Dave532
15+ Year Contributor
- 98
- 0
- Jun 5, 2006
-
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
NASA Pro Race Grattan, MI
June 07,08 2008
Pre-Race: To follow the technical regulations I had to re-wire the kill switch to include the alternator output. A 11 hour tow in tremendous cross winds brought me to Grattan, MI...a few miles east of Grand Rapids.
Saturday:
Practice: I have heard alot about this track...essentially it being very technical, a true driver's track. After the first couple corners I'm the first car in line. My first reaction to this track is how tight and twisty it is...my AWD nose-heavy pig is gonna have a tough weekend. Coming into turn 10 I experience the worst pad knock-back in my life and promptly go off into the wet, soupy and muddy grass. This is the first time I have ever caused a yellow flag
Once I get back on the track my brakes just don't feel right and I pull into the pits. I skip the rest of practice to bleed the brakes.
Qualifying: Because of my shortened last session I will essentially use this session as Practice. There is a definite line around this track and I don't know it yet. I've got the tire pressures where I want them and the car is rotating nice on corner entry. Corner exit is a bit more disappointing...it might be time to rebuild\replace the rear diff. I still get some pad knockback because of the high speed turn 9 but I tap brakes before 10 the rest of the weekend and it performs fine. Overall the brakes are excellent...this is not a brake heavy track but I can really feel my rear brakes working thanks to the adjuster. I'm in the 1:33's on Hoosiers.
There was supposed to one other car in my class (PTC) but he can't run due to his motor habitually overheating.
Race: I start 5th behind a 350z, a couple Hondas and a former World Challenge Acura (I think). The green flag drops and I am in 4th by turn 1. I know I haven't come close to perfecting this track yet but I am deciding on my favorite lines...I am having a lot of fun with the blind 11/12 chicane leading on to the straight. This place reminds me of a rally stage more than any track I have been on. It is bumpy, twisty with a great combination of blind, off-camber and banked corners. It is so bumpy, my camera falls over in its mount and my wink mirror starts to fall off. I pass the Prelude halfway through the race in the infield. I feel faster as I gain more seat time here. The 350z appears to break somewhere in turn 1. With 5 laps to go I start to develop a bad push on the fast right-handers...I have to straighten my exits to keep off that corner of the car as much as possible. I finish 1st in class (only car in class) and 2nd overall after 40 minutes. What a workout! I don't think I have ever worked so hard on a road course. After inspecting the car I see I have worn my left front Hoosier down to the cords...it's done for. The good news; I finish my 8th road race...the NASA rookie stickers come off the car!
Sunday:
Practice: Due to very heavy rains the night before, the track is still damp with rain crossing the track in some places. I decide to take this time and mount the Toyos.
While the wheels are off I notice the right front lower strut mount is loose. What a rough track...after tightening the nut/bolt combination, I mount and torque the wheels down. I also tighten the wink mirror.
Qualifying: I haven't run on Toyos since last year so I'm curious as how they will measure up compared to the Hoosiers. I set my pressures and drive the best line I can around the track. The Miatas and Hondas are hard to beat in the tight sections but I can put the power down quicker in the fast corners. Along with the Hoosier rep we take my tire temps (his gauge was much more accurate than mine). According to the temps my camber settings were perfect...except for the LF which could have used another -.5
degrees.
For some reason, the Qualifying grid isn't posted until the last minute and I see I qualify 12th? WTF The race starts in 15 minutes so I have no time to see why I am so far back in the field when I should be at least 6th.
Race: I am gridded behind multiple slower cars. The last time this happened to me was Mid-Ohio and I got wrecked by a slower car spinning in front of me. I slowly weave through the field; a couple Focuses, Fiero, Neons and Hondas. The only real pucker moment was in turn 10 while lapping a Focus on my left, a Fiero ahead of me and a Miata had spun in front of me. Luckily I had slowed enough to navigate everyone and lap the Fiero on the straight. I finish 7th overall. The Toyos performed well. They had better grip in the slow corners but worse grip in the fast corners. The Toyos also gave better feedback through the wheel. I was always told Hooisers are worth 2 seconds a lap...in my experience at Grattan there was no measurable difference in lap times. Not to mention the Toyos didn't cord at the end of the race.
I talked to the Race Director about the Qualifying Grid problems and he passed me off to the Class Director...who promptly passed me off to the Race Director again. I give up...I have an 11 hour tow ahead of me and storm clouds are rolling in. I will 'discuss' my issue with NASA at a later time.
One you learn the line Grattan is a fun little track. I feel it would have even been even more fun with a smaller, nimbler car but the DSM did well under brakes in turn 1 and entering the straight from 11/12. You keep very busy here. Outside of the main straight you have no time to rest on this track...you are almost always in a cornering state.
