Greetings, track junkies! I had a minor epiphany recently and have decided that along with BASE jumping, I need track days in my life. I have thoroughly enjoyed my evo experience from the beginning of last year, and have learned so very much about this addictive cult platform that has evolved into an obsession.

I understand the timing is near perfect, as the NASA classing has changed to better suit our mods and power levels, allowing people just like me to take full advantage. Although I do need to research the stipulations further...

My questions are pertaining to the route I should travel given the goal of competing (eventually) in the TT2 group. My mods are in my signature, and there are few things I know I need to bang out before anything else. I plan dedicate around $1500 a month, give or take a few hundred.

So far, my to do list is as follows (not in order yet):

5 speed swap
ACD flash
rear diff plate mod
Tires.. many tires..
RPF-1's
tow hooks - (I dont have crash beams)
harness
better intercooler
piping- (Im going to go speed density)
9 turbo swap (maybe something bigger?)
02 housing (dump or no)
whiteline kit?
are roll bars recommended?
splitter
brake pads

and thats all I have so far.

Im thinking my current suspension setup will be good for a while, especially my first year. Maybe im wrong, though.

Please live vicariously through me!


pic of her now

 

Good luck man! NASA is tons of fun. But be prepared to spend much more than $6000 to be competitive in TT2. I don't know how your area is, but here in Texas, $6000 won't get you competitive in TT3. Haha.

You will need camber plates, sway bars, large rear wing, good front diffuser (not super heavy apr piece), RCK kit, bushings, real coil overs (see future Evolution Dynamics group buy for something really cool here. Hint hint), track data acquisition software, a real dyno graph (no virtual crap here), racing seat, 5 or 6 point harness. I also recommend the AMS oil pan if you want to get less pressure drop in long sweeper corners. You should also drop some weight. It makes it easier to reach the hp/weight limits and means less wear on tires and brakes.

This is just my opinion of what you need. We are in the process of building 3 or 4 TT2 and TT3 cars for 2012 and they will have all of these things.

 

if starting form the beginning and having to run your way up through nasa hpde's...turn the power down to about 350whp get some track pads and go drive.


and start stock piling cash now.

 

6k will get you started towards the "eventually" type goal, no doubt. Tires and brakes for sure, you got the longevity stuff in there too. Only thing I noticed that i'd advise against is the speed density. Firstly, and it doesn't matter the tuner, the patch is buggy and doesn't work nearly as well on the stock ECU. Secondly, and most importantly, a Tial type non-recirc BOV that accompanies such setups is not suitable for your average track car because of how ON/OFF it is. You need as smooth of part throttle as you can get and that means you need the MAF and recirc BOV still. Look for an APS bov in the used sections. So no real reason to switch unless you keep destroying the MAF. Also don't do a open dump, quite a few tracks have sound restrictions and the HP can be made elsewhere. The rest you'll pickup along the way in great detail .

 

May want to take off the roof rack

 

Have you been through all HPDE 1-4 stages. If not, save the $6k and put it toward seatime. Part don't make you any faster, seat time will.

 

I am starting completely fresh, so I have no seat time on the track yet. I have done track days on a bike, yet in my cars. Night and day difference im sure.

ok ok, so the HPDE route will definitely need to be gone through, googling that now...

thanks for the SD recommendation. Didnt realize the driveability was different, smooth is the name of the game for sure. I have spent probably 100 hours perfecting my current tune. Definitely need to hop on a real dyno as well.. do they have them at these events? how do they regulate with different dynos reading differently?


how long will the bilstein/spec R combo be good for?

 

The more i learn, the more i realize how important it is to start off as simple as possible. Its a cliche, but no matter how much experience you have, someday everything you learn will have an even greater impact on you over and over again. As far as your budget, how you set it partially depends on your experience. Whether youre new to HPDEs, or if youve been doing 10-20 events a year for the last few years, the best advice i can sum up is what ive said so far plus the following post, which includes advice from an experienced driver i know. If you seriously get into this, whether its HPDE, TT, or racing, save his advice and read it again in a few years.

https://www.evolutionm.net/forums/mo...l#post10422161

 

As others have said, don't get the cart in front of the horse. Go ahead and start checking HPDE's to attend next year. Your car as-is with some track-ready pads and brake fluid is fine to get you started at HPDE1.

I went through this whole process over the past 3 years. I started with a car that had only basic bolt-ons and bone stock suspension. As I ran into the car's limits, I began to address them. Understeer being the biggest bogey to target.

Some cliff notes about the car and learning:

- Video every session, and get a data aquisition system (at least once you move past DE1). You can feel like you are smokin' out there, then you go home and look at the video, and see just how much you need to improve. Being able to do this and look at data can really tell you what you are doing right and what you are not.

- Find someone that is fast in a simliar car (Evo/Sti) and be a sponge. Learn how they got fast.

- Take rides in as many instructors cars as you can and get seasoned drivers to ride with you and give you pointers. Most of the NASA guys will gladly help someone who really wants to learn and will listen.

