Monday, May 23, 2011

Winged Warrior VII Charity Event Results

Winged Warrior is a charity event for Riley's Children's Hospital in Indianapolis. Its a multiple faceted event with drag runs, autocross, time slalom (in AX), and car show. Each event is worth points for the overall champion in the class. NASA AX sanctioned the event. So classing is a little different than SCCA. NASA does base class then points per mod. Hit a certain number of mod points and your car will bump up to the next class. Classes are Top Gun (unlimited), A, B, C, D, E.

Our cars start off as D classed cars. Good base class. Other cars in D are 98-02 F-Bodys. 4.6 GTs. Saturn Redline / Cobalt SS, MazdaSpeed 3s, etc. Either 250-300hp RWD, FWD, AWD. With the few mods that I have I was still in D.

Day started off hot. By 8am it was in the 80s and humid. T-Storms on the outskirts walking in. D was paired up with E class for the day. Our first event was drag racing. 4 runs. Lowest ET counts for event. We used ORP for the 1/4 section. They added the tack agent to the start line, but after that - it was an ice skating rink. I would have had better luck on an ice skating rink...

Shallow staged, 3000 rpm, walked clutch back - ignited tires. Once I pedaled back to traction, into 2nd gear. Repeat of 1st. Gingerly into 3rd. Walked sideways. Felt like a 600whp monster going no where fast.

Next pass was my best run. I went to the other lane. Lowered launch RPM to idle. And tried to feed in the clutch between shifts as best as I could but with speed. I clicked off a 2.26 60' and 14.17 ET at 100.1 mph. That is slow for the car. Everyone (Evo, Mustang, F-body...) ran .5s slow and 3-5 mph slow. Just one of those days.

Third and forth passes ended like the first. Smoking and sliding. I gave up after 2nd on both runs. 14.17 was good enough for the class.

Our next event was autocross. Back to RWD after years of AWD and FWD cars. Should be fun. And it was. As we staged for grid a massive thunderstorm came though. Sideways rain type of storm. Buckets of rain. Oh...joy...

In-Car Picture Waiting:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110522_121340.jpg

Once the lightning stopped we all re-walked the course and fixed the cones.

Course:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110522_124501.jpg

3 to 4 inches of standing lakes in the track. No drainage. Upside for the Mustang was no low cold-air intake to suck up water like some of the other cars had. And no low front aero to rip off in the water. I have Conti DW (dry/wet) tires. Really put that W to the test.

First 2 runs had downed cones in the slalom from previous run. Both re-runs for me. Third run was clean and I got off a 75.93. Everyone else was in the 78-82 range. Saturn Redline and MazdaSpeed 3 eventually caught up to the 75.x range. Redline got in a 75.91. Then the MS3 did a 74.6. FWD pulls you though corners. In the wet, thats an advantage. I had to be on/off throttle and left foot brake for stability. If I was in FWD, I'd just keep my foot to the floor. Stepped up to my third run. Muffed the box coming into the slalom. Decided to go for fastest slalom time and not worry about the run as a whole. Went for broke on the slalom. Had an awesome tank slapper after that. 360* both feet in. Car still shut down. Stayed in track. Finished with an 88.x. Forth run was for all the marbles. I had to beat the MS3. Had a friends wife in the car. Not always the best time to take someone with me. Not the added weight. Just might scare them. I was going to go all out. Clean run of 74.4. Beat the MS3. All was well until it stopped raining and the MS3 was gridded just right for that. He managed a 74.2 on his last run. Besting me by .2s. Foiled.

Car show as a much of a car show you could have after puddle diving in the autocross for an hour.

End of the day?

3rd place in the drag racing.
3rd place in the slalom.
3rd place in the car show.
2nd place in the autocross.

Overall is still being calculated. I was the most consistant top 3 driver in the day. I hope to add one more trophy to my list of D Class Overall Champion.

Trophies!
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110523_090020.jpg

Not a bad start in a new car :)

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=099rDNdLodo

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

NASA Mid-Ohio April 9-10 Recap

Larger Picture of SVTF:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/MidOhioSVTF.jpg

Just settling back into normal life. Here are my thoughts on this weekend:

Great weekend overall. Finally had a chance to run with NASA; should have done this long ago. Over the years, I have done DE events with a half dozen different HPDE/TT/Comp groups. Some good. Some bad. NASA falls squarely in the good.

My track toy is a 2002 Focus SVT (SVTF). Been track racing for going on 6 years; with faster cars. But honestly, the SVTF is a great tracker. Sure, it’s not a 150 mph car down the back straight car; it does attack each corner with scalpel precision.

