We had great weather for this event! A little brisk in the morning, but warming up nicely. I ran my first session on Saturday on my H rated street tires again while my new (used) RA1's were being mounted up by Phil's Tire Service at the track. The street tires were howling so bad my instructor & I didn't get much accomplished we were laughing so hard! The tires sounded like a tortured dog when being pushed more than 6/10ths around the track!
The second session was much much better as I had now put the RA1's on the car (thanks Robert Allen for the great deal on the tires & to his Dad also for loaning me a jack to put them on!)
We worked on my line through turn 3 with great sucess - untill I had a brain fart & loss of talent and ended up turning in too early and went off into the gravel trap at the outside of 3 - but I drove through it, and came back onto the track and continued on to the hot pits to get the car checked. Back out on track then with no more incidences for the rest of the weekend.
I learned to carry more speed than ever before through turn 3, turn 9, and turn 10 - especially turn 10! This of course affected my terminal velocity at the end of the front strait, which made me have to adjust my braking point for turn 1.
My instructor also made me call out everything I was thinking, going to do, and doing to him as I was driving for the entire 1st session on Sunday to make sure I was situationally aware. So it went something like this:
Alright.. we're heading out of the pits, I'm checking my mirror for traffic as I enter thetrack - staying track-right - checking the rear view mirror to make sure no one is too close behind me - doing a brake check - checking the flagger station - double yellow flags - looking at my turn in point - waving aknowledgement to the flaggers - looking at T1 apex point - turning in - looking at my track out point - apexing perfectly - looking for my T2 apex point - tracking out - etc, etc, etc.
It was strange having to call out everything like that, but that must be pretty much what it's like being an instructor - all the while watching the student, where they are looking, what they are doing with their hands & feet, listening to their breathing, watching the other cars on track, and watching the flaggers as well. Instructors have a pretty hard job, and one of substantial risk considering they are getting into an unknown vehicle driven by an unknown person at relatively high speeds.
Here's the one video I was able to pull from the weekend.... Sunday second session "solo".
OctoberFAST (NASA) Summit Point HPDE2 from NOT///MPOWER on Vimeo.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
VIR, July '08
The weekend went well despite my RA1's being corded & having to run the entire weekend on H rated street tires. My instructor was very good at his job, getting me to look further down the track & eliminating shifts. I made my way around the track faster than ever before despite the crappy tires! A good weekend for sure. I got signed off "solo" for the second day, and he said that another weekend in HPDE2, and I would be ready for group 3! Woot!
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Thunderstorms...
...are the forcast for my up-comming weekend at VIR.
meh...
Some people don't like to drive in the rain. I love it. You can learn more about car control, fine tuning your feel for weight distribution, and your feel for grip in just one track session in the rain than you can in half a year's dry track driving. That was the case with me last March at VIR.
So I can't wait to do it again. I've learned to embrace driving in the rain, and hopefully that will give me a competetive edge when I finally start racing in the Spec E30 class.
In preparation for this weekend's event, I have replaced all of my soft metal 
wheel studs with hardened bullnosed racing studs, and new nuts of course. I'll be leaving my street tires on since the forcast is calling for thunderstorms, but will take the RA's with me just in case mother nature decides to play nice!I'm hoping that my driving performance this weekend will get me a check ride in Group 3, as I'm really looking forward to more passing opportunities on track. Not only to pass, but to be passed anywhere on track. Group 3 requires extreme situational awareness, and an almost automatic ability to drive the car at 10/10ths.
Monday, June 23, 2008
A great weekend at Hyperfest '08
I arrived early Saturday morning to find a full paddock, including an enormous tractor trailer parked lenghthwise across an area "reserved" for HPDE participants. Had to paddock behind the OG Racing shack. It was warm... very warm for 6am in the morning. It was going to be a hot day!
The weather report was calling for scattered thunderstorms, but we didn't see any rain until very late in the day on Sunday, and it pretty much evaporated as it hit the track.
Saturday went well, worked on my line through T-4 & T-5. Learned to carry more speed through T-1 & T-2. My instructor Matt Rembold was a great guy who helped me to attain my goals for the weekend.
Saturday went by without incident for me, although I wish it were true for one of the other students in my group. There was an unfortunate roll-over incident during the second lap, of the second session on Saturday. The student (who was driving solo) had carried too much speed into T-4, and lifted off of the accelerator producing a lift-oversteer condition which he could not recover from. His vehicle went off track at T-5, hit the tire barricade, and rolled onto it's roof. He was for the most part unharmed thankfully, and was able to exit the vehicle through the passenger's side window. This is not saying that the student was a bad driver. Quite the opposite actually. In order to "drive AT the limit, you must OVER-DRIVE the car, then UNDER-DRIVE the car, then OVER, UNDER, OVER, UNDER, etc.... The average being THE LIMIT. Sometimes when trying to reach the limit, you go over the limit, and sometimes you crash. The incident did end our session after that second lap tho.
With his permission, I've poted the video below with a note from the driver as well.
I have not read your sight yet but I'll give you the strait poop. use it if you wish it could be very helpful to fellow compatriots. I use a traqmate data acquisition system . my past telemetry shows i do not need to lift and certainly do not need to brake from after turn 1 until turn 5 . so this was my first attempt at not lifting or braking . I decided to do it incrementally i did not brake but did lift before 3 and before 4 but got back on it in short order. the problem came as i did not break before 4 i only lifted and i did not adjust my turn in point . I began to run out of track to my left after 4 and frankly lost my balls ! So I lifted just as i was ending the turn but as i was at the limit of adhesion as planded... well the rear came around and I did not catch it fast enough. In other words Driver ERROR period .. I had put in some steering correction prior to lifting but way not enough. so the lesson is don't lift !!! and the faster you go the faster the mistakes happen ...
