Paulie:
For a track like Buttonwillow, the real need is for suspension and braking. The NA power of the Z or G is quite adequate. IF you want a few more ponies you can diddle with the popcharger and plenum spacer on the intake, and the catbacks on the exhaust, but that is probably all you would want to do.
With those mods you can muscle up on the Lotus cars in the straights and the fast sweepers. Their advantage in power to weight ratio will make them tough in the corner exits, though. But you can do it. I have a video clip passing a couple of them at Buttonwillow in the time attack practice sessions, with some power steering fluid goo on the windscreen from a leak in the steering rack (fixed under warranty...love Infiniti service!). Don't want to hijack the thread, but John is right, they run out of breath at pretty low speeds, whereas the VQ35DE just keeps pulling hard. heck the vid and you will see an orange and a blue lotus give the point by, one in the Riverside sweeper and the other after Lost Hill. Do the good suspension mods, have a good BBK, and polish your skills and you can have a fun wrangle with the lotus on the BW configurations.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY_kWIJPmaI

If you go to a high power track like Laguna Seca, or Cal Speedway with the Roval............smile and forget about it. The Z-G cars will walk all over the Lotus. Just like the Vette and Viper will walk all over the Z-G's...all this of course assuming equality of driver skill. And the big track at Willow Springs International? As much displacement that you can control at that course is what you want as the course probably has the highest average lap speeds of any track out here. Maybe Road America with its four big straights is faster in average speed, but WSIR is right up there with the fastest of road courses.

 

Loti are quick, but the fact they run out of steam doesn't make them much faster than a well-driven Spec Miata.

I'd like to prove that false since mine has some goodies under the hood, but I only drove it for a month a long time ago before somebody victimized it. It is almost near resurrection and will be employed as a track weapon soon enough to terrorize you all....

 

Hahaha, I know. I ran a 2.14 on horrible tires and bent rims in my modified class on saturday (which was the fastest Mod. RWD car by 2-3 seconds). We were able to borrow a set of nicer R-compounds for sunday to go after the overall modified class win (that stood at a 2.11 at the time by an EVO) We also saw that the unlimited RWD class win was very achievable (especially with the better tires) so we signed up for that class too, with only one run session left on Sunday. So on sunday with the better wheels and tires I picked up 5 seconds to a 2.09 in the modified class. When I went out to run the unlimited class, I cut it short assuming I had a good enough lap to win that class (I only needed to beat a 2.13.7), but I was unaware that you had to finish the whole session to be scored for it (from the Koni challenge scorers) So, after discussion, the officials allowed my Saturday time to count tword the unlimited class which was a sory 2.14 But was good enough for second for the class.
The sessions were both ran on the same R-compound (modified tires) and were within 15 minutes of eachothers run groups. Long story short the only thing faster was the craxy fast AWD AMS EVO and a couple other EVO's/STI's......but they were all on Hoosier slicks which are about 3-4 seconds faster than a nice R-Compound Yould have loved to have some Hoosiers for this event. But I guess we didn't need them.


The AMS EVO is very well funded and very well equipped purpose built Time attack car. It is very fast. The Z I was in at this event had only this track day on it and was full interier equipped and a daily driver..... aples to oranges This was my first time ever seeing this car, and my first time at this track in a street car.

 

Sounds like you should have let me drive there.... that's OK... it's water under the bridge now...

 

Obviously some very good driving there Scott. What were the suspension mods, if any, to help the handling? Sways, stut towers, front UCA, rear camber link, coilovers, lsd, clutch-flywheel, BBK? Always fascinated to hear how a daily driver with all the interior goodies is set up and does well, as that is something that many people strive to achieve. Is the DD aspect manageable comfortably....does it have the ability to achieve that track performance and still pass the "girlfriend test"?

 

So you were allowed to run in the Modified and the Unlimited RWD Class? What are the limits of the mods allowed in Modified compared to street/unlimited? I didnt' realize there was a street/modified class or I would have moved over there. Full course is such a good time. Especially the left hand sweeper off the back stretch into oak tree. Well that and of course the rollercoasters into hogpen...such a fast section of the track. Congrats on the win....car looked great.

 

great write up, GREAT pics

man, this really makes me miss racing I am about to cry at my desk. got to save up money.

I wonder if stepping up to cars from karts will be more fun maybe, maybe not

Paulie, car looks fantastic, love the bumper! very nice to see a humble driver being honest about thier experience. love the blog format of the post, great read.

good luck at the next event!

 

That left hand sweeper at the top of the high-speed esses is called South Bend - probably one of my favorite turns ever. Get it right and you'll be screaming with joy, get it wrong, and it could be disasterous. You haven't experienced South Bend fully until you overcook it, put two off on the outside, and get sent into a spin at 100mph and end up in the inside wall... Thankfully for me my bumper received only a small kiss on the cheek from that tire wall... pesky E36 IP M3s...

 

yeah its a bit uneasy to come through there quickly. makes my stomach uneasy just thinking about it. About 100mph is all I ever made it through there at. Its not hard at all to drop two off either. Lift and your done, turn in to soon and your done....I have seen countless number of cars spinning out into the grass over there. Super fast, super fun, super scary....its one that I have yet to let ***** over brains take over. Specifically b/c that tire wall you speak of, I try to stay away from.

 

Hey Paulie!
See you at LS on the 9th!

 

We actually run OUR Time Attack car (www.doubledown350z) in all three classes this year...... Street RWD, Mod RWD, and Unlim. RWD, With tires being the main difference. At this VIR event it would have been imposible to run the Mod or Unl class in conjunction with the street class because they were going on at the same time at two different tracks (full course, and Patriot course).