Car:
http://forums.focaljet.com/svt-headquarters/646581-2011-season-prep-amsoil-touge-factory-dbrs-autopower-racequip-kirkey.html

Last track season the car still had a full interior and I was running 215/45R17s on my Team Dynamic race rims. Nitto NT01s are great mild r-comps. Talk and predictable. However, I found their limits and pushed them as far as they could go. Previously, the car would understeer at its limit. Suspension on the car is H&R coilovers with 7/8in rear sway bar on full stiff. Corner entry would consist of the following: slight oversteer via throttle lift on corner entry, trail brake to get some more rotation, push though apex.

This season I am going with 225/40R17 Hoosier R6s. Road course r-comp. Pretty much the industry standard. Car is also gutted. No other changes. Note on tires: 225/40R17s are the widest you can fit on the TD rims/suspension. I just clear by 3-4mm. My front fenders are rolled out some.

Car dynamics are completely different now with the new found weight loss. It was sharp before. Scalpel has been replaced with a cauterizing laser. Corner entry, oversteer on demand, apex without understeer. With trail braking and throttle I can pick where I want to go.

Cooling last season was an issue. Now with an 180F thermostat and new Contour housing, in addition to adding .5 in to the rear hood latch (vents hood out back). No more overheating. Got up to mid 70s and my coolant temp did not move at all.

Oil cooling still needs to be addressed. At the end of a 20 minute session, I saw it getting hot. Pressure was good. Some oil blow by in my catch can. Running Amsoil 0w30. Zero fear about my engine. I have an idea for some more cooling soon.

Seats - a must. Trust me. Even with running a DOT harness on my Evo 8 with its Recaro street seats. A full track seat and 6pt harness is more comfortable and holds you better. No more bruised elbows and knees from bracing into the door on turns. And this track had some turns with a far bit of g-force. I can't even speak to how well it felt not having to brace via elbows and knees. Well worth the investment.

Back to NASA. Very well done event. Professional. Clear. Kept to schedule. Very nice people. Amazing array of cars at the event. They started me off in HDPE2. 1 is complete novice. Full-time instructors in car with them. 2 is next level up. Drive without an instructor but share track with 1. 3 are intermediate. Share track with 4 (advanced) and open passing. Since I was new to NASA, they placed me in HPDE2 to start. First session out I was pushing the traffic.

Mid-Ohio was a new track to me; however principles of late braking, smooth turn-in, and thinking about where you want to be a turn ahead of time, etc. Work on every track. And with the EBC YellowStuffs with Amsoil DOT4 fluid that I run on, I have zero fear of late braking after a few laps to gauge my speed. Brakes were consistent and fade free for all sessions. And I drove them home! Actually, my daily pads also. Great pad.

NASA instructors are good. From having being one myself, I know what its like to be second seat with a new person to you (luckily for me, it was with a friend that I've known to be a cool headed driver). We talked about experiences, modifications to the car, etc. The instructor I grabbed for my check ride was also a SVTF owner. He was running TTF in his car. Downside on my part, I went for a check ride on my second session out on a new track. I was still finding the speed for my car. And the track was drying up from some dampness. Instructor watched me for a few laps. Made sure I was scanning my mirrors. Passing cleanly. Not tossing the car. After a few laps he gave me some instructions to take different approaches. Back off and allow others to pass me. Work though some traffic. We then got to some track tips. He had some good suggestions on areas that I could carry lots of speed. Namely corner 7 after the long straight. It looks like you have to slow down more. But you can push the car up the hill can scrub off speed there. I was staying tidy before. After my check ride, he signed off on my ability to keep cool under fire.

On to group 3/4. This is where I am much more used to being - Intermediate/Advanced run group. Passing in open. Cars in the group are almost all full-blown race cars. Vettes, Vipers, Porsches, BMWs. From coming from the Evo. I sort of missed being a higher HP car. Play more with those cars. Mixed into that crowd were some Spec Miata, Integra, Elise, and me. There is a rowdy crowd! We might be small, but we're fearless. I'll have to go over my points and the NASA TT Rules one more time (and get my car scaled). Fairly sure my SVTF is a TTE car. TTF if I down mod some. Puts me right with the Spec Miata crowd. The video I'll show in a moment is from my first session with 3/4 (third of day). Looks like I was running 1:54 to 1:56 in that session. Mostly dry track conditions now. I was playing around with some entry/exits still.

Track:
http://www.trackpedia.com/mediawiki/images/f/fc/MidOhio.jpg

My run though on the track. You come into corner 1 at the top of 3rd gear in my car. Given running a slightly smaller diameter tire means I've lost some top end out of the gearing. Lift, tap brakes late under the bridge. Apex for me was the start of the yellow pit entry guard on the left. Car will slide some out to the right side (and with the under bridge area covered from the sun - it was damp. You will slide some). It’s full throttle from entry to the end of corner 2/3. Lots of people lifted before the end of 2. 1-2/3 is where I caught a lot of drivers.

