i've just had the most productive 2 days at the track in my memory. sears point, very wet for 1.5 days. i was actually comfortable pushing it near the traction limit lap after lap in the rain... and ran a whopping 2:34.x. i could've optimized it a little more at a few spots but ran out of track time (should've started pushing harder earlier. stupid me). on nearly bald/old jdm falken street tires, and nearly bald bfg g-force kd's on back.


thanks to my friend tony c. who showed me the wet line for SP. the available traction difference from the surface was really big for wetline vs. dry line. the reason being the dry line is micropolished by all the slicks, thus when it is even just a little damp, it becomes slippery. so super late turn in, and stay way off line @ places...



today it dried up after lunch. i got consistant 2:04.x. slower than i thought. that's 8 seconds off the recently set ITA record (1:56.x i think) by bernardo in his crx. by slower i mean for example @ LS i'm at 1:51.x, ITA record 1:48.x, at WS i'm at 1:41.x, ITA record ~1:36, at TH full track I'm at 2:15.x, ITA record is 2:10-11. my time are on azenis so figure 2-4 second difference with R compound tires. SP is the most technical and most curvey track though, perhaps R tires is worth a LOT? can't wait to get LSD, 4.7 FD, real track pad, and see what difference it'll make.

i wish i got to drive them, but i only rode in them.

evo7, broken in now. very smooth torque curve. boost builds fast, even if you go off, then on thottle. 0.7 bar as soon as WOT, and peaks at 1.4 bar. the only weakness is street brake pads were lame. car is VERY tossible. lift throttle rotation is easy to achieve. makes the most grip when you lift throttle, point where you want to go, and full power. car feels extremely grippy and safe. i will get to drive it next time. can't wait.




radial. WOW. the fastest car i've ridden in. it's only his second time @ SP and 1st time was only half track. so his lines isn't perfect yet. this is a downforce car so it takes more seat time to learn each new track too. but this car is REALLY IMPRESSIVE. butt g meter indicates at least 1.4-1.5g of mechnical grip. add downforce it should be 2g or maybe little more. really good brakes. i think atleast 1.5 g, maybe more underbraking. and he weasn't even locking it up. the car has a lot left. but we were going at pretty sick speed already. balance of the car is excellent, communication of the chassis is superb and instantaneous. feedback is so good it actually doens't seem that hard to drive. but how fast the road comes up is kinda scrary, when you start thinking about... what if i go off here at this speed?? i might ask to drive it at a safe track in the future. he let me drive his spec racer ford before, but this is whole another level. this is probably one of the best "new" (vs. used) track car you can buy for under 50k (that's with tons of goodies, base is about 37k). crazy amount of performance.







[Modified by GhettoRacer, 8:15 AM 12/11/2002]

 

Evo7 !?!? wut the heck! man those are some cool pics

 

how did you ride in the radical? i only see one seat...... who makes those things, is there a race series they compete in or are they just fast track toys?

 

they have two seats. RHD.

http://www.radicalmotorsport.com/new.../new_range.htm

in SCCA they run in CSR (or is it DSR?), very quick class.

 

Mark is a good guy. He's an east coast transplant. Used to run SRF's.

Warren

 

I'm sorry...

Could you fill me in on your charmed life? (Basically how do you get to ride and drive other people's cars on a track?)


[Modified by Vantage, 1:17 AM 12/11/2002]

 

Just look up all the open track events you can find. Someone always has some kind of cool hardware at every event. Of course, finding a way to *pay* for all that track time and car wear is entirely up to you.
-Adam


[Modified by mityVR6, 1:16 AM 12/11/2002]

 

if youre an instructor you generally dont pay for your track time (that is your pay)

 

what are the specs on your hatch?

