Dave532
15+ Year Contributor
- 98
- 0
- Jun 5, 2006
-
Minneapolis,
Minnesota
NASA Road America
Aug 4,5 2007
Pre-Race: I have driven a track day here in the early 90's with a Fox chassis Mustang. It was a short stint when I realized how puny my brakes really were. What I did learn was that Road America IMO is the Big Kahuna of all American tracks...it demands all the horsepower, brakes and respect you can muster. I was looking forward to this track more than any other on the circuit.
Though my brakes were performing well I decided to get a new set of rotors and pads just for this event. I bled the brakes and changed all the necessary fluids and was ready to go. I also ordered a set of Hoosier R6's (to be picked up at Road America) for the upcoming National event in Mid-Ohio is September. A short (relatively) 6 hour tow brought me to Elkhart Lake, WI Friday night.
Saturday:
Warmup: I knew the layout fairly well so I started right away seeing how much I could push the car. It was an overcast day with moderate temps. NASA was also running with the Yokohama Porsche series and the Barber Dodge open wheel series on the same weekend. So far I was happy with the brakes and the car pulled well up the hill after the last corner. I'm in the 2:48's.
Qualifying: Pushing a little harder and trying to get the car to through the Carousel faster. Also seeing how fast I can go through the infamous kink. I qualify 13th overall with a 2:44. Supposedly there is one other car in my class but he doesn't qualify. I was seeing 130 mph at the end of the 3 long straights and 100mph through the kink.
Race: My first real race at RA. I'm pumped. This is something I wanted to do for a very long time. After the first couple corners it appears that I cannot break from a red Thunder Roadster and he can't break from me. I am stronger at the top end and in some of the faster corners while he has me under braking and slow corner exits. What a race! We are always within 20 feet of each other. It was anybody's guess each lap who would be leading who. Eventually a 944 Turbo joins the mix and it becomes a 3 way race. I wanted desperately to finish ahead of both of these guys. I was leading our little 'pack' on the last lap when a very aggressive rookie M3 driver lapped us in the kink (not a good place to pass) and I had to lock all 4 wheels to avoid punting him off into the wall at 100 mph. I lost enough momentum that the TR and 944 passed me on the back straight before Canada corner and I finished 14th right behind them. I wasn't too bothered by it as that was the best race I ever had. Period. I eventually found the driver of the TR and after his 30+ years of competition(!) he said it was one of the most enjoyable races he remembers.
Sunday:
Warmup: The weather has changed dramatically. It is now raining. I brought some full wet Kumho MX street tires but I felt bleeding the brakes was more important at this stage. Barely anyone was on the track due to the unfavorable conditions. I also notice after yesterday's race that I blistered my left front Toyo in the Carousel. I talk to the local tire vendor at the track and we decide to put the blistered tire on the least stressed corner of the car (RR).
Qualifying: It is really raining now. Not enough rain for full wet tires but that is all I had. I get out on the track in my street tires and hope the AWD will pull me through. I was very wrong. These tires never heated up and I had a horrible push on corner exit...this DSM would not turn at all. I ran lap after lap trying to find some grip but to no avail. I qualed 8th. After talking to a few tire guys they explained to me that, unless it's a monsoon, I will never get the performance from these street tires that I can get from a full racing wet tire. Lesson learned.
Race: After Qualifying the rain had stopped. However, the fog is so thick I can't use my normal brake markers because they are shrouded. I mounted my dry tires figuring there was enough cars on track to keep it dry. Approximately 5 minutes before the race it starts raining again. The starting grid had a menagerie of car and tire combinations...fast cars on drys, slow cars on wets, etc. This was going to be the most interesting race of my life. The green flag drops and we all tip toe into the first corner. A white M3 spins in front of me and I swerve to the left. A gray 944 has the same plan and forces me onto the wet grass. AWD saves my worthless butt again and I throttle back on the track while we all safely file through turn 2. My Toyo slicks are gripping better than I thought they would but I'm still tentative. My mission is to catch the only other car in my class, a newer Civic Si with what appears to be factory support on wets. By lap 4 the rain stops and I start gaining positions on cars with wets (and some 911's and M3's on dry tires start catching me). With only 2 laps to go I pass the Honda under brakes in turn 5. Even with the big 13" Wilwoods, the last 2 laps my brake rotors were so warped, I couldn't see out of the car while braking due to the intense vibration. What a relief to finish this race...a class win at Road America! True I had only one competitor but still a win
Post-Race: As I had imagined RA took its toll on my brakes but they performed exceptionally well. While at the track I purchased a set Hoosiers in preparation for the National Runoffs at Mid-Ohio in September. Apparently they are worth 2 sec a lap...we will see.
