17OCT2015; Speed Ventures Black Group; Session 4. Stock M3 with M performance exhaust, Michelin Pilot Super Sports, and Castrol SRF. 4th time on a track and 4th time at Buttonwillow.
Looking back on this footage I can see where I can make my lines tighter. I know I can carry more speed through bus stop and use more of the track in that sector. However, this session I wanted to focus on managing the weight balance of the car while trail braking and exiting the corner. My confidence in the car's handling grew as I was able to get more familiar with rotating the car while trail braking. I didn't really focus too much on braking points, especially since my stock pads overheated mid session.
I realized that my pads overheated when I lost brake bite power and I had to slam on the brakes even harder to slow down. The brake bite power I was receiving when I was slamming on the faded pads was about the same bite power I was getting when I wasn't braking as hard on normal temp brake pads, so I knew then that I previously wasn't slamming on the brakes hard enough.
I lost confidence in the brakes after they over heated and started braking earlier than I wanted to. I'll be upgrading to a Stoptech BBK for next time. In the end it'll save me money on pads and rotors than if I stayed with the OEM rotors and a more aggressive pad.
I was glad I was able to get a 2:05 lap time with my stock set up during this visit, which was 4 seconds faster than my fastest lap time during my last visit at Buttonwillow.