Here is a link to the current Redline Time Attack rules (they are going to change some things next year)..............
http://redlinetimeattack.com/index-2.html

Let me know if you need anymore help

 

Thank you.

Ed, I have never seen a better example of a daily driven/ track car combination than how your car was when me and Mark first finished it.
This car (Louie's/ Eagletangreen's) is a real nice ballance as well, and almost like your car minus the strut tower brace (yes, thats right this "Z" did not even have THAT vital piece of hardware) and the roll cage in your car is a nice bit of help.

This particular Z had Megan Racing front upper adjustable controll arms, Tein Flex with EDFC coilovers, aftermarket adjustable sway bars (forgot what brand), Stop Tech BBK, and a carbonetics LSD. That is it as far as the suspension/ chassis was concerned. This was the first time that I HAD to track a Z minus the front strut tower brace, and let me tell you....there IS a reason why these cars come with one from the factory .

 

John & Billhyco,
VIR (full course) is now probably one of my favorite tracks in a street car, I did not run too many laps there in the Z this past weekend. I was just starting to get the hang of the track and wasn't 100% comfortable there just yet in this car. Can't wait to get back there again someday.

 

I always look forwards to your post-race threads Paulie. They make me want to get out on the track and really enjoy my car! Thanks again!

 

Scott:
I have followed and admired Eagletangreen's car with some admiration for quite a while now. I did not connect the dots and understand it was his vehicle you were driving. Way to go!

 

Thanks again, Ed

 

Hi Ed. I actually have some NA bolt ons in already. I used to drag race this car a lot so I have headers MD spacer, intake, HKS exhaust and no cats with a UTEC tune. I just hope I can get to the same time or as a Lotus with a great driver (or faster if possible) with my car on all tracks such as Buttonwillow (2:03), Calispeedway (1:14), WSIR (1:36?), Laguna Seca (1:45), and Streets of willow (1:28).

That’s what I did. I got a wheel off coming out of the sweeper and had to recover.. slowed me down. The second time when I got it right it felt great! But I was still probably 60% driving.. but still. It gives you a great sense of accomplishment. Weird. Well maybe its just me. Buttonwillow is a helluva track 

Thanks for the compliments man. Tracking a car is so addicting. I hated the summer because my car was getting really hot at the track so it made me give the car a break for a month and a half. Save up and have fun at the track. The only way to drive your car HARD.

your welcome 240zs are nice. I am thinking of fixing one up for daily driving.

Cool deal. I will keep playing GT4 so Ill be ready for Laguna Seca just kidding Im towing the Z and might stay there for 2 days and watch time attack.

 

hope to run into you at the track some day, i'll be at the nov 4th button willow for my first time out at that track

 

"I just hope I can get to the same time or as a Lotus with a great driver (or faster if possible) with my car on all tracks such as Buttonwillow (2:03), Calispeedway (1:14), WSIR (1:36?), Laguna Seca (1:45), and Streets of willow (1:28). "

Paulie, I think that Scott could confirm for you that those are pretty fast times for ANY car at those tracks, and faster than the overwhelming majority of drivers in advanced groups can run. To get to those types of lap times you are beyond car capability issues and much more into driver skill issues. What I mean to say, and apologize if not clear, is that you can be in a 996 Turbo, a supercharged Corvette Z06 or a tuned Subaru WRX STi and most drivers are not going to be able to pull anything close to those splits. On other hand, you take a "driver", use Scotty as an example....and he can hit those times in all of those cars, and jumping from one to the other in succession. I have done 1:47 at Laguna Seca, and 2:03 at Buttonwillow my last times out there, and for me that was really the best I could do that day. Some day I hope to break 2:00 in my car there at Buttonwillow on CW#13.......but as of this moment I just am not good enough to do that in my car. But Billy Johnson in my car did 1:23 at Streets of Willow and 1:12 at the infield of Cal Speedway. He said it was as fast as the Factor X Acura NSX, so I suspect he could pull a low 1:50's at Buttonwillow in it. SO, if ever there was a big piece of "reality check" humble pie to be served on a platter for me.....bon apetite....all you can eat time!!!!!!

The difference of the tracks will make a big difference in your ability to match up to the Lotus cars. On Laguna Seca and WSIR big track you will have a serious advantage because of the power difference. The little lotus turns like a roach and accelerates from low and mid speed range magnificently because of its light weight, but over 90 it starts to run out of giddyup. You just cannot push through the heavy wind resistance over 90mph without high speed torque. The Z is by comparison very heavy, but you can carry momentum and higher speeds on those tracks. You are spending a lot of time between 65 and 120 mph, not accelerating between 45 and 80mph. WSIR only has 9 turns, and Laguna 10 (The "Rahal Straight" turn 7 is not a real turn for our cars). On SOW and Buttonwillow we have a different story. Twisty and involved, SOW only gives you a couple of spots to unleash, and while Buttonwillow has some sections where you can get it rolling and eat up the Lotus, there are segments that the Lotus just owns the Z forever. Of course, that just makes it all the more fun! If you can, take a pilgimage to Reno Fernley and really see an amazing set up with fast sections and twistys all combined over a FOUR MILE circuit with 30+ corners. You are working hard to get around that circuit.

 

Hi Ed. Those times are just my goal. I may not be able to do em (probably not ever) but if I get close to those times and be consistent, I know that I have improved.

This past weekend I did 1:17.8 @ CalSpeedway infield and I was very very happy about that . I will post my usual post track day blog later this week. I have lots of pics as well.

Thanks for the insights. You have always been very helpful and perceptive with these types of things.