Going back full circle to my first track day at Autobahn South – I ran with the NASA HPDE group again, back from my nightmare scenario with the original brakes setup.

Fortunately, I had a problem free 2 days of track where I was able to bring both the Evo & the M3. With NASA’s HPDE structure, I was placed into HPDE1 after never having progressed the ladder. I was, however, able to test out of HPDE1 immediately into HPDE2, which landed me in an awkward place where I did not need to attend the class sessions for 1, but was not able to run with 2 due to their strict curriculum.

I took the Evo for the first 3 sessions for day 1, and thanks to my girlfriend, was able to bring the M3 for a couple of sessions during day 2. Annoyingly, I had zero laps in the clear. I had one where only the run up to the start was blocked, and I was able to run a second within my fastest time.

I ran 2 sessions with the M3 & the instructor in the 1 & 2nd session of day 2, and ran the Evo with the instructor once for the 3rd session before taking the final session on my own. Nothing to write home about in the M3 – I only did 2 sessions, and both were with instructor in the car. While it’s good seat time and I think I’ve improved a couple of corners, it was frustrating to be stuck in traffic the whole 2 days. NASA HPDE emphasizes that it’s an education program and not a lapping day, and that’s very much true. At the same time, I think I’ve hit a bit of a wall with the Evo, and need to evaluate how much faster I can really go.

For this event, I changed back to the English Racing ACD tune, as I felt it provided better turn-in, and more pronounced differences between settings. This was also my first time on the newly rebuilt-by-TRE OS Giken, and the lockup was much improved, it really felt like the car could power out of  corners with more “oomph.” I was consistently hitting faster top speeds on the straight leading into 1, either a combination of the corner exit, improving the entry speed, or both, and after corner 8. The other change was going from the Girodisc S/S to the ST43s. While the ST43s certainly grab harder, I find it much, much more difficult to trail brake into corners for that very reason – it just seems to bite so hard even with just a brush of the brakes. Likely, I will just need to keep working on the pedal here. With the new intercooler, while I did not notice any real performance difference, there was a marked decrease in knock – save for a few laps in the 4th session. It seems like a pretty consistent level of knock, only between corners 3 and 4 where I carry speed through, and then have knock near the top of 4th gear. The temps were definitely cooler though, so I need to reevaluate in the summer. Still, it’s minor at best, so I’m no longer worried about it. The 100 cell cat, which I am still waiting on, may finally take care of that. We will see how much this changes when ambient is 30 degrees higher. Finally, the tires look to be about or near done. I think they will make it through the last event, and that will be it as far as the life on these tires.

The biggest difference between my PB (here) and the lap below was, aside from being blocked at 13-14-15 on the main straight, was a general lack of driving into corners harder. Maybe driving the M3 had messed me up a little, where I find I need to be much more gentle into corners to keep the rear end happy. I was also only on the “Street/Snow” setting when setting my fastest lap, and the Tarmac/track mode is definteily quicker. Either way, that is what I will need to work on for the next event, which is coming up in 6 days. It will be on full, where I have a horrendous lap record, but most of south is included for that anyway, including 1-2-3, where I hope to make some improvement in driving harder into the corner & powering out of 2 to 3 better. I felt corners 6 and corner 13 were greatly improved, though they didn’t result in any huge improvement in time. Corner 6 I can definitely go faster, and 13 is just kind of a game of if I give up early, I gain late, or vice versa. There is an optimal, and I need to keep playing around with it. I also noticed I am late on turn-ins, especially in 8 and 9. I need to correct that again to get the natural arc back through corners. Fastest lap of the weekend and laps below.

Car Changes:

• Blitz Intercooler & MAP LICP
• TRE-OSG differential rebuilt
• English Racing ACD back in.
• ST43 pads in
• Castrol SRF in

Driving Changes:

• Was too soft in general

 

 

Set Up:

• 24psi tune, 93 octane, 310hp
• Ohlins DFV, 8k/11k; Shocks 6/5
• Tanabe FSB; WL 26mm RSB; Soft
• RE-ACD: Snow; TRE-OSG Rear Diff
• Camber at -3.5, -1.9 rear,  -1/32nd toe front 0 (erring on negative) toe rear
• Brakes F: Girodisc 2-pc & ST43s; Brakes R: Girodisc 2-pc & S/S
• CE28N 18×9.5; 255/35-18 Bridgestone RE71Rs
• Various levels of fuel throughout track
• 36psi all around on RE71Rs

Notes:

• Look up, look ahead. Turn-in was late on a number of corners
• Track out, use all of the track, and don’t creep in before starting the corner
• Get on the gas sooner out of corners
• Corners 1-2-3 – Carry more speed into 1, squirt gas to 2, then release and wait until WOT – all the way through 3. Cowboy exit and hold on ** need to actually do this for next event
• Corner 4 – Brake just after 2 and try to trail in more
• Corner 5 – Trail in more speed
• Corner 6 – This is much improved – work on carrying more speed in and trailing all the way through it
• Corner 8 – Braked at 3 board, trailed in. Late on this, make sure I am looking up and turning in early
• Corner 9 – Missed apex again, turning in late. Turn in earlier here. Too far too the left as a result. Try to hit the apex early to be closer to the right, but not all the way, and turn
• Corner 10 – Aim for the apex on inside and outside and WOT cowboy.
• Corner 11 – Braked at 5, I think 4.5 is solid and trail it in more to carry more speed into it. Turn in early, and make sure to get on the gas ASAP.
• Corner 13 – This was improved. Braking at 2, turning around 1, trail it in more and get WOT on the gas after – it will hold.

Tuning changes for next time:

• None (Yay!)

2019 Track Days: 7 (5 on RE71Rs)