I will go check out you post now
All my best to you and yours
Ed
Ed,
Thank you for allowing me to post this. I'm glad you're ok. Hope to see you back at the track soon!
Could easily have been much worse.
I've also just contacted RRT Performance in Dulles, VA for a quote on a welded in 1/2 rear cage to replace my Autopower bolt-in roll bar. I figure later, when I'm ready to go racing with the Spec E30 crowd, I'll finish it up & add in the front half for a full custom built roll cage. More on that later....
Sunday started off with my instructor slapping a "solo" sticker on my windshield during the grid-up of the first session. Woooooo Hooooooooo! He went with me for that first session, just to make sure I was still being consistent, and hadn't suffered a loss of talent overnight! All went well.
We were supposed to have a red-flag drill during the first three laps of the second session, but that never materialized. I even pulled into the pits at one point to ask what happened to red flag drill we were supposed to have, and got a reply like "I don't know... they don't tell us about those things"...
oooookaaaay?!?!?!
Back out I went, and completed some pretty nice & smooth laps. Did a little off-line passing, and was generally getting accustomed to the great grip of the Toyo RA1's I was using for the first time. I love Comp R's!!!
The Third (and last) session of Sunday saw rain starting to fall about 1/2 way through the session, but it seemed to be evaporating as it hit the track, and I kept pushing the RA1's, but could not get them to break loose! I must need to carry more speed still! It's absolutely silly how much more grip there is over street performance tires! I can't wait until VIR!
Sunday, 2nd session, "solo" run.
Hyperfest_08 from NOT///MPOWER on Vimeo.
The weather report was calling for scattered thunderstorms, but we didn't see any rain until very late in the day on Sunday, and it pretty much evaporated as it hit the track.
Saturday went well, worked on my line through T-4 & T-5. Learned to carry more speed through T-1 & T-2. My instructor Matt Rembold was a great guy who helped me to attain my goals for the weekend.
Saturday went by without incident for me, although I wish it were true for one of the other students in my group. There was an unfortunate roll-over incident during the second lap, of the second session on Saturday. The student (who was driving solo) had carried too much speed into T-4, and lifted off of the accelerator producing a lift-oversteer condition which he could not recover from. His vehicle went off track at T-5, hit the tire barricade, and rolled onto it's roof. He was for the most part unharmed thankfully, and was able to exit the vehicle through the passenger's side window. This is not saying that the student was a bad driver. Quite the opposite actually. In order to "drive AT the limit, you must OVER-DRIVE the car, then UNDER-DRIVE the car, then OVER, UNDER, OVER, UNDER, etc.... The average being THE LIMIT. Sometimes when trying to reach the limit, you go over the limit, and sometimes you crash. The incident did end our session after that second lap tho.
With his permission, I've poted the video below with a note from the driver as well.
I have not read your sight yet but I'll give you the strait poop. use it if you wish it could be very helpful to fellow compatriots. I use a traqmate data acquisition system . my past telemetry shows i do not need to lift and certainly do not need to brake from after turn 1 until turn 5 . so this was my first attempt at not lifting or braking . I decided to do it incrementally i did not brake but did lift before 3 and before 4 but got back on it in short order. the problem came as i did not break before 4 i only lifted and i did not adjust my turn in point . I began to run out of track to my left after 4 and frankly lost my balls ! So I lifted just as i was ending the turn but as i was at the limit of adhesion as planded... well the rear came around and I did not catch it fast enough. In other words Driver ERROR period .. I had put in some steering correction prior to lifting but way not enough. so the lesson is don't lift !!! and the faster you go the faster the mistakes happen ...
I will go check out you post now
All my best to you and yours
Ed
Ed,
Thank you for allowing me to post this. I'm glad you're ok. Hope to see you back at the track soon!
Could easily have been much worse.
I've also just contacted RRT Performance in Dulles, VA for a quote on a welded in 1/2 rear cage to replace my Autopower bolt-in roll bar. I figure later, when I'm ready to go racing with the Spec E30 crowd, I'll finish it up & add in the front half for a full custom built roll cage. More on that later....
Sunday started off with my instructor slapping a "solo" sticker on my windshield during the grid-up of the first session. Woooooo Hooooooooo! He went with me for that first session, just to make sure I was still being consistent, and hadn't suffered a loss of talent overnight! All went well.
We were supposed to have a red-flag drill during the first three laps of the second session, but that never materialized. I even pulled into the pits at one point to ask what happened to red flag drill we were supposed to have, and got a reply like "I don't know... they don't tell us about those things"...
oooookaaaay?!?!?!
Back out I went, and completed some pretty nice & smooth laps. Did a little off-line passing, and was generally getting accustomed to the great grip of the Toyo RA1's I was using for the first time. I love Comp R's!!!
The Third (and last) session of Sunday saw rain starting to fall about 1/2 way through the session, but it seemed to be evaporating as it hit the track, and I kept pushing the RA1's, but could not get them to break loose! I must need to carry more speed still! It's absolutely silly how much more grip there is over street performance tires! I can't wait until VIR!
Sunday, 2nd session, "solo" run.
Hyperfest_08 from NOT///MPOWER on Vimeo.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Dare I say...
