Do you guys let the car run after a session of hot laps on the track?

I simply shut the engine off, no parking brake...

One of my friend tells me if the temperature is normal dont botter and an other one seems to swear bye his cool down periods. I dont know what to do... What do you guys do?

PL

 

THe only reasons I can think of to let it run after you parked it are

- It's turbocharged
- It's running hot (sitting there idling might make this worse though...)

When I pull off the track I circle the pits for a while, go to my paddock spot, and shut it off.

 

On the actual cool down lap, when the checkered flag is given (HPDE) i usually turn on my heater (of course with the vents blowing out the window and away from me) and the temp usually goes down pretty significantly, after that i just pit and shut the car off (water temp is already decent by then) I just use a piece of wood to stop the car from rolling and open my hood.

 

Yeah, I do the open hood thing too. So its not worthed to let it run, temp gauge doesnt move, is the stock gauge a good indicator?

 

Just use common sense, shut off the car, open the hood, and maybe if its a hot day leave it under some shade if you can find some. This will cool the car down significantly.

 

It's not a turbo car. Just take it easy on the last lap and you can turn it off by the time you get to your paddock spot. Like everyone else has said, just pop open the hood on a hot day.

Warren

 

What Warren said. Also, I make it a point to avoid the brakes during that last cool-down lap. You don't want to park it with hot brakes.
-Adam

 

Aren't you supposed to roll the car a few times after a hot session so the brake pads don't get stuck to the rotors?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 96 SOHC VTEC &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Aren't you supposed to roll the car a few times after a hot session so the brake pads don't get stuck to the rotors? </TD></TR></TABLE>


The pads can't stick if the brakes aren't applied. That's why after your session you park the car in gear but without the handbrake (which could make that happen to the rears.) As previously mentioned, the cooldown lap helps a lot as well.

Jon

 

If you stay off the brakes during the cool-down lap they won't be that hot when you park it.

So to summarize: Use the cool-down lap as just that. Don't pass, don't brake, just take it easy for a lap. Park it, brakes off, hood up. Go have a snack.

-Adam

 

Rolling the car isn't for sticking rotors. If the rotors are hot when you stop, the contact of the pad in one spot on the rotor dissipates heat at a different rate than the rest of the pad, which can lead to warping them.