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Sab669 posted:So I had the opportunity to take my car to Watkins Glen International yesterday, first time on a track ever. 3 laps behind a pace car, took some photos but didn't stay long as it was very far from home:  Glad you had fun, though. Hopefully Ill make it out at least once this year.
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Apr 13, 2014 22:43
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eriddy posted:What do you guys think about HPS pads? They seem like a good upgrade to the current OEM pads on my 2007 GTi and I can use them on the street as well as the few track days I do each year. Am I wrong for thinking this? Any recommendations for a single set of pads that are better than OEM but also not strictly for the track? I say try the HPS out, see if you like them. They are better than OEM, they'll be fine if you are not having trouble with OEM. Just keep stepping up the aggressiveness when they wear out until you find something you like or need to go full track pad. That's what I did.
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Apr 13, 2014 22:52
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Cage posted:You were supposed to let me know when they had a track day, Buffalo goon! Woops  I only knew because I have the Glen liked on Facebook and they were posting about it.
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Apr 13, 2014 23:02
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Sab669 posted:Woops http://www.trackmasters.com/ Looks like they're the ones that run the track days, I don't know if there are any other groups though.
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Apr 13, 2014 23:48
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Phone posted:Last weekend at VIR, braking from 90 to 40 in T1, 75 to 45 in T3, and 75 to 40 in T4 was enough to warm them and the tires up on a 70F ambient day. I think the question is how aren't you getting them up to temp? We ran back to back sessions in Phone's car at VIR. He would take his cooldown 1/2 lap, get out and I'd get in and get out to track. I was able to go at it as if the tires/brakes were fully warmed after braking for the first turn after pit out.
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Apr 14, 2014 00:16
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SNiPER_Magnum posted:I say try the HPS out, see if you like them. They are better than OEM, they'll be fine if you are not having trouble with OEM. Just keep stepping up the aggressiveness when they wear out until you find something you like or need to go full track pad. That's what I did. HPS aren't good for the track, in my old S4 which was ~3800lbs I would have fade while bedding by the 4th 60-10mph braking and they would be pedal to the wall glazed on #8. I loved them on the street but they don't deal with high temps well.
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Apr 14, 2014 04:14
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I'm pretty sure my Miata would have glazed its HT-10s by the 8th 60-10. 
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Apr 14, 2014 04:25
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Cage posted:Have you seen this? I love you so much. All the groups I could find via the SCCA's website seem to only have autocross, had no idea this was a thing. Very glad to see there's a lot of Weekend dates, as I don't get time off from work. Any suggestions on a helmet? It says Snell 95 required, and Amazon seems to absolutely suck at listing product descriptions. Sab669 fucked around with this message at 04:48 on Apr 14, 2014 |
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Apr 14, 2014 04:34
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Sab669 posted:Any suggestions on a helmet? It says Snell 95 required, and Amazon seems to absolutely suck at listing product descriptions. Snell 95 is an ancient standard. Anything new is going to be SA2010 rated. Bell Sport or G-force Pro Eliminator are the most common entry-level helmets I see. I would recommend the full-face versions.
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Apr 14, 2014 06:16
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SlapActionJackson posted:I would recommend the full-face versions. Yes, once you are caged and what not, it is a good idea, but as an entry level track day and autocross helmet, do open face. In a non-caged, airbag on, just using a seatbelt case, the helmet is just really for insurance anyhow. It isn't going to make a huge difference if you crash.
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Apr 14, 2014 06:32
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I'm a fan of full face for race rubber, rocks and mammals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1u3JyJ3W6Q
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Apr 14, 2014 08:00
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nm posted:I would not on a closed car. I did that and I've regretted ever hot, stuffy, glasses fogging moment of it. Or just flip the visor up or remove it. That way you don't have to buy another helmet later.
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Apr 14, 2014 22:26
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the poi posted:I'm a fan of full face for race rubber, rocks and mammals: THIS IS WHY YOU PUT THE VISOR DOWN
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Apr 14, 2014 23:41
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nm posted:I would not on a closed car. I did that and I've regretted ever hot, stuffy, glasses fogging moment of it. You are crazy. Open face helmets are for suckers.
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Apr 15, 2014 01:16
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I like open face for rally, because as a co-driver it helps if you need to puke. Guilty as charged there  The only other advantage to open face is if someone has to do CPR on you without removing your helmet. But if you're at that point, well, you're probably hosed anyways.I spent Saturday volunteering at Shannonville Stages Rally, because I don't have enough money to run my car and it's still broken from last year. Pics: http://s84.photobucket.com/user/StimpyBoy/library/2014%20Shannonville%20Stages%20Rally
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Apr 15, 2014 02:31
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parid posted:Or just flip the visor up or remove it. That way you don't have to buy another helmet later. I do that. Still sucks, especially if you have glasses. Maybe I just have a sweaty head. nm fucked around with this message at 03:01 on Apr 15, 2014 |
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Apr 15, 2014 02:59
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Okay get a vented helmet then. Open face is not the answer. The shitiest fan I could get for mine still makes an amazing difference. Helps a ton with the glasses fogging.
