My first event of 2014 was a NASA Time Trial at Barber Motorsports Park. One of the best tracks in the country. It was a combination of 3 regions. Southeast, Texas and Mid-South. Lots of talent entered, several highly tuned C6Z Corvettes and a 997 Turbo (pretty stock) I entered the weekend with a little bit of apprehension because I hadn't been on track in almost 6 months so I knew I would be rusty! My Hoosier A6's had well over 15 heat cycles, and had been sitting on my car on the trailer since November! Didn't bring any sticker tires, but had some 2 HC A6's on the trailer.

I had been waiting for almost 6 years to get back to Barber and reclaim my lap record (1:36.4 set when car was full interior street car) that was demolished by a shop car with huge power and DF (1:31.9). One that turned out to be illegal, and was caught years later, but had no record stripped. However I had broken one record from this car, and knew I could do the same again.


Day 1

Weekend almost over before it started. Anyone familiar with TT knows how you get your tires warm on a super slow out lap. Short burnouts, weaving and accel to heavy braking. Well exiting the pits in the VERY FIRST SESSION OF THE WEEKEND, on cold tires, after 6 months off the track, on cold winter hardened A6's, I decided to punch it. A knucklehead move almost cost me!

The video tells the story. LOL


https://vimeo.com/87033475


So after avoiding a major embarrassment I gathered myself and ran the fastest lap of the session, which was also my personal best of 1:33.6. I wasn't pushing too hard, so I was pleased.

Next session out, the drama began, stragglers coming out to the track late, getting in the way on the 2nd flying lap, which on old hoosiers is required, because they are so hard from being in the cold all winter. Still managed a 1:32.9 but the car developed massive understeer during this session, so I spent a lot of time waiting for the car to rotate to get back on throttle.

Made some chassis tweaks between sessions and felt a big improvement in the 3rd session, however was really feeling out the changes and caught traffic quickly, had to settle for a 1:33.1. Still pushing pretty badly.

Fourth Session, by this time I was simply preparing for Sunday and getting the car dialed in with some sway bar changes. However I ended up with the 650+ whp Unlimited class shop Corvette with former World Challenge driver gridded behind me. I offered to let him go out first be he declined and said he was shaking the car down. However upon examining my mirrors after the first couple of turns, I had not gapped him. No way he was shaking down, so I figured I would try and keep a gap there. Slower than I thought, over the next lap and a half, he reeled me in, mostly in braking (he runs huge DF and 315 FRONT TIRES, as big as my rears). I tried, but my car just couldn't match the braking power. But I noticed, on the second lap, on my traqmate that I was WELL ahead of my best time of the day. Over a second (predictive lap timer) this would be very close to beating the lap record, I focused on pushing, but not too hard and keeping my pace.........

And then it happened................

A MIATA GOING SLOW!!!!!!!!!!! ARGHGHGHGHGHGHGH

The guy was no where near the rest of the field, and we were only on our second flying lap, so either he dogged it to give himself some room, or came on the track late. Caught him in turn 13-15 complex, which is completely ruined if you catch traffic here. Not to mention a fire breathing Corvette is now inches off my bumper. I have to wait patiently to exit turn 15 to pass the Miata on the inside of the straight, and quickly move right to let the Corvette by while still foot to floor to salvage something from the lap. Time turned out to be a 1:32.5 which I was happy with considering how much time I spent being held up.


Sunday, we only had one Time Trial session in the morning on Sunday, and the forecast predicted warmer weather in the afternoon which meant the track would likely slow significantly. I decided not to run my fresher tires hoping no one in my class would actually catch me. The closest competitor in class was about 1.6 second back, and I knew I still had more on the table with the old tires to maybe widen that gap a bit. Went out on the first lap to attack, and my A6's let me know in turn one (by not stopping much) that they weren't ready yet. Blew turn 1 completely, still ran a low 33 getting the tires warmed up. Started lap 2 ready to throw down a good time and ............ wait for it..........


A MIATA GOING SLOW AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!

Bad track etiquette for time trialing!

Fortunately this time, I caught this one on a straight going into the hairpin (turn 5), but in the braking zone, so I'm taking the turn from the middle of the track instead of the outside. Not to mention the Vette had just passed him, and was cooling it down (1 lap flier for him) so he was on the exit of the hairpin and I couldn't track out at all. So I just about made a turn on a dime headed back the other way. I didn't know if it would completely ruin my lap, but I decided to keep pushing anyways as more lap traffic would be coming and this was the best session to get a good time. Managed a clean second half of the lap and peeking at the predictive lap timer I was in the green (meaning faster than my previous fastest). The result.....

1:31.846 - New Lap Record (by a hair)!!!!!!!!

Didn't run anymore sessions that day, but after examining my data, I lost almost a second on that first half of the track. Partially me not fully comfortable with the track again yet, partially traffic, but a 1:30.xx was definitely doable on the old scrubs. I was also rusty from the off season and hadn't been to Barber since 2011. Left a few seconds on the table, but got what I came for (Tires and a record).

