I jetted off to SEMA last Monday, so I didn't get to post on this. We had a whole mess of cars show up at the Nov. 1-2 NASA track event out at Summit Point, WV. Sadly, the vast majority were Subarus! There were probably six or seven Evos, though, and they all blasted around the track like they were stolen.

My car felt great and I really enjoyed it, right up to the point where I blew off a coupler on my (aftermarket) intercooler pipe hose. I patched it together in the parking lot and ran another couple of sessions before it happened again and I called it a day.

I definitely had a terrific time, though. Met lots of cool people, flogged the car hard (I warped the rotors and melted a valve stem cap!). A guy in a firebird, to me, after I sped by him in the previous session: "What the hell is IN that car???"

I also got to ride in the Bridgestone Praxis WRX. Praxis is an adjustable air suspension. It handled very well! Nice and low and stiff in track setting. A bit pricey, but hey, for some people I think it will be a nice solution.

The STi's were out in force. I'd guess a third or more of the WRXs were STi cars. And, although it kills me to admit it, I waved by a particularly well-driven (that must be it, right?) STi that caught up to me in one session.

Some pictures below...

--Dan
Mach V
MachEVO.com

 

 

The black car belongs to Mach V staffer Derek.





--Dan
Mach V
MachEVO.com

 

Thanks to Jim Rathbun of Euroimage for permission to use those on-track photos.

--Dan
Mach V
MachEVO.com

 

I spy KK's BBY Evo!

In general, how did you think the Evo's held up against the Sti's on the track? Did you feel that you had the edge over them in the corners? How noticeable was the Sti's additional 30hp on the straight?

I soo wish I could have made it over to Summit Point that weekend. It was a wonderful sunny and warm weekend to play cars. But I was stuck in an exam room trying to pass a professional certification test....ach!

SC~

 

The cars are so closely matched, I'd say the driver skill is a bigger factor than anything else. For my personal car (282 at the wheels), there wasn't a power deficit. But I didn't pass any STi's, either. In my group (HPDE 3), there actually weren't many Evos or STi's...the crowd seemed to be a lot of race-prepped stuff, from 240SX to E30 BMW to a horde of Porsches in various states of tune. It's always humbling to get passed by a fifteen-year-old car...

I'm still getting comfortable with really pushing the Evo. I'm sure I'm not the only one a little bit leery of hanging it all out in a six-month-old $30,000 car. It seems to love it, though! The harder I drove it, the more comfortable I felt with how it performed. The limits are very, very high.

Needs more brakes, though. The stock pads did fine and only faded a couple of times, but the brakes got awfully hot, and my rotors now feel like they're shaped like Pringles. I think I'll be installing the Mitsu accessory brake guides for next time. And more heat-resistant pads.

--Dan
Mach V
MachEVO.com

 

Thats what I wanted to hear. I figured that our cornering advantage counterbalances their straight line advantage stock vs stock.

When I drove my Evo on course up in PA (Beaverrun), I noticed that the car really does want to be hung out on the corners a bit more than my previous car (ITR). But the instructors who were primarially fwd got really nervous at the first sign of rear end rotation! huhu

I had no probs with the brakes fading or the rotors warping. But the braking system did get hot enough that the center cap on one wheel popped off due to the heat and pressure...woh!

SC~

 

That's pretty common with centercaps at the track. Some people take all their caps off before running just to prevent that. I lost one myself!

We have replacement OE caps in stock.

--Dan
Mach V
MachEVO.com

 

huhu. Mine actually popped off after I left the track. It shot across the paddock and hit someone standing about 10 feet away! After he realized what hit him in the back, he gave me back my part! huhu

I'll likely just drill a very small pressure relief hole in the caps before my next track outing.

SC~