... It's fixed?
Got the fan clutch installed - took all of about 15 minutes. Car seems to be running fine, and not overheating anymore. Bonus! Also got the RA1 scrubs mounted & balanced, and the alignment done. This will be my first track weekend running comp R's, so I'll be taking it slow to begin with, and see how far I can push 'em. I have no idea what their break-away characteristics are, and have heard that they give little to no warning before they break away, but I think my driving has gotten to the point now where I'll be able to handle it. I hope. ;-)
Got the fan clutch installed - took all of about 15 minutes. Car seems to be running fine, and not overheating anymore. Bonus! Also got the RA1 scrubs mounted & balanced, and the alignment done. This will be my first track weekend running comp R's, so I'll be taking it slow to begin with, and see how far I can push 'em. I have no idea what their break-away characteristics are, and have heard that they give little to no warning before they break away, but I think my driving has gotten to the point now where I'll be able to handle it. I hope. ;-)
Monday, June 16, 2008
AAAARRRRGGGH!
Why did I have to metion having the cooling system sorted?!?
True to form, the 318 has presented me with yet another issue just prior to a track weekend!
I'm not really mad tho. After all, the car does have 220,000 miles on it, and it's used for track duty, and daily driver duty.
Driving the car back to work from lunch today the temperature gauge started climbing steadily toward the red zone. I managed to get it to stop it's climb about 3/4 of the way there by turning the heat on full blast. When I got to work, I popped the hood, and after a little investigative work found that the clutch driven fan could be stopped easily by hand.
I've ordered a fan clutch from Olympus Imported Auto Parts, and I'll install it tonight after work so I can get home!
... add another $75.00 to the total!
True to form, the 318 has presented me with yet another issue just prior to a track weekend!
I'm not really mad tho. After all, the car does have 220,000 miles on it, and it's used for track duty, and daily driver duty.
Driving the car back to work from lunch today the temperature gauge started climbing steadily toward the red zone. I managed to get it to stop it's climb about 3/4 of the way there by turning the heat on full blast. When I got to work, I popped the hood, and after a little investigative work found that the clutch driven fan could be stopped easily by hand.
I've ordered a fan clutch from Olympus Imported Auto Parts, and I'll install it tonight after work so I can get home!
... add another $75.00 to the total!
HPDE REAL-COST UPDATE
Since I started this little blog to keep track of my track habit expenditures, here's an update of the total so far which includes all car expenditures, & all track & club fees. (Anything related to tracking the car). Keep in mind this total is from expenditures starting in May of 2007 and includes the purchase price of the car & and everything I've replaced on it, or spent on tracking it since May of 2007. (Does NOT include fuel).
The new total is (drum-roll please)....
$17,164.99
The quickest way to make a small fortune in motorsports? Start with a large one!
The new total is (drum-roll please)....
$17,164.99
The quickest way to make a small fortune in motorsports? Start with a large one!
Hyper for Hyperfest!
I finally got to the bottom of the drivability issue that has been plaguing me since VIR in March. Turns out the issue of a hunting idle, and rich running was due to a bad Throttle Position Switch. It was reading WOT (wide open throttle) all the time.
So, with the Cooling system back to normal, and the TPS replaced, the car is just about ready for Hyperfest at Summit Point Raceway this coming weekend!
A few little things still need to be done... oil & filter change, brake system flush, check diff fluid level, etc.
So, with the Cooling system back to normal, and the TPS replaced, the car is just about ready for Hyperfest at Summit Point Raceway this coming weekend!
A few little things still need to be done... oil & filter change, brake system flush, check diff fluid level, etc.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
The agony...
...of defeat!
Well, I got down to VIR fine, the trusty F-150 towed just fine as it always does. Got the car through "tech" Sunday afternoon without a hitch. Then I dropped the trailer, got in the truck & drove into North Carolina to meet up with a Spec E30 racer who was selling his used Toyo RA1's for cheap! $75.00 for the set cheap! I was really looking forward to having them mounted up for the Audi Club's spring VIR event that I was down at VIR attending.
Upon my return to the hotel parking lot in Danville, VA, I threw the tires in the back of the BMW, and headed off to find a place to get them mounted. Being a Sunday evening, the only place that was open was the local Wal-Mart auto center, so I headed there. The car drove fine for a while but the dang Check Engine light came back on & it started surging again, and to top that off, when I got to Wal Mart, and parked, there was steam coming from under the hood!
I thought "this is new", and popped the hood to explore. I thought that I had properly tightened all the hose clamps when doing the repairs the previouse night, so I started wiggling hoses, and found that the coolant hose from the plastic manifold attached to the block had come free, so I went into the Wal Mart and bought a screwdriver to loosen the clamp, and re-install it, but found that the nipple that the hose was attached to had broken off inside the hose!
Great. Now I'm stranded at Wal Mart, five miles from the hotel, my truck, trailer, and tools, with a broken dealer-only part! Luckily I was able to get my buddy Erich on the cell, and he sent another buddy of ours up to bring me back to my truck. Thanks Moses! So, hooked up the trailer and went to retreive my crippled car. As it was now getting dark, I decided to wait until the morning to start the tear-down, and parts hunt, so we all went to our favorite mexican restaurant and consumed tasty margarita's for the evening!