Good start to the season.......

 

Man, that was quite a read. Sounds like fun. I feel like I should introduce you to motorcycles....................???

 

Glad the video was only embarrassing. Whoops!

Good story and congrats on your lap record.

You mentioned before in another thread the spring rates were too low (600/800 IIRC) for your ride height. What change(s) have you done?

 

Oh nooooooooo. Not going anywhere near bikes. Scared.



Thanks!

Actually we ended up going up 100lbs in the front and rear so it's 700/900 now. Feels good actually with the grip level of the old A6's. I think slicks would still overwhelm the shock a bit. Shopping for some new dampers, can't decide on ease of use (1-2 way) vs range of adjustment (3-ways).

I really need a setup for that particular track, car was still pushing a bit under throttle costing me mid corner speed, which is very costly on Barber's off camber sweepers and hairpins. Probably could have used more rake, or played with the aero and dampers a bit. But I only did 5 sessions and probably 12 laps. Have a test day coming up for some fine tuning.

 

Forgot to ask, what is the combined weight with car and driver?

 

3230's (I'm 220)

I have a passenger seat that weighs 35 lbs, stock hood that's 25 lbs heavier than my carbon one and the spare tire weighing in at 35 lbs. Lightest it has scaled car only is 2835 with about a 1.4 tank (before I put the cup clutch in) and without all of the extra weight adders.

I could run a TT session under 3100 lbs on lower fuel without all of that stuff. I just haven't done it because its tiresome work amongst all of the other stuff getting ready for a track day. I switch back and forth between NARRA and NASA and the weight/power ratio for NARRA is 6.25 which is right at where I am, NASA is 5.5 but if I want to use slicks was 6.25 as well, so gave me the freedom to run slicks if I wanted.

Debating some mods that will get me under 3000 with driver.

 

I am getting the front springs changed from 700 to 800, rear is 1000. You mentioned in the past that having 200 delta f/r is pretty optimal (my indy calls it a stable platform). Car and driver for me is ~3650 with 1/2 tank of fuel.

Good luck in your quest for a sub 3000 car and driver combo.

Tom Kerr from what I have read in the past has a really light TT.

 

I think 200 is good for a RWD NA car. Personally I prefer 300 lbs, gives better mid corner grip IMO. But some people find success with 100lbs difference and some with 400 lbs difference. I was mistaken, my old setup was 600/899 (not 600/800).


It's hard to take any one aspect of a setup without looking at the whole picture. Damping, rake, camber, toe, power, aero, tires can all individually change the handling of the car in one direction or the other along with the spring rates. The preference of the driver in term of handling style is first and foremost and differs quite a bit. Setup is like getting a symphony of things working together to give the driver confidence.

However if you have good turn in, and your car is more prone to oversteer, I would adjust the end with the problem first. Maybe softer in back instead of stiff in front.

 

I just need to be a better conductor.

 

Don't we all!


If you can't yourself, find someone who can take your input and make changes that will make you more comfortable in the drivers seat. A good setup guy is worth the price of admission. And you can learn how to make small changes yourself if you pay good enough attention.

That's what I'm doing.

 

Nice work Dez! Miatas = TT landmines great write up

 

Oddly enough, the culprit in this case, is a championship level driver, broke multiple class and car lap records at various tracks, and was top 15 in times for the weekend but in one of the slowest TT classes.

He just sat back and waited so he could get in the faster cars way so he wouldn't get held up. Gridded at the back on purpose.

 

[QUOTE]
Oddly enough, the culprit in this case, is a championship level driver, broke multiple class and car lap records at various tracks, and was top 15 in times for the weekend but in one of the slowest TT classes.

He just sat back and waited so he could get in the faster cars way so he wouldn't get held up. Gridded at the back on purpose.

[/QUOTE


Oh yeah I know, wait till you have to race with them on track. They think they are the only class on the track.

 

Really??
Track season ... I look outside and have like a foot of snow still in the yard.

 

My car weighs just a shade over 3200 ready to run w/o driver. GT2 set up. I am running 700/800 springs right now and like the 100 difference little better than the 600/800 I had before. The car still feels soft when pushed with sticky tires. These cars are heavy. I'm swapping to JRZ pros with 1100/1200 mains and 150/250 tenders, which will narrow the % delta even more. This is actually several hundred pounds lower that what was recommended for a pure track car but since I very occasionally drive the car on the street I figured this would be an Ok compromise. I've been lucky that I have had someone that has spent basically their whole life racing these cars actually spent a decent amount of seat time in my car at the track to dial it in. He's definitely made my car much more docile at the limit than it was before though changes to alignment, uprights, sways, tire sizes, spring rates, and shock setting. Everyone has a different approach to setting up these cars and it's interesting to hear all the variations.