Mmmmm 4 wheel drifts in the wet at 90+ MPH

 

So who wants to brave the weather to get a picture of that?

 

Hope it doesn't rain on the event tomorrow for you all. Not sure what folks are running for tires but with the 18" Potenzas it was hard to induce controllable oversteer on the wet skid pad. When the *** end decided to break loose it did so in a big way and that was all she wrote. On the wet figure eight I was in what we thought was a good controlled oversteer and suddenly it was an "I got it, I got it, I got it...I DON'T GOT IT!!", did two 360's so violently with both feet in that the Nav unit popped up and turned on by itself!! We got a good laugh out of that one.
If it's wet be careful and have fun.
If you see a silver MINI Cooper S driven by a woman that's my friend, Michelle; a red and white MINI Cooper S driven by a guy will be my buddy, Dan. Give 'em a hello if you have the chance.

 

There are still some sniffles but the major symptoms have now subsided. So I should be good for the run and will shoot for 7am.

I was starting to take note of SCDA's cancellation policy seriously over the weekend. If the other schools or clubs have more lenient policies, I might consider joining them instead, the next time around. I'm too close to losing $$ to feel comfortable with this.

Between slugging it at work and trying to find time to rest, I didn't have any preparation done on the '8. So I hope everything holds up tomorrow. I'll have to borrow some tape from you for the lights. Anyway, it'll be great just to see you guys again after a long winter hibernation!

 

Most of the clubs have a similar cancelation policy.

Sure, I'll have plenty of painters tape to share. Your car shouldn't need anything special for prep. Just remove the loose items from your car, keep the fluids fresh, and make sure that the tires are properly inflated. The only thing that I would be semi concerned about is the brake fluid. If you happen to notice the pedal getting soft we will swap the fluid between sessions.

 

Have fun guys, and be careful. Sorry I won't be able to join you this time.

 

I think I'm ready to call it a night now that I have completed all of my tasks:

• Swap out Kumhos for OEM Bridgestones (better wet traction)
• Check tire pressures
• Check for play in steering and wheel bearings
• Clean and Rain-X windows
• Remove unnecessary items from car
• Assemble SpinMount
• Test drive
• Double check A/F ratios
• Test SpinMount
• Top off camcorder batteries
• Load tools, jack, stands, camera, chairs, oil, brake bleed kit, pit mat, gear bag, and helmet into trunk
• Top off gas tank
• Set alarm for 5:15am

Brian (Casual Racing) called tonight and left a message that he wasn't going to be able to make it up to NHIS tomorrow. He has a business meeting that he has to attend but he will definitely catch up with us soon.

 

So how'd you guys make out today? Lots of slipping in he rain?

 

Well, I must admitt, I woke up, saw the rain... and went back to sleep! Hope you guys had a blast out there... it's good to understand what the car can REALLY do in the rain, as well as on a perfect day.

If anyone ended up getting pics, I can't wait to see them and here how NHIS is to run!

 

Had a great time!!!

 

Well it was raining like no tomorrow almost ALL DAY, LAKES of rain on the track everywhere, and I must say I was more than a little hesitant to let her rip, and still the 8 worked its magic...(and also no small thanks to an superlative instructor).... so no kissing my butt to a wall or anything of substance for that matterl...but the rear end was pretty lose..no make that very loose, so much so that both Speedracer and I ended with I think it was about a 4-6lb differential in front to rear tire pressure to compensate.

Which suprisingly seemed to work fairly well, as did the egg (still unbroken) I put between my foot and the accelerator to help keep the wheels from spinning on every turn.

Botton line - home safe and sound - and what more can you ask? AND I've got some nice video :D to boot.

Can't wait to go back in the dry

 

Hey guys,

Thanks for braving the elements and coming out to the track. For me, it was fun and nerve racking at the same time. Learning a new track is always a challenge and today raised that bar with the slippery surface. You had to be so smooth with all of the controls. A minor slip in attention resulted in the car stepping out of line and the DSC light blinking like crazy. The DSC was really amazing under these conditions and saved my butt from some embarassing and potentially costly mistakes.

The instructor I had did an awesome job of reviewing my driving and helped me bring it up to the next level. He even followed up on the in car instruction with a post drive review. This made it easier to really discuss different techniques and driving lines. My favorite comment from him came after I got passed by an A4 that was driving all over the place.

"Don't worry about keeping up with him. He has all wheel drive. Now put that guy in your car. He would be scared shitless and wouldn't even come close to touching your lap times." :D

I've got a few photos and some in car video to share. I'll try to post some of the photos in a little while.

 

Check out Track Time Photos for some low resolution photos from the professional photographer that was at the event.

Look for us in each group:
Novice: Downshift and VWNH
Intermediate 1: Spin9k
Intermediate 2: Speed Racer

 

Cool pictures. Looked slippery out there Can't wait for the video..

 

Now there is an understatement! :p

 

Ian Prout asked me to stop by at the end of the day to talk about the RX-8 club. He thinks that it is a great car and would like to see more of us out on the track. He said that if we could get 10+ to show up that they would give us discount. NHIS would be $200 vs $235. Likewise they would set aside an area of the paddock so that all of the cars can be grouped together.

He also mentioned that when the Acura NSX and Mini clubs have shown up with enough cars to fill a run group they segregate them completely. This allows for a dedicated club track day. Where all of the cars are the same (i.e. RX-8) and in our case he would even try to find a Mazda/Rotary specialist to help with the classroom and driving instruction.

Their next event at NHIS is on June 6th and I'll likely sign up for it. Take a look at the track schedule (includes several New England driving clubs) and let me know which tracks and dates you are interested in trying. Thanks!

 

Here's a sample of the video (yet to be processed) showing, well, of course, first and foremost the incredible rain, but also some of the nice terrain, banked cures, up and downslopes, etc. of NHIS, while the last two snaps show what happens when you think you can pass an RX-8 .... and get get away with it .


Moral of the pics, you can try, but you'll just spin out at the next turn ha ha ha!!! :p

 

I guess that he wasn't listening when they said, "slow in and fast out" or maybe he is just dyslexic. :p

 

Looks like you guys had a blast! Hope I can join you out there in the future!

 

More photos

 

It was the best rainy day I had! :D
Call me crazy but I would be the guy with the smile if a downpour is expected on a track day. I think it's easier to learn about traction management in slippery conditions without any worries about boiling brake fluid, melted brake pads or excessive tire wear. Part of the reason for this attitude is that the car's DSC and ABS are very good at correcting any mistakes I make. So I'm not that apprehensive if I experiment a bit.

I would go to another SCDA event again. Classroom time was a bit disorganized due to the lack of time, but I learnt a lot more from my instructor, Bruce Allen. I appreciate the fact that he spent a lot of time after a run to provide feedback and more driving tips. He probably has the best driving line of the group because I was able to catch up and pass a lot of cars during my run.

I had a blast! Nothing is more satisfying than finally learning how to follow the line correctly. All of a sudden, everything becomes easier; no more fighting with understeer or oversteer; and there's enough power or momentum to catch up to the car in front or go up the hill.

It was