The next morning we went to the track, and while everyone else was getting ready for their track sessions, I was trying to locate a new coolant manifold. Finally I located one at a dealer in North Carolina, and jumped back in the truck for the 40 minute drive to Crown BMW. I got the part, and got back to the track where I started the tear down, of the intake manifold assembly. The weather decided to not cooperate, and I was forced to make the repair in the pouring rain! I finally got everything together, topped off the coolant, and started the car. It seemed to be good! Maybee I would be able to catch the last session of the day, and run all my sessions the next day as well! All was not lost!
So, not wanting to cause any issues on track, I decided to tack the car on a nice long test drive prior to my on-track session, and really give the car hell. If the repair was going to fail, I was determined to make it fail off-track. I drove the piss out of the car for about an hour, and decided that everything was good, so I headed back to VIR. Just as I got back to the main gate, the darn manifold let go again! AAAAARRRRGH!
Upon inspection, I found that I had pinched the o-ring on the manifold flange, and it was now split! Needless to say, I spent two days at VIR with a busted car, and didn't even get to go on track! I was sooooooooo bummed!
Oh well, there's always next month!
Well, I got down to VIR fine, the trusty F-150 towed just fine as it always does. Got the car through "tech" Sunday afternoon without a hitch. Then I dropped the trailer, got in the truck & drove into North Carolina to meet up with a Spec E30 racer who was selling his used Toyo RA1's for cheap! $75.00 for the set cheap! I was really looking forward to having them mounted up for the Audi Club's spring VIR event that I was down at VIR attending.
Upon my return to the hotel parking lot in Danville, VA, I threw the tires in the back of the BMW, and headed off to find a place to get them mounted. Being a Sunday evening, the only place that was open was the local Wal-Mart auto center, so I headed there. The car drove fine for a while but the dang Check Engine light came back on & it started surging again, and to top that off, when I got to Wal Mart, and parked, there was steam coming from under the hood!
I thought "this is new", and popped the hood to explore. I thought that I had properly tightened all the hose clamps when doing the repairs the previouse night, so I started wiggling hoses, and found that the coolant hose from the plastic manifold attached to the block had come free, so I went into the Wal Mart and bought a screwdriver to loosen the clamp, and re-install it, but found that the nipple that the hose was attached to had broken off inside the hose!
Great. Now I'm stranded at Wal Mart, five miles from the hotel, my truck, trailer, and tools, with a broken dealer-only part! Luckily I was able to get my buddy Erich on the cell, and he sent another buddy of ours up to bring me back to my truck. Thanks Moses! So, hooked up the trailer and went to retreive my crippled car. As it was now getting dark, I decided to wait until the morning to start the tear-down, and parts hunt, so we all went to our favorite mexican restaurant and consumed tasty margarita's for the evening!
The next morning we went to the track, and while everyone else was getting ready for their track sessions, I was trying to locate a new coolant manifold. Finally I located one at a dealer in North Carolina, and jumped back in the truck for the 40 minute drive to Crown BMW. I got the part, and got back to the track where I started the tear down, of the intake manifold assembly. The weather decided to not cooperate, and I was forced to make the repair in the pouring rain! I finally got everything together, topped off the coolant, and started the car. It seemed to be good! Maybee I would be able to catch the last session of the day, and run all my sessions the next day as well! All was not lost!
So, not wanting to cause any issues on track, I decided to tack the car on a nice long test drive prior to my on-track session, and really give the car hell. If the repair was going to fail, I was determined to make it fail off-track. I drove the piss out of the car for about an hour, and decided that everything was good, so I headed back to VIR. Just as I got back to the main gate, the darn manifold let go again! AAAAARRRRGH!
Upon inspection, I found that I had pinched the o-ring on the manifold flange, and it was now split! Needless to say, I spent two days at VIR with a busted car, and didn't even get to go on track! I was sooooooooo bummed!
Oh well, there's always next month!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Never hurts to have a Porsche on hand...
Like today when I realized that I was missing two very important & very "dealer only" hoses to complete the replacement of all my vacuum hoses that have been causing my engine woes! Once again, a quick call to the dealership verified parts in stock, but they were going to be closing in 24 minutes!
I gotta admit, I kinda like the little red 944 that whisked me to the dealer with minutes to spare. I'm not going to say how fast I was driving to get there on time, but suffice it to say that If I had been caught, I'd certainly be spending the night at Fairfax County's finest Inn!
So the car is fixed (until the next time), and I'm heading off to bed so I can get up early & wake my neighbors up at 7am loading the car onto the trailer, and gear into the truck for the 4 1/2 hour drive to the Sleep Inn in Danville, VA where I'll be meeting up with the rest of the crazy people from the Audi Club. I've never done a track "weekend" on a Monday / Tuesday, so this should be fun!
I gotta admit, I kinda like the little red 944 that whisked me to the dealer with minutes to spare. I'm not going to say how fast I was driving to get there on time, but suffice it to say that If I had been caught, I'd certainly be spending the night at Fairfax County's finest Inn!
So the car is fixed (until the next time), and I'm heading off to bed so I can get up early & wake my neighbors up at 7am loading the car onto the trailer, and gear into the truck for the 4 1/2 hour drive to the Sleep Inn in Danville, VA where I'll be meeting up with the rest of the crazy people from the Audi Club. I've never done a track "weekend" on a Monday / Tuesday, so this should be fun!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
In between tracks at the moment...
As is normally the case, the "NOT///MPOWER" 318is has presented me with another problem to fix before the next track weekend. The 'check engine' light comes on when lifting off the throttle, and the engine runs really rich, and hunts for a steady idle. If the engine is put under load, the light goes off & it runs normally for the most part, but modulating the throttle is difficult. The first 1/2" of accelerator pedal travel results in no acceleration, then suddenly it's on, and the car accelerates.
