krisk
Well-Known Member
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In the week leading up to and including the July 4 celebration of 250 years of independence in our great nation, I went on a road trip totaling more than 2,600 miles attending three HPDE track events with Chin over the course of eight days. I had a great time despite losing one full day due to a mechanical problem with my car. More on that below.
Track 1 - Virginia International Raceway. This was my first time at VIR (as well as the other two tracks), and I had a great time. We stayed in the Pit Lane Suites, which was extremely convenient in being able to walk from our room to the paddock. The track was great, as expected, and the weather turned out well although it was a little warm. My 2024 Mustang did great on track although the coolant was low on the morning of the second day. It had been low before I left home and I had it pressure tested at a local shop, but they found no leaks. Since I still found no leaks I assumed it was just an issue with the coolant venting from the overflow when hot.
Track 2 - Watkins Glen. Watkins Glen was my favorite track of the three on the trip. The weather was good, but it was pretty warm for what I would expect in New York. On the morning of the first day my coolant was again low, but still no noticeable leaks. The car ran great, but the coolant level was below the minimum line once the car cooled down between each session. I was adding 8-12 ounces of water between sessions, and I began seeing a little puddle of coolant/water under the car. At the end of the first day I completed an oil change in the garage and noticed the residue of coolant around the transmission.
Breakdown - Upon further inspection, I was able to determine that the nipple on the transmission heat exchanger was leaking. It wasn't coming from the hose or any fitting; rather it appeared to be coming directly out of the aluminum, so I assumed there was a tiny crack. After many calls to dealerships around the country, I sourced a heat exchanger in stock at an Alabama dealer, and had them overnight me the part to our next track location. $70 part plus $220 overnight shipping.
Unfortunately, I lost my second scheduled track day at Watkins Glen because I didn’t want to risk having the heat exchanger spring an even bigger leak and dump coolant on the track or damage the car. We packed up and headed down to Summit Point, WV. The part arrived right at noon the following day, and I was able to get permission to use a church’s parking lot to do the replacement. Of course this was probably the hottest day of the year. The temperature hit 99 degrees while I’m laying on the asphalt doing the replacement, which also involves filling and checking the transmission fluid. It was not a fun experience, but a little over seven hours later I finished and confirmed I had no leaks.
Track 3 - Summit Point. With the car fixed, I was able to run at Summit Point for two full days. Of the three tracks I visited, it was my least favorite, but it was still a great time. The weather was good up until the the 4:30pm happy hour when they had to shut down the track for lightning on the first day.
Considering the length of the trip and having six track days scheduled in an eight day period, I think having a single breakdown and repair wasn’t too bad. My wife and I really enjoyed the trip and will likely try to do a similar one next summer.
The photos below in order at VIR, Summit Point, our matching tow rig, then my parking lot repair. There was no photographer for day 1 at Watkins Glen, so no photos from that track, which was disappointing.
Track 1 - Virginia International Raceway. This was my first time at VIR (as well as the other two tracks), and I had a great time. We stayed in the Pit Lane Suites, which was extremely convenient in being able to walk from our room to the paddock. The track was great, as expected, and the weather turned out well although it was a little warm. My 2024 Mustang did great on track although the coolant was low on the morning of the second day. It had been low before I left home and I had it pressure tested at a local shop, but they found no leaks. Since I still found no leaks I assumed it was just an issue with the coolant venting from the overflow when hot.
Track 2 - Watkins Glen. Watkins Glen was my favorite track of the three on the trip. The weather was good, but it was pretty warm for what I would expect in New York. On the morning of the first day my coolant was again low, but still no noticeable leaks. The car ran great, but the coolant level was below the minimum line once the car cooled down between each session. I was adding 8-12 ounces of water between sessions, and I began seeing a little puddle of coolant/water under the car. At the end of the first day I completed an oil change in the garage and noticed the residue of coolant around the transmission.
Breakdown - Upon further inspection, I was able to determine that the nipple on the transmission heat exchanger was leaking. It wasn't coming from the hose or any fitting; rather it appeared to be coming directly out of the aluminum, so I assumed there was a tiny crack. After many calls to dealerships around the country, I sourced a heat exchanger in stock at an Alabama dealer, and had them overnight me the part to our next track location. $70 part plus $220 overnight shipping.
Unfortunately, I lost my second scheduled track day at Watkins Glen because I didn’t want to risk having the heat exchanger spring an even bigger leak and dump coolant on the track or damage the car. We packed up and headed down to Summit Point, WV. The part arrived right at noon the following day, and I was able to get permission to use a church’s parking lot to do the replacement. Of course this was probably the hottest day of the year. The temperature hit 99 degrees while I’m laying on the asphalt doing the replacement, which also involves filling and checking the transmission fluid. It was not a fun experience, but a little over seven hours later I finished and confirmed I had no leaks.
Track 3 - Summit Point. With the car fixed, I was able to run at Summit Point for two full days. Of the three tracks I visited, it was my least favorite, but it was still a great time. The weather was good up until the the 4:30pm happy hour when they had to shut down the track for lightning on the first day.
Considering the length of the trip and having six track days scheduled in an eight day period, I think having a single breakdown and repair wasn’t too bad. My wife and I really enjoyed the trip and will likely try to do a similar one next summer.
The photos below in order at VIR, Summit Point, our matching tow rig, then my parking lot repair. There was no photographer for day 1 at Watkins Glen, so no photos from that track, which was disappointing.
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