This past weekend I attended the HPDE organized by the BMW club at the VIR. This was the first time my new car setup (JIC coilovers, Toyo RA-1, Endless CC-R pads) has seen the track, which made me even more excited than usual. It was going to be 2 days of fun running the full course. I got a chance to drive both in the wet and dry conditions as it was raining hard during Sat morning followed by clear skies and 70 degrees weather on Sunday. Also, VIR is very fast, technical track with 130mph straightaways and some 100mph turns (“the esses”).

Here are a few observations/comments from my 2 day experience:

1. In the rain, the Toyos are very good. I did not shave them and so at full thread (8/32nds) the grip was there and I felt very comfortable. Granted it was also fairly warm so the compound kept warm. In cold temps it might have been a different story.
2. RA-1s are somewhat noisy in the rain. They make this humming sound, which doesn’t bother me at all, but thought I would mention it. I only noticed this on the way home, with windows closed and radio off.
3. In the dry, the tires are amazing. This is obviously a relative statement as I am switching from street tires (The Hoosier guys may think different ). What I like about the Toyos is that they are predictable and give good feedback. When the tire starts loosing traction its does it progressively and so you have enough time to react. Great learning r-compound tire!
4. They seem to be holding pretty well too. I drove to and from the track on them (500 miles round trip)
5. Tire pressures. They like a lot of air. I set the initial (cold) pressure at 36 F and 38 R. At the end of each session, the tires warmed up to about 43-44PSI, which based on my pyrometer readings seem to be their sweet spot. At higher pressures (45+) the center of the thread begins to overheat relative to the sides.
6. The car felt literally spot-on. The balance was fairly neutral. I have the JIC FLTA-2 coilovers. The car was corner balanced and aligned. I set the front camber at 3 degrees and rear at 1.5. I have some toe out in the front (0.8) and zero in the rear. After taking a few tire temperatures with the pyrometer, I realized I am actually running too much negative camber in the front and perhaps in the rear as well. The front tire inside/outside temperatures varied by almost 30 degrees!
7. Brakes. After using Endless CC-R pads on the street for few weeks and on track for 1 weekend, I am very pleased with them. The pedal feels very solid and stable. The CC-R pad is more of a track pad that street, but like I said, I have been using it on the street and its fine. It has a wide temp range (32-1500 degrees) so that obviously helps. One thing is to be aware is that these pads will scream like crazy during the first 2 weeks after installation. Much of the noise goes away afterwards, but it will squeak at some points.
8. I also changed the fluid from ATE Blue to Motul 600. For some reason, I felt that after the change the pedal softened a bit (I was expecting the opposite). I don’t think I have any air in the system, as I have the dealer do it using the pressurized method (I wanted to make sure they get the fluid out from the ABS unit)


Hope this is helpful, feel free to comment.

 

some pics...

 

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Filip - I wish I could have made it... Still waiting on my wheels and brakes. I hit a truck wheel Friday night, too, but that's another story. Where did you get those Endless pads? I need some in a very big way. Any pointers for when I finally join you and FT on a road course (regarding prep work)?

Glad to see you guys had fun!

Chris

 

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This is how a real track car should look like

 

inside..

 

Hey Chris!
I am waiting on my wheels too! Thats why I had to put the
Toyos on the stockers for now.
I got the Endless pads shipped straight from Japan to me. If you're interested I can get you the right contact (PM me).

 

Awesome pics and write-up. Once I get my Evo in 3-4 weeks, that's the type of racing I'm looking to get into. I haven't attended any driving school, save MazdaRevItUp, but I plan on prepping my Evo for the track and attending several HPDE and NASA events!

Great way to represent the Evo guys. How did your car stack up to other people in your group? Did you keep up with all the E36/E46 M3's? Also, besides your suspension, brakes and tire mods, do you have any performance mods?

Good job!

 

Do you use the RA1's for autox as well? I am considering the RA1's but I would like to hear some feedback on them for autox'ing. I wasn't sure if they would heat up enough to be very effective. I know they wouldn't be as good as Hoosiers or probably even Victoracers. I used my Advans last year in ESP and did real well..how do they compare with the Advans in stick and predictability?

 

LOL, well actually, he had fun; I cannot say the same thing for myself

I crashed into a tire barier on the first session during rain and banged up the car pretty bad (~$6000 damages). So, I packed my tool box and tail in between my legs and returned home. Thankfully, the car was still driveable and made it home alright with bunch of duct tape on its left side

I'll post some pictures later on, not for the faint of heart though, you gotta have strong stomach to look at them

 

FT - I feel you for you, buddy. I hit a truck wheel Friday night to the tune of $2K in damage. I wish I could say I was racing...

Is your insurance going to cover it?

Wojo, did you have coverage for the track as well?

 

That must be one story to listen to Chris about the wheel, I am certainly curious. At the same time, very sorry that you had this accident, I hope you get back on the road quickly in top shape.

My insurance is covering the damages, Geico. They have been very good during the last 3 months with all the accidents that we have experienced. Thankfully, this is the only one in 14 years, where I am "at fault". So, besides my deductible ($100), not much cost is incurred. However, with insurance companies, you never know; something may pop up later on. We'll wait and see.

 

Thanks man! I am glad you are thinking about taking your car to the track. That's what it has been built for! If I may suggest something though, I would not change anything on the car untill you have done at least few track days or autox events. This is the best way to learn. This car in a stock form is more than capable of doing great things at the track.

To answer your other question about keeping uip with the Beemers. Sure, it did. This car is amazing. As a matter of fact, from all the HPDEs I have done in the EVO, I have had only 2 cars pass me. And honestly, you shouldn't look at it that way. If you do you will get into a pissing match with some other car and most likely your driving will suffer.