This makes maintenance throttle through turns quite difficult. I've got 9 days until I'm back at VIR (this time with the Audi Club), but am confident that I can track down, and fix the problem before then.
This makes maintenance throttle through turns quite difficult. I've got 9 days until I'm back at VIR (this time with the Audi Club), but am confident that I can track down, and fix the problem before then.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Quote of the day (Hillarious!)
Re: NASCAR...
"If I wanted to watch pretty colors go around in circles all day, I would flush "Skittles" down my toilet!" -unknown
"If I wanted to watch pretty colors go around in circles all day, I would flush "Skittles" down my toilet!" -unknown
Monday, March 31, 2008
Fast curves, Hot oil, & Used rubber
That was the slogan on the back of the N.A.S.A. shirt I was wearing when I arrived at VIR on Friday the 28th.
It probably should have read: Slippery curves, Cold rain, Varying track surface.
Those were the conditions at VIR last weekend. Saturday wasn't too bad, but the wet weather on Sunday definitely turned our sessions into an exercise in car control as the track was one big skid-pad.
I looked on the bright side of things, and thought that this would give me some experience driving in the rain and drizzle; something I've never done before.
When I arrived at the track on Friday evening, the first thing I did was seek out my instructor, Tom Hall, as I wanted to make sure the harness he would be wearing was adjusted properly. Upon meeting him, his brother Jeff, and their "rowdy-dog" Rigby; Tom said that he was about to start preparing some Bratwurst & beer on the grill, and I was invited to hang out & eat with them. What a welcome! (And some damn fine brats too)! As a side note, we all had a lot of fun watching kids drag race their motorized skate boards up & down the paddock!
I managed to "borrow" some floor space in one of the track-side garage suites from Steven Kwiat who was there driving his "new" Boxster in GTS2... Thanks Stee & Co. !
Saturday morning came very early, but being at the track, I was happy to be getting up early. The old faithful NASA wake up call came booming over the loud speakers at about 7:13am, I think (I hadn't yet had my cup of coffee), and as people started to come out of their tents, trailers, and motor homes the energy of the day started to build. There were happy people everywhere. Lots of camaraderie, and good spirits.
The typical classroom sessions followed the all hands meeting in the morning, and the first track sessions went well considering the cold track, and cold heads.
Some of the things that I worked on were:
Eliminating shifts:
(particularly the downshift to 2nd gear at Oak Tree)...
I learned that taking a slightly different line through turns 10-11a allowed me to stay in 3rd gear, while maintaining my over-all time through Oak Tree. Even though I didn't pick up any time, I was able to eliminate some of the stress on the car's systems, (transmission, engine, and tires).
Unwinding earlier:
Through turns 5, 6, & 6a.
This allowed me to ultimately enter the uphill esses in 5th gear, instead of 4th, and eliminating a potentially dangerous up-shift while traveling through the esses at full throttle.
Static hand position:
Eliminating "shuffle steering".
Allowed me to be ready for, and quickly correct an oversteer condition, which if you watch the videos, you'll see kept me out of the tire walls on Sunday!
My instructor Tom Hall,(or as his brother calls him "destructor") was a great driving instructor. His communication was very clear, and effective, and never demeaning, or littling. Tom races in the Spec E30 series with NASA.
Here are some video's from Saturday the 29th:
NASA HPDE2 @ VIR-FULL 03-29-08 SESSION 1 from NOT///MPOWER on Vimeo.
VIR_03-29-08_session_2 from NOT///MPOWER on Vimeo.
Sunday was a different story all together!
The video below pretty much sums it up:
It probably should have read: Slippery curves, Cold rain, Varying track surface.
Those were the conditions at VIR last weekend. Saturday wasn't too bad, but the wet weather on Sunday definitely turned our sessions into an exercise in car control as the track was one big skid-pad.
I looked on the bright side of things, and thought that this would give me some experience driving in the rain and drizzle; something I've never done before.
When I arrived at the track on Friday evening, the first thing I did was seek out my instructor, Tom Hall, as I wanted to make sure the harness he would be wearing was adjusted properly. Upon meeting him, his brother Jeff, and their "rowdy-dog" Rigby; Tom said that he was about to start preparing some Bratwurst & beer on the grill, and I was invited to hang out & eat with them. What a welcome! (And some damn fine brats too)! As a side note, we all had a lot of fun watching kids drag race their motorized skate boards up & down the paddock!
I managed to "borrow" some floor space in one of the track-side garage suites from Steven Kwiat who was there driving his "new" Boxster in GTS2... Thanks Stee & Co. !
Saturday morning came very early, but being at the track, I was happy to be getting up early. The old faithful NASA wake up call came booming over the loud speakers at about 7:13am, I think (I hadn't yet had my cup of coffee), and as people started to come out of their tents, trailers, and motor homes the energy of the day started to build. There were happy people everywhere. Lots of camaraderie, and good spirits.
The typical classroom sessions followed the all hands meeting in the morning, and the first track sessions went well considering the cold track, and cold heads.
Some of the things that I worked on were:
Eliminating shifts:
(particularly the downshift to 2nd gear at Oak Tree)...
I learned that taking a slightly different line through turns 10-11a allowed me to stay in 3rd gear, while maintaining my over-all time through Oak Tree. Even though I didn't pick up any time, I was able to eliminate some of the stress on the car's systems, (transmission, engine, and tires).
