929 Evo - Putnam Park - 1st in TTA & Track Record!
 

http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...5-12221128.jpg


Good results... but definitely some drama! Got the car loaded Wed night for the event. The bad news was I snagged the main exhaust clamp on my trailer when loading it which ripped it (pic above). So I contacted Buschur Racing and had a replacement clamp overnighted to my Friday night hotel. It was there and waiting when I arrived! {thumbup}

Saturday:
Headed to Putnam Park this weekend for a NASA MW/GL crossover event that has been sold out for a few weeks. After a very long week at work, I got to the track about 8am (ET) local. I knew that I had to install that new exhaust clamp that I have overnighted to the hotel Friday - and that was finished w/o drama - all good. The forecast was about 50% chance of showers throughout the day but it was holding off to this point. So, I had about 40 minutes till our 1st session, and decided to change tires and put on the Hoosiers.

Went out for the practice session, ran a 1:18.0 cautiously. I had to break in new brake seals, pads & rotors! The car pulled right a few times under braking, the wheel vibrated hard a few times, but I just kept driving through it. In the end, I had corded the LF tire. Not the first time... and Putnam is horribly hard on the RF.

With only 45min till the next session, and my 2nd set of rims still waiting to have new tread mounted up, I decided to take a chance and rotate that corded tire to the RR and try to get just 1-2 laps in the next session. Knowing the rain was on the horizon at any time and there might not be another dry session as we had a 3hr break, I took a chance. It paid off..

I fired a 1:16.7 and eeked out a new track record! Ran just 2 laps that session. The RR came through ok. But the tire I rotated to the LF.... it corded. Now I had corded 2 tires in 2 sessions; both in the LF (Driver's front). I definitely need more camber for this track! The car just isn't setup for this track; as we're concentrating on Mid Ohio for Nationals.

Anyways.... 3 hr break - and the rain held off! I mounted up the new Forgelines (see pic), went out for just 2 laps to try and not punish the new tread too much. Fired a 1:15.7 bettering my previous track record by a full second and setting the 2nd fastest time in TT out of 41 cars trailing only the highly modified Subaru of TurnInConcepts. I was done for the day (to save the tires). No matter... it rained the rest of the day.

Sunday:
Sunday we woke up to more rain. It wasn't a hard rain; more of a spray/mist that held out the entire day. Temps hung in the mid to lower 50's.

I mounted up the street tires - my 3yr old Dunlop Z1 StarSpecs - and went out for the first session in my #2 gridspot behind the 500hp TurnInConcepts (TIC) Subaru. I made no suspension changes. Putnam just blows in the wet; the pavement is like 13 years old and most of the turns are pure ice when wet. I was figuring something under the 2:00 would be good!

Like the TIC car, I was able to spin all 4 on the out lap in varioius spots testing out grip - which is very very rare for me. The session was pretty much a follow-the-leader deal for about 3 laps before some of us all got daring enough to start passing. I ran a few laps in the 1:54-55 range with a ton of skidding including a 2-turn combo through T9/10 when I was a full opposite lock for awhile (vid below from trailing car). I kept turning laps and kept saving the car in turns and was having fun until I was in the wrong spot for T8 and when I went for the brakes there was nothing. So I had my first off-course excursion of the year. I just went straight off as I could not turn or brake at that point, through some grass, through a small gravel trap, through some more grass, up a few small hills - it literally felt like offroading and I was told I had the car airborne at least once. I came back and jacked up the car and nothing looked broke. The worst of it was the gravel nicked up the far right of my lower bumper; that's it. Pretty lucky. Actually very lucky I didn't have the splitter on because I'm sure it'd be ripped to shreds and probably would have taken off most of the bumper with it.

So thanks to my 4-off my time of 1:54.0 (would have been 4th in grid) was DQ'd per the rules. Meaning I had no official time and I would be starting at the end of the pack. Next session was in 45min so no time for changes; although I think I got the camera setup turned on. I new I'd have to pick my way through traffic and search for a descent lap. On the straightaway on the 1st lap I think I passed 4-5 cars. Ended up with a 1:51 in that session and the track actually seemed a little better as that was much less sideways! Back up to 7th in grid which is much better to work with!

