SoCal: Time attack tuesdays

[79-TA]

I can't win today.

Work got out super late and I didn't get home until 6:20. I thought about calling the AMP trip off, but my friend was going, so I couldn't just leave him stranded on his first trip.

I had to quick buy a dust cap, as I lost one during the little Costa Mesa autocross.

Then filling up the car and stopping by my grandparents for the 91 fast track pass took time.



Once well on my way, I realized I forgot my helmet.

I got to Adam's just in the nick of time to run, which meant I couldn't let my car cool off from the heat soak from the drive up.

I had to rent a random helmet for 5 dollars.

Despite being night, and cooler than last week, it still wasn't cold enough to help my cars heating problem in Riverside.

The car did the same ol' thing where it doesn't want to respond off of corners and kills my time.

The driver did the same ol' thing where he drives super timid with a heating car.

I ended up running a 52.8. For reference, my very first time out in my stock fox Mustang, I ran a low 53. My first time out in my Trans Am a year ago, complete with leaking valve covers, dying transmission, and a bit of tire rub, resulted in a 50 something. So, the car and I were freaking slow. Again. That's the 3rd event in a row now.

I left, only to realize that I still had the rented helmet in my car and they, in turn, had my driver's license.

Turning around to return the helmet put me just outside my fuel window for making it back home. I had to stop for gas.

I borrowed a Contour camera from my cousin and was looking forward to some decent in car video for a change.

I realized I forgot to put the micro SD card and ended up with nothing. I consoled myself by filming some of the drive home.

I normally have tacos with my friends on Tuesday. We normally loiter outside Rubios long after it closes, so I can still catch them even if I do make a trip out to AMP. This time, they had disbanded before I arrived.

Now I'm going to stay up late and get some things ready for school.

And I stupidly said I'd rig up some brakes on an old FSAE car at school for the purposes of towing tomorrow morning.

I hate Tuesdays.

[Sales-TCI-Eng]

We did a little testing last night with James' El Camino. Unfortunately, the track layout was completely different so all previous runs could not be used as a base line.

















-J

[Bryce]

nice torque arm!

[79-TA]

Yea, they tried the new "Super S" layout. They basically stuck as many curves in the track as possible. My cousin was there last night with his 2011 5.0 Mustang and said it was super tight. He ran a 57.62 and was the 7th quickest car out of all 3 sessions. I hope they use the old layout on some nights. I'd like to be able to compare future times with some of my old ones.

[Sales-TCI-Eng]

Mike said they would do the original layout 2 times a month. He also said we could vote on the layout at their facebook page.

-J

[Sales-TCI-Eng]

Sal and I went to help Don in the '32 last night. They were running the standard track layout and there were a ton of cars. The first session we were just trying to get the car to stick. There were a number of fast cars there including a couple 400WHP STI's, GT500, M6, a nicely modded EVO X shod with sticky tires, a R34 Skyline, and of course a number of Miatas.

A little back story. Don found out last week he hasn't had full throttle. A little modification to the cable and that was cured. He also just installed some 6 piston calipers up front to replace the 4 pistons he had. Between these two things the car now accelerates much quicker and stops much better. Pretty much rendering his previous experience behind the wheel useless because he felt like it was a whole new car.

The first session he came out swinging, immediately matching his previous best of mid 48's. In spite of him having a hard time controlling the power. He just felt unsettled because the car was not only power oversteering but it also had some understeer.(He had backed off on the alignment running almost zero camber) We played with the tire pressure on each set of runs trying to find a sweet spot for the new found power. By the end of the session he was starting to get acclimated to his new braking points and corner exit power-on and ended up in the top 10.

The 2nd session had 17 cars total. Don was fired up and extremely motivated to get his 47.XX pass. Unfortunately, he got a little too agressive and ended up in the dirt at the end of the first timed lap. He kept it away from the light poles but he went for a pretty scary ride. He pulled back into the pits so we could make sure everything was ok. After a quick lookover everything looked good so he prepared to go back out. Sal and I had been tracking the progress of his lap times on our phones and he was definitely on the fastest run up to the point of going off track. Don made a joke about finding the limit so now he will back off just a little bit.

