NASA/PDA event at Watkins Glen (October 07)
Oct 15, 2007, 06:05 PM
#1
NASA/PDA event at Watkins Glen (October 07)
Cross post from here: RacetrackDB.com
Weekend review:
I drove up Friday. I left the house around 7AM. I took I-79 -> I-68 -> 220 -> 15 -> 14 -> 17. Traffic was very light. The trees were just starting to turn colors. It made for a very nice trip up which took about 8.5hrs.
I had reservations at the Raddison for $139/night. This is all I could find the day before the trip up. I hadn't looked very hard because I spent Thursday night changing my oil and bleeding my brakes. However, a good friend of mine did me a hell of a favor. He managed to get me a "no-frills" room for $35/night. I owe you a case of beer, Steve!
I arrived, unpacked, threw in -1.5 degrees of camber, set the toe to 1/16 out, ate a Wendy's sandwich and hit the bed. I woke around 5AM and headed for the track about 5:45. It took about 20min to get to the track. The hill, right before you get to the track, has got to suck for those towing a car. It's dark and COLD when I arrive. I unpack, change wheels/tires and check in with registration.
I was in HPDE group 2 (1=beginners, 4=advanced). I asked for an instructor in my first session. Come to find out, my instructor Rick, was driving a Evo IX. Very cool. I was very anxious/nervous to get on the track. But, once I got out there, I quickly learned the line with a little help from Rick. The first session had about 3 laps under yellow to get everyone familiar with the track. No incidents... nice, calm, "get to know the track session."
2nd session... out lap... we get to the chicane(1/2 way round the track) and everyone gets black flagged to the pits. WTH? We sit in the pits for ~15min then get shuffle off back to the paddock. Some idiot in a brand new bright yellow supercharged C6 Z06 decided to "floor it" just past the pit-out. He looped it and rammed it's nose into the armco. He showed an incar video in the paddock area. The video was very un-spectacular. He didn't seem too upset. He must have plenty of $$$ to spare. I'd have been in tears. He ruined that session for us. We did get a little of it back later in the day.
By the end of the day I was starting to develop a rhythm and feeling much more comfortable on the track.
Sunday morning... signs of rain to come. By the time the first session rolled around, the track was wet and it was raining. The session was going well until a Porsche (GT3 I believe) locked up the brakes before the chicane and rammed it into the armco. There were parts all over the track. The session was called short... but we got 2/3 of it in. My stocker Yokohama Advans did great in the wet; I love theres tires in the rain!
2nd session... the track is drying out. I'm getting much faster. I'm amazed at how fast you can go through turn 2 and up the esses. This was a good session but was again called short when a BMW got onto a wet, painted part of the track at the top-back of the boot(the turn number escapes me). The guy is planning on making it into a club race car, so the little damage it took on is likely to be the first of many.
3rd and final session... While in the grid, a Z06 CE, for some reason tried to go around me. The "grid guy" didn't let him go around. Did he think he was faster than me? I went out in front of him and never saw him for the remainder of the session. This session is feeling really good. I was having a blast. I passed a few cars. Then I came upon a Mazdaspeed 3. Uh... he's fast... or I'm slow. We were accelerating just about the same down the straights and I can pull him just a bit in the corners. I don't think his line was a good as mine, but MAN... was that car fast. I had a blast running with in for the last few laps of the session. I talked to him after the session and he's upgraded the car quite a bit. He was even running meth injection. Very cool guy. I believe his name was Tom.
I met a guy named Adam that Paddocked next to me on Sunday. Hell of a nice guy. We ate lunch together and kept each other company talking Evo tech. It was his first time at "The Glen" like me. Nice to meet ya, Adam!
There was another guy there that had a Evo IX. We spoke, but I forget his name.
That black Super Unlimited Evo (hotlapmotorsports) was FAST!!! Wow!!! I believe the Silver ST2 car (XX Tuning?) was quick as well.
Personal track notes:
5 -> 4 going into turn 1
4 -> 5 mid corner of turn 4 (exit of esses) (I hate this shift)
5 -> 4 going into chicane
4 -> 3 at top-back of boot
3 -> 4 NAsCAR straight
4 -> 5 front straight
Don't brake for turn 2... try out getting on the throttle in turn 2 next time
Weekend review:
I drove up Friday. I left the house around 7AM. I took I-79 -> I-68 -> 220 -> 15 -> 14 -> 17. Traffic was very light. The trees were just starting to turn colors. It made for a very nice trip up which took about 8.5hrs.
I had reservations at the Raddison for $139/night. This is all I could find the day before the trip up. I hadn't looked very hard because I spent Thursday night changing my oil and bleeding my brakes. However, a good friend of mine did me a hell of a favor. He managed to get me a "no-frills" room for $35/night. I owe you a case of beer, Steve!
