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I would also vote for your tire pressues being to low Steve. That could conceivably be contributing to your unpredictable handling balance with your tires flopping around on the wheel.

That's not as bad as the guy that I had to chase down in the grid because he had a flat tire and almost dragged a rim on the course. That could've gotten ugly.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Coming from a light STS car, I have run tire pressures in dangerously low ranges, but I'm crazy. When I was having traction issues at the DC ProSolo a couple of years ago, we dumped the front pressures to 19# hot. Granted, this was a 215/40/17 on a 7.5" rim... We picked up a chunk of time doing it too:)

I think the unpredictable handling characteristics was due to surface changes and your driving line Steve. I was watching you during the 4th heat and you were taking the tight line in areas that required a wider approach to late apex.

Thus, when you entered the turn (the early offsets and the offset slaloms it was most evident), you would initially push, which was caused by the line. As you got on the gas with the wheel still turning, the front wheels would start to bite and the rear would light up, causing snap oversteer.

Next time out, watch people like Eric Peterson setup for the offsets. Even Ryan noted how much wider my approach was than his going into that type of turn. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

Yeah, the offsets were an eye opener riding with Aaron. Taking the wide line, while adding distance, upset the car less and help you maintain speed.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

On my RT215's, I run 28 all around on the street, but increase to 35ish at Autox. On my A3S04's, though, I'm mid 40's.

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Dustin Fredrickson
-- I'm a nobody --

All that starts way back in the slalom before those offsets. If you get behind in the slalom, you are in a lot of trouble in the offset. If you are able to stay ahead in the slalom, you could work your way to the left to get a good entrance to the offsets and carry speed through there.

For me there were 3 key areas on that course. The first slalom, getting as close to that entrance cone with the rear tire and not hit it. The seocnd was entering the offset slalom. If you got that entrance right, you could accelerate out of there about mid point and carry tons of speed through Wes's "lane change". The last one was that final Chicago box. Brake early and accelerate out of there all the way to the finish.

I ws carrying way too much speed into that last Chicago box on my runs for the brakes to handle. In hindsight, because of the front brake "issue", I needed to compensate and never did.

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Jim Pastorius
2008 Silverado VortecMax
1992 Camaro CMC#92
2002 BMW R1150R

2009 3rd Place CMC Mid-Atlantic Championship
2009 CMC Hyperfest Winner

I started with my SO5s at 48f/53r cold. After consulting with Team Barnes/Peterson.

Did okay in the morning, car had a lot more oversteer than I anticipated. Seemed really loose. But not bad.

Went out for afternoon runs, just really checked to see if they were still holding air. First PM run was a trainwreck, under and oversteering almost simulatneously. First thought was they were cold. Check pressures in grid. (Thanks BB).

They had gone Hunter S. Thompson on me. Fronts were ringing the bell at near 80? I have no idea how that happened. I couldn't have put that much heat in them since I DNFed and essentially gave up on the course with the exception of the slalom and final C. Box.

Pulled it way down to 40/45 and it was much happier for my last run. I think I'm going lower, but these Hoosiers probably only have a couple of events left. When's NCAC?

RE: Grip. Was it just me or was there some mystery spot at the end of the first slalom setting up for the sweeper that seemingly randomly would get the car out of shape.

I don't think my line was that inconsistant that early in the course.

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Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.

That corner is the grittiest part of the whole site that we use. Taking it CCW isn't too bad, but CW (having it be the end of a sweeper) induces pucker.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Exactly Jim. I might add that I found far more speed than I anticipated around the long left-hander leading onto the main runway. I was able to run much of that path wide-open in the 330 and then get slowed just enough for the slalom on the main runway without loosing the tail. I was simply amazed at the grip along that path. In my mental rehearsals during lunch, my main point was to not overdrive the entry to that slalom as I had been overdoing the entry speed in the first two runs.

I also enjoyed accelerating out of the other slalom you mentioned as I could almost take the whole "lane change" wide open just letting up a tad on the throttle to help weight transfer forward a couple of times. Given that it was hard to find 10 feet of straightaway on this course anywhere, it was probably the most fun but "tight" (i.e. almost constant turning) course I have ever driven. The course designers did an excellent job!

