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  May 11, 2010 5:09 a.m. ZOO Dork

  I'm curious to hear what you use as an oil change interval if you participate in HPDEs and other lapping events.

  For example, I did 100 miles on April 30th at Calabogie Motorsports Park. The oil was brand new the day before. I'm not inclined to do an oil change after such a short time, but maybe I should be rethinking that?

  Rob

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  May 11, 2010 6:56 a.m. Klayfish New Reader

  I change the oil before each event and then change it again as soon as I get home. You're pushing that engine hard at HPDE. Oil is cheap. Engines aren't.

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  May 11, 2010 9:44 a.m. iceracer Dork

  I have run an average of two HPDE's a year for the last 9yrs. with some ice racing and a couple of auto x's. Change my oil once a year, miles about 9K. Car now has 75K miles on it. Still runs strong. Oil: Amsoil 0w30 series 2000.

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  May 11, 2010 10:59 a.m. skruffy Dork

  No different than normal. So, every 5k miles or so.

  This is one of those questions where you'll get 10 different answers and they'll all be correct. It just depends on what you want to do.

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  May 11, 2010 2:36 p.m. billy3esq SuperDork

  My RX-8 burns roughly 0.5qt/hr on track, so I essentially change my oil during the event. Thus, I just change it on the manual's "severe service" schedule (5k miles).

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  May 11, 2010 2:41 p.m. Cone_Junky New Reader

  At most I would use the "severe service" intervals. otherwise it's just another day for the motor.

  Although my first HPDE I ran with no oil cooler on my VW. My VDO oil temp gauge was pegged in the "red" zone about 95% of the time. I did do a change right after that (and added an oil cooler).

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  May 11, 2010 2:44 p.m. Giant Purple Snorklewacker SuperDork

  I do probably 30 track days a year on an oil change (full synthetic 20-40). It was fine when tested coming out in the fall. If you don't have really high heat or foaming issues the oil does not know you are on a racetrack.
  

  Send it out to Blackstone to see when it really needs changing - you are wasting money or engine life if you guess. Test.

  walterj, playing with the 'preferred username' feature

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  May 11, 2010 2:48 p.m. motomoron Reader

  I change everything before the season starts - M3/e36 track car w/ a license plate - Redline 10-40 in the engine - D4 ATF in the trans - 75/90 GL5 in the diff - Super Blue in the brakes.

  I'll leave it in for a couple events at Shenandoah or until it gets hot out. Last year I changed the engine oil in the paddock @ VIR during the UTCC in preparation for 2 days of hot sessions, and did another change 2 months later.

  If I was running generic dino juice I'd probably be changing more often. My old FZ600 road race bike ran 20/50 Valvoline race oil and was changed after the first practice session on Saturday.

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  May 11, 2010 4:52 p.m. Apexcarver SuperDork

  My mustang is pretty much autocross use only right now. Going to 3k miles would take years.

  12 days of autocross a year, maybe a few hundred miles on the car a year.

  How often should I really change it?

  I have been going by once a year (mobile 1 synthetic)

  formerly known as hotstang

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  May 11, 2010 5:03 p.m. car39 Reader

  Once a year with synthetic in my basically stock motor 1.8 Miata. The squirrels don't make that big of a mess to have to change the oil.

  Can you drive and count to five? I can (sometimes)

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  May 11, 2010 5:18 p.m. confuZion3 SuperDork

  Normal oil change intervals on the Miata engine. I use synthetic oil. I do at least 6 HPDEs a year, and the car has been seeing some miles too.

  Oh, the engine has 250,000 on the clock.

  I wish I had lasers in my fingertips. Then I could shoot lasers from my fingers.

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  May 11, 2010 7:41 p.m. peter New Reader

  My miata tells me when to change the oil. Noisy HLAs and all that.

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  May 11, 2010 7:51 p.m. P71 SuperDork

  Every 5,000 miles. Royal Purple 5W20, external oil cooler, K&N filter.

  Michael Pinto - 73 AMC Hornet / 93 Miata STS / 01 P71 Interceptor

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  May 12, 2010 2:36 p.m. WilberM3 Reader

  we run our challenge e30 probably 12 events plus a couple thousand miles driving to and back a year and change it once a year usually.

  Dave

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  May 12, 2010 3:05 p.m. Armitage Reader

  Whatever you feel most comfortable doing is probably the best answer. Personally, I change my oil after every event. Rotaries are notorious for getting fuel contamination in the oil which causes it to break down pretty fast and I don't want to take any chances.

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  May 17, 2010 4:56 a.m. CLNSC3 Reader

  I change mine every 3K, I run full synthetic. I think they say you should change it every 5K but I am a paranoid weirdo..

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