NEMOC Random BS Thread
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Another fun night on the track. I was running similar lap times to a Turbo Miata and E30. I tried to keep them in my rear view but they had the straight line speed. Hit a personal best 2:04.66 on session 2 and backed it up with several more 2:04s during the final session. Watch me try to keep pace with the E30 once I waved him by...
https://youtu.be/Chfgme8ywog
https://youtu.be/Chfgme8ywog
It was a great project car and fun to drive, but honestly never had time for it. Between that and some life changes, it was time to part ways.
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- 92 & 16 Meyatas
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- 92 & 16 Meyatas
The MSM, running real good! Looking forward to an upcoming track night in Palmer
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- 92 & 16 Meyatas
I have that issue, it doesn't feel right to wait so long, but it's the best way to keep up the speed
There are a few different lines and lower power cars benefit from taking the shortest route around. Many of the turns are hairpins and are close to double-apex when done right. For example, I gain time between turns 3 and 4 by braking late and positioning the car mid-track. Staying wide on the entrance to turn 4 doesn't gain me any more speed on exit because I'm horsepower limited up the hill. You can see this in other videos on YouTube of guys in Miatas. You an also see in my other video how much I gain on the E30 by late braking into turn 4.
Another example is turn 7. It's a double apex but novice drivers don't read it that way. Stay to the right when you apex turn 6 and straighten out the line between the apex of 6 and the left side of the track when you enter 7. Brake deep and straight and aim for the flagging station, then turn in once you cross the pavement seem. He stays wide all the way through the beginning of 7 and loses time because you can't brake hard and turn through there (I learned that mistake my first visit). You need to find a way to straighten out the brake zone. He gains it back with more power on exit, but I'm on the throttle at the same time. Neither of us make it down to the apex which requires two wheels on the rumble strip. I don't trust the RX7 to hold the line over the strip.
Turn 9 is yet another hairpin. However, I think I am turning in a little early and I had a hard time balancing between late braking and turning in. There are some bumps in the middle of the braking zone and one time I pushed it too hard and the rear axle started bouncing around. After that incident I backed off pushing that corner too hard. I've seen a lot of accidents on YouTube there. It's downhill and there isn't much track to work with, plus the entry is abnormally slick. It's one of two spots on the track that have less grip, the other being the apex of turn 5 where my car's LSD drifts me around the corner.
Turn 11 is another place I gained on him by staying more to the right through turn 10 and straightening out a small section just after the apex of 11 to hard brake. Similar to turn 7, when you see the flagging station, straight the wheel, jab the brakes, then turn in harder. If you get it right, you transition from turning left almost right at the apex of turn 12...I'm transitioning a little early which means I'm not carrying quite enough speed through 11...but I'm on the throttle so not much I can do short of getting better tires and/or drifting part of 11.
Places I can work on: Turn 1. It's scary as hell dropping from 100+ down to about 55-60. I always play it on the safe side and if you watch the videos closely you'll see a porsche in the gravel who overshot the turn. Turn 2 I'm afraid to take flat out, but I know I can do it. I was able to take it flat out before I installed the exhaust but now that I'm carrying more speed out of turn 1 it scares me and I'm holding on for dear life using the center console to keep me from sliding off the seat. Turn 6 I can push a little harder but it's off camber right when you need the grip. I think I can turn in a little sooner than I am, and I certainly don't need to be braking, just a slight lift. Turn 8 is the same, where the car is holding, but I'm lifting slightly because it's really fast and blind.
Overall, I'm about 3 seconds off pace from a stock 1.6L Miata on Bridgestone RA1 tires. I think half of that is driver skill and half is better tires. None of it is horsepower because his video shows him topping out at the same speed as me...only difference is the track was new and a few turns looked to have slightly more grip than they do now. The bigger displacement miatas can run sub 2:00 lap times and I think I'd have to make some significant changes to the car to run at that pace.
