We just got the pics from the nasa VIR HPDE up on the site (see VIR event in the gallery http://www.trackmonkeyracing.com/index.asp) , sorry we couldn't grab video for this trip. Some team mate, lets call him hoppe, forgot to leave the chase came out. We ran full course and I was in group 3 which has 'open passing w/ a point by' We could pass anywhere on track provided the person in front gives us a point by. Like any big HPDE there were a couple asshats in really expensive german cars that didn't thik they needed to be passed (it seems these guys always drive BMWs or Porsches ;confused; ). About 50% of the folks would give point bys anywhere, and at VIR that makes for some interesting driving. kudos to the ITR that gave me a point by in the middle of the roller coaster For VIR we tweaked the alighnment a bit and pulled the rear swaybar. I had thought about trying the car w/o the rear sway after talking with Joel about his suspension setup. Pulling the rear bar made a big improvement on turn in / transitions; the car was much less twitchy. If pulling the rear bar effected mid corner grip, the alighnment tweek masked it. The car rotated just as well as if not better than before mid corner. Corner exit seemed just as good as before. So IMHO, 600 to 800 lbs/in (the car has ~700 lb springs) is all the wheel rate that you need in the rear of an impreza. This was my first time on the new azenis and was pretty pleased; I was surprised in how little pressure they needed. On 'cold' dry pavement ~36 hot seemed to work best, I ran them lower during the wet and the snow storm; thats right, Nasa Mid-Atlantic will run an HPDE in the snow since it wasn't sticking / freezing on track (it was accumulating off track). That snow was the same as driving in the wet but you sometimes couldn't see more than 100 ft in front of the car, which was fun. On a side note, we met Porter and his gal up there and I let him drive the car on the patriot course on sunday. I believe he mentioned "The car is silly fast and easy to overdrive; it makes the world go by so quickly I can't think." Much thanks to the sponsors (and if you're reading this, your logos should be on the car by the end of the week): Deadbolt TopSpeed 5Zigen Carbotech
What all is on your car Javid? Scott kept mentioning your name this past weekend at Little Tall and I don't think we've met...
Brian, we ought to meet up for a track day. Power: ECUTek by Doug, catless TBE, PWR radiator. Brakes: duct, lines, XP10s, just switched from 600 to Blue, tried some 2piece rotors and had trouble so Im back on stockers inside: Sparco EVO2 and 6 pt, steering wheel suspension: JICs 12k F/R, 24 mm front bar, no rear bar, cusco rear camber plates, 05 hub conversion, poltec lat and trailing links, every single bushing on the car (except one last set for teh diff carrier I haven't installed) is either super pro, whiteline, or poltec pillow ball wheels: 5Zigen FN01R-C (two set of 17x10 et35, 1 set of 17x9 et 35) and 1 set of stockers for the street. THe above is off the top of my head and I'm sure I missed a few things. I just installed a RPS clutch, and got the Perrin FMIC behind the bumper but need to run some custom pipes on the drivers side to work around the brake ducts. Hopefully by weeks end we will have the FMIC, meth, AVC-R, big maf, TGV dels, fuel, and EWG on the car and we will run the stock turbo at the drag strip with meth + C16. After we drag the stock turbo I will swap the SZ60 on.... Alex, I am very pleased with the azenis, after 3 hours at VIR and ~2k street miles I still have 2/3 of the tread. On track they didn't chunk or give up too soon but it was cooler out (60 on friday, snow/wet and 30 on sat, 20-30 and dry on sunday). Street tires I have run on track in order of performance: 245 MXs 225 RE070s 255 Azenis If you can find takeoff re070s for 300-400 then they would still be better bang to buck than the azenis. If you can't find take offs, then the azenis are the ticket (the 255s run about $160 shipped)
Yeah, theres usually a set or two floating around on iwsti. I need to pick up a set of wheels for this upcoming season as well as some more track ready tread. Its really going to be whatever pops up first: 04 takeoffs, enkei rpf-1s or 5zigens. I just destroyed my re070's at TGP this weekend (thought I would give them a proper burial), and have some pirelli p-zero nero's sitting in the garage waiting to go on. They were not my first choice, however, I snagged a great deal on them over iwsti about a month ago ($400 shipped, new). Taking those to the track would be a bad idea needless to say. So, we'll see whats gonna happen.
5zigen ftw! aren't the neros pretty sticky? just too many tiny tread blocks for tally's rough surface?
Yes they're about as sticky as the REs which is why I got them for my everyday's. I am curious to see how much sidewall flex they're going to have. Yes, as you know tally destroys your tires and I really think my current setup will destroy the pirellis if I take them out. I'm running the same coilovers as yourself except with 7/5 springs, 27-29 fsb and 22-24-26 rsb.
Sounds like a great track car. So you are doing 1 Lap and Cannonball? Either one is more track time than I normally get all year! I'd like to do one of those when my car is done. And when I have the time. And money. I haven't been to Roebling yet, so I might try the seat-time.com event.
Just 1 Lap and then some nasa or redline time trials probably. 1 Lap isn't really much track time (5 laps at 8 courses) but we will get a lot of track time as we practice before hand. Roebling is fun due to the high speed sweepers and incredible grip... but some what boring due to no elevation change / transitions / banking etc. They are going to pave it soon so you need to get out there this year. We will be out there in april with seat time.
Alex, save those neros for the rain. Now that I have 4 sets of wheels, I am going to invest in a set of street tires for teh stock rims that have a super soft sidewall and a treadwear of 11tybillion. :banana: