djh

Hey all,

Lot of firsts here: first post, first time at a track, first car with this kind of performance!

Saturday I did some lapping at Putnam Park in Indiana with NASA (HPDE 1). It seems like a great track to learn on. My car is completely stock and while I've autocrossed some before (years ago in an Escort) this was a new and completely different experience.

The first session I was a little nervous and found you can spin an AWD car if you put a rear wheel in the dirt. I got on the gas way too early coming out of a very long 180 right (turn 8), hit some dirt near the entrance to an unused chicane, and did a very easy and uneventful spin across the track and into the grass on the left. The great thing was that the car seemed completely composed, and strangely enough, I was too. The Evo inspires confidence! So back on the track to finish that session.

Session two I was much smoother, faster, and more nearly on the correct line. The car is so well balanced with just a touch of understeer in the sweepers (though that could be my driving). I think the "classical" line was the best to take, especially for a beginner.

Before session three I rode with my instructor in his 911 turbo and got a much better idea of how to drive this track. So back out for my session I knew where I was supposed to be and I could let the car do its thing. And that was to reel-in Corvettes, Mustangs, and even a 911, and that was with the HPDE 2 folks on track.

The brakes still amaze me and I was always entering T1 too slow -- I just couldn't believe I could take off speed so quickly. The brakes have so much stopping power with surprisingly low pedal effort (at least compared to my leg-press-while-you-drive Charger project car) that I wasn't as smooth as I needed to be in braking.

The power is phenomenal. I found the rev limiter (very soft!) at about 7500. Downshifts were easy, though again not smooth enough. I often downshift on the street and thought I was pretty good, but doing it under heavy breaking at speed, and having to do it very quickly, is tough.

The steering is also phenomenal. I really had to work to not turn in too early. I've never had a car with such crisp and immediate response. The steering may be a little too light for good feedback (but then the Charger's power steering is disconnected). The two most important turns (9, 10) are really done as one and holding steady steering input was easy.

I ran with 35psi cold all around and had very little rollover on the tires. There's even some tread left.

The upshot? You've got to do this! The Evo may happen to be a great drag car, but it's made for road courses! Turbo lag was not a problem -- I was rarely below 6000. I didn't notice any brake fade, but I wasn't running as hot as I could have and there was enough traffic that you couldn't always run full out even if you had a mind to. The car always felt stable and especially solid when I was on the right line. You can trust this car to behave the way it should.

I have to admit getting point-bys from Corvettes was a rush. Even as a first-timer I could carry so much speed through the corners. I had an S2000 with me when we had traffic ahead, but once we were clear he just kept getting smaller and smaller in my mirrors. Not to say I didn't give way to lots of cars myself, including a really well-driven SVT Focus, though I almost had to brake to let him get by, part throttle on the Evo was WOT for him!

Long post, but damn, I glad to be one of this group.
Dave

Hooligan317

Congrats on a great time at the track. I live in Indianapolis and sadly have never even been to Putnam park. I just picked up my Evo this Saturday and would LOVE to take it out to Putnam for an HPDE once it's broken in.

CincyEvo

See "Evo performance at the track", scroll down to 4/22, for some other owners' experiences at the track, including Putnam. Did you get any times? I know they discourage that for beginners.

Lots of owners talk about their car's performance, and enhancements they have made to performance, but until you get it to a road course, you are clueless about what it really can do. The brakes are amazing-the focus is always on acceleration but at the track deceleration is equally important, especially lap after lap. The Evo's 14" front rotors put the Z-O6's 12" rotors to shame.

mayhem

iTrader: (9)

I had a buddy in a new 3 series BMW coupe that was up there Sunday. He was one of the people that had their car damaged when a tent got loose. It damn near ripped his trunk lid off. Knocked him unconscience for a bit too.

I've had two instructors show me two different ways to take turns 9 and 10. One was like you described by making it just one big turn. The other was double apex it. I had the most luck with this method. It gave me a better turn in for 10.

