MS3 at New hampshire Int'l Speedway

[tsunami]

gar i am probably 6-7 hours away from getting into canada and about 4-5 hours away from nhis... lol maine is a lot bigger then people think (you can fit all the other new england states inside maine) and our highway system is pretty much non existant except going up/down 95 along the coast which takes me an hour+ depending on traffic to get to....

all day event uh i could prob swing a hotel if that is the case... thanks for the help/links guys.

 

[gar777]

gar i am probably 6-7 hours away from getting into canada and about 4-5 hours away from nhis... lol maine is a lot bigger then people think (you can fit all the other new england states inside maine) and our highway system is pretty much non existant except going up/down 95 along the coast which takes me an hour+ depending on traffic to get to....

all day event uh i could prob swing a hotel if that is the case... thanks for the help/links guys.

bummer, but I guess you got all that natural beauty, eh?

 

[chaos4]

Hey Dcomiskey:

You ever run Watkins Glen? That is the best track around IMHO. About 4.5 hours from SW CT. I'm going with the NY BMW Chapter on June 18-19. If you're interested, I think they still have room and it'd be great to see some a MS3 there. If not, maybe I'll see you at Lime Rock later this year. I am tired of being the only non-Miata Mazda at track days.

I ran Watkins Glen with COM Sports Car Club on April 23 & 24. What a great track for the MS3! I ran stock brakes with Falken ST615 225/45-17 tires on 7x7.5 rims. Smoked the front brakes, but they never gave up, even under HARD braking at 131mph at the Bus Stop. Best time on my Hot Lap was 2:25.6, but only ran a 2:27.77 in the Time trials. I run Street Touring 2 (ST2) instead of SSA due to the MS3 CAI and the wider wheels.
On May 10 I went to NHIS for a 1/2 day open track session with the same tires/brakes. The RT615s were toast after 15 laps. Lap times went from consistent 1:24s to consistent 1:27s. The brakes worked, but they felt weak by the session end. We were running chicane/chicane.

I odered up some 235/45-17 Toyo RA1s and Carbotech Front Street/Track pads. The stock front pads were flaking off and cracked! The stock rear pads were down to the backing plate! Replaced the rears with stock pads to keep rotor wear down. Switched to DOT 4 brake fluid.
On May 28 & 29 I ran at Calabogie, Canada with my club - COM. Calabogies is a private track openned last September for club and sponsored use. The track is 3.0 miles long with 20, yep! 20 turns. Three fairly quick straights up in the 105-115mph ranges and not a single constant radius turn to be seen!
I ran around 2:37.00 when chasing my buddy in is totally prepped MiniS. Times aren't published yet, but I saw 2:38.7 on my Hot Lap. The course is as tough on tires as NHIS due to the very demanding corners.
The Front RA1s are now shaved! The rears will replace them on the front next event! The brakes felt fantastic, minimal wear on the fronts, 30% wear on the rears, absolutley no sign of fade or sponginess.
I leave for Mosport Park, Canada on JUne 10 to run on the 11&12, returning to the US on the 13th. My set up will be the same as Calabogie. This is a much faster, more open track than Calabogie and probably close to Watkins Glen for fun!
Sorry to run on and on, but I am happy to find a group that actually tracks their cars! I think it will benefit us all to compare our setups and learn from each other.
If any of you are interested in running with COM, check out the website for track schedules, event results, etc. We welcome all experience levels. To observe one of our fantastically run events, come up to NHIS on July 7 or 8th.
www.comscc.org, there are links to all the tracks we run. Note we run Lime Rock in November to close out the year. If you are interested in running a super track, try to make our event at Mt Tremblant, Canada at the end of July.
Good luck and keep posting your results and notes!

 

[gar777]

I ran Watkins Glen with COM Sports Car Club on April 23 & 24. What a great track for the MS3! I ran stock brakes with Falken ST615 225/45-17 tires on 7x7.5 rims. Smoked the front brakes, but they never gave up, even under HARD braking at 131mph at the Bus Stop. Best time on my Hot Lap was 2:25.6, but only ran a 2:27.77 in the Time trials. I run Street Touring 2 (ST2) instead of SSA due to the MS3 CAI and the wider wheels.
On May 10 I went to NHIS for a 1/2 day open track session with the same tires/brakes. The RT615s were toast after 15 laps. Lap times went from consistent 1:24s to consistent 1:27s. The brakes worked, but they felt weak by the session end. We were running chicane/chicane.

I odered up some 235/45-17 Toyo RA1s and Carbotech Front Street/Track pads. The stock front pads were flaking off and cracked! The stock rear pads were down to the backing plate! Replaced the rears with stock pads to keep rotor wear down. Switched to DOT 4 brake fluid.
On May 28 & 29 I ran at Calabogie, Canada with my club - COM. Calabogies is a private track openned last September for club and sponsored use. The track is 3.0 miles long with 20, yep! 20 turns. Three fairly quick straights up in the 105-115mph ranges and not a single constant radius turn to be seen!
I ran around 2:37.00 when chasing my buddy in is totally prepped MiniS. Times aren't published yet, but I saw 2:38.7 on my Hot Lap. The course is as tough on tires as NHIS due to the very demanding corners.
The Front RA1s are now shaved! The rears will replace them on the front next event! The brakes felt fantastic, minimal wear on the fronts, 30% wear on the rears, absolutley no sign of fade or sponginess.
I leave for Mosport Park, Canada on JUne 10 to run on the 11&12, returning to the US on the 13th. My set up will be the same as Calabogie. This is a much faster, more open track than Calabogie and probably close to Watkins Glen for fun!
Sorry to run on and on, but I am happy to find a group that actually tracks their cars! I think it will benefit us all to compare our setups and learn from each other.
If any of you are interested in running with COM, check out the website for track schedules, event results, etc. We welcome all experience levels. To observe one of our fantastically run events, come up to NHIS on July 7 or 8th.
www.comscc.org, there are links to all the tracks we run. Note we run Lime Rock in November to close out the year. If you are interested in running a super track, try to make our event at Mt Tremblant, Canada at the end of July.
Good luck and keep posting your results and notes!