I arrived, unpacked, threw in -1.5 degrees of camber, set the toe to 1/16 out, ate a Wendy's sandwich and hit the bed. I woke around 5AM and headed for the track about 5:45. It took about 20min to get to the track. The hill, right before you get to the track, has got to suck for those towing a car. It's dark and COLD when I arrive. I unpack, change wheels/tires and check in with registration.
I was in HPDE group 2 (1=beginners, 4=advanced). I asked for an instructor in my first session. Come to find out, my instructor Rick, was driving a Evo IX. Very cool. I was very anxious/nervous to get on the track. But, once I got out there, I quickly learned the line with a little help from Rick. The first session had about 3 laps under yellow to get everyone familiar with the track. No incidents... nice, calm, "get to know the track session."
2nd session... out lap... we get to the chicane(1/2 way round the track) and everyone gets black flagged to the pits. WTH? We sit in the pits for ~15min then get shuffle off back to the paddock. Some idiot in a brand new bright yellow supercharged C6 Z06 decided to "floor it" just past the pit-out. He looped it and rammed it's nose into the armco. He showed an incar video in the paddock area. The video was very un-spectacular. He didn't seem too upset. He must have plenty of $$$ to spare. I'd have been in tears. He ruined that session for us. We did get a little of it back later in the day.
By the end of the day I was starting to develop a rhythm and feeling much more comfortable on the track.
Sunday morning... signs of rain to come. By the time the first session rolled around, the track was wet and it was raining. The session was going well until a Porsche (GT3 I believe) locked up the brakes before the chicane and rammed it into the armco. There were parts all over the track. The session was called short... but we got 2/3 of it in. My stocker Yokohama Advans did great in the wet; I love theres tires in the rain!
2nd session... the track is drying out. I'm getting much faster. I'm amazed at how fast you can go through turn 2 and up the esses. This was a good session but was again called short when a BMW got onto a wet, painted part of the track at the top-back of the boot(the turn number escapes me). The guy is planning on making it into a club race car, so the little damage it took on is likely to be the first of many.
3rd and final session... While in the grid, a Z06 CE, for some reason tried to go around me. The "grid guy" didn't let him go around. Did he think he was faster than me? I went out in front of him and never saw him for the remainder of the session. This session is feeling really good. I was having a blast. I passed a few cars. Then I came upon a Mazdaspeed 3. Uh... he's fast... or I'm slow. We were accelerating just about the same down the straights and I can pull him just a bit in the corners. I don't think his line was a good as mine, but MAN... was that car fast. I had a blast running with in for the last few laps of the session. I talked to him after the session and he's upgraded the car quite a bit. He was even running meth injection. Very cool guy. I believe his name was Tom.
I met a guy named Adam that Paddocked next to me on Sunday. Hell of a nice guy. We ate lunch together and kept each other company talking Evo tech. It was his first time at "The Glen" like me. Nice to meet ya, Adam!
There was another guy there that had a Evo IX. We spoke, but I forget his name.
That black Super Unlimited Evo (hotlapmotorsports) was FAST!!! Wow!!! I believe the Silver ST2 car (XX Tuning?) was quick as well.
Personal track notes:
5 -> 4 going into turn 1
4 -> 5 mid corner of turn 4 (exit of esses) (I hate this shift)
5 -> 4 going into chicane
4 -> 3 at top-back of boot
3 -> 4 NAsCAR straight
4 -> 5 front straight
Don't brake for turn 2... try out getting on the throttle in turn 2 next time
Oct 16, 2007, 04:32 PM
#2
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nice!
I'm trying to get out there before the years over. Probably just gonna sleep in my car if and when I go 
I saw on the SCDA site there was a track day on oct. 30th. To do that I just need to register and I'm all set right? I have a helmet and all that good stuff... not concerned about proper equiptment, but is it really that easy?? just register and go?
I'm trying to get out there before the years over. Probably just gonna sleep in my car if and when I go I saw on the SCDA site there was a track day on oct. 30th. To do that I just need to register and I'm all set right? I have a helmet and all that good stuff... not concerned about proper equiptment, but is it really that easy?? just register and go?