Mike

 

94 civic si hb w/abs
stock d16z6
aem cold air
test pipe
amurf jdm catback
chip
stripped interior (2300 lbs with 8 gal of fuel with me in it)
corner balanced (didn't move any weight around tho) 64/36 weight dist. got the cross weight to with in 0.5%

neuspeed front brace
energy stables harness bar
jdm itr rear tower bar
neuspeed rear lower arm bar

z.speed front camber kit -3.0
srr rear camber -2.5
zero toe front and back
skunk2 coilovers 10 kg/mm (560/") front and back
kyb agx set to 4 all around
eibach 24 mm front swaybar
neuspeed 19 mm rear swaybar

pepboys raybestos ceramic enhanced front pads
autozone $13 rear pads

enkei rp05 14x6 et38
195/60/14 falken azenis 41f 43r (warm)

recently i thought the car was having a mild push. but actually, it was because the inside front was spinning and it was making all the noise. the car has very turn lift throttle rotation on sticky tires, not as good as before but the rotation is still there. balance is pretty much neutral now.

on throttle it is not pushing, but just spinning the inside a little (not enough for rpm to swing). so for sure with LSD i can get faster exit speeds. actually, i think with R compound tires, it might just have enough grip where the inside won't spin.

i picked up mike q's 22 mm bar. and i will be testing a 21 mm tubular rear swaybar soon too. that might give me the rotation i prefer, with out having to up the rear spring more. this is a street car after all.

but who knows, when i put the toyos on, i might still need more rotation...



[Modified by GhettoRacer, 8:26 AM 12/11/2002]

 

I liek the black roof on teh yellow hatch. It looks kinda cool actually.

The Evo is yummy aswell....

How many days to you drive a day? What job do you have that allows you to do this? FRUCK!

Cal - who wishes he could lap every day!

 

Joo are NOT the rain master!

I yam the Rain Meister!

(Well, me and my Dirt Stockers.)

It pisses me off that you got to drive in the rain so far south.

I got ONE rain day last year. <grumble @#$%ing grumble>

Scott, who knows that if he removes what's left of his heater/defroster he'd get to drive alot more rain days.......it'd almost be worth it.

 

don't envy me (well, you should in a way haha)

but i'm living on credit cards for the last 1.5 years. and i'm super budget. i've slept in cars @ track couple times now to save $ even in 35f temp in desert. i like driving the hb 'cause it uses 87 octane, i crash with friends whenever i can. i don't buy any cloth, have no gf... etc. my life evolves around track right now. and i'm loving it.

for me i figured out this IS what i want to do (if i can), everyday. i'm so happy now even tough now i have a some debt. i'm living my life how i want it. thank god for my supportive parents who allowed me to move back home after i lost my job. i can't never pay them back all but some day i hope to give some back.

i've been only been busy since last nov. since then i've done about 60 days instructing so i've only had to very little entry fee. gas bill is probably the higest expense. instructing allows me to refined my skills (driving and instructing), meet lots of cool people (from all walks of life), ride, and drive a wide variety of cars. it's amazing what seat time will do. on another list people thinks one can't drive 10/10th at a safe manner. i tried to tell them it's just seat time but they think i'm being arrogant and bragging. i was just telling them how i do it.

scott: i guess the guys up at Seattle should be the rain masters... we don't get that much rain practice in cali.

ps, wasn't me and my ex a cute couple?? *sob sob*






[Modified by GhettoRacer, 9:47 AM 12/11/2002]

 

I had the pleasure to drive a Evo7 when I was on my trip to Asia. The Active Yaw Control is really a magic. It almost makes you forget the importance of weight transfer. It would rotate the car just enough.

But also because of that, some people do not like it (too much assists from the computer).

 

crash into friends? HAHA!

It sounds like you chose to follow your dreams oppose to trying to be a business man which you are not. Or are you? I really dont know but thats not the point...

I think its great that you are chasing a dream and are happy doing it. Sure it is hard because your financial situations aren't enormous, but you have to realize the amount of people that make huge coin and have as much seat time as you are only professional race car drivers.

If you stay striken to road racing, you will prosper one day and hopefully can pay back your parents with the money you make off by doing somthing you love.

Cal - Who is in a similar situation to you, although he is not sure if he wants to have fun or make money. Hopefully he can do both but the idea of it isn't as bright as one would hope...

 

Frank,
I've been away for a few days and missed this thread.
FWIW, I actually hate the rain, get a roll bar in that thing, and she's cute.... you, not so much.