This is the 1st installment of the three videos I plan on releasing of the track event at Willow Springs a couple of weeks back. I appologize for the poor audio quality ... was too tired and lazy to use the external mic that day.

Grab them HERE. (Please right-click and save to your hard-drive, it is ~55megs)

As usual the server is likely to get hammered durring the initial phase, so be patient if you're not able to download. Try again later.

Enjoy!

 

I could view video just fine. I promoted 6/4/04 at big willow as the 350z challenge. independently, your large group of G35s also showed up. we should have called it VQ35DE day at big willow. it was great fun. my approach to the track is different than yours. I am always one gear lower than you, at hgher revs.

 

Yes, I learned of the 350Z Challenge Series fairly late in the game ... not long prior to the date of the event in fact. It was great to see fellow VQ-ers out there and a nice scenery change amoung the typical sea of S2ks.

I was called upon to fill the instuctor role the nite before by Aaron. I made some supsension setting changes a week earlier that ended up taking me a least a few steps back in terms of handling. She understeered badly all day, so I saw no point in pushing her any further. I find myself taking the conservative line around the two sweepers (T2, T8/9), just to be on the safe side. I ended up just giving rides all day long. Oh, good observation w. the shift points ... my track wheel/tire setup is undersized quite a bit, so I had to shift much earlier than all of you . I was boucing off the rev-limiter!

 

Yeah you can tell about the tire sizing. Affects your speed too since I don't think you were doing 120mph through turn 8
8 is kinda scary at 110mph. Heat might have hurt your traction too if you have street tires right?
Thanks for the video.

 

Don't you just love tracking in the desert???
Nice video. Keep 'um coming. I'll do the same.

 

look pretty smooth,

i think you could be using more of the track tho.

 

Yup, you bet ... I could have. AS previsously noted, I was fighting some serious understeer, so I opted not to 'use more of the track', taking the more conservative line and leaving her some room to 'plow'. It was wayyy too hot for me to want to get under the car and make adjustments. Instead, I became the unofficial 'tour of Willow Springs' car ... giving people rides at 8.5-9.0 tenth pace (as seen in the video).


350ed,
My tires are approx. 6% undersized. On one of the few solo hot laps I tried to get in ... I did managed to get up to 120mph (indicated 127mph on speedo) and almost lost her pushing very wide (half of the tire in the gravel) due to massive understeer coming out of T9. Any further attempts at speed runs siezed after that particular incident, as it was really no use to have a *heavy* understeering car at Big Willow. I am running on relatively conservatively sized R-compounds (225/245) fitted to the base 17" Z wheels ... so 120 was possible but still very very hairy.

Adman,
You own a black Z on huge R-compounds and loud loud loud exhaust, correct? I recall seeing you out at Button Willow back in Oct. last year. Are you still tracking w. Speed Venture? Would love to see some of your footages too.

 

THX - I have several spare sets of 350Z tires/rims...

Perhaps if you like to borrow and abuse - I have two sets of RE-040s - the painted silver set of 17's have RE-040 140 Traction Rated... They must be softer than stock G35...

The 18" 1 is on the 350Z - the second set is on the MAXIMA S03
The third set is Front's new - Rears - Hosed Slicks

Cheers Amy -
I should charge by the 1/32" used - Ha !

 

John,
I sure hope you're joking ... because I'd be glad to shave those rubber down for you

I'm not sure if you caught my reference to the 'R-compound' above, aka Hoosier R3S03s, so they are definitely not standard G35 sedan 'balloon' tires. Because I went cheap on the race wheel budget and bought a set of stock base 17" wheel from a Z owner, the largest they'll accomodate is 225/245. Even then, I'm techincally unders spec'd for these Hoosiers by .5". These tires have also been heavily abused going through many heat cycles ... the rear set is currently nearing its end of life. I figure one more track day and they are done.

Cheers,