Oct 18, 2007, 05:39 PM
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The silver Evolution 8 from XX Tuning is mine. We finished the basic cage and car preparation Friday morning and had some laps in Friday afternoon. I was giving the car its first real test on Saturday and did not intend on running hard unless it rained! I am very experienced driving in severe conditions from my several years of ice racing and I was always fastest in the wet. I was second fastest Sunday in the wet practice. The 700hp Le Mans Porsche was faster by 3 seconds and Kyle's Hot Lap Motorsport Evo was 3rd. I was determined to attempt a pole position and mentally prepared myself for a maximum run. The Porsche was running Michelin blue dot Le Mans pro wet tires and I was using Hoosier 245/40/18 wets on Enkie 18x8.5 RPF1 wheels. I got out early and had a clear track . On my second timed lap going down the back straight at full throttle in 5th gear, I lost the turbo! We found out the waste gate lever on the turbo housing had sheared in two. The Victory Porsche team lent me a welder and I made Sundays grid just in time to start on the front row! I had beat the Porsche but Kyle bested me by 2 tenths of a second! I had taken it easy braking for the bus stop on the first lap and would have pushed a little harder on that second. I believe I should have taken pole on the second lap but I might also have come up on lap cars so Kyle deserved it taming his 500+ pony's.. The race turned out tuff for me. After all the hard work fixing the waste gate just in time I overlooked the tie wrap holding down the oil filler stick. I did not have a breather tank and the long full throttle boost will pop it out. I was black flagged after the first lap and was heart broken when I finally opened the hood back in the garage. My thanks for all who worked so hard to get my Evo in the show. NASA's ST 2 is the best Evo class for racing. A stock motor/turbo with cams is all you need. Next year the battle for ST 2 will ramp up and XX Tuning will continue to field several Evolution's and Sti's. I am very happy with the quality of work and thank XX for a real pro tig welded custom cage at a realistic price.
Oct 18, 2007, 05:48 PM
#4
The silver Evolution 8 from XX Tuning is mine. We finished the basic cage and car preparation Friday morning and had some laps in Friday afternoon. I was giving the car its first real test on Saturday and did not intend on running hard unless it rained! I am very experienced driving in severe conditions from my several years of ice racing and I was always fastest in the wet. I was second fastest Sunday in the wet practice. The 700hp Le Mans Porsche was faster by 3 seconds and Kyle's Hot Lap Motorsport Evo was 3rd. I was determined to attempt a pole position and mentally prepared myself for a maximum run. The Porsche was running Michelin blue dot Le Mans pro wet tires and I was using Hoosier 245/40/18 wets on Enkie 18x8.5 RPF1 wheels. I got out early and had a clear track . On my second timed lap going down the back straight at full throttle in 5th gear, I lost the turbo! We found out the waste gate lever on the turbo housing had sheared in two. The Victory Porsche team lent me a welder and I made Sundays grid just in time to start on the front row! I had beat the Porsche but Kyle bested me by 2 tenths of a second! I had taken it easy braking for the bus stop on the first lap and would have pushed a little harder on that second. I believe I should have taken pole on the second lap but I might also have come up on lap cars so Kyle deserved it taming his 500+ pony's.. The race turned out tuff for me. After all the hard work fixing the waste gate just in time I overlooked the tie wrap holding down the oil filler stick. I did not have a breather tank and the long full throttle boost will pop it out. I was black flagged after the first lap and was heart broken when I finally opened the hood back in the garage. My thanks for all who worked so hard to get my Evo in the show. NASA's ST 2 is the best Evo class for racing. A stock motor/turbo with cams is all you need. Next year the battle for ST 2 will ramp up and XX Tuning will continue to field several Evolution's and Sti's. I am very happy with the quality of work and thank XX for a real pro tig welded custom cage at a realistic price.
How do my shift points compare to yours? ...assuming you drive a 5-speed.
5 -> 4 going into turn 1
4 -> 5 mid corner of turn 4 (exit of esses) (I hate this shift)
5 -> 4 going into chicane
4 -> 3 at top-back of boot
3 -> 4 NAsCAR straight
4 -> 5 front straight
Oct 18, 2007, 06:07 PM
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The car is a 2003 5spd, no front LSD (yet). Same shift points except I tried 5th through the esses but do not have telemetry to know which was better. Coming out of the toe you should hit redline right at the exit curbing. Then I would run out of 4th gear before turn 8. Either shift twice or float 4th? Turn 8 (right) was the only corner I would Rally/ice flick to rotate over the concrete. Other wise just stay off all the concrete or sealer patches in the wet there. The difference between us and pros are they do it in the next higher gear. True masters can balance the car at higher speeds with lower revs.
Oct 18, 2007, 06:57 PM
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It was nice meeting both of you guys. WGI is a lot of fun, rain or shine 
Sam
A few pics my buddy took:
More here: http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n255/18bora/
More pics here too: http://www.tracktimephotos.com/gallery.jsp click top right.
Sam
A few pics my buddy took:
More here: http://s114.photobucket.com/albums/n255/18bora/
More pics here too: http://www.tracktimephotos.com/gallery.jsp click top right.
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