Another Track Weekend.

Went to another track weekend at good ol’ Mid-O. It was hot as fuck outside. Got to the track at 7:30am and it started pouring out. 9:00am it finally stopped and the sun came out and baked for the whole weekend. It was upper 90s with 80% humidity. Thankfully I have a couple buddies with trailers, so we put some easy-ups between them and all was good.

Had some/did some work on the car before this session. Short-ram intake, full exhaust (headers and all) and tune. Car put down 197whp and 150 tq on a Mustang dyno (they say a stock car puts 160-170whp), so that’s like ~240hp which isn’t too bad. Car weighs like 2800lbs. It’s not the bump in power that helps but the much more broad powerband. Car used to not have shit below 6k, but now it pulls pretty nice from 4.5+. Helped me get passed a new Boss 302, Mustang 350GT, Elise, older M3, boosted MR2, a bunch of Miatas, etc.

Nothing too exciting to report. My group lost a really nice 350Z in turn one. Didn’t see it but I saw the aftermath. Lost it in turn one, overcorrected, shot back around the track and hit the tires. Front was pretty smashed up. That sucks. I had a nice drift through the key-hole. Made the mistake of trying to brake when the race-spec-Miata in front of me did, came into the turn way too hot. Had to correct a good 1.5 turns and then get the tires pointed back to the right as to overcorrect and whip the ass end around. Oddly enough, it didn’t hurt my time much at all. I caught the Miata on the straight but decided not to try and keep with him on the turns anymore.

Any time I can drive the car home it would be a successful one in my book.

Some pics:











Friend's TTS STi. Ran a 1:33.045



A vid of a few laps (and said 'out-brake-Miata-attempt-and-fail'). Recommend to watch on Youtube, 720p, blah blah:



I've got a longer video loading now and will post up when it's done. I also borrowed a friend's GoPro but haven't seen that one yet...

Another, longer video from run one on Sunday (recommend to watch on Youtube, 720p, blah blah):



I catch and pass the above GT350 in this video.

Nice save!

Benfolio wrote:Nice save!

Thanks. A little more oversteer than I would've liked. I decided to stop trying to catch the Miata at that point.

Nice. Good to see some older cars out there like that SA Rx-7.

Looks like you're doing a buck twenty down the back straight?

Also on the second vid, every time you hit a hard left-hander, it sounded like something was scraping. Was that just the way the sound was coming through?

SBF wrote:Nice. Good to see some older cars out there like that SA Rx-7.

Looks like you're doing a buck twenty down the back straight?

Also on the second vid, every time you hit a hard left-hander, it sounded like something was scraping. Was that just the way the sound was coming through?

You know, I am not sure. I don't often look at the speedo - like once a lap, maybe and it's typically down that back straight. It's typically 115 but I've got a couple more seconds of WOT, so, yea, 115-120ish.

Not sure, I don't hear it. Do you have a time reference?

All I hear is tire noise....

Talon wrote:

SBF wrote:Nice. Good to see some older cars out there like that SA Rx-7.

Looks like you're doing a buck twenty down the back straight?

Also on the second vid, every time you hit a hard left-hander, it sounded like something was scraping. Was that just the way the sound was coming through?

You know, I am not sure. I don't often look at the speedo - like once a lap, maybe and it's typically down that back straight. It's typically 115 but I've got a couple more seconds of WOT, so, yea, 115-120ish.

Not sure, I don't hear it. Do you have a time reference?

The entire second video. Especially through the Esses. It's probably just the way the tire noise is being picked up through the camera microphone.

That's why I don't think I would ever race my wrx. Id probably wreck it. Id buy a track car for a few grand though.

clockbreaker wrote:That's why I don't think I would ever race my wrx. Id probably wreck it. Id buy a track car for a few grand though.

That's definitely a risk. Been there and it sucks. That's why I have the Acura.

But, you don't need anything big, bad, or expensive to go out there have have fun. One of the guys in my group was running an early 90s Miata that he paid $2500 for.

There are guys selling Spec Rx-7s for $3000 and under in running racing condition. If I had the money, I would pick one up.

That looks like amazing fun...thanks for sharing all the pics and vids!

Oh, to have a garage (or storage space), and a couple hundo (after the price of the car) to blow on racing a car at Road America...... I'd do it.

Looks good man, sounds a little bit more racey at least

Nice save there, been doing a lot of iRacing at mid ohio this season and all I can say is you are a very lucky man to have the opportunity to run there, great track.

Looked like a spec miata car, you gotta watch those guys they are crazy! We are doing our first season of spec miata this year and its been a total blast, but its pretty intense racing for what it is, lots of bump drafting and contact

A video from our car in the first race we did caused by bump drafting, damon did a great job avoiding though.

Dodge wrote:Looks good man, sounds a little bit more racey at least

Nice save there, been doing a lot of iRacing at mid ohio this season and all I can say is you are a very lucky man to have the opportunity to run there, great track.

