Well just got done my first weekend at VIR in HPDE 2 with NASA MA. Ran into Chad while I was there and a few guys I knew from svtperformance. Nice seeing everyone, some of you for the first time.

Chad thanks again for offering that hood up, I just didn't really need it with the hood off.

It was around 120 degrees on track both days, so it goes without saying that it was hot as **** and very uncomfortable. My gf and I pretty much sat in the tow car rocking the AC all day between classroom and track sessions.

I managed to rupture a AC line from rubbing.... and then my last session of the day I had the car start filling with smoke from my power steering fluid leaking all out of the rack (not sure where from yet) and burning off on my exhaust. I'm sure it's not a major repair, but kind of sucks I had issues!

I ran the entire weekend with NO hood on the car, and it worked out great, except for the fact that the rushing air was cooling my oil block so much I have no idea what true oil temps I was seeing. Regardless the coolant temps stayed cooler than it did at EXPO this year and I could beat on it harder.

Overall, I am very happy and REALLY enjoyed the course. It was definately a MUCH more challenging course than Autobahn and really tested my driving abilities. I learned a lot about my car.

I'm definitely outdriving the street tires on the car. I am going to trash them and go ahead with the Nitto NT-01's and also start looking into a lower and stiffer suspension. My instructor had me try and hang with a Mustang running R-comps my last session of the weekend and I was able to start with him in the corners, but I definately need a stickier tire now that I have some experience. His advice based on what he saw was a stickier tire like the Nittos or another R-comp.

I had an issue on the front and back straight because my car was hitting anywhere between 150-160 mph and at those speeds the car started feeling very light like the front was coming off the ground. I hate those ricer wings and splitters on Type R's, but I think I'm going to have to invest in a nice splitter up front and a functional wing in the rear to give the car a bit more downforce at those speeds. Any suggestions would be great.

As far as braking, I was running Hawk HP+ in the front and HPS in the rear. I had NO issues going from 150 down to 50 mph while braking at the 2nd marker going into turn 1. Definitely awesome brake pads!

I have some video I'm going to try and upload sometime this week onto youtube. I'll post back once I get it loaded.

 

I'm glad you had a good time, VIR totally rocks the house. However, some of your information here is unlikely.

150+ mph, on street tires? at the second brake marker on the front straight? with HP+'s?
I don't buy that. I brake around there at 135 mph on Toyos and XR-2 Cobalt race pads, and don't have much left interms of brake zone compression.

(edit: I'm sorry if I'm mis-understanding your "second brake marker", are you speaking of the second brake marker you pass when entering the brake zone, or the second marker from the finish?)

Also, If you're doing 170 on the back, that is believeable, however, if i'd have been your instructor I wouldn't have let that fly. That is TOO fast unless you have a cage and other safety equipment.

Only reason I'm stating this, is that I don't want people (that have little track experience) to think what you are saying is common place. It's not.

Please don't take this as a personal attack, just clarifying irregularities.

 

Given that the speedo tops out at, what, 150? Where is that estimate of 170mph coming from? Glenn Bunch in the ridiculous Challenger hits 175 there, and that is a f*cking BEAST. FWIW, a stockish Integra (aero-wise) will start to feel light ~120mph.

What makes you think you're at the limit of the street tires?

 

On the front straight I was hitting about 150-155 at the tower and then letting out of the throttle because the car started to feel so light. I started braking at brake marker 3 or 2 (numbers posted on the markers) depending on how stable the car felt each session. Not sure what to tell you to be honest, I'm not lying. I probably was doing 140 by the time I started braking when you consider the throttle back.

Not sure what to tell you on the instructor front I'm not an instructor. I think you need to keep in mind about 99% of the cars on track that beginners or intermediate drivers will bring will not hit anywhere near the speeds my car will.

 

Let me find a gear calculator and I'll see how fast I was actually going. I was exaggerating the 170...maybe 160.

As for street tires, I don't really want to get into it online. We can talk via PM or something.

 

I thought even an ITR can't get past 150mph? I seem to recall 138mph was the fastest a magazine (possibly Road and Track) listed for the ITR. (unless maybe it was a GS-R?)

EDIT: Just saw your post about the exaggeration.

I'm wondering if running with no hood affected your car's feeling at high speed?

 

600 whp in 2500 lbs car.....10,000 rpm redline.

 

Well, then good for you.

Still, on the safety aspect. That is a very serious amount of speed you are carrying. I wouldn't even drive my car in its current form with an HC legal cage, and safety equipment at that speed. It wouldn't be safe in the instance that your brakes were to fail at the end of the back straight.

 

I wanted to ride with you at Expo, but never saw you

I know your car has a ton of power, and that will make the street tire thing a bit different regardless of your ability.

Gotta say I'm skeptical on the braking thing though, unless you were going wildly deep into T1 before turn-in. I've been there and done it in a lighter, slower car with more brake and tire.

 

I agree with you. I didn't exactly feel safe.

I'll be honest, I SUCKED at that whole section of the track. From Turn 1 until the bottom S's I just COULD NOT find my groove. I was turning in late and carried too much speed usually, producing understeer and slowing my laps down.

Hopefully I'll run into you again soon. What is your local track?

 

I'm moving back to MD in a week, so the Mid-Atlantic area will be my home. Summit Point and VIR are my hometracks. I am more comfortable and familiar with VIR, despite it being the farther away of the two. I'm tentatively trying to plan a fall VIR meet with some of the Midwest guys, I'll keep you informed. At some point I'm sure we will be there at the same time

Btw, who were your instructors at Expo and VIR?

 

That's great. There is a NASA Summit in August and Nov I believe and VIR is again in October if you can make any of them. I'd like to make a Watkins Glen event sometime this year as well.

EXPO was Andrew Meek (Hooch'n) and VIR was Ben (something). I'll have to look in my passport review thingy and see what his last name is. He drives a Spec Miata I believe and lives right near VIR. Real nice dude with southern accent.