NickD

Finally managed to get out for a couple of track days this past weekend. My rebuilt Brembos were amazing on the track. I went for a two day HPDE1 with NASA. This is my second visit to the track. I went up this time last year for the first time. It was so beautiful up there my girlfriend and I headed up a couple days early to enjoy the area.

My girlfriend spent the days at the track going for ride alongs and running around taking pictures:





I talked my Dad in to joining me this time. He brought along his CTS-V:



This is an amazing track, I really recommend going. Even if it's a bit too far, make a nice trip out of it. Here's a few other things we did while up there.

We visited the Watkins Glen State Park, it's absolutely stunning:







We stopped by Two Goats Brewery which servers amazing microbrew, with roast beef sandwiches and this view:



Then we hiked around a bunch of the wineries along Seneca Lake. There's so many I think it rivals Napa Valley even:



And they all have an amazing view:





Lastly, I recommend swinging by the Seneca Lodge Bar. It's pretty much where everyone goes after a day at the track. There's all kinds of racing (and hunting) memorbila:



Lastly, I used my bluetooth OBDII reader and Torque on my phone to make these:

Best lap from my first session:



Best lap from my last session:



Here's a short couple of laps I grabbed on my GoPro:


The entire trip was a blast. My Cobalt ran great the entire time, it didn't skip a beat. With an SS Sedan you do end up with quite a few curious people with questions.

Hopefully I'll be going back next year, can't afford to go more often unfortunetly, I try to keep it local (NJMP & Pocono) to save money. THough next year, after the Nascar season I heard they will be repaving the track.

Jacque8080

How did you get the speeds from Torque? I use it. But I just record video on my phone and overlay the OBD II data on the video. The speed on Google Maps looks really helpful and cool.

NickD

That's the map view. What it does it automatically tracks that data when you start driving your car. I'm not sure what it considers a "trip", but it stops recording by some predetermined event. Anyway, from the map view, choose the "trip" which was your track session, then export it to Google Maps. I exported it as "points" as there are two options. From there if you load it in to Google Maps it will be data points for the entire session, which is around 1500 data points. To weed it down I edited the file Torque outputs for Google Maps by hand. Just deleting chunks of data based on timestamp; the file is XML. Then I imported it back in to Google Maps for that. Oh, I also changed the "arrow.png" to "dot.png" to create dots on google maps instead of arrows, which clutter it.

On another note, which phone do you have and what mount do you have? I was using my GoPro for recording, but the overlays look so useful.

Jacque8080

I just picked up a Nexus 5. And I have had this mount for a while.


It seems ridiculous. And it is. But the length lets me use the suction cup on the lower left corner of the windshield. And 14" makes the phone easy to reach.

I have been mounting it under my rear view mirror for track days.

The overlays are like crack. Almost professional telemetry for cheap.

I will upload mine so you can see it.

We just need to make a Cobalt theme...

heeter_33

Awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing!

Beamer

iTrader: (2)

Looked like fun, I used to go to Watkins Glen every summer back in my youth, such a fantastic place. Would love to go around the track. Nothing better than camping and waking up to the sound of cars blasting around the track.

Mr Mall Cop

iTrader: (1)

Looks like a very fun place

NickD

So it passes tech inspection or do you run through the tech without it attached? It doesn't block the rear camera at all?

Jacque8080

It passes tech inspection. They have a specific exemption for GoPro type cameras. And this setup is pretty similar. I used to run it at autocrosses. And the instant G-forces at the autocross was a lot higher.

It doesn't block the rear camera at all. But it does block some of the 5" screen. But who needs to see the screen while on the track.

It passes tech inspection. They have a specific exemption for GoPro type cameras. And this setup is pretty similar. I used to run it at autocrosses. And the instant G-forces at the autocross was a lot higher.

It doesn't block the rear camera at all. But it does block some of the 5" screen. But who needs to see the screen while on the track.

Shanman

This place is great i did this in 2013 with my 1j Sc300 and had a great time!

NickD

Does it happen to be a dark green?

Shanman

sorry OP just reviving this thread from the dead

NickD

Then these have got to be you right behind me. This was from September 2013:

Shanman

Holy body roll!!! LMAO!!! No freekin way man i remember there being a cobalt, but that is badass that you have pics of my car too!! I had just rebuilt the engine at this time and was flipping out bc i thought i was gonna be stranded. I shaved the head down which changed the compression and screwed the stock tune. maybe had all of 200hp, but I still had a blast. Yeah there was no way i was catching you hahah