Aug 4,5 2007
Pre-Race: I have driven a track day here in the early 90's with a Fox chassis Mustang. It was a short stint when I realized how puny my brakes really were. What I did learn was that Road America IMO is the Big Kahuna of all American tracks...it demands all the horsepower, brakes and respect you can muster. I was looking forward to this track more than any other on the circuit.
Though my brakes were performing well I decided to get a new set of rotors and pads just for this event. I bled the brakes and changed all the necessary fluids and was ready to go. I also ordered a set of Hoosier R6's (to be picked up at Road America) for the upcoming National event in Mid-Ohio is September. A short (relatively) 6 hour tow brought me to Elkhart Lake, WI Friday night.
Saturday:
Warmup: I knew the layout fairly well so I started right away seeing how much I could push the car. It was an overcast day with moderate temps. NASA was also running with the Yokohama Porsche series and the Barber Dodge open wheel series on the same weekend. So far I was happy with the brakes and the car pulled well up the hill after the last corner. I'm in the 2:48's.
Qualifying: Pushing a little harder and trying to get the car to through the Carousel faster. Also seeing how fast I can go through the infamous kink. I qualify 13th overall with a 2:44. Supposedly there is one other car in my class but he doesn't qualify. I was seeing 130 mph at the end of the 3 long straights and 100mph through the kink.
Race: My first real race at RA. I'm pumped. This is something I wanted to do for a very long time. After the first couple corners it appears that I cannot break from a red Thunder Roadster and he can't break from me. I am stronger at the top end and in some of the faster corners while he has me under braking and slow corner exits. What a race! We are always within 20 feet of each other. It was anybody's guess each lap who would be leading who. Eventually a 944 Turbo joins the mix and it becomes a 3 way race. I wanted desperately to finish ahead of both of these guys. I was leading our little 'pack' on the last lap when a very aggressive rookie M3 driver lapped us in the kink (not a good place to pass) and I had to lock all 4 wheels to avoid punting him off into the wall at 100 mph. I lost enough momentum that the TR and 944 passed me on the back straight before Canada corner and I finished 14th right behind them. I wasn't too bothered by it as that was the best race I ever had. Period. I eventually found the driver of the TR and after his 30+ years of competition(!) he said it was one of the most enjoyable races he remembers.
Sunday:
Warmup: The weather has changed dramatically. It is now raining. I brought some full wet Kumho MX street tires but I felt bleeding the brakes was more important at this stage. Barely anyone was on the track due to the unfavorable conditions. I also notice after yesterday's race that I blistered my left front Toyo in the Carousel. I talk to the local tire vendor at the track and we decide to put the blistered tire on the least stressed corner of the car (RR).
Qualifying: It is really raining now. Not enough rain for full wet tires but that is all I had. I get out on the track in my street tires and hope the AWD will pull me through. I was very wrong. These tires never heated up and I had a horrible push on corner exit...this DSM would not turn at all. I ran lap after lap trying to find some grip but to no avail. I qualed 8th. After talking to a few tire guys they explained to me that, unless it's a monsoon, I will never get the performance from these street tires that I can get from a full racing wet tire. Lesson learned.
Race: After Qualifying the rain had stopped. However, the fog is so thick I can't use my normal brake markers because they are shrouded. I mounted my dry tires figuring there was enough cars on track to keep it dry. Approximately 5 minutes before the race it starts raining again. The starting grid had a menagerie of car and tire combinations...fast cars on drys, slow cars on wets, etc. This was going to be the most interesting race of my life. The green flag drops and we all tip toe into the first corner. A white M3 spins in front of me and I swerve to the left. A gray 944 has the same plan and forces me onto the wet grass. AWD saves my worthless butt again and I throttle back on the track while we all safely file through turn 2. My Toyo slicks are gripping better than I thought they would but I'm still tentative. My mission is to catch the only other car in my class, a newer Civic Si with what appears to be factory support on wets. By lap 4 the rain stops and I start gaining positions on cars with wets (and some 911's and M3's on dry tires start catching me). With only 2 laps to go I pass the Honda under brakes in turn 5. Even with the big 13" Wilwoods, the last 2 laps my brake rotors were so warped, I couldn't see out of the car while braking due to the intense vibration. What a relief to finish this race...a class win at Road America! True I had only one competitor but still a win
Post-Race: As I had imagined RA took its toll on my brakes but they performed exceptionally well. While at the track I purchased a set Hoosiers in preparation for the National Runoffs at Mid-Ohio in September. Apparently they are worth 2 sec a lap...we will see.
