So I went to Sebring this weekend for the third time in my Mazda RX8. Because its winter now the days are shorter and when I arrived for checkin the evening before the event it was late in the day and getting dark. After the checkin I decided to bed my track pads (Cobalt XR1/XR5) in on the back roads on the way back to the hotel. Now I've done this many times before but always in daylight. This time is was dark and when I hit the brakes hard from about 70mph it looked like I had sparklers attached to my front wheels. I thought WTF, did I run over a nest of fireflies? I did it again 4 more times and each time a shower of "sparks" went by my window from the front wheels. I had driven about uneventful 120 miles from home so there didn't appear to be a problem with the pad install which was uneventful. I stopped at the first well lit gas station and peered into the wheel with a flashlight and everything looked good. I had a great day at the track and knocked 2 seconds off my best time with a 2:42 which I attribute to the new Corbeaux seat and Schroth harness, so there no issues with the brakes but the bed in procedure was a trip

 

I didn't realize the Cobalts do that. I think Carbotechs do that. Couple local Autoxers used them. The sparks provide endless entertainment for course workers.

FWIW Cobalt says their pads don't need bedding.

http://forums.corvetteforum.com/1560497854-post9.html

Any reason why you went XR1/XR5 instead of XR2/XR5?

 

They were out of XR2. Although the XR1s have worked fine I'll probably go back to the XR2 on the next purchase. The brakes on the RX8 with these track pads and R-compound tires are superb, I was outbraking many high end cars in the advanced group with no fade or issues.

 

Nice. Not sure if it is worth it to switch to the XR2 if you are satisfied with the braking with the XR1s. Seems like it's pretty evenly divided in here on use and I haven't seen anyone who isn't satisfied with either combo.

Wonder if all the different compounds have sparks?

 

I run the XR2/GTS combo...me like! Never noticed the sparks though but then again never played at night with them.