1:25 is pretty good for that track (that was the fastest lap your video showed). Haven't driven it since it has been repaved, so my input about the line would proabably be off.
The second to last turn (I call it turn 7) does it still have a crown in the middle? Before the repave you had to enter that turn at mid track to so that you wouldn't have to deal with the off camber and actually could take the turn a lot faster, your video showed you entering at track left - did you feel any transition there?

 

Nice sunday drive, fisting some high end cars and making it look so easy!!

Nice work

 

Which BOV are you using it sounds like a sick

 

I think its the greddy RS?

 

Nice run Sharif. Lots of high speed torque on that car!

 

Hi MoonDude,

The repaved surface is terrific, but many of the previous marking points are now gone. Turn 7 felt pretty flat...still off camber, but no crown that I could detect. Seemed like most people were starting far left, and tracking right. I am little scared of that turn, so I didnt start as far left as most.

I tried some new toe setting, which I hated, and it constantly made the car push, as you can hear the tires in the vid. The car just refused to turn in.

 

Although not a great idea to try for the first time in a high speed turn (thus warranting a little diagnostic in an open lot area if you could get one, or in a slow turn on the track), you could try a little lift throttle oversteer in the turn to get the front end to bite rather than keep pushing it all around the turn like a squealing piggy. Basically take your turn in and then make a total and quick throttle lift at the point it is about to begin understeering, rotate the back just a couple of degrees as the rear gets light (your lateral inertial force in the turn combined with that lift should make additional steering input unnecessary to have the car rotate, though if it is stubborn in back you can give a very subtle flick to the steering), and then as the weight transfers to the front and it bites harder and the car takes a "set", begin to roll the power back on smoothly to WOT at just before apex. It should give you a lot faster segment time through the turn when you have to deal with the classic front engine car understeer challenge. It certainly applies well in the very front heavy Mustang and Corvette cars. If you don't do something to reset the car you will just be trapped in a constant frustration through the entire turn by being way off the throttle, always lifting to get front adhesion back.

Really fun video.

 

Sharif,

I wouldn't attribute your push entirely to your new toe settings. RRR has traditionally been a very 'loose' track, however the last time (first time after the repaving) I was there I had to fight a huge push in both my Spec Miata and my 350Z. Honestly I was just too lazy to make any suspension changes while at the track and ended up changing my lines a bit to account for the push. Also steering with the throttle as discussed by Eagle1 was very effective.

You have a real nice line and watching the video I thought you were turning much quicker laps than MoodDude cites above (but I didn't check the times). For perspective, I was turning 25's in my Spec Miata and 26's in my stock 350Z there in October. I imagine with your power and the top speed you cited for T1, you will easily be in the 20's - 21's once you get more seat time and get the push worked out.

 

The push was happening, even at pretty mild entry speeds, and the steering lacked sharpness. Cars do feel funny at Roebling, but I felt the car was just wrong. I recently dialed in a little more toe in for the rear, to help keep the back end planted, but it resulted in very very slow steering. I'll try again next time.

 

I will definately give that a try on the more moderate turns. I am not skilled enough to attempt lifting at 100mph+.

 

nice vid, i like watching you destroy those porches

 

How much negative front camber are you running, Sharif? If you're not running at least -3 to -3.5 deg with those tires, you may not have enough camber to help the car turn in. It's amazing what a little camber will do for you.

I like to run very close to zero toe in the rear, maybe 0.015-0.025". That along with about -3.5 deg. front camber lets the car work much better in corners. Too much toe in makes the car very stable (as you discovered), but it feels very sluggish to respond in corners.

 

Yes, that could be a bad first time experiment.

It actually will work VERY effectively, as at higher speeds such inputs deliver more results, and much more quickly....which can be very dangerous if you have not practiced and prepared for it at lower speeds and gradually worked your way up to it.

With about three seconds of reflection, if that much, we realize that the front end wind or aerodynamic pressures on the car are quantumly greater at 100mph than they are at 50mph.....so a lift will impart at least two significant results immediately.
One, the braking of the car through the lifting of the throttle will be a lot greater, and thus the weight transfer more pronounced, and the rear end even lighter than at slower speed.
Two, because you are in a turn, the inertial energy associated with the change in direction will be imparting more slide potential....and combined with the higher downforce in front and lighter rear, greater slide.
Three, recovery is more difficult because the grip is harder to regain at high speed, counter steer has to be quicker and more precise, and sitting the back down with throttle is tougher because you have less power to work with when you are up at 100mph relative to 50mph. And if you have a TURBO car that gets out of the boost when you do the lift throttle, and then has a lag kick when you get harder back on the gas, BE CAREFUL with this technique.

So with all of those elements....better to start with a skid pad and then slow turns, get a bit more comfortable with it, and gradually work up to the faster turns.

 

-3 in the front, and -2 in the rear. With less negative camber at road ATL, the car stuck better, because my toe settings were near perfect. I am 90% sure this was my overly aggresive rear toe-in that caused the slow steering and understeering. I have played around with toe before, and this is exactly what it felt like. I will probably try the rear tow settings you mentioned above, as those were very close to my "old" settings that I enjoyed greatly.

Thanks for the tips everyone!

 

YOU NEED A SALAD BAR!!

nice video..

did u cage it up inside?

 

Nope...not yet.

 

No heel-toe action?

 

I dont know much about roadcourse racing but every time i see a vid witht the camera inside i've noticed that everyone always has their windows down. Is that just personal choice or are you forced to roll them down for some safety reason??? P.S. great vid...looks like you dominated

 

Safety, as you surmised. If you have a wreck, the safety crew wants to be able to reach in there and yank you out fast if you are unable to get out because you are unconscious, etc. And if there is a fire, you are dealing with a temperature envelope of about 1800F or more....nine times what it takes to boil water.....and guess what you are mostly made of? Another reason is glass, better to have it inside the door than all across your face, and if it for some reason does not shatter....and the door is sprung and cannot be opened...they would have to hammer it open, showering you with glass and slowing down the rescue. The only times that you do not run with the windows down is on occasion in the rain. But you get to choose to keep it down anyway if you want. I would. IF that is not acceptable to you because you have a nice car interior....you do not run in the rain.

Even if you have a three layer nomex fire retardant suit.....it only buys you about 18 seconds before you sustain 2nd degree burns from a fire.

 

^ wow haha very informative...thanks now i can rest and not have to always wonder "why is the window down"