Unwinding earlier:
Through turns 5, 6, & 6a.
This allowed me to ultimately enter the uphill esses in 5th gear, instead of 4th, and eliminating a potentially dangerous up-shift while traveling through the esses at full throttle.
Static hand position:
Eliminating "shuffle steering".
Allowed me to be ready for, and quickly correct an oversteer condition, which if you watch the videos, you'll see kept me out of the tire walls on Sunday!
My instructor Tom Hall,(or as his brother calls him "destructor") was a great driving instructor. His communication was very clear, and effective, and never demeaning, or littling. Tom races in the Spec E30 series with NASA.
Here are some video's from Saturday the 29th:
NASA HPDE2 @ VIR-FULL 03-29-08 SESSION 1 from NOT///MPOWER on Vimeo.
VIR_03-29-08_session_2 from NOT///MPOWER on Vimeo.
Sunday was a different story all together!
The video below pretty much sums it up:
Thursday, March 27, 2008
VIR... or bust!
Woooooooooo Hoooooooooo!
Got All of my pre-track weekend items done!
The harnesses & mounts meet NASA CCR section 15.5,
The oil & filter change is done, The car has been washed & vacuumed out, and the aforementioned drive shaft support bushing replaced!
Now it's time for a good night's sleep, and off to the Ford dealer in the morning for an oil change on the tow vehicle... then it's hook up the trailer, load the car, and road trip time!
Got All of my pre-track weekend items done!
The harnesses & mounts meet NASA CCR section 15.5,
The oil & filter change is done, The car has been washed & vacuumed out, and the aforementioned drive shaft support bushing replaced!
Now it's time for a good night's sleep, and off to the Ford dealer in the morning for an oil change on the tow vehicle... then it's hook up the trailer, load the car, and road trip time!
Preparing for VIR (March 2008)
Crunch Time; continued!
I've installed the proper eye-bolts for the outboard lap straps, and sub-belts without too much trouble. When it came time to do the inboard lap straps, however, I ran into a little problem... I wanted to attach the eye-bolts to the transmission tunnel, since it is stronger than the floor boards. After getting under the car to remove the exhaust, and heatshield for access, I found that the driveshaft center support bearing was falling apart!
Oh joy! Another project! (Isn't it funny how one project seems to lead to another?)
This wasn't too much of a problem for me as I work at a Land Rover dealership, and have access to a lift & air tools. The problem was that it was 6:30pm, and the dealer locks up at 8pm. Talk about a time crunch! A quick call to the BMW dealer verified they had the part in stock, and I was in a borrowed loaner car & on my way to the BMW dealer with no time to spare!
I got back with the part, and replaced the support bearing assembly without any trouble, got it put back in the car & got everything buttoned up just in time!
Wheew! Now to get those inboard lap belt mounts done!
I've installed the proper eye-bolts for the outboard lap straps, and sub-belts without too much trouble. When it came time to do the inboard lap straps, however, I ran into a little problem... I wanted to attach the eye-bolts to the transmission tunnel, since it is stronger than the floor boards. After getting under the car to remove the exhaust, and heatshield for access, I found that the driveshaft center support bearing was falling apart!
Oh joy! Another project! (Isn't it funny how one project seems to lead to another?)
This wasn't too much of a problem for me as I work at a Land Rover dealership, and have access to a lift & air tools. The problem was that it was 6:30pm, and the dealer locks up at 8pm. Talk about a time crunch! A quick call to the BMW dealer verified they had the part in stock, and I was in a borrowed loaner car & on my way to the BMW dealer with no time to spare!
I got back with the part, and replaced the support bearing assembly without any trouble, got it put back in the car & got everything buttoned up just in time!
Wheew! Now to get those inboard lap belt mounts done!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Crunch Time!
Just when I had the car ready for the up-coming event at VIR (March 28-30), I noticed a rule change in the NASA CCR stipulating that any restraints other than factory stock must meet racing rules.
Since I have 6 point harnesses, and fixed back seats installed, I had to abide by the racing rule-set. I carefully reviewed my harness mounting, and while the shoulder straps were definately in compliance, I wasn't sure about the lap belts & sub belts. I had them mounted to the seat mount, instead of the body of the vehicle. After a few inquiries, I found out that this was not a proper set-up!
I ordered some harness mounting eye-bolt sets, and will be working to correct the mounting of my harnesses tonight!
T-minus 4 days & counting!
Since I have 6 point harnesses, and fixed back seats installed, I had to abide by the racing rule-set. I carefully reviewed my harness mounting, and while the shoulder straps were definately in compliance, I wasn't sure about the lap belts & sub belts. I had them mounted to the seat mount, instead of the body of the vehicle. After a few inquiries, I found out that this was not a proper set-up!
I ordered some harness mounting eye-bolt sets, and will be working to correct the mounting of my harnesses tonight!
T-minus 4 days & counting!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
GOT BIT BY THE TRACK BUG
So, thought I would share my track car build / on going experience with NASA Mid-Atlantic with whoever is interested.
This all started with a trip to VIR with a friend of mine for an Audi Driver's ED weekend. (Yes Eric, this is all YOUR fault!) I wasn't registered to drive, but was there helping "tech" the cars that were signed up to drive on-track.
During the first day, I pretty much just watched everyone on track and thought to myself, man, that looks like a lot of fun! It wasn't until the second day of the event that I had an opportunity to ride along in a Porsche 944 driven by Reggie Forrster. What a ride it was! I couldn't wait to get out on the track myself!