3 hr gap until the 3rd session. Hoping for dry, I remounted the A6's. Actually a lot of the guys were running A6's in the earlier sessions too - some on streets - some on fancy Hoosier wets! The rain slowed to a mist and there was a racegroup in front of us so I knew the track would definitely be better than before at least. I was gridded 7th overall; just behind the TTA leading Corvette. I matched my pace with his for a few laps, got around him and ran a 1:34x - about 2.5 seconds ahead of the Corvette. The conditions got worse afterwards as the rain picked back up. Only 1 car went out in the final 2 sessions (not me) and my time held for 1st again in TTA to pull off the weekend sweep.

I didn't get any vid on Saturday of the record lap. But here's vid from Sunday's session #3 which was the fastest of the day with minimal sideways-ness.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCX2HyzXJf4

Another vid:
Also from Sunday - vid from another car; a TTS STi on Hoosier Rains. He catches me around the 7:30 mark. There's some good vid of my car sliding through T9/10 at the 8:05 mark when I was pretty much at full opposite lock!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFNac6160SI


I've got to thank AMS Performance as always, Forgeline for the brand new GA3R's pictured above that fit perfect, and Buschur Racing for overnighting the part I needed! :mitsu:
http://i89.photobucket.com/albums/k2...5-14170757.jpg

Getting it done like always! What pads and rotors are you on now?

Thx man; I'm tryin!

I carried a spare set of rotors to my last 2 events as I thought the Girodisc 2-piece were nearly shot. They ended up lasting a lot longer than I thought, but it was time to change them out.

Since I had a spare set, a brand I've used before I bolted them on. Powerslot slotted and directionally veined 1-piece; which is what I used for about 3/4 of last years events. I've got them paired with Hawk DTC60 pads; which I definitely like better than the ST43's.

Details: http://boomn29.blogspot.com/2011/05/...tors-pads.html

:headbang: Damn impressive season so far Nate!

Amazing stuff Nathan..1:16 is smoking!

way to go Nate. you're tearing it up this year.
are any of the east coast tracks on your schedule?

1:15.7 - don't shortchange me Patrick!

Mid Ohio would be as far east as I have planned - that's 7.5 hrs for me. There's a possibility I'll hit VIR in July with the UTCC or a fun trip to like Road Atlanta but budget for those long extended weekend trips is tight.

:lol: I know....a 1:15.99999 is a 1:15 in my book {thumbup}

Glad to help out Nate! Im glad it showed up in time. Doing that sometimes you just never know.

Nice job as always on the track.

I wanna say thx specifically to Jarrod for taking my order. It took me a few emails and about 3 phonecalls to do it - as I was in a bit of a frenzy. Work was crazy busy last week and at first I didn't know the hotel address, then I called back w/o the zipcode, then I started to give him the wrong CC#.... :crap:

Ahhh, its no sweat. Thats what im here for! {thumbup}

You woulda been screwed if you ordered a V-band clamp. :lol:

Way to go Nate, you just keep laying the smack down!

Nice work! Keep breakin records!

Jeez...again? Really? :) Congrats Nate.

Btw, other than you, who is seriously competing in TTA this year? Basically, who are the front runners in TTA this year? And what regions are they in? I dont keep track of TT anymore, but since i race in Socal i naturally know some of the TT guys. More than anything TTS, because a few of the ST2 racers double dip and run in TTS sometimes.

Hell's yeah. I want a record every event this year!
Last year's TTA Nat'l champ is in my region. He had a conflict the first event and broke on Friday this past weekend. We traded wins last year a few times, but that was on last year's TTB buildup where I was taking between 8-12 points just for weight. I built/rearranged the car to utilize all my TTA pts this year!
I've been in 2nd or 3rd as late as the 3rd or even 4th session (we get 5) this year so it's not been all roses everyday or anything. Plus we've all had to gamble on the weather with tires and grid position and such.

I've been told (by Danny Popp) that I need to look out for the Vettes from the SE region. I think they're making the trip to Mid Ohio either in the July or Aug event. I should be at one of those, so hopefully a good measuring stick.

fwiw, I was 4.1 seconds off Danny Popp's TTS time at Mid Ohio last time I was there. Not that I expect to compete with him in a higher class, but it's a good yardstick. As for my class, there were 5 in TTA; and 2nd place was .8 behind me so it was relatively close.