Keyhole (corner 4/5) has an apex way out at the end. Come in middle of the road and dial it in over the turn. Push out to the left under WOT. Straight is long. Topped out 4th gear at the rev limiter by the 300 ft markers into corner 7. Late brake here. Again, many did not do this. Caught up some here. Enter early with speed and let the car push up the camber/hill into 8. Thats a "balls" corner. You find it, you accept it, you just do it. 9/10 are normal. Come in and get them done. 10 is blind setup for 11. Stay tidy on 10 and WOT into 11.

Early into 11 and push out to the left. Line up for 12. Hugging the living daylights out of the wall. Apex into 12 at the first candy stripes on the left. Car will drift out to the right on WOT. Aim straight into wall for 13. Brake short and hard. Middle track turn into 13/14. Dial in at end of 13. WOT over candies on left in 14 onto front straight. Rest, rinse, repeat. Just my thoughts on how I was doing it.

Enough talking, eh?
Here is the video:

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMdOrqctkjs

Sunday started off great. Only got 1 session in before the header collector decided it no longer wanted to be connected to my cat assembly.

Broken Exhaust
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110410_142649.jpg

That ended my day there. I found a coat hanger and a worm clamp. Got it together and limped her home. Hey, that’s racing.

Once back, I was able to fab up a bracing bracket to hold it together. And welded the hell out of that area reinforcing with U exhaust clamps. Tested after it cooled off and it held up to a brief but hard drive around the block.

Fixed:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110410_172153.jpg

Happy Racing,
MG

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

2011 Season is a Go!

Big thanks to Amsoil products from vendor apagan01, HJC AR10II from Mike at Touge Factory, Numbers and decals from DBRS, AutoPower NASA spec 4pt cage from I/O Racing, Racequip 6pt harnesses, and Kirkey Intermediate Road-race seats (and a ton of bolts, hardware, and time).

Huge thanks to buddy Otter, best friend, and brother for their time in hel...I mean wonderful experience doing the prep work with me...over three days...for seeming not a lot of work...which it was....a lot of work.

SVTF is on her third season with me. Now as the full time track toy. I have the room to make the car more fun and safe on the track.

New for 2011, I am retiring my old HJC M05 "Aku" helmet. Going to a cage. And a longer time coming SA helmet. I went with the HJC. Love my other helmet. The AR10II does not disappoint. Tight fit right now. Once worn in some. Like butter. Light weight. Good fit. Great price SA10. Great choice for motorsports in my book. Again, thanks to Mike at Touge Factory for it. Super fast shipping and on-point with customer service.

Amsoil though-out. Running the 0w30 in the motor. DOT4 in the brakes. MTG in the trans. In all the abuse I put my cars though. Zero issues with these fluids. apagan01 is top notch with any questions about his product line.

Like I said, does not look like a lot of things to do:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110319_130710.jpg

Hoosier R6s on my TD race rims. Was the only thing not done in house that weekend.

On the docket:
Engine/Brakes:
-Fresh Amsoil 0w30
-Fresh Amsoil DOT4
-2 new ABS sensors
-Replace t-stat housing unit with Contour unit (beefier, and more important, not cracked)
-Space hood for more air flow out of the engine bay

Interior:
-Gut car
-Install AP 4pt cage
-Install seats
-Mount harnesses

There where a few outsiders that I was thinking about. But with time and part availability, not able to do right now.

Otter and I went to town. Vasty different styles, which is why we took different areas. Basically, if it needed to be saved, that was Otters area. If it was brute destruction - well, thats my speciality.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110319_193615.jpg


Mocking up the driver seat took the most time. Have it right now where my arms are comfortable on the steering wheel and lefts are slightly bent. Seating is now 4-5 inches lower than the OEM seats. OEM seats were always my biggest gripe about the Focus. Seating is light like a recliner chair. Good for comfort and visibility. Bad for racing. Just too high up. Legs too bent. Very little side bolstering. I had Schroth DOT 4pts. They helped a lot, but still found myself bracing with elbows and knees in the door.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110320_205505.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110319_193620.jpg

Finished product. 3 long days. 2 on interior. 1 on the rest.

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110321_154558.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110321_154630.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110321_154652.jpg

And this seasons look:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110321_154535.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110321_154546.jpg
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110321_154523.jpg


April 9-10 is the first event at Mid-Ohio. Looking forward to it!

http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k61/smikeevo/IMG_20110321_155001.jpg

MG