Struggly
05-02-2007, 07:43 PM
Monday and Tuesday I was at an SCDA event at Watkins Glen in NY ( link to track map (http://www.na-motorsports.com/Tracks/NY/images/glen/glen4.gif)). It's an awesome course, much longer and much faster than NHIS and Lime Rock, the other two in my area. We were on the long loop, with the "boot", and we were running the chicane too (3.40 miles long).
Some relevant info about my car before I go on:
1995 3000GT VR-4
275/40/17 Yokohama AVS ES100s (old and dry-rotted to boot) :P
332mm Stoptechs, Carbo. Panther plus front, Port. R4S rear
-ve 2 front, -ve 1.5 rear, 0 toe
Tein Flex
No AWS
Running WG pressure
Manual steering rack
I found the course pretty easy to grasp. Just about everything that I couldn't do, I could at least identify as a mistake. I had a Spec Miata guy who was an instructor at the event go out with me my first session just to get some pointers, then I was by myself for the rest of the event.
The coolest part of the course is definitely the esses and back straight. By the end of the second day, I was getting into 4th going into the esses and then holding it flat out until the chicane. Entry speed for the chicane was probably about 80 (I started to push it and get sloppy in my later sessions), so I was hauling it down regularly from 135 to 75-80. Great fun and an opportunity to finally use my car's power. Here's a photo of the uphill esses. (http://www.pansypatrol.com/people/clint/pictures/trackdays/esses704x528.JPG) At the bottom of the hill, by the Bosch sign, I'm getting into 4th. Then I'm full throttle up the hill (where the green Elise is), through another switchback, and then on to the actual straight. It's somewhat hard to capture just how long this part is with a picture.
For 3 of my sessions I was having a great time going at it with a brand new GT3 in my run group. (Click here for a picture of the car (http://www.pansypatrol.com/people/clint/pictures/trackdays/silverGT3704x528.JPG).) We were fairly evenly matched skill-wise, and I was surprised to find that we were EXACTLY the same on the straights. No difference in acceleration. At first he was killing me in the chicane, but after I changed my line and started diving over the rumble strips I was actually able to gain on him through there.
I think I could probably use a touch more camber. The spread I had seemed to give a good balance of oversteer when I wanted it, and I spent a lot of time getting into a corner and just keeping the front end right on the edge of going out by modulating the throttle. Well, except for corner 1. Towards the end of the event I took a ride in a Spec Miata. He was cutting way in (that corner is very tight too). I stole the line on my next session and went from being close to ending fourth by the chicane to actually ending it.
I've got some more details about my two days on my website here (http://www.pansypatrol.com/track-report-my-vr4-at-watkins-glen-ny), if you're interested.
Clint
Some relevant info about my car before I go on:
1995 3000GT VR-4
275/40/17 Yokohama AVS ES100s (old and dry-rotted to boot) :P
332mm Stoptechs, Carbo. Panther plus front, Port. R4S rear
-ve 2 front, -ve 1.5 rear, 0 toe
Tein Flex
No AWS
Running WG pressure
Manual steering rack
I found the course pretty easy to grasp. Just about everything that I couldn't do, I could at least identify as a mistake. I had a Spec Miata guy who was an instructor at the event go out with me my first session just to get some pointers, then I was by myself for the rest of the event.
The coolest part of the course is definitely the esses and back straight. By the end of the second day, I was getting into 4th going into the esses and then holding it flat out until the chicane. Entry speed for the chicane was probably about 80 (I started to push it and get sloppy in my later sessions), so I was hauling it down regularly from 135 to 75-80. Great fun and an opportunity to finally use my car's power. Here's a photo of the uphill esses. (http://www.pansypatrol.com/people/clint/pictures/trackdays/esses704x528.JPG) At the bottom of the hill, by the Bosch sign, I'm getting into 4th. Then I'm full throttle up the hill (where the green Elise is), through another switchback, and then on to the actual straight. It's somewhat hard to capture just how long this part is with a picture.
For 3 of my sessions I was having a great time going at it with a brand new GT3 in my run group. (Click here for a picture of the car (http://www.pansypatrol.com/people/clint/pictures/trackdays/silverGT3704x528.JPG).) We were fairly evenly matched skill-wise, and I was surprised to find that we were EXACTLY the same on the straights. No difference in acceleration. At first he was killing me in the chicane, but after I changed my line and started diving over the rumble strips I was actually able to gain on him through there.
I think I could probably use a touch more camber. The spread I had seemed to give a good balance of oversteer when I wanted it, and I spent a lot of time getting into a corner and just keeping the front end right on the edge of going out by modulating the throttle. Well, except for corner 1. Towards the end of the event I took a ride in a Spec Miata. He was cutting way in (that corner is very tight too). I stole the line on my next session and went from being close to ending fourth by the chicane to actually ending it.
I've got some more details about my two days on my website here (http://www.pansypatrol.com/track-report-my-vr4-at-watkins-glen-ny), if you're interested.
Clint