Another example is turn 7. It's a double apex but novice drivers don't read it that way. Stay to the right when you apex turn 6 and straighten out the line between the apex of 6 and the left side of the track when you enter 7. Brake deep and straight and aim for the flagging station, then turn in once you cross the pavement seem. He stays wide all the way through the beginning of 7 and loses time because you can't brake hard and turn through there (I learned that mistake my first visit). You need to find a way to straighten out the brake zone. He gains it back with more power on exit, but I'm on the throttle at the same time. Neither of us make it down to the apex which requires two wheels on the rumble strip. I don't trust the RX7 to hold the line over the strip.
Turn 9 is yet another hairpin. However, I think I am turning in a little early and I had a hard time balancing between late braking and turning in. There are some bumps in the middle of the braking zone and one time I pushed it too hard and the rear axle started bouncing around. After that incident I backed off pushing that corner too hard. I've seen a lot of accidents on YouTube there. It's downhill and there isn't much track to work with, plus the entry is abnormally slick. It's one of two spots on the track that have less grip, the other being the apex of turn 5 where my car's LSD drifts me around the corner.
Turn 11 is another place I gained on him by staying more to the right through turn 10 and straightening out a small section just after the apex of 11 to hard brake. Similar to turn 7, when you see the flagging station, straight the wheel, jab the brakes, then turn in harder. If you get it right, you transition from turning left almost right at the apex of turn 12...I'm transitioning a little early which means I'm not carrying quite enough speed through 11...but I'm on the throttle so not much I can do short of getting better tires and/or drifting part of 11.
Places I can work on: Turn 1. It's scary as hell dropping from 100+ down to about 55-60. I always play it on the safe side and if you watch the videos closely you'll see a porsche in the gravel who overshot the turn. Turn 2 I'm afraid to take flat out, but I know I can do it. I was able to take it flat out before I installed the exhaust but now that I'm carrying more speed out of turn 1 it scares me and I'm holding on for dear life using the center console to keep me from sliding off the seat. Turn 6 I can push a little harder but it's off camber right when you need the grip. I think I can turn in a little sooner than I am, and I certainly don't need to be braking, just a slight lift. Turn 8 is the same, where the car is holding, but I'm lifting slightly because it's really fast and blind.
Overall, I'm about 3 seconds off pace from a stock 1.6L Miata on Bridgestone RA1 tires. I think half of that is driver skill and half is better tires. None of it is horsepower because his video shows him topping out at the same speed as me...only difference is the track was new and a few turns looked to have slightly more grip than they do now. The bigger displacement miatas can run sub 2:00 lap times and I think I'd have to make some significant changes to the car to run at that pace.
Looks like a great track, would love to try it out. Are you doing SCCA Lapping nights or is it with some other group?
This is the layout for Calabogie, 3.14 miles, 20 turns and a 2000 ft straightway. It can be divided into an East and West loop. Planning an expansion soon.
This is the layout for Calabogie, 3.14 miles, 20 turns and a 2000 ft straightway. It can be divided into an East and West loop. Planning an expansion soon.
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I've been doing SCCA Track Night in America events at Palmer (above) and Thompson. It's basically open lapping broken up into novice, intermediate, and advanced. I run intermediate, point by passing only within designated zones. I did take a HPDE driving course at Palmer earlier this year. It was raining but it still helped to have someone point out my mistakes, and my tires suck in the rain so that was a challenge too.
Calabogie looks intense, especially turn 1. I imagine 15 (spoon) is a hair raiser too.
Calabogie looks intense, especially turn 1. I imagine 15 (spoon) is a hair raiser too.
Lots of elevation changes and most turns are blind. The track night is for experienced drivers only, I sort of snuck in thru the back door, and it's point by passing anywhere but the turns. Need to upgrade to some better pads for Autox and track.
That's cool. Next time you're near Boston you should join me for a track night.
After I smoked the stock pads I put on some Hawk HP+ and they work great, well as great as the tiny brakes on this car are going to work. I get some squeal driving around town but it goes away after some light driving...and comes back after a track night.
After I smoked the stock pads I put on some Hawk HP+ and they work great, well as great as the tiny brakes on this car are going to work. I get some squeal driving around town but it goes away after some light driving...and comes back after a track night.
Interesting, that's the pad I'm going to try. I might be passing through in mid October, not sure yet. Do the run that late?