I am jealous of your track day schedule! COM is a great club. I have been doing their Lime Rock event (Fri anyway) for the past few years. There was a black MS3 there last year. I hope to meet you and your red MS3 there this year. I'm off to the Glen for 6/18-19--can't wait!

 

[chaos4]

I am jealous of your track day schedule! COM is a great club. I have been doing their Lime Rock event (Fri anyway) for the past few years. There was a black MS3 there last year. I hope to meet you and your red MS3 there this year. I'm off to the Glen for 6/18-19--can't wait!

I ran a silver Sentra SER last year at LRP. Is your Protege also silver? I believe we were in the same run group on Friday. I spent a lot of time talking to the owner of the black MS3. Mine had been on order since early August and I was really pleased to see him running "easy" 1:10s with all the stock stuff!!

 

[gar777]

yes, my Protege is silver and it was the only Protege there that day. if your sentra was all gutted, i think I spoke to you for awhile. I always like seeing other underpowered FWD cars at the track--there's aren't too many of us left.

 

[chaos4]

dcomiskey, who was the passenger in your car?

 

[chaos4]

yes, my Protege is silver and it was the only Protege there that day. if your sentra was all gutted, i think I spoke to you for awhile. I always like seeing other underpowered FWD cars at the track--there's aren't too many of us left.

The silver gutted Sentra was my partner's old 1994 1.6 liter SE. I was driving the 2002 fully street (automatic even!) equipped car. My partner was also at NHIS last Monday doing the first shake down runs in our 1996 200SX Nissan. It is still rough, but the suspension is full race setup and he reported it handles extremely well. The old SE was rusting out pretty badly and is now going to be our winter ice racer and snow cross car.
Track time is my enemy!(laugh)

 

[chaos4]

oooooopps, sorry double post

 

[BSTD3]

Chaos4:

I've seen you around in Nashua driving on Amhurst St. I saw you car before I had my Speed3. Was crusing around in my black RX-8 before selling it and buying my TR Speed3. I think I might have also seen you one time on RT 101 around Temple Mountain area.

 

[chaos4]

Chaos4:

I've seen you around in Nashua driving on Amhurst St. I saw you car before I had my Speed3. Was crusing around in my black RX-8 before selling it and buying my TR Speed3. I think I might have also seen you one time on RT 101 around Temple Mountain area.

Yes, I remember seeing you on Temple Mt. I met a friend of yours at Home Depot in Merrimack a week or so back. Drives the burned orange 3 hatch? I am terrible with names, though! (dunno) You should come run with the club!

 

[BSTD3]

Yes, I remember seeing you on Temple Mt. I met a friend of yours at Home Depot in Merrimack a week or so back. Drives the burned orange 3 hatch? I am terrible with names, though! (dunno) You should come run with the club!

I thought that was you on Temple Mtn. My friend Jason has the Lava Orange Mazda3. I have all my time tied up with my Miata Club being President and all. Maybe sometime...

 

[Gbourdon]

You will be at NHIS all day really no matter who you run with. From tech inspection and drivers meetings etc.

I ran with the White Mountain Chapter BMW club. You will have to buy a membership but its cheap, track day may be like 160 - 200 bucks depending on when and with who.

 

[dcomiskey]

dcomiskey, who was the passenger in your car?

Oh, it was an instructor. I like to take one along my first session of the year at any track just to make sure I got my line down. Honestly, I didn't need him this time, which made me feel good. My lines at NHIS are good.

 

[chaos4]

Oh, it was an instructor. I like to take one along my first session of the year at any track just to make sure I got my line down. Honestly, I didn't need him this time, which made me feel good. My lines at NHIS are good.

I certainly do the same, especially at a new track!
Have you run with my club before? COM Sports Car Club, best bang for the buck, especially at the away events. NHIS get filled in 24 hours, but last year at Mosport I got over 350 miles of track time over 2 days. (drive) Leaving for there again on Sunday.
www.comscc.org

 

[tsunami]

hey guys check this thread out and discuss your opinions and ideas for suspension tuning for this car...

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123672829

 

[dcomiskey]

chaos, no I haven't heard of your group before but will certainly keep you in mind now. I would LOVE to go to Mosport....*sigh*

 

[mikeyb]

I was just going to comment on your thread on Thecarlounge. My buddy was there with his white BMW 325is. He had a rocker arm snap on him. I need to unload the Nissan and buy a car that is better suited for the track.

Shouldn't this be in regional forums?

I'm going to NHIS with the BMW White Mountain Chapter in August. This will be my first track event. I'm looking forward to it.

 

[dcomiskey]

Regional thread? No. I posted because I took my MS3 to the track.

I'm drawing a blank on the Bimmer. At least he wasn't the silver/blue one that wouldn't let people by....

 

[mikeyb]

Regional thread? No. I posted because I took my MS3 to the track.

I'm drawing a blank on the Bimmer. At least he wasn't the silver/blue one that wouldn't let people by....

Why I was saying regional thread is because most of the posts are from people in New England. But its all good. Was the silver/blue bmw a 3 series or M3?

My bud's 325is is this one.