I will need to purchase a new set of tires before the next race...probably Toyos at this point.
June 07,08 2008
Pre-Race: To follow the technical regulations I had to re-wire the kill switch to include the alternator output. A 11 hour tow in tremendous cross winds brought me to Grattan, MI...a few miles east of Grand Rapids.
Saturday:
Practice: I have heard alot about this track...essentially it being very technical, a true driver's track. After the first couple corners I'm the first car in line. My first reaction to this track is how tight and twisty it is...my AWD nose-heavy pig is gonna have a tough weekend. Coming into turn 10 I experience the worst pad knock-back in my life and promptly go off into the wet, soupy and muddy grass. This is the first time I have ever caused a yellow flag
Once I get back on the track my brakes just don't feel right and I pull into the pits. I skip the rest of practice to bleed the brakes.
Qualifying: Because of my shortened last session I will essentially use this session as Practice. There is a definite line around this track and I don't know it yet. I've got the tire pressures where I want them and the car is rotating nice on corner entry. Corner exit is a bit more disappointing...it might be time to rebuild\replace the rear diff. I still get some pad knockback because of the high speed turn 9 but I tap brakes before 10 the rest of the weekend and it performs fine. Overall the brakes are excellent...this is not a brake heavy track but I can really feel my rear brakes working thanks to the adjuster. I'm in the 1:33's on Hoosiers.
There was supposed to one other car in my class (PTC) but he can't run due to his motor habitually overheating.
Race: I start 5th behind a 350z, a couple Hondas and a former World Challenge Acura (I think). The green flag drops and I am in 4th by turn 1. I know I haven't come close to perfecting this track yet but I am deciding on my favorite lines...I am having a lot of fun with the blind 11/12 chicane leading on to the straight. This place reminds me of a rally stage more than any track I have been on. It is bumpy, twisty with a great combination of blind, off-camber and banked corners. It is so bumpy, my camera falls over in its mount and my wink mirror starts to fall off. I pass the Prelude halfway through the race in the infield. I feel faster as I gain more seat time here. The 350z appears to break somewhere in turn 1. With 5 laps to go I start to develop a bad push on the fast right-handers...I have to straighten my exits to keep off that corner of the car as much as possible. I finish 1st in class (only car in class) and 2nd overall after 40 minutes. What a workout! I don't think I have ever worked so hard on a road course. After inspecting the car I see I have worn my left front Hoosier down to the cords...it's done for. The good news; I finish my 8th road race...the NASA rookie stickers come off the car!
Sunday:
Practice: Due to very heavy rains the night before, the track is still damp with rain crossing the track in some places. I decide to take this time and mount the Toyos.
While the wheels are off I notice the right front lower strut mount is loose. What a rough track...after tightening the nut/bolt combination, I mount and torque the wheels down. I also tighten the wink mirror.
Qualifying: I haven't run on Toyos since last year so I'm curious as how they will measure up compared to the Hoosiers. I set my pressures and drive the best line I can around the track. The Miatas and Hondas are hard to beat in the tight sections but I can put the power down quicker in the fast corners. Along with the Hoosier rep we take my tire temps (his gauge was much more accurate than mine). According to the temps my camber settings were perfect...except for the LF which could have used another -.5
degrees.
For some reason, the Qualifying grid isn't posted until the last minute and I see I qualify 12th? WTF The race starts in 15 minutes so I have no time to see why I am so far back in the field when I should be at least 6th.
Race: I am gridded behind multiple slower cars. The last time this happened to me was Mid-Ohio and I got wrecked by a slower car spinning in front of me. I slowly weave through the field; a couple Focuses, Fiero, Neons and Hondas. The only real pucker moment was in turn 10 while lapping a Focus on my left, a Fiero ahead of me and a Miata had spun in front of me. Luckily I had slowed enough to navigate everyone and lap the Fiero on the straight. I finish 7th overall. The Toyos performed well. They had better grip in the slow corners but worse grip in the fast corners. The Toyos also gave better feedback through the wheel. I was always told Hooisers are worth 2 seconds a lap...in my experience at Grattan there was no measurable difference in lap times. Not to mention the Toyos didn't cord at the end of the race.
I talked to the Race Director about the Qualifying Grid problems and he passed me off to the Class Director...who promptly passed me off to the Race Director again. I give up...I have an 11 hour tow ahead of me and storm clouds are rolling in. I will 'discuss' my issue with NASA at a later time.
One you learn the line Grattan is a fun little track. I feel it would have even been even more fun with a smaller, nimbler car but the DSM did well under brakes in turn 1 and entering the straight from 11/12. You keep very busy here. Outside of the main straight you have no time to rest on this track...you are almost always in a cornering state.
I will need to purchase a new set of tires before the next race...probably Toyos at this point.
