ECR Repairs

[MINI-P]

I know ECR was closed for a time, the weekend I had a chance to go, for repairs to the track. Does anyone, Ken O, know what all the did? Did they fix that big bump in the bake zone going into T6? Just curious.

[SirHustlerEsq]

I hope not, I like getting all manly in there.

[trickyrix]

Did they fix that big bump in the bake zone going into T6?

There's a Bake Zone at ECR? I like cake...

[ken o]

Not sure what they did.

[EricJ]

Sign up for the 9/7 Track day and find out.

[ken o]

If I am bored, I will head out there tomorrow and let you know.

[MINI-P]

I'm going out there tomorrow morning with the Miata. Probably wont stay past noon. Come on out show me how it's done.

[Nails]

Fair! will be out there testing new aero on the formerly red Mustang.

[MINI-P]

Ooops. Duplicat post. Sorry.

[MINI-P]

Well the track was in much better shape than last time I was out there. My driving wasn't. Still pretty bumpy, the track and my driving.

Had three pretty big spins. All three going pretty fast. T4 it sounds like I lifted. I thought I was going to maintenance throttle, but I guess I came off it too much. I still can't figure what happened in T7? I was braking as I usually do and then the back was coming around. I wonder if it was the beginning of my braking issue and the fronts were giving up so I got a lot of rear brakes? If anyone has any thoughts...T11 was pretty scary as I'm usually going close to 100 mph at the brake point. The pedal went to the floor with nothing. I pumped several times and I guess the rears came back a little. That helped me pitch it into the corner and get a slide going. When the pedal went to the floor I thought I was going into the wall. Whew. Enjoy. And don't worry, I've got my flame suit on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSc7E...ature=youtu.be

[black roadster]

Brake Master?

First cracked rotors, then destroyed brake ducting. Now this? Patrick. The brake gods are upset with you!

...or maybe your car is trying to kill you because you have a new automotive muse and it's jealous.

[johnwag]

Well the track was in much better shape than last time I was out there. My driving wasn't. Still pretty bumpy, the track and my driving.

Had three pretty big spins. All three going pretty fast. T4 it sounds like I lifted. I thought I was going to maintenance throttle, but I guess I came off it too much. I still can't figure what happened in T7? I was braking as I usually do and then the back was coming around. I wonder if it was the beginning of my braking issue and the fronts were giving up so I got a lot of rear brakes? If anyone has any thoughts...T11 was pretty scary as I'm usually going close to 100 mph at the brake point. The pedal went to the floor with nothing. I pumped several times and I guess the rears came back a little. That helped me pitch it into the corner and get a slide going. When the pedal went to the floor I thought I was going into the wall. Whew. Enjoy. And don't worry, I've got my flame suit on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSc7E...ature=youtu.be

T4: you appear to be at the top of 3rd with the rear of the car loaded up hard coming out of T3, then as you transition to T4, you lift, get back on the throttle, transition the car, and lift again with the car loaded and falling away at the top of the gear.

T7: it appears that you are either braking way too late or you have the brakes biased to the rear too much. What is the # marker where you start braking?

T11: is an overheating issue. :)

[miataspeedracer]

^ T4 is a weird one. I'm also guessing untimely weight transfer. T7 looks like you left the braking until too late based on the accompanying soundtrack.

[ken o]

What are the alignment specs?

[SirHustlerEsq]

I would shit my pants if I looped in #4.

What pads are you running?

[miataspeedracer]

Usually people make a mess of turn 3 by going wide, running off, and spinning before 4. But you did it a new way...

[MINI-P]

Usually people make a mess of turn 3 by going wide, running off, and spinning before 4. But you did it a new way...

I like to try new things!!!

The closest I got to having unwanted stuff in my pants was when the pedal went to the floor at around 100 mph going into T11.

Alignment is/was (I probably need to have it done again. Especially with the offs): Front = -2.5° Camber, 5° Castor, 0 Toe; Rear = -2° Camber, 1/16 Total Toe.

[Davidss]

Well the track was in much better shape than last time I was out there. My driving wasn't. Still pretty bumpy, the track and my driving.

Had three pretty big spins. All three going pretty fast. T4 it sounds like I lifted. I thought I was going to maintenance throttle, but I guess I came off it too much. I still can't figure what happened in T7? I was braking as I usually do and then the back was coming around. I wonder if it was the beginning of my braking issue and the fronts were giving up so I got a lot of rear brakes? If anyone has any thoughts...T11 was pretty scary as I'm usually going close to 100 mph at the brake point. The pedal went to the floor with nothing. I pumped several times and I guess the rears came back a little. That helped me pitch it into the corner and get a slide going. When the pedal went to the floor I thought I was going into the wall. Whew. Enjoy. And don't worry, I've got my flame suit on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSc7E...ature=youtu.be

In my opinion as someone with FWD experience you need some work on your spin recovery skills. To make a FWD car fast it has to be pretty loose and as such you need to be really good at saving it when it wants to spin. Your corrections were either too much or too little. Next you have to train yourself to stay on the throttle even when you are scared, lifting is the worst thing you can do. In a situation like the T4 spin you would want to stay on the throttle and start looking for the safest place to point the car at. In the T7 spin you could have gotten back on the gas for a second to pull it out of the spin, then look for the safest place to point the car.

As far as the braking issue, there are 2 usual causes for a pedal going to the floor. The first is when the rotor bends a bit due to heat and pushes the piston back into the caliper (generally this only applies to sliding caliper pistons). This causes a soft pedal but a second pump always cures it (some professional race car drivers always double tap the brakes). I doubt this is what was happening to you, more likely you just boiled the fluid. When this happens the pedal will go to the floor and give zero feedback even though you are actually decelerating somewhat. If you look at your video I think this is the case as the car looks to decelerate until you took your foot off the brakes. I would recommend changing your fluid more often and then if it happens again keep your foot on the pedal, press even harder, then look for the safest place to drive the car.

[SirHustlerEsq]

I like to try new things!!!

The closest I got to having unwanted stuff in my pants was when the pedal went to the floor at around 100 mph going into T11.

Alignment is/was (I probably need to have it done again. Especially with the offs): Front = -2.5° Camber, 5° Castor, 0 Toe; Rear = -2° Camber, 1/16 Total Toe.

You need 3-3.2* front camber, 2.5* rear, the rest is fine.

[SirHustlerEsq]

I doubt this is what was happening to you, more likely you just boiled the fluid. When this happens the pedal will go to the floor and give zero feedback even though you are actually decelerating somewhat. If you look at your video I think this is the case as the car looks to decelerate until you took your foot off the brakes. I would recommend changing your fluid more often and then if it happens again keep your foot on the pedal, press even harder, then look for the safest place to drive the car.

My money is on compound. He has the same brake set-up I have/had back when my car made 250whp, including the ducting and I did not have problems with that set-up running 6-seconds under the SM record on the same track. I bet he's running a pad that's melting down.