This all started with a trip to VIR with a friend of mine for an Audi Driver's ED weekend. (Yes Eric, this is all YOUR fault!) I wasn't registered to drive, but was there helping "tech" the cars that were signed up to drive on-track.
During the first day, I pretty much just watched everyone on track and thought to myself, man, that looks like a lot of fun! It wasn't until the second day of the event that I had an opportunity to ride along in a Porsche 944 driven by Reggie Forrster. What a ride it was! I couldn't wait to get out on the track myself!
It took me about 5 months, but I finally found a car that was cheap enough to "ball up & throw away" if needed, and that car became my track car. It is a 1991 BMW 318is. What you would call a "momentum car". Those who I spoke to told me to make it safe, make it handle, and make it stop, and make it fast... in that order.
Now, I've heard time and again, that keeping track of your track expenditures is a BIG mistake, but I'm stubborn, so I did it anyways! What will follow is a complete listing of track, and track car related expenses to date, as well as the build process, and (hopefully) my eventual "graduation" from HPDE, and entry into Spec E30 racing.
So I bought my 318is for $1800.00 from a co-worker of mine. That co-worker is an automotive repair technician. Never buy a car from a technician. They have a habit of letting "little things" go un-repaired indefinitely! A good look at the car revealed a leaking steering rack, shot front control arms, worn outer tie rods, and severely cracked front control arm bushings, all of which I replaced with new components found on ebay.
1991 318is $1800.00
Steering rack $199.00
Front Control Arms $122.00
Outer Tie Rod Ends $48.00
C/A Bushings / Brackets $124.90
Sub Total: $2293.90
-----------------------------------
While under the front end I decided to upgrade the stock struts / shocks/ springs to H&R Sport springs, and Bilstein Sport shocks, and heavy duty rear shock mounts. Next I replaced the shot front sway bar end-links.
While under the front end I decided to upgrade the stock struts / shocks/ springs to H&R Sport springs, and Bilstein Sport shocks, and heavy duty rear shock mounts. Next I replaced the shot front sway bar end-links.
Shocks/ Springs/ Mounts $702.62
Front Sway Bar End Links $59.90
Sub Total: $3056.42
------------------------------------
Since the suspension & steering were now up to par, it was only appropriate to connect it to the pavement with new tires & wheels... so I ordered up some Falken Azenis RT-615's in a 205/50R15 and put 'em on 15x7 Konig "Rewind" rims. (I bought 5 tires, one to keep as a spare just in case).
Since the suspension & steering were now up to par, it was only appropriate to connect it to the pavement with new tires & wheels... so I ordered up some Falken Azenis RT-615's in a 205/50R15 and put 'em on 15x7 Konig "Rewind" rims. (I bought 5 tires, one to keep as a spare just in case).
Tires & Rims $910.00
Sub Total: $3966.42
---------------------------------
So I spent all of my free time from May 23rd to June 15th 2007 working on the car & replacing all this stuff, in preparation for my first HPDE (High Performance Driving Event) with NASA (National Auto Sport Association) at the Hyperfest '07 event held at Summit Point Raceway in West VA. The entry fee for the event was $322.00
I got all of it done including a fresh Mobil 1 oil & filter change, trans & rear diff fluids changed to RedLine, and a brake fluid flush with Valvoline synthetic ...Later you'll find out why Valvoline synthetic is not a good choice for track duty!
Entry Fee for Hyperfest '07 HPDE1 $322.00
Fluid changes (with some labor) $136.34
Sub Total: $4424.76
---------------------------------------------
Entry Fee for Hyperfest '07 HPDE1 $322.00
Fluid changes (with some labor) $136.34
Sub Total: $4424.76
---------------------------------------------
I got up early this morning to get on the road for the 1 1/2 hour trip to Summit Point. I didn't really know what to expect when I got there, but I did know that I was going to have a lot of fun.
When I arrived, I quickly found a spot in the paddock as a voice boomed over the loud speaker in 'Good Morning Vietnam' fashion saying "Biiiiiing Boooong.... Good Morning.... NASA Time is 7:15!!! There will be an all hands meeting in 15 minutes over by the tech shed!!!"
I thought to my self, It's too damned early... I need some coffee! I got over it. This is something I had been wanting to do for a long time, and I was finally here. The all hands meeting seemed like it took forever because all I wanted to do was get out on the track and drive!Before I could get out on the track, there was the classroom session, which was also mandatory. As class finished up we were given our driver's wristbands & passes to get on track, and the anticipation really started to build. I got back to my car, unloaded it, and started on my pre-grid checks. I took a baseline reading on the tire pressures, torqued the lug nuts, checked all the fluids, and cleaned the windows.
The first session went well. No problems with the car, and I was feeling good about my first on-track experience. I stayed calm, and didn't have a death-grip on the wheel. I was ready for the second session before I even got back into the paddock area!
Session two came shortly after my secon classroom session, and went pretty well, until about half way through the session when I started feeling the brake pedal get soft. I was able to pump the pedal and restore pressure, but none the less comunicated this to my instructor, who advised me to take it a bit easier in the braking zones due to the stock brakes not being able to handle track use. I dialed it back a bit, but approaching turn 5 on the cool down lap, the pedal went to the floor!
Loosing your brakes at all is a scary experience, but luckily on a race track you have lots of run-off area, no stop lights, nor other traffic or pedestrians to worry about. I pumped the brakes until I got some pressure back, and we made our way around the track to pit-in.
