Here is a little session at BW testing the car with the aero mods and scrubbing in a new set of NT-01 tires for the first time. A bit of traffic, but always nice to pass some Lotus and M3 cars, a Spec Racer and a nice little Spec Miata while on a twisty 23 turn layout. Sorry for the splatter on the windshield. Turn up the sound for downshifts and tire squeal. Had one little off when passing a car close to the Sunset turn and got off line, but a quick off throttle, steer straight, ease it back on and then on throttle to settle worked just fine. It happens on tape fast, but in the car it seemed to be incredibly long and patient. Interesting how time slows down at speed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY_kWIJPmaI

 

Nice save at 2:16

Overall, a very enjoyable clip, thanks for sharing!!!

 

wow! I gotta run BW sometime this year.

That was a good save too. I would have drifted all the way to the straightaway and into the next turn just kidding.

reading through some of your posts, I was wondering if you have any of your incar vids where I can actually save em to my HD? or theyre only in youtube? very nice vid. MUST BE NICE to be passing some bright colored Lotus and a spec car!

so Im guessing the front diffuser and the wing works great for you?

 

Clocked you at a 2:07 on lap #2 Ed! Not bad considering lap traffic .

 

Thanks Mike. Transponder time for best lap was 2:05, which was the third lap out and clear, but was not pushing it. The tape has laps 4 through 7 I think. In any event it was just to scrub up a brand new set of Nittos. Car did 2:06-2:08 depending on traffic, very consistently without pushing it. Probably should wear my glasses next time, since the two Lotus cars and Spec Racer looked like bits of Skittles candy on the roadway (orange, lemon and blueberry). Should be able to do 2:02 or better with a clear path and a few shots of tequila before suiting up.

 

Awesome....... 18 more days till go time (and counting)

 

Looking forward to seeing you there Scott. I won't place, but I can be there to cheer you guys on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Hahaha, a few shots of tequila and those Lotus cars will look like blurry skittles even with your glasses . 2:02 or better is definately fast.

 

You go Ed,

1:58 or better is flying on Modified or Unlimited tires...

I think Ed has a chance on Street Tires if he wants to push the car on the Yokos like he does on the Nittos.

Nittos are his security blanket...LOL...Too many year driving on one tire can etch the brain and yah...

He was driving much more conservatively on the street tires which I will post a new vieo of soon.

M

 

With so few years left to live, I don't want to throw them against a k rail too casually. You bet I am conservative. As my test pilot father drummed into my head..."there are old pilots, and there are bold pilots........but there are no old bold pilots."
Those brand new Yokos were like ice skates the first session. But they scrubbed up and were much better the second session. At least a couple of seconds. Just need to get used to where the limits are. They really howl and scream almost too much. I am used to the DOT-R which talk a little bit, and mean it. You almost have to ignore the street tires yapp until it changes pitch to tell you that "now we really mean it!"

 

<thump thump, thump thump> Yikes! Nice save, possibly the worst place at BW to spin(except the wall at the OTHER end on Sunrise...). Did it get your attention?

 

Oh yeah it did. And I agree, Sunrise is the worst, because you shoot right across track into the pit wall. At least with Sunset you have some room to just jam two feet in and ride it to a stop on the pavement. And the worst that happens is somebody coming around T bones you at 75mph. I did scatter some dirt on the yellow spec racer that I had passed, and of course went directly to him in the paddock after the session to apologize to him. He was very gracious and classy about it, for which I am most appreciative.

When your track out at Sunset takes you off, there is about a 1.5 to 2.0 inch drop to the dirt, so you just get off throttle, steer strait, EASE it back on and wait for the grip to toss you left. As soon as she waggles you give a quick counter steer flick to the right and put some throttle in to sit the back end down, and straighten. It worked that time without a lot of that overcorrection nasty stuff that happens sometimes.

So........it sounds like you have "been there, done that?"

 

Yeah I have been off of sunset in that direction a few times. Honestly, I don't even try saving it anymore. If I overcook that corner I just drive it into the field. Just not worth trying .

My favorite off there was when they were running the Star Mazda turn so you got extra speed. I had complete brake failure in our USTCC WRX in 2005 preseason testing. Pedal is on the floor, 3 pumps haven't brought it back up. I just drove it straight off to the south. The comical(scary) part was that the camber of that turn acted like a ramp, and I did a Dukes of Hazard into the field at what I guessed to be about 105. Jumped it 30 or 40 feet. By the time I got it hauled down, I was out in the riverside turn. That'll wake you up!

 

Hey Ed, now you know how I feel being on street tires all the time!

I figure the difference between street tires and R-compound tires at BW to be about 7 seconds per lap. There just isn't much grip on street tires compared to what you are used to. And you're right, you need to scrub off the sealant that they use on new tires before they work at all.

BTW, I like your line through the track on the video! See you there in 2 weeks!

 

Close, I found the difference in R-compound tires for me to be about 5.5 seconds a lap at BW. and then slicks to be about 4.5 seconds faster than R compounds.

At Calif. Speedway, we found that on that track the street tires are about 4 seconds slower a lap than R-Comps, and then slicks are about 4 seconds a lap quicker than R-Comps. It was almost as reliable enough to set a clock too.