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Apr 15, 2014 06:10
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Here's my two cents on closed vs open helmet. Open helmet: Easy on the glasses Better air flow in a closed car Better visibility Better ability to talk to the coach next to you Closed helmet: Closing the visor keeps out most dirt, rocks, bugs and in worst case scenarios glass and other vehicle debris. (The first time the car in front of you drives thru oil dry...) Protects your face from getting smashed in should it find something hard. Useful for more than closed cars (Karts, Sports Racers, Formula Cars) Ability to change visor shade based on conditions. (I wear glasses, and my very expensive prescription sunglasses don't bend enough to fit in a open face) Since I do lots of karting and my ambition was always to drive formula cars. I've invested in a full face job. After a little while you get used to wearing it. The airflow in a closed car with the windows down isn't bad. If my glasses start to fog I crack the visor a tad until it stops. This is actually never a problem in a open car. I actually get windburn under my helmet thru my balaclava. Aurune fucked around with this message at 07:10 on Apr 15, 2014 |
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Apr 15, 2014 07:04
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I wear a full face but have taken the visor off, mainly because of glasses. I don't have prescription sunglasses, but I do have a set of shaded safety glasses that are comfortable to wear over top of my glasses, so I do that. I haven't had a day yet where I wasn't wearing them, and I'm confident they'll keep stuff out of my eyes.
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Apr 15, 2014 14:34
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 Electric racecar in the rain? Yes. More pictures - https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.697868030251532.1073741834.680538678651134&type=1
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Apr 17, 2014 02:17
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Looks fun. I'm sad I didn't get an opportunity to hit Lime Rock before moving out of New England.
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Apr 17, 2014 14:23
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How were the laptimes compared to an average SRF in the rain? Limerock is a fun course. Kind of basic, but you can pretty much drive it flat out with smaller cars. Or you can spin the downhill when you miss the apex, like I did in my first 1G Eclipse. Octopus Magic fucked around with this message at 14:55 on Apr 17, 2014 |
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Apr 17, 2014 14:51
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So um. I'm kind of short, and my helmet just arrived from Amazon. I sit very close to the wheel and I'm afraid there won't be much headroom at all between the helmet and the ceiling, because of how far forward I sit. I'll have to adjust my actual seat height and see if I can make it work, but any ideas what I might be able to do? Also, obviously the helmet should fit snug, I went with a Medium as my head is about 22, 23 inches around but this is really tight. Like my ears "fold" over as I try to put it on and it's hard to fix them. I'd imagine it'd get very uncomfortable after a few hours... Maybe I'll be too focused on having fun to notice? Should I return it and get a Large instead? Sab669 fucked around with this message at 19:40 on Apr 17, 2014 |
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Apr 17, 2014 19:36
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Drop your seat. If you're short, you shouldn't have headroom clearance issues in most modern cars, unless you're really disproportionate. It's not a problem if you can't see the road right in front of the car, in fact it will probably help your driving by forcing you to keep your eyes down the track. Helmet should be snug, but not uncomfortable. Ears folding over as you put them on isn't necessarily indicative of too tight. On my helmet, after I put it on, I can grab the chin bar and move it side to side a few times to get my ears in a natural position. If you can't do that, it may be too tight. What's the return policy from the place you bought the helmet? Can you buy the large, try them back-to-back, and then send back the one that doesn't fit the best?
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Apr 17, 2014 19:52
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Got it from Amazon, so, unlikely. I'll play around with it more when I get off work and see what I can work out.
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Apr 17, 2014 20:14
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Look for different cheek pads for the helmet. Usually the difference between helmet size is just the pad thickness, the shell doesn't change size.
Longpig Bard fucked around with this message at 21:11 on Apr 17, 2014 |
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Apr 17, 2014 21:06
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Octopus Magic posted:How were the laptimes compared to an average SRF in the rain? Sadly, I don't know their laptimes. Probably easiest to ask on their facebook. I know they were running 1:28s at Summit Point Main recently.
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Apr 18, 2014 01:35
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Sab669 posted:So um. I'm kind of short, and my helmet just arrived from Amazon. I sit very close to the wheel and I'm afraid there won't be much headroom at all between the helmet and the ceiling, because of how far forward I sit. Wear your helmet around the house for a couple hours, and let the padding break in. It should be tight enough to take a blow and not shift around your head while strapped in, but not tight enough that you lose feeling in your face. Like SlapActionJackson said, adjust your seat, and take your added noggin size into consideration. Since you're short, you really shouldn't be having this issue, unless you have some sort of maladjusted fixed race seat or are racing in the world's smallest clown car.
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Apr 18, 2014 02:25
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If it's too tight it'll give you a headache after a bit. So throw it on, play some racing games on the computer while you look ridiculous and see how it turns out.
