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:

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!

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!

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!

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!

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

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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

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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

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June 16th, 2007

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

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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

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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

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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)