives the car a nice balance. Closer to 50/50 being the wagon versus sedan. To help mine rotate I also have the Stasis 28mm rear sway bar--- and generally speaking I was happy with the handling-- but I also have the coils. How did you find body roll in stock form? I'd describe my ST coil-overs as compliant, so the car still tucks into corners with a fair bit of sway/roll before shifting--- good comfort, but hardly "track-day" stuff... still better than OE for sure.

Thanks for sharing your experiences.... you should look at getting the Harry's Lap Timer Pro app for your next track day, and share some videos :p