Looked like a spec miata car, you gotta watch those guys they are crazy! We are doing our first season of spec miata this year and its been a total blast, but its pretty intense racing for what it is, lots of bump drafting and contact

A video from our car in the first race we did caused by bump drafting, damon did a great job avoiding though.

Haha, yea, I can actually hear the car now. When I went to Pure Tuning, I told them I wanted a full exhaust but didn't want my Honda to sound like a Honda. I bought some used race headers for $50 and I can't even remember who makes the exhaust... Invidia I want to say. But it's seriously quiet. You can't even tell it's there while DD'ing.

Mid-Ohio is a really nice facility. Turn one still spooks me sometimes. It's a pretty fast corner and it's critical because of the long straight after it. I spun there once a lot time ago and ended in the gravel. I do wish NASA would open up the bus-stop right before the keyhole, but they seem to want to run the pro course every time. >\ With a lower hp but decent handling car, I always made up time through the bus-stop.

THat video is crazy. Spec Miata drivers are nuts. Some of my ex-coworkers drove in SCCA's Spec Miata. The cars are all virtually identical and have so little power you have to make up time in the turns, even if that means bumping and pushing.

Talon wrote:

Benfolio wrote:Nice save!

Thanks. A little more oversteer than I would've liked. I decided to stop trying to catch the Miata at that point.

i gotta say I let out a very audible "ooooh!"
but yeah, you recovered like a pro.

and man, that black C5 sounded like a beast. Looked like he was running rings around everybody.

If anyone's interested, I borrowed my buddy's GoPro (didn't have mine at the time) and stuck it on the hood. Looks like a video game, haha.

That video definitely give you a better idea of the speed you're going.

Yea, those inside views don't translate speed very well at all.

How much does it cost each time you go? Fees, gas, etc? Do you drive the RSX there or do you have to tow it?

You can also see the apexes you missed better

clockbreaker wrote:How much does it cost each time you go? Fees, gas, etc? Do you drive the RSX there or do you have to tow it?

IIRC he drives it there.

clockbreaker wrote:How much does it cost each time you go? Fees, gas, etc? Do you drive the RSX there or do you have to tow it?

Depends on the event holder (NASA or EBR Porsche). NASA events are $360 for the weekend. This car actually gets really good track mileage; I can drive there, and do a whole day + usually another run on one tank. I'll fill up, do the remainder, and drive home. Gas at the track is like $4.80/gal though. The EBR Porsche event is $135 for one day.

If you haven't figured it out by now, I drive it there and back. Only other "fees" are Subway or sometimes a local Roadhouse with all the guys for dinner (take sandwiches/Gatorade, etc with), hotel (woman refuses to camp out), and anything associated with the car, like brake pads, tires, oil, etc. This car isn't too bad on any of those things because it's pretty light and not putting up GT3 speeds. I can usually get a full season out of the pads and the tires are on their third, but looking pretty rough. They might be done. I still am running the OE rotors, but those might need replaced next year too.

Benfolio wrote:You can also see the apexes you missed better

Admittedly, turn one owns my ass. It's a fast corner; I'm going through at 80ish. I went off there backwards years ago and am still a bit gun-shy. After watching the video, I can definitely carry more speed through it, especially since I usually just leave it in 4th.

However, my line through the rest of the track is pretty consistent, and good for a lower powered FWD car. I timed like five random laps and unless I really fucked up a turn, they were all within a second.

The guys on TV make it look real easy...

Turn 1 throws me in iracing, every time, I am down about a second on the fast guys in that sector, and yet can be perfectly on pace elsewhere..its just a crazy turn.

This is mid Ohio? That's not in Forza is it?

Yes and no. Track gets no love in video games. ALMS races there, AMA races there, Indy races there... still not good enough, apparently.

They should put it in dlc.

Yeah, so we can go beat Talon's times using (more or less) his car!



Seriously dude, I still applaud you for going out and doing what very few of us have the time/money/talent to do.

Talon wrote:Yes and no. Track gets no love in video games. ALMS races there, AMA races there, Indy races there... still not good enough, apparently.

Yeah I've never understood that. iRacing is the only racing simulator that has it. I don't get how Forza or even GT has never had it. It's a very popular track in the U.S.

I've loved Mid Ohio since day one I stepped foot on that property. It's easily in my top 5 race courses in the United States.

Benfolio wrote:You can also see the apexes you missed better

apices

Turbojett wrote:

Benfolio wrote:You can also see the apexes you missed better

apices

Chrome didn't correct me, so apexes is a word. Apices is not. Its underlined in red. :jay:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apices
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/apices
apexes is acceptible, but I was always taught apices.
And I'm more inclined to believe my old geometry teacher than some flash in the pan browser.

I still want to get a Chromebook

Which, according to Chrome's spell check, IS NOT A WORD.

Talon what's that camera called and how easy is it to mount inside/outside the car?

Ut-oh, Honor wants to do some hooning.....

Fuckin A