HPR June 15th Open Lapping Day

Colombia28 · Postby **Colombia28** » Wed May 16, 2012 9:14

Got the day off work and will see you all there! It's going to be good fun!

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Mon May 21, 2012 9:14

Looks like I won't be lapping in this event, assuming I'll be needing to wear a helmet. I tried on Zico's helmet and sat in the car. That is a major NO-GO without aftermarket seats haha. So I've decided I'll be rebuilding my engine after the June 2nd car show. I figure it won't matter if I'm still doing the break-in on June 15th since I can't lap the car. Oh well. Sorry David lol.

Operator · Postby **Operator** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:14

Noooooo!!!!! I was sooooo looking forward to getting a ride around the track in your car. Guess I'll just double up my time in Dave's car.

Oh, and I need to get with you about those tires ;-) yeh, I know it's been a bit.

chickenwafer · Postby **chickenwafer** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:14

Well, I am still scrambling to get my downpipe finished but this month and the first 2 weeks of June are going to be hectic for me, I have a lot on my plate at work and very little time to devote to the FD. I'm trying my damnest to get it fixed but if I can't with enough time to still get some street tuning in I don't know if I will be able to lap it.

I could potentially still come watch, or even track my Jetta GLI haha.

Also, Eric, you can't cop out saying you won't fit with a helmet because I'm taller than you and I'm willing to try it! It's not going to be comfortable, I have to slouch really low, but I can get a couple laps in per heat in anger.

speedjunkie · Postby **speedjunkie** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:14

Operator wrote:Noooooo!!!!! I was sooooo looking forward to getting a ride around the track in your car. Guess I'll just double up my time in Dave's car.

Oh, and I need to get with you about those tires ;-) yeh, I know it's been a bit.

I'll give you a ride like that on some mountain roads this summer LOL. If I didn't have to wear a helmet I'd just wait until after the lapping day so I could drive it out there, but I'd be topping off the oil quite often anyway haha.

No worries on the tires, they're back home with me again until you get them HAHA.

chickenwafer wrote:Also, Eric, you can't cop out saying you won't fit with a helmet because I'm taller than you and I'm willing to try it! It's not going to be comfortable, I have to slouch really low, but I can get a couple laps in per heat in anger.

That's just it Dave. I HAVE sat in the car with a helmet, and I'm telling you right now, it won't work for you LOL. I had to slouch down with the seat leaned back a little more and with it back all the way I had a hard time seeing over the steering wheel. Not gonna happen man lol, not with these seats. I guess you could take out your seats again, that might work for you lol.

chickenwafer · Postby **chickenwafer** » Tue May 22, 2012 9:14

Lol I did sit in the car with my helmet, like I said, it's a compression fit! I guess from how I phrased my previous statement you would think I haven't actually tried it yet, but I have. When I said try I meant try it out on the track.

And I was in a much better seating position without seats! Haha

erod550 · Postby **erod550** » Wed May 23, 2012 9:14

So what you do is bring a Sharpie. Put the helmet on and squeeze into the car just to get started, then once you're out on the track and no one can see, take the helmet off and draw a new one on your face. Then before you come into the pits, put the helmet back on. It could work.

erod550 · Postby **erod550** » Wed May 23, 2012 9:14

They have a few spots open for NASA Hyperdrive this weekend still. One session on the track (~20 min) for $40. Includes an instructor riding along giving... instruction. I'm taking advantage of it and getting some tips before I go out there by myself and try to figure it out.

I've also downloaded HPR for rFactor and have been running laps on my computer here and there trying to learn the track.

Website · Postby **Shadowden** » Wed May 23, 2012 9:14

erod550 wrote:So what you do is bring a Sharpie. Put the helmet on and squeeze into the car just to get started, then once you're out on the track and no one can see, take the helmet off and draw a new one on your face. Then before you come into the pits, put the helmet back on. It could work.

Or maybe just cut the top off of an old helmet and switch them out as noted by erod.

erod550 · Postby **erod550** » Sun May 27, 2012 9:14

Just did 7 or 8 laps and the track is a blast. Hit 120 on the highway straight once. The other laps I had to back off because I was catching up to people near the end of the straight. This one MKI MR2 would pull ahead a little through the turns and I'd catch him again on the straight, so we were turning similar lap times, he was just getting through the turns faster.

