As luck would have it, another dry forecast turned into precipitation for the second track day. Instead of the downpour like the last event though, we had mild sprinkling that was steady throughout. My biggest concern was when the “switch” would be from driving in the dry to driving in the wet – i.e., I didn’t want to hit a braking zone thinking it was dry, only to have it wet and slick and blow past it. Luckily, this wasn’t the case, and even though the track was damp from the drizzling, it drove fairly “dry.”

Also had made a tweak to the Evo suspension, going from 10k springs in the rear, with the RSB on the middle setting, to 11k springs and back on soft. The car felt great out there. Mild push in natural cornering, and just about perfect powering out of corners. I was able to cut some time by correcting corner 6, not braking as long and as deeply, instead cutting it short and starting the turn a little earlier, and that seems to have really helped drop time. I also felt a lot more comfortable in just about every corner, carrying a little more speed and pushing the car closer to the limit a little more. The brakes were fantastic and everything held up well, and I was able to set a personal best of 1:41.2 which I ran 2 laps in a row. This was in the damp, though barely that damp, but the personal best prior was a 1:43.8 in the dry – so I cut a solid 2.6s off there. I’d like to crack under the 1:40s, but that will have to wait depending on what the rest of the year looks like. Otherwise really, really happy with how the car felt and the results.

Set Up:

• 24psi tune, 93 octane, 310hp
• Ohlins DFV, 8k/11k; Shocks 5/5
• Tanabe FSB; WL 26mm RSB; Soft
• Dampers 5/5 F/R, Cusco FSB Bracket on 2
• ER-ACD Tarmac (65% – Tarmac); OS Giken Rear Diff
• Camber at -3.1, -1.9 rear,  0 toe front 0 toe rear
• Brakes F: DBA5000 & ST43; Brakes R: DBA4000 & S/S
• CE28N 18×9.5; 255/35-18 Bridgestone RE71Rs
• 35psi all around on RE71Rs

Notes (Evo):

• Car felt great – hammer throttle as soon as passing the apex
• Slow in fast out working well with this, still trying to carry a lot of speed into corners
• Refocus on getting the line right, a little sloppy in some parts
• Cutting corner 6 helped drop time, still don’t really have patience (corner 9/10) figured out
• Corners 1-2 to 3 are slow – see if more speed can be carried, better line?
• 4 and 5 are ok, maybe a little more speed to be carried
• 6 was improved, but can go a little faster – hug the outside a little more, brake a little later and apex later – was a little early here
• 8 and 9, carry a little more speed, then get on gas for 10 asap
• Carry a little more speed through the 11-12 section, still get on gas asap
• A little faster through 13-14, seemed at the limit at this event and pushed wide before
• Again fuel starved during 3rd session. Add 5 gallons or so after the 2nd session, maybe check tune
• 2019 Track days (2, 2 on RE71Rs)