Miata TV Final race - December 20th HELP!!!

[Screamin'Screw]

We are scheduled to shoot the final races of the TV show on December 20th at MSR. I am kind of clueless about what the format is going to be. I do know that the Network does NOT want all 12 cars on the track at the same time because they are a little concerned that we are going to crash into each other. So there will be preliminary races leading up to a final race. Come on out if you wanna watch the fun and excitement. Take pics! there are going to be a bunch of very fast cars out there.

I am going with my nearly full tread Victoracer V700s. I am going to run LOW pressure in the tires - like 27lbs. to build heat in the tires. (If you have a better plan, I am all ears.) We are expecting a HIGH of 48 Degrees with morning temps of 22 Degrees. Possible rain or snow the night before. I expect the morning shoot to be below freezing until about 11 am. Anybody have any winter autocross advise on tire pressure, I am listening?

[altiain]

Are there any rules or regulations regarding tire preheating?

If it were me, I'd make sure my crew had some of those little portable butane-powered cooking torches. Y'know, like the kind that you'd use to make crème brûlée? Nothing sticks like 130 degree tires in 50 degree ambient temps.

Get those tires nice and toasty before you head out on track, and lay down some fastlaps right off the bat. Just make sure to mention me by name when you're giving your victory speech in the winner's circle.

[redmenace]

Yeah, but unless you warm the track too those tires will be frosty again before you exit pit row.

This sounds like a scenario where all-season tires might have the upper hand over R-compounds...

[Titus]

Sounds like it might be a good idea to get out there a few days ahead of time and test a few different tires in similar conditions.

[Screamin'Screw]

I wish I could - but no chance.

Here is another option - I have a set of Prada - Spec 2 tires I use for everyday driving. They are mounted on some HEAVY rims.

Should I go with the Pradas??

[altiain]

Yeah, but unless you warm the track too those tires will be frosty again before you exit pit row.

This sounds like a scenario where all-season tires might have the upper hand over R-compounds...

Not really, but you'll need to do more than just superficially heat the outermost layer of rubber. What you really need to do is heat soak the tires so that the temperature of the entire carcass is warm (keep 'em in the van with the heater on full blast until just before you are called to the track?), then cook them up to a high temp with the butane torches as well as you can just before hitting the track.

Laugh all you want. Tire preheating in motorsports falls into one of two categories - it is either banned outright or practiced religiously by every team. Where it is allowed, everyone who is serious uses it, especially on a cold track. There's a reason for that.

[MadMerv]

Stay with th Kumho's. You're still going to want all the traction you can get. Scrub them up and down the road to 377 and on any warmup laps, if any. Even the skid pad wil help. You can get heat in them, even when it's that cold. Another help, ride the brakes while you're doing the above. As the brakes get hot, some of that heat transfers to the wheels/tires.

[Screamin'Screw]

Good advise Merv. My ability to execute may be depend on what happens the night before. If we get snow or ice, I am not even sure if I will get to the track in time to make the race.

Should I run LOW pressure in the tires to generate heat or run 30-32 PSI COLD to maintain shape?

[Screamin'Screw]

What about heating the rims?

[MadMerv]

Good advise Merv. My ability to execute may be depend on what happens the night before. If we get snow or ice, I am not even sure if I will get to the track in time to make the race.

Should I run LOW pressure in the tires to generate heat or run 30-32 PSI COLD to maintain shape?

If anything, I would run higher. The tires work best at a about 40PSI hot. If you can't get them as hot as you normally would, this would help. I would try 35 cold.....

[Screamin'Screw]

Anybody have snow tires? They are now predicting snow for tuesday.

[Titus]

Anybody have snow tires? They are now predicting snow for tuesday.

Well, the National Weather Service is still giving you a 70% of a dry track...

Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high around 40. North northeast wind around 10 mph.

Monday Night: A slight chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a low around 28. Northeast wind between 5 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Tuesday: A chance of rain and snow. Cloudy, with a high around 39. Northeast wind around 5 mph becoming calm. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Tuesday Night: Cloudy, with a low around 29. Calm wind.

[bigrich]

Dude, you gotta relax and just have fun! I'm in the final race too and am no where near your level of stress/anxiety/excitement - it's not like a real race or anything!

Seriously though, if you really want an edge on the 'regular' guys (like me) here is what I recommend (if you haven't done it already) - get your tires shaved and get a MSR specific alignment.

As for heating your tires, if it is going to be as cold as the weather channels are predicting, I don't think anything short of tire warmers (kinda like electric blankets for your tires) is going to do you much good.

All that aside, we are all going to be in the cold with you...why not just trust in your driving and have fun with it?!

-Rich

[icepenguin66]

So what time are you going to actually be on the track? My friend said our buddy SW from Austin rented the track or something and we were gonna come out there Tuesday. Good luck...especially with the weather!

Maybe see ya there today...joining Keith and some friends.

[Screamin'Screw]

Ah Rich,

I know it's just for fun, but darnit I am a micromanager. Winning this little prelim "race" has done more for me than you can imagine. I am not a regular racer, just an MSR member that enjoys having fun with the car. My freinds, family, co-workers all think this some sort of mid-life boy toy crisis - Even though I have been doing this for 5 years.

My whole family was out at the prelim race (mostly becuase they just flew in for Thanksgiving and had nothing better to do). They saw the vets I was going up against and were really impressed that I kept it together and drove smooth and fast. They kind of realized this is more than a mid-life dabbling. I also kind of realized I liked being the little Miata that could. I had people from the board at the track helping out, offers to use tires, heck Flyin Miata even sent Jeremy out to tune the beast. I wasn't just on the track for myself, but I represented the Miata and what it could accomplish. Granted the show is on VOOM which means the only people that are going to see it is probably the 36 of us on the show - but dangit it seems to mean something to others in how they perceive me.

I have always defined myself by how I feel about myself not others, but I have to admit standing on the top tier of the podeum is a crack like addiction. I have to go now now because I need to micromanage my fantasy football team - #1 seed in the playoffs and we are in the MONEY games.

All that being said - Do you have any electric blankets I could use?? Or snow tires?

[Screamin'Screw]

I have a feeling they want us out there at 7am.

I drive to the track on the Victoracers, so if there is any snow or rain it should be an interesting drive.

Any spectators are welcome.

[bigrich]

SS,

It's all good, I just want to be sure you are having more fun with it than anything. Trust me - it was awesome to have my little MSM beat a 355GTS and 997 C2S...of course, I have more than 10x the track experience (which doesn't mean much) than they do, but oh well.

Sorry, no snow tires here either. The only good thing about the full tread (I'm on full RA-1s) is that we will have a slight advantage in the wet if it rains...

Fun, fun.

-Rich

[Screamin'Screw]

See you tomorrow at 7am

[MadMerv]

Brrrrr! It's gonna be cold at the Ranch at 7AM...... The first year we were open, about a dozen of us were there at sun-up on New Years morning....first laps of the new year :) Do you have a schedule of events? I would like to see you guys whoop some more butt, but can't afford to take too much time off work.

If I had been thinking ahead of time ("old timers" here!), I could have unloaded the stacker and brought it out with the RV. With a couple of space heaters in there all night, the race Miatas would have been nice and toasty until track time....not to mention ya'll freezing your butts off!

Merv

[Screamin'Screw]

Schedule HA! These guys have not been on schedule yet.

I image we are going to be there all day with 3 intermittent races leading upto the Grand Finale! Probably around 3:30pm with post race recreation immediately following the race. Stop on by and watch us shivvvvver!