Feels like I unlocked something in the Veloster today – I ran 34/32 on the tires and found a pretty remarkable amount of added grip to the rear. While I still spun out my first run, which was also on a dirty lot and first heat out, and had a few drifts in my 2nd…
First event of 2026. Weather in the high 50s, ran in first heat so a lot of track cleaning over the off season. Car felt loose as ever, even with a codriver. A lot to clean up with my inputs to help smooth it out. I think the tires are really holding me back, but…
Given how much I drove the Veloster over the last year, I figured it was prudent to get a replacement air filter. This time opted for the BMC air filter for the VN. This is another oiled filter, but the filtration rate is better than OEM (7 microns vs 10 microns). These are no longer…
Because the last event was completely soaked, NNJR used nearly the exact same course/layout for this event as they did last week. Great idea, as I could not get a single run down during that event. From the rain event, it seemed like the course was going to be really fun in the dry –…
Getting back out with the VN, had a rough event today. The temps weren’t all that bad (~63 degrees), but it began to rain in the morning, enough to soak the track and stayed consistently drizzling throughout the entire event. The Vitour P1s once again were not up to the task – in the wet,…
Second event in the VN and I’m starting to explore more of the limits of the car. Again with NNJR, this is probably one of the most fun and interesting autox courses I’ve driven in a long time. This was a great event with a lot of fast drivers, an amazing course, and perfect weather.…
While I’m not a fan of testing new setups on the track, scheduling has made things really difficult to break in this setup before the track day. I arrived home the day before the track day with a bunch of to-do’s for the Evo: replace the OEM brake air guides (always break when I hit…
Brand new setup for the remainder of the 2025 season. It became clear over the last couple of events that going from the Evo 10 brakes to the AP Racing setup (350mm to 325mm) was a bit of a downgrade in terms of overall braking force. The pedal was firm and I could stand on…
First event for the Evo in a long, long while. Opted to do an autox to break in all the new bits – the turbo, trans, t-case, etc. The most important thing is the car performed flawlessly: a 3hr 45m drive to the site, 6 autox runs in 90+ degree weather, and a 3 1/2…
June 2025: A few more updates for the Evo this June. Given the E85 sensor failure, I had the gauge rerouted to the ashtray location so I could view it at a glance at all times. The gauge being there didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would, it’s largely out of the…
First event on the new race setup and it was a difficult one. It’s been a long time since I’ve had an event where I didn’t get a single clean run. The good feeling in the car from the last event was gone. The new tires are known for needing a lot of heat to…
My race wheels have finally come in after months of waiting. These are the OZ Ultraleggera wheels in 18×8 +48. As the stock offset is +55, this is the max wider offset allowed in SCCA street class (7mm +-). The wheels weigh 18.4lbs. Not the lightest in the world, but for the price, that’s decent…
Now we’re getting somewhere. Third event in the VN, but the first in decent weather – dry-ish, and temps in the high 60s and low 70s. This car was perfect in these conditions – with me even wanting a little more front grip in one particular spot of the course. I still may get the…
Second event in the VN, second time struggling with the balance. I’m wholly convinced this is just related to tires though, and with fresh rubber I’ll be able to lean on the car a lot more. Right now, it doesn’t give a lot of confidence that I can push the car without the back end…
A lot of firsts this event. First in the Veloster N, first of 2025, in NNJR, in a DCT car. What a blast! It’s been a long time since I’ve autoxed like this, and my initial impression is that the Veloster N lands squarely somewhere between the Mini and the Evo, and maybe even better…
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