He heads out once again. I clicked my phone at the start/stop point they use for the official timing. The car looks good through the tire chicane and into the right hand off camber u-turn. After that quick little S he is on the gas early and on a mission down the straight. The car sounds real good coming by the pits. He nails the brakes and manueveres through that slight right and into the left hand u-turn. He has a bit of understeer through the u-turn and gets back on the gas. Coming down the straight I hear the car bounce off the rev-limiter in 2nd(never heard that happen before). Into the long right hander and onto the front straight in front of the stands. He weaves through the back section and heads on to the back straight. The car understeer slightly around that right hander before the straight. He's on the gas and the car manages to get into 3rd gear down the straight. On the brakes hard, (I click the lap button on my phone) and he throws it through the chicane. I look down at my phone and it says.............47.53. I know there is a bunch of margin for error but then I hear the announcer say "forty seven eighty four". I was so excited I didn't even bother paying attention to the 2nd & 3rd lap. I walked up to Mike(the starting line guy) and asked him to confirm the time. He didn't have the numbers but he was skeptical the '32 had ran that fast. He said "There's no way he picked up a half second". One of the ladies standing there said "It was the Miata that ran the 47.84". I walked away with my slumped. I told Don that I was sure it was him that had ran the 47.

We headed back up top side after those laps and loaded the car on the trailer. We had to wait almost 20 minutes for them to post the results but Don did in fact run a 47.84 on that lap. The incredible thing though, he ran a 47.02 on lap #2. This put him in the 3rd fastest spot for the night.

Needless to say, we couldn't be more proud of his accomplisments. Congrats Don!

-J

[Bryce]

Congrats Guys!

[79-TA]

Starting line Mike . . . unless you're in a JDM machine, he'll have a hard time believing your car did anything not terrible.

[Sales-TCI-Eng]

LMAO

It will be interesting to see if he even noticed what Don ran when we go next week.

-J

[mpozzi]

Congrats and an excellent accomplishment. Hope to bring my orange hunk o' junk out there and play with you guys sometime.

Mary Pozzi

[solarguy09]

Congrats...

The writing was like I was there...I wish I was.
Nice Job with the '32....

[RobNoLimit]

that's cool. - and fast. good job guys, hope Don can set the record straight in Del Mar in the fall.

[Sales-TCI-Eng]

Congrats and an excellent accomplishment. Hope to bring my orange hunk o' junk out there and play with you guys sometime.

Mary Pozzi

As much as I enjoy the WRX's, S2K's and EVO's I'd love to see you kick some sport compact butt.

that's cool. - and fast. good job guys, hope Don can set the record straight in Del Mar in the fall.

He is very excited about going head to head against the same two cars from last year. Both with no fenders and a whole lot more tire than him. However, the car will be a handful on a small course. How's the engine coming along?

-J

[79-TA]

Congrats and an excellent accomplishment. Hope to bring my orange hunk o' junk out there and play with you guys sometime.

Mary Pozzi

Hopefully sooner than later. If you're feeling really ambitious, maybe you guys should make a detour by AMP on your way back from the OUSCI.

[Sales-TCI-Eng]

I also forgot to mention that they ran a mix of time attack and drifting last weekend that was a huge success. They plan on doing that at least once a month now.

-J

[RobNoLimit]

The friday night tune sessions (mix) are great. LOTS of laps. Motor is back in the 'bullet, now it's 1/2 apart for a paint touch up. On the dyno wed for final tune before SEMA. It fells REALLY strong, we had 336 hp at the wheels before the carnage, i'm guessing 370 now. we'll see.

[mpozzi]

Hopefully sooner than later. If you're feeling really ambitious, maybe you guys should make a detour by AMP on your way back from the OUSCI.

Wish I could, Brett. I return back to the salt mines that Tuesday ...

Sometime ...

Mary P.

[79-TA]

I'll have to try to check one of the Friday events out in the next few weeks.

[slow4dr]

FWIW: That test run session was on Saturday not Friday. Mike said there were 250 or so spectators.

-J

[79-TA]

My cousin went to AMP again with his Mustang, but this time on Hankook RS-3's. He ran a 48.4. Some guy in a Miata managed to get his car sideways. Not drifty sideways, but he put the car on its side. I wish I had gone so I could see how that was even possible.


**update**
Apparently tonight's event was cancelled due to high winds. Maybe that will allow some of us to try for this in February? You know, as sort of a pre-RTTC shakedown for our cars.