- Seat time, Seat Time, Seat Time. As you go through the DE stages, be a track *****. Run every session, run rain sessions (VERY educational), find people close to your speed and play lead-follow. Find somone a little faster than you and follow them.

- For our cars there is no such thing as a track/street pad. Only the most novice DE drivers in mostly stock cars will not run into problems attempting this. At 370whp (in your sig), your car is fast enough and heavy enough to really punish the brakes if driven hard. I melted a set of "Street/Track" pads from a major brand supplier on here at the second DE I ever went to. NOT a good feeling.

- Never, never, never skimp on brakes. Real track pads and good fluid are lifesavers.

- With the OEM rear diff, OEM ACD setup and mostly stock suspension, the car is going to push (understeer), big time on flat sweepers. Find the 'push' point and drive within it. These cars are forgiving enough to be driven through a push and through some pretty loose situations in general. But you will absolutely murder tires doing so.

- I did small mods along the way working on understeer. But the rear diff mod and ACD reflash are the ones that really changed the car. Nothing else comes close in terms of bang for the buck in addressing understeer.

Good luck!

 

Thank you all for very rich information. I definitely do not want to make a "fast" car that I have no ability to take advantage of. Im learning that I want to take care of the longevity stuff first, and address things as I need them. So I cancelled my Ohlins order! lol jk.

any recommendations for data acquisition systems?

seems like the best route is planning the classes first and foremost. Im sure they begin sometime mid spring. Lots of time to read and research research research.

I have been very aware of the understeering issue and I will tackle the basic stuff first to limit it- RCK, bushings, ACD and rear diff mod. Brake pads and fluid will be addressed as well. Maybe even stainless lines... anything that will be the best bang for the buck.

I dont want to throw away money, I do want to devote some of my earnings to the cause though. I NEED it to give me drive in my sales job. But im understanding now I can probably save from buying a turbo or piping. Car works great as-is, I practice pushing it in parking lots, wet surfaces, etc, although I managed to wreck the car last year after finding the "limit" in rain on an onramp. Braking during a slide was learned to avoid the hard way

 

I'd echo some of what's said here, but add a few things:

- It will take you some time to work through the HPDE ranks. This is a good thing - consider it a long-term racing school. Just be prepared for that.

- Do not be in too much of a hurry to "graduate" from HPDE 1 and 2. I've never ridden with a NASA instructor that I didn't learn a lot from, and there really is no substitute for in-car instruction. Take advantage of this as much as you can, you will be a better racer in the end.

- If doing an event at a new track, sign up for HPDE 1 the first time even after you have been cleared further. You will learn a lot about the line and track specifically from a NASA instructor. Good habit to get into, even if you just do it for the first few sessions.

- Get good street tires (RS-3 or Star Specs are fantastic for this) on track rims and stick with those until at least HPDE 3. Once you learn to be fast on street tires, you will be killer on r-comps. Race compounds hide too many mistakes when you are learning and you can groove some seriously bad car control habits slapping on the slicks too early in your education.

- You need race brakes, period. Couple of options - have separate rotors and pads for the track, or you can save some time by checking out Carbotech brake pads. All of their compounds are rotor-compatible with each other, so you can run Carbotech street pads and race pads on the same rotors. Say, Bobcats for the street and XP10's for the track would get you started. It's stupid fast to change the pads on our cars, so no excuse not to do it.

- There is one book I'd recommend if you are just starting out - Ultimate Speed Secrets by Ross Bentley. It's available via Kindle as well. You will learn a TON about vehicle and corner dynamics. Do your homework!

- Don't be in a big hurry to mod the hell out of things, especially power adders. Learn to corner first, and learn consistency. Focus initial money on track consumables like brakes, and reliability mods. Then, you'll see what the car needs as you learn. It's not the same for everyone - there is never one single "magic mods" list for everyone. As it evolves, let YOUR driving style dictate your future mods.

- I'd leave off with the message of seat time - the best racing mod of all is adjusting the nut behind the wheel. On your first track weekend when you get passed by a Miata, you will understand. A great driver is fast as all hell in a slow car, and absolutely unstoppable in a fast car. So never, and I repeat NEVER, let saving for a mod cost you track time - track time is always worth more.

Hope some of that helps - see you at the track!

 

^^^^ More good stuff. I ran star-specs until I had made DE3 and run a few events in DE3 on star-specs. Moved to NT01's and then Hoosiers, but had no issues.

And I went the dedicated track rotors pads route as he said.

 

I have SD conversion and love it. the car is smoother than some of the oem MAF setup that i driven in on track. i've been in at least 3 Evos with MAF that has part throttle issues on track (non stock turbo but still have recirc bov). Everyone who has been in my car says my SD is as smooth as stock.

 

For DAS recommendations, i say start with something inexpensive. If you really get into this someday and need something more you can sell it or keep it, either way you wont be out much money. There are all sorts of products out there so look around. AIM has 2 new inexpensive products, AIM Solo and Solo DL. A bunch of Socal guys got in on a group buy about a year ago, and so far ive heard its a great package for the price.

 

Subscribing to this, as I'll be climbing through the HPDE ladder next season as well.