If I remember correctly I was taking turn 1 at aprox 80mph and braking at about the 200 marker.

I notice a lot of people mentioning the Evos understeer. I've yet to notice it personally. But then again, it could all be driving style.

djh

No lap times. At this point I don't want to know -- line first, time second. In the American Iron race the #17 Mustang was turning 1:10 and better. I'm sure I was really close!

The only place I noticed any nervousness (in the car) was getting into T8. My upgrade plans are: a harness. I hope I can make Mid Ohio in August. I've always thought the elevation change in the esses looked tough and I know it takes some guts to take T1 as fast as you should.

Dave

CincyEvo

I think a lap belt would be better than a harness: if it rolls, you don't want to be strapped in bolt upright when the roof caves in. A 1'10" is pretty phenomenal, the fast cars are usually happy to be in the high teens. I have tried the turn 9 & 10 both ways and like doing them separately, with 2 apexes. I tend to cheat to the left a little in turn 10 by going wide and putting the driver's side wheel just into the exit lane, although I overdid it once and actually had to exit at speed when I couldn't get the car turned back to the right quick enough. I usually hit 4th just after turn 10 and 5th about 2/3'd down the front straight, then shifting to 3rd in turn one, after braking at the 200' marker. I get slightly faster times if I stay in 3rd, rather than 4th, most of the rest of the way around, with a quick shift up after the S's, back to 3rd at 5 and occasionally 2nd just into & just after turn 7 (the slowest turn on the track). I have also spun at turn 8, but I have spun at 4,6,7 & 9 too. Mid-O is a quantum step up and a ton of fun if you can get do it. It has more 4th gear spots and a longer 5th gear section so you can use the Evos power. I was there last Fall for 2 days in the middle of the remanents of a hurricane, so it rained for 2 days & the Evo was pretty much king of the track, except for a for the Focus from Hell, which ran even with me everywhere but the straight stretch. Very humbling.

992gnt

iTrader: (5)

I have only done two DE's, one at Putnam and one at Mid Ohio. Putnam is a great track to get your feet wet at. Even though I had raced there before (on two wheels) it took a lot of getting used to. As soon as I left the track I started thinking about where I could go faster the next time. Oh, and I double apex 9 & 10 and also use the pit road for my left wheels.

Mid Ohio is a totally different ballgame altogether. The elevation changes and getting into a rythym on the back half of the track is a real challenge. Once I got over the 'fear' of going through Madness (the up-down left hander) and the rest of the blind crests, I had a ball. I could slide the car anywhere I wanted to and felt in total control. It really was the most fun I've ever had driving a car. I'm not what I would call a fast driver, and I ran in the beginner class at both events (signed off on at Mid-O though!), but I have yet to need to point anyone by in 3 days of on-track driving. I'm going back to Putnam in July, and I'm registering in the intermediate class. I'm quite sure I'll be doing some point by's then. Man, just talking about the track makes me want to go back, NOW!!

Kayaalp

iTrader: (1)

No, you're probably right. The Evo does tend to understeer more than you'd expect. Wheel alignment and tire pressures should help neutralize the balance.


Don't take this the wrong way...but that statement shows that you started off with autocrossing! This is the system that autocrossers use since their tires never really heat up all that much. But this is not the best way to manage tire pressures on road circuits, where your tires get much hotter (especially high-grip, low-profile, wide rubber like our stock Advans).

On a road course, you really don't care about your cold pressures. You need to check your HOT pressures...preferably as soon as you get off the track (before the cool-down...come in a lap early). You need to keep your front tires in the neighborhood of 43-45 PSI (hot) and your rears a good 5 PSI (hot) lower than the fronts. This really helps balance out the car. If you started with 35 all around, you probably had way too much pressure in the front tires and maybe a little too much in the rear (depending on how fast you were). This would have contributed to the car's understeering.


This whole track driving thing is pretty addictive. Someone once told me: "racing is a disease, and bankruptcy is the only known cure." Sounds like you've caught the bug!

Emre