An inspection of the brakes showed no physical problems like seized calipers, or such, and the only thing I could question was the fluid. Remember that $5.95 Valvoline Synthetic brake fluid I used to flush the brakes with earlier? It's crap. Don't use it in a car that is going to be driven on the track!
I finished the weekend, by babying the brakes, and got pretty good marks from my instructor. Definately a few areas to improve upon, but hey... it was my first track weekend.
My HPDE "pasport" for Group 1, first weekend. (click to expand).
That weekend on the track showed me how not-ready the car really was for track use!
Between that last event, and my next one on August 25-26, I had a lot to do! First of which was iron out the brakes!
I decided to give them an upgrade to ATE Super Blue fluid, Ireland Engineering stainless steel brake lines, New (reman) rear calipers, Powerslot front & rear rotors, Hawk HP pads for the rear, and Ferodo racing pads on the front. I also replaced the factory lug bolts with a stud kit from Ireland Engineering.
I then replaced a questionable power steering line, upgraded to a 3-spoke alcantara wrapped M-Technik wheel, replaced the very worn shift knob, and installed a set of aluminum pedal covers (ooooh aaaah). I also replaced a worn timing chain tensioner, drive belts, fuel filter, and thermostat. A fresh Mobil 1 oil & filter change topped it off.
Total for all of the above: $2060.85
Sub Total: $6485.61
------------------------------------------------------
With the car's systems having received some much needed attention, I was ready to hit the track again! I registered for the August NASA HPDE event at summit point. I was late for the all hands meeting, but only by about 10 minutes. No one seemed to notice thankfully!
Having requested the same instructor (Steven Kwiat) as before, I was looking forward to continuing my learning. That weekend went pretty well. I learned alot, including how not to take turn 3! Seems mid-corner with a honda right on my butt, I ran out of talent, and lifted!
Wrong answer!
The car started to rotate (obviously), and I ended up going off to the outside of the track! I was a bit embarassed to say the least! Well, now at least the instructor could mark "knows run off areas" as a "1" in my passport now!
The rest of the weekend went very well. The brakes were up to the task, and the car felt really good. My smoothness improved, as did my apex execution, throttle at exit, and line consistency. I was generating consistent cornering forces, and was having to use my knees to brace myself against the door panel & trans tunnel! I needed some better seats & a harness! All in all, a great weekend! My instructor passed me into group 2 for the next event.
My HPDE Passport for Aug '07(click to expand)
Event registration for August HPDE: $322.00
Sub Total: $6807.61
----------------------------------------------------
As with any car, arduous use takes it's toll (not to mention 218,000 street driven miles), and I had a new list of components to tackle. It was time to give a little love to the rear sub-frame, axles, rear wheel bearings, parking brake shoes & hardware, and a failed blower motor (it was going to be getting cold soon), and replace the stock ignition wires with something a little better.
I upgraded the rear subframe bushings with polyeurethane units from Ireland Engineering, and while the subframe was out, replaced the two brake lines above the differential that I had been lazy about & not replaced before. I also replaced the rear wheel bearings, and axles (the boots were torn). The ignition wires got the boot in favor of Magnecore 8mm wires.
With the suspension all handled (pardon the pun), it was time to move on to the interior to take care of keeping me from sliding around inside the car...
...enter, Corbeau fixed back seats, G-force 6-pt harnesses, double locking sliders, and Autopower 4-pt bolt-in roll bar! (Thanks Linda at ApexPerformance for the great deal!)
By the way... if you're shopping for performance goodies / necessities for your car check out http://www.apexperformance.net/ . Linda's customer service is first class!
I got the roll bar from a fellow NASA-MA member.
Total for all the above: $3497.66
(this includes $210.00 in labor for the subframe - he he)
Sub Total: $10,305.27
---------------------------------------------------------------
After the August event, came September at Summit (Jefferson Circuit) with the Audi Club - PCC, and October found me back at Summit Point (Main) with NASA again.
The October event was a really fun one, as I had Anita Sangi as my instructor. Anita was quite the character! A quite petite woman, in a white racing suit, white helmet & white rimmed sunglasses, with a propensity for making humorous quips as she's about to pass someone on track.
A great example would be "mmmmm... air cooled....... tasty morsel!" as she blazes past a 911 in her GT3.
Anita helped me eliminate a couple of downshifts, and brought my entry speed onto the straits up by about 15% or so. She was alot of fun.
I've learned a lot between the time I started all of this & present date (03/21/08). God knows, if I had to do this all over again... who am I kidding, I probably would do it all over again... but cheaper!
much more to come... stay tuned.
Future installments: (already completed weekends)
November 2007 - ACNA-PCC @ VIR Full (Yellow Group)
February 2008 - NASA-MA @ VIR Full (HPDE2)
March 2008 - NASA-MA @ VIR Full (HPDE2)
April 2008 - ACNA-PCC @ VIR Full (Yellow Group) - DNR (mechanical issues)
Coming Events
June 2008 - NASA-MA @ Summit Point Main (HYPERFEST)
July 2008 - NASA-MA @ VIR Full
August 2008 - NASA-MA @ Summit Point Main
September 2008 - ACNA-PCC @ Summit Point
October 2008 - TrackDaze @ Summit Point
October 2008 - NASA-MA @ Summit Point Main
November 2008 - ACNA-PCC @ VIR Full
(this all started in May of 2007... I'm back-tracking to start from then)
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