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Apr 20, 2014 01:15
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  Seconding the pad suggestion, and it's also worth getting a spare set of pads IMO, especially if you're going to do multiple stints in a day and you sweat - putting on a helmet with damp pads is horrible, and if you can take one set out to let them dry and swap them over you'll be a lot more comfortable.
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Apr 20, 2014 03:40
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Enough helmet chat. How about some videos of big spins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bQPfPsZjOA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrxjVYOCno4 Both of me from this weekend at TWS. 1 and 2 are the fastest sweepers on the course, and (at different times) I lose it in both. It's interesting to use the video and GPS data after the fact to see what really went wrong - my memory of the incidents doesn't get all the details right! For instance, in the spin at 1, I though a bungled downshift started the rotation, but the video clearly shows there was no downshift at all - I was merely thinking about downshifting at the time. You can see I'm turning pretty considerably to stay on the ultra low line the instructor was discussing, and I simply get on the brakes too hard for that amount of lat G I had going on at the time. Despite the offs still a great weekend for me with new personal bests of 2:01 laps.
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Apr 20, 2014 06:33
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One step closer to getting this car on track. Just need to prime/paint the cage and pull the motor for some maintenance and it's ready.  
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Apr 28, 2014 03:25
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drgitlin posted:Seconding the pad suggestion, and it's also worth getting a spare set of pads IMO, especially if you're going to do multiple stints in a day and you sweat - putting on a helmet with damp pads is horrible, and if you can take one set out to let them dry and swap them over you'll be a lot more comfortable. I have the same issue with the ears. It's easily fixed with a balaclava. This also helps alleviate sweating issues too - your helmet won't start to stink over time and the balaclava can just go straight in the wash.
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Apr 28, 2014 05:09
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Everything else the same or perfectly balanced, what would the effect of having a 5psi difference in the rear tires be? Assume an LSD and double-wishbone suspension if those specifics matter. Could that tire pressure difference cause consistent tail sliding out to one side under tire slip?
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Apr 28, 2014 05:34
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SlapActionJackson posted:Enough helmet chat. The car will definitely get floaty under braking going into T2. It's pretty awesome once you start using that to your advantage. Do you happen to remember who your instructor was? Are you planning to be at the PDS event next weekend? As of right now I should be there instructing. We'll be running CW, which I think is more fun than CCW.
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Apr 28, 2014 23:50
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kimbo305 posted:Everything else the same or perfectly balanced, what would the effect of having a 5psi difference in the rear tires be? I'd be more surprised if a 5 psi difference didn't do something like that. You're going to have one rear tire that is effectively fat more grippy but far less responsive than the other.
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Apr 30, 2014 04:02
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If lower psi makes the tire softer -- will grip genrally favor that side? Again, ignore the complicating factors of different pressure on temp over time.
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Apr 30, 2014 04:20
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blk96gt posted:The car will definitely get floaty under braking going into T2. It's pretty awesome once you start using that to your advantage. Do you happen to remember who your instructor was? The AI was Hugh Brazier - Jim Garett was talking about this line in class and Hugh was in-car pushing us to try it. That ultra low line definitely requires a light touch, but a contributing factor to the spin is that my alignment is probably off - I had a couple of hot shoes drive my car for comparative data and they said it way rear end-happy even for an old Porsche. I'm watching a cousin get married next weekend, otherwise I'd probably be at COTA with PCA. But I better start booking my weekends with TWS while it's still around.
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Apr 30, 2014 05:12
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kimbo305 posted:If lower psi makes the tire softer -- will grip genrally favor that side? Again, ignore the complicating factors of different pressure on temp over time. Hard to say without knowing the specifics of the tire and the pressures under consideration. Lower pressure = bigger contact patch, but lower pressure also = softer sidewalls, so the tire rolls over more easily. The former tends to increase lateral grip, while the latter tends to decrease it. So there's a pressure at which lateral grip is maximized and increasing or decreasing from that point reduces lateral grip. A tire 5psi over optimal inflation will have a very different feel from a tire 5psi under optimal inflation, but both will have less grip than a tire at optimal inflation.
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Apr 30, 2014 05:21
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You will definitely be able to notice a 5psi difference. Even 2-3 can make a huge difference in grip and handling depending on the car. And there is an ideal pressure for any given tire and car combination. Get yourself a notepad/setup sheet and measure your tire pressures (and temps across the tread too ideally) after each session, record lap times, and make some notes on how the car felt. Otherwise you are just guessing and trying to remember what you did last time. A couple months ago I helped out a friend with a time attack car and we found the conti slicks worked best at 30psi. To get them there for the 3rd hot lap it had to go out at 20 in the morning and 22 in the afternoon, which is borderline bad for the tire casing. Ideally you go out about 5psi below your ideal hot temp, come into the pits after a few laps, and bleed them down. jamal fucked around with this message at 05:54 on May 1, 2014 |
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Apr 30, 2014 05:31
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