boomn29

iTrader: (47)

929 Evo - 1st in class and new class record!

2 Tracks in 2 Days! Part 1 of 2

Crazy weekend so I'll try to be brief. The plan was to run Sat 6/12 with NASA @ BlackHawk Farms then drive the 2.5 hrs to run with Redline Time Attack @ Autobahn on Sun 6/13. Short story; it was accomplished but not without some issues!

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--kCZRd9F7M
I invited my new finance' and our puppy to help me crew for the weekend. We made it to Blackhawk about 11pm Friday night. Sat morning I setup the car, got a practice session in, got a rain session in then went to mount up new Hoosiers. At about 11am I discovered a stripped front wheel stud. With my extra ARP extended studs at home... I seeked out all the other Evo's at the track along with calling parts stores in both IL and Wisconsin for parts - notta. I was able to locate 2 stock length studs in Wisconsin and thought I could make one work, so I sent my finance' on a parts run. While she was out, I sourced an old stock stud off a 2G Eclipse (thx racer145!). I dismantled everything (sweating profusely) and although the old stud didn't fit tightly at all, I figured I could make it work with some luck and pressure. I bolted everything back up about the time my parts hottie got back. At this point the dog was throwing up since it was too hot; so my attention wasn't 100%.

Missing only 1 session, I got in the car to hit the 4th session and it felt like the brakes were stuck on. So I hopped out and tore back into it finding that I had put the spacer on the wrong side of the caliper bolt (spacer for front air cooling ducts). So while apart, I switched out the old stud (which simply fell out w/o force) for a new shiny one and tightened everything down. With only 1 session left and my only official laps in a slight rain I was sitting in 3rd of 3 cars in class I think.

I lined up about 15min early for the last session of the day (anxious). My warmup lap I hammered the throttle and popped an intercooler hose clamp that I had borrowed from a friend thinking it would be a better clamp - but no dice. Knowing the session is just 15min long I feverishly limped into the pits and switched back in a hose clamp and prayed I could get just 1 clean lap in. Turns out I had time for 2! With fresh R6's I got last November and no time to heatcycle then I drove about 7/10's and took 1st place and the track record with my first hot lap! My 2nd lap was about the same but with some traffic so I backed off looking for space to get another run at a good one - but the checkered was out and the day was done.
Crazy! Afterwards I checked my tire temps and I had 44/45 in the fronts so I was waaay off.
All-in-all I suppose the end result was what I had planned. Tons of peole had brake issues as this track is torture on them - no problems for me with my setup! I did get to test a new tire/rim combination that I might use later in the year or in 2011 when I upclass so that was beneficial. Although I didn't even run as fast as I did last year here in a lower class. I didn't get to run my 100octane tune and I was about 130lbs over minimum weight. So, I left a LOT of time out on the track. But, nothing was broke, the car was running great (thanks to my AMS Performance tune and AMSOIL fluids), and I had another event on Sunday!

We then packed things up, I showered, and we started on the 2.5 hr trip towards Joliet for the Redline event on Sunday. Eta was about 8:30pm. I'll post the details of it in another thread --> (https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...-autobahn.html).

Andrew@AMS

iTrader: (11)

Congrats Nathan!!!!!

fixem2

iTrader: (30)

Awesome results, as always! Love reading these threads.

racer145

iTrader: (1)

Congrats on the win and track record.

Given the difficulties you were able to overcome I would say it was a sucessful day after all. Too bad you didn't get to stick around on Sunday to help me chase down all those Vettes.
We'll get 'em at Autobahn next month!

EVOlutionary

iTrader: (38)

Great meeting you this weekend and great driving. Congrats on the new record! It was very interesting watching your video and seeing the differences between my lines and yours, especially through 2, 3 and 4.

Do you have any changes planned for the car yet this year?

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

The vid I sent ya from last year was my first trip to the track. They were the lines that worked for me, but not sure if they are the best. I tend to take some different lines than others overall.

Well, I maxed out my car in TTB points last year and am pretty satisfied with those mods. There's no $$ in the budget for new stuff that I want (rear-diff, gearing, suspension) but there's always room and time for alignment and suspension adjustments!
I did partially test my future TTA setup this weekend with initial positive results. When I'll make the move... who knows. Depends on the competition, I don't wanna run alone!

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

Probably so!
Tell your Dad thanks again for the old 2G parts! I think I could have gotten by on the stud if I'd been careful when I tightened down the wheels if I was forced to.

We do need to put a smackdown on some Vettes. For those that don't know, we've got some really really good C5Z Vettes in our region - multiple National Champions and runner-ups in TTA/TTS that know how to drive those (cheater) cars.

EVOizmm

iTrader: (10)

what were your lap times?

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

I set the TTA record with a 1:20.9. Given all my issues through the day, I was just happy to get a descent 2 laps in! This was no way near maxed out for the class, nor was I driving more than 8/10's at best. I believe my time was the 5th fastest of TT group which had about 20 cars I believe.

I also hold the lower TTB record from last year - 1:19.3. So that should give ya a little better idea of what the car is capable of. This was with 310whp and 3280lbs & 245 Hoosier R6's.

EVOlutionary

iTrader: (38)

Do you think a 1:15 flat is out of the question for an EVO with aero, 450-500whp, sorted suspesion, and 285 width Hoosier A6's? I keep watching your vids, my vids and other vids of BHF over and over again, looking at where I can go faster, brake later, not get stuck behind another car for 12 seconds, etc . . . and man, I really think a 1:13-1:15 can be done . . . whatta ya think??

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

1:15.7 has been done. Hamflex (Ryan) did that last year in his TTS prepped Evo VIII. That was a 3170lb Evo on Michelin slicks with 350whp and a lot of track knowledge there. He thought with brand new slicks he could do a 1:15 flat. I assume he was pretty close to the edge of the modified 8.7:1 TTS ratio.

So a 450-500whp Evo - which would be TTU based (5.5:1 modified ratio or higher) on wider tires could easily crack down under 1:15 imo. Given it's not a high hp track by any means, a better handling car would do better especially from turns 3-6 imo.

So find Ryan's vid and watch his. He attacks that track and has very aggressive lines and it's pretty much what I used. I've only had maybe 6 dry sessions (in 3 days) on that track so it's pretty new to me still.

EVOizmm

iTrader: (10)

I do the HSAX events there, i ran a 1:22 in my STi last year on some old crappy race tires. That from a standing start, and only exhaust, tune, and coilovers. I predict my current evo (310whp) runs really low 1:20's at BHF from a standing start.

I would think with some new wide hoosiers, an extra 100hp, a 1:15 is easily obtainable.

racer145

iTrader: (1)

With all due respect guys, anything 1:15 and less at BHF is a difficult time to turn without LOTS of HP. Even then, eventually you reach a point where every second gained becomes a huge milestone. I think it can most definately be done in an Evo, but it takes a very well setup car with good amounts of power and a great driver.
Take a look at the times from this past weekend. I know a couple of the TTU Corvette drivers that were there that weekend. They were all very experienced drivers with very well setup cars and the best they could produce was 1:15.
Take a look at Chris Griswold's times. He has well in excess of 600 hp in his car and is a National AIX champion. His race times were in the 1:15 range.
That puts it in perspective of how fast Ryan Upham times were to run 1:15.7 . That was one fast lap!!

Hopefully the midwest will develop more Evo racers to help us compete for top podium spots with super fast laps and prove what great cars and drivers we have.