On that last box, I really spent a lot of time on the walk-through and rehearsals trying instill in myself to not overdrive the entry. I nailed it pretty good in the afternoon runs just barely touching ABS for a sec right at the end of the braking while downshifting into 1st. For whatever reason, I could blast out of there with excellent traction (no LSD in the 330 zhp) in 1st and hit 2nd while still turning to the right w/o spinning the inside tire much and then through the lights with 2nd wound pretty high. This was another section of this course where I was amazed at the grip available. I got into the 54's on that last run with these Dunlop Fred Flintstone-like tires, but I just barely tagged a cone exiting one of the boxes .

Chuck

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

For my last 2 runs I was having 22fr and 27r for tire pressure on the V710. The car handling was excellent, compare to Laurinburg it was day and night. The long sweeper was my problem spot it wanted to understeer when applying the power down. The way the car was going on Sunday a 48 sec. time was possible.

Patrice

Was it me or did anyone notice a night and day difference between the morning runs and afternoon runs in terms of sheer grip? Maybe I'm just spoiled by Laurinburg, but the first two runs were really frustrating in terms of grip.

Although the grip was iffy, the blacktop really added another element to the course that made you stay on your toes and getting a little oversteer going into the second slalom after the beginning sweeper was an educating experience in a front drive car.

Overall, the course was alot better than I thought it would be after walking it. The slaloms really kept you on your toes whether you were driving or working.

I thought the course was going to suck after walking it. I wasn't happy and I'm not ashamed to admit it. But I'm also big enough to admit it really was fun once I drove it. *Really* fun, in fact. I think if I had to tweak it I may have made *one* of those slaloms a smidge faster, but that's a nit-pick. It was really good.

As for grip, this is why I know our tires went to shit after the morning heat cycle. I *really* think that's a problem with older Hoosiers (at least S04's and S05's) that have sat for a long time. Mine were in my garage which is heated and cooled, so it stays around 70F with decent humidity. But compared to my afternoon runs, the morning runs were *really* grippy and the afternoon STUNK. Now, that's just wrong as it seemed like the surface really did come in for everyone else. I think it was a combination of cleaning and heat. But our tires had sat for like 8 months...ugh. Just doesn't work well, apparently.

I switched to my RE070's for the challenge runs and did pretty well. Still wouldn't have been in the top two in STU, but part of that was I had the shocks badly set for the first run, and I don't drive on street tires much, so it took some getting used to. I adjusted the shocks and got a good bit of push out and got to a 53.1, but there was at least another second out there on those tires (which would have put me within .4s of my fastest morning run on the Hoosiers).

Anyway, Eric had a 51.1 dirty and while that would have put him second in PAX, he would have still been a good way's off Matt's time. Congratulations, Matt...that was some awesome driving you did. You didn't just top PAX, you put the spank on!


--Donnie

i found the am runs very different from the pm runs. maybe the amount of rain recently, maybe the temps, i don't know.

in my car Patrice the sweeper was the only place i felt comfortable. i took it wide & i took it tight with no issues. if it wern't for all the damn cones i mighta turned a decent lap time. sorry, just kidding ya'll.

i have come to the realization i was probably 5 to 8 psi too low on my tires. i still say one year of novice is no way near long enough. steve

I am surprised that no one mentioned all the 'tire warming' that A LOT of people (NOVs?) thought was a good idea on their way in the morning to grid, and down to the start.

Brilliant!

In the street tire'd cars I was in (3), they all *felt* like they had good grip (morning and afternoon) with the aside of the aforementioned 'black ice' spots on the sealant. On the whole, it has never felt to me as street tires are as highly affected unless it is *really* cold (ambient below 50). That would be in reference to L'burg T&T

As always, we street tire guys appreciate the R-comp guys making the course faster as the day goes on by laying down rubber.

Thanks!

- dow

You're being nice. I saw seasoned veterans doing the old tire warming sway down to the start line.

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