Being my first time on the track, I was being conservative. My friend the instructor was encouraging me to push it harder and get on the gas earlier coming out of turns and I was surprised at how much harder I could push the car and not lose it. It has a lot of lateral grip and a little bit of oversteer actually helps the car rotate through the turn. It just makes me a little nervous when I know I'm losing some traction. There was a Viper there that lost it in turn 15 on like the 2nd lap. They were saying since he's so much faster than the rest of the group, he really pushes it hard on the first couple laps knowing he's going to catch up to the pack and have to go "slow" the rest of the time.

Things I learned today:
1. I can carry much more speed through turn 4 (end of the longest straight, the "highway" straight).

2. I need to put my left foot right back on the floor after I'm done shifting. Through the turns I caught myself hovering my left foot over the clutch in between shifts. Near the end of the 20 minute session my ankle was getting very tired. So I need to shift, then get my foot back on the floor until the next shift.

3. I need to brake less. I tend to overbrake and also stay on the brakes too long. I need to work on braking later and then getting off the brakes once I start turning. The new pads and fluid performed much better than last time at PPIR, but they were starting to fade a little and I could tell they were getting really hot toward the end of the session. They will last longer and stay cooler if I don't overuse them. This kind of goes back to things like #1 where I can brake less and carry more speed through the turns than I have been. I think that will get easier with more time on the track as I get more comfortable with the turns and knowing what's coming next since so many of the turns are tight and blind.

4. I'm going to need to bring a gas can since I was getting 7.5 mpg on the track. We did I think 8 laps in 20 minutes and if I do ~20 minutes on, ~20 minutes off for the 4 hours I should get about 6 sessions in, which would be 45-50 laps total and run through 15-16.5 gallons of gas (3 laps per gallon). Even if I fill up in Limon on the way, I'm not going to have enough to finish all the lapping, let alone get back to Limon to fill up again afterward, so I'm going to bring a 5-gallon jug of 91 with me so I don't have to pay $7-8/gallon for the 98+ stuff they have at the track. I might actually bring 2 5-gallon jugs just to make sure I have enough.

chickenwafer · Postby **chickenwafer** » Sun May 27, 2012 9:14

^Good notes man, thanks for sharing. I was wondering how much speed is feasible on that main straight. Sounds like a fun, fast track!

I am still really trying to get out for this. I got my downpipe out today and I'm trying to figure how to modify it to make it fit better so it won't leak. Either that or I need to order parts to fabricate a new one. If that happens, I can almost guarantee I won't make this as I won't get the materials here quick enough with enough time to cut/fit/weld everything together.

There is still the problem of me fitting with a helmet "properly" in the seat. I've sat in the car with the helmet on before, and it's a tight fit, I have to recline way back and even tilt my head at an angle to have enough clearance. I might try driving the car around the block with a helmet on to make sure I can drive that way even.

Colombia28 · Postby **Colombia28** » Sun May 27, 2012 9:14

erod550 wrote:4. I'm going to need to bring a gas can since I was getting 7.5 mpg on the track. We did I think 8 laps in 20 minutes and if I do ~20 minutes on, ~20 minutes off for the 4 hours I should get about 6 sessions in, which would be 45-50 laps total and run through 15-16.5 gallons of gas (3 laps per gallon). Even if I fill up in Limon on the way, I'm not going to have enough to finish all the lapping, let alone get back to Limon to fill up again afterward, so I'm going to bring a 5-gallon jug of 91 with me so I don't have to pay $7-8/gallon for the 98+ stuff they have at the track. I might actually bring 2 5-gallon jugs just to make sure I have enough.

This is sooooo true.

It may look like I have nearly half a tank, but this was taken after coming off track to fill up with the expensive 98 at the track. I got 80 miles on track to basically a full tank of gas. Also fun fact I broke 30k miles on track earlier in the day

Operator · Postby **Operator** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:14

2 week out bump!

chickenwafer · Postby **chickenwafer** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:14

My downpipe is currently getting fixed so pending any fitment issues with it, I should be able to make it. Still need to do street tuning though and final checks. Not to mention the issue of me fitting my giant ### in the car with a helmet on, no sure what to do about that one haha.

Operator · Postby **Operator** » Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:14

I still need to fab my FMIC so my new bumper can actually fit!!!! SO I don't have much room for error when I get back from work next week. As I also need to get tuned by Apikol. So my car may not be greened up much before the event.

HPR June 15th Open Lapping Day

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