Dec 16th Long afternoon shadows M4 had the Blues. Amen

[bluesight]

How soon one forgets! This was my "fastest" time, but coned. I didn't think I did it...but there were plenty of opportunities...most likely the last cone of the returning slalom. What I forgot about was being smooth. And then there was getting behind on the endless slalom. With new tires, and the morning cold and drizzle...hey....plenty of excuses why Soraya "ate my (our) lunch"...

B
https://vimeo.com/306927125

[aw614]

That was fun. Like really fun. Aaron's car was interesting. Turn-in was lacking but the second you get any weight on the nose it grips up hard and leaves the rear wagging in the wind. Felt underdamped, better shocks and dropping the ITBs would make it a beast. Still, can't remember the last time I spent so much time with opposite lock in a turn or slalom!

What was wrong with the ITBs? Did it shift the powerband too high and had no low end torque?

[Z1NONLY]

Tonda and I liked to course and we both had fun the whole day.
Here's my fastest run.
https://youtu.be/ID9Sh8fsXZc

We added the RaceCapture/Track MK2 to our SoloStorm setup and it came with a CAN bus preset for the 86 platform. Solo storm has the steering values backward and the same goes for pitch and yaw, but it's easy to work around while we wait for an update to fix it. Having steering and braking info is very helpful and the wired GPS puck seems to produce data that's more accurate and consistent than the 10hz bluetooth puck we were running. (We run the MK2 @25hz)

[mymomswagon]

I finished last in the M4 'blue wave' but the course was good slalom practice for me which I definitely need.

Soroya :respect:
Mike R :welcome back:
Loren and Dan :stop shaming us:

Got to work station 3 for the last run group. Impressive driving by many around that walled right-hander before the turnaround. Watching Phillip blow through there was especially fun to watch.

Thank you organizers for another fun event!

[Carracer]

That was fun. Like really fun. Aaron's car was interesting. Turn-in was lacking but the second you get any weight on the nose it grips up hard and leaves the rear wagging in the wind. Felt underdamped, better shocks and dropping the ITBs would make it a beast. Still, can't remember the last time I spent so much time with opposite lock in a turn or slalom!

What was wrong with the ITBs? Did it shift the powerband too high and had no low end torque?

No low end torque. On seems to make good power at the very top.

[twistedwankel]

I'm still miffed that I ran a 43.4xx and a 43.229 and coned away both of them!

So tell us again how that 1/2" wider track doesn't affect you at all You drive alot closer to the cones than most of us even try to.

[Loren]

Do I? I don't know. I just drive.

The cones I hit at this event were because I was driving too close to the cones in general, or because the tires are wider than they used to be. Each of the cones I hit was for exactly the same reason... in 3 different places on course. I'm looking ahead, as I should. I'm looking past where I'm at, past the next apex to what's after it. And I'm focusing on being sure I have proper placement for that THIRD apex (and it's usually cone walls that intimidate me, I don't want to plow through a wall of cones). In focusing that far out and trying to set up to late apex the SECOND apex... I'm simply turning in too hard, and turning right into the cone in front of me.

I did it on the apex of the hard right on the outgoing side. I did it on the last cone of the angled wall after the turn-around on the return side. And I did it somewhere else on the return side. Three different runs, three different cones.

The added grip in the front is really nice, though. It has balanced the car so that I don't have to run with the rear shocks maxed out to feel like I have enough front grip. (and it has the car two-wheeling again )

[Cool Rod]

Did anybody ever determine how that idiot on the bicycle got a free lap?? I mean, that dude literally appeared out of nowhere!! So much for the airport being a "secure" facility, I guess...

[Jamie]

Am I the only one who notices 200+ run co-driven Jamie dragging a tire trailer behind his 250k miled Miata and still finishing near the top?

https://youtu.be/kA53yKzVgBA
244 runs on the tires, 281k on the car. Pretty soon it'll have more mileage than the Mayor. And the index results don't quite say "near the top"...I'll bet Philip could have gotten another half-second out of it.

S4 better not get complacent, though...new tires are coming....

[Native]

I finished last in the M4 'blue wave'

I helped you bring up the end of that wave... The 'wagon was just an understeering boat for some reason - killed our times.


Thanks to all who made a big ol' event run really well (except that 3rd group...). And the help cleaning up at the end was great!
See y'all at the next one!

[twistedwankel]

I hacked into Soraya and Eva's sound tracks from this event that made them so fast: Endless loop. Stay focused.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Pl ... ORM=VRDGAR

[twistedwankel]

I helped you bring up the end of that wave... The 'wagon was just an understeering boat for some reason - killed our times.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I vaguely remember Federal 595's are your current M4 Blue suede shoes? Just a thought.
Not to be a buzz kill but I was pricing out the Federals 595 amazing low cost 140q tires on Amazon with free shipping (5) left but decided to go with a more traditional tire that I'm familiar with not yet constructed at the factory so next year some time. Prices are insanely cheap for Federal big sizes and I've heard a couple people who don't play anymore were happy with them for 1/3 season. Another day for me when someone actually makes it thru a whole season on them? Half the price and 1/3 the life isn't a good trade off. You and Bill really have been flogging on those so you are the best source of accurate info.

[Z1NONLY]

Tonda's fastest:
https://youtu.be/_F6UmCuwo0I
Kind of odd that we both cooked the turn-around on our fastest laps.

[Native]

I helped you bring up the end of that wave... The 'wagon was just an understeering boat for some reason - killed our times.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I vaguely remember Federal 595's are your current M4 Blue suede shoes? Just a thought.
Not to be a buzz kill but I was pricing out the Federals 595 amazing low cost 140q tires on Amazon with free shipping (5) left but decided to go with a more traditional tire that I'm familiar with not yet constructed at the factory so next year some time. Prices are insanely cheap for Federal big sizes and I've heard a couple people who don't play anymore were happy with them for 1/3 season. Another day for me when someone actually makes it thru a whole season on them? Half the price and 1/3 the life isn't a good trade off. You and Bill really have been flogging on those so you are the best source of accurate info.

Well, we've got I think 3 events on them. Dunnellon earlier in Dec. and one before that. The first two the car was loose, which was the result of some magic Bill worked to gain even more front grip. Going into this past event, the only change made was a small reduction in rear tire pressure. And the back wouldn't let go - believe me I tried... But the front was sliding a bit, and then only got worse. As wet and cool as it was, I have a hard time seeing that we overheated them, but that's sure what it felt like. Or, there is a definite pressure limit that we accidently discovered that glued the back? Dunno. Nate the Miatae Hunter and a few others have used/are using these Feds, and said they were happy with them (but I'm not aware of any repeat customers). I guess we'll see... But you are right, the money-life tradeoff may not be the best. Regardless, still good fun!

[CaptainSquirts]

I remember back to a couple of events ago when I was saying the same thing about the RS4s. When they die, they die. It was like someone turned off the grip switch. Here one event, gone the next. The RS3's might have had a touch less overall grip and response, but they faded more gradually, and seemed to have grip longer into their life. Not sure I will do rs4's again.

Yea no joke about when they die, they just die. Maybe the cold temp at the event could've been part of the culprit as well, who knows. I was not able to get the tires to make any noise besides the turn around and when I tried to go a little faster(especially the slalom parts) the rear would slightly start to slide. If I even tried to correct it, I would've spun out so it forced me to dnf. Funny thing, same thing happened to Steve on the tech run. It felt perfectly fine(not rly much noise from the tires) so you would think to go slightly faster since no feedback from tires. You go quicker and suddenly without not much warning, it just lets go. Anywho hope you got a video of that run Jason, damn impressive time .

[Native]

when I tried to go a little faster(especially the slalom parts) the rear would slightly start to slide. If I even tried to correct it, I would've spun out so it forced me to dnf. Funny thing, same thing happened to Steve on the tech run. It felt perfectly fine(not rly much noise from the tires) so you would think to go slightly faster since no feedback from tires. You go quicker and suddenly without not much warning, it just lets go

I think you said your new rear diff has more lock? IIRC. If so, and in my basic understanding, that means more oversteer (esp on power). Maybe soften the back?

[mymomswagon]

We do have RS-RR and for my size, can be had for $335 on ebay today. We caught a coupon which put them slightly under $300. RE-71R run about $500 for a set.

Joe B posted a review on our site, by Danny Kao comparing them to RE-71r and Rival S. IIRC the Feds were about a second slower compared to the 'stones on a 60 second course.

I helped you bring up the end of that wave... The 'wagon was just an understeering boat for some reason - killed our times.

Correct me if I'm wrong but I vaguely remember Federal 595's are your current M4 Blue suede shoes? Just a thought.
Not to be a buzz kill but I was pricing out the Federals 595 amazing low cost 140q tires on Amazon with free shipping (5) left but decided to go with a more traditional tire that I'm familiar with not yet constructed at the factory so next year some time. Prices are insanely cheap for Federal big sizes and I've heard a couple people who don't play anymore were happy with them for 1/3 season. Another day for me when someone actually makes it thru a whole season on them? Half the price and 1/3 the life isn't a good trade off. You and Bill really have been flogging on those so you are the best source of accurate info.

[Z1NONLY]

We do have RS-RR and for my size, can be had for $335 on ebay today. We caught a coupon which put them slightly under $300. RE-71R run about $500 for a set.

Joe B posted a review on our site, by Danny Kao comparing them to RE-71r and Rival S. IIRC the Feds were about a second slower compared to the 'stones on a 60 second course.

That's about where the Falkens are pace-wise. (615K+)
I don't think I've tried a set of Federals, but if you can live with a tire that's off the pace of the Rvals and Stones by that much, the Falkens are a great tire.

They cost less than the fastest tires and are legit 200TW tires that hold up really well. They also feel pretty sharp. -close to the feel of the RE71's, even if not as fast.

[twistedwankel]

Tonda's fastest:

42.1 on 615 tires...moan. Tonda must have had the same play list as Soraya and Eva.

[Z1NONLY]

Tonda's fastest:

42.1 on 615 tires...moan. Tonda must have had the same play list as Soraya and Eva.

42.4 technically. I'm too lazy to mark the start and finish before the event. I just approximate both after the event.

Her car placement and throttle modulation are pretty good. Looking at the data, we found that she didn't take advantage of the "easy" transitions on side B. She kind of set her speed for the difficult offsets and stuck with that. From a risk/reward standpoint, if unsure, it's better to do it that way than to cook the offsets and get late.

She actually got to the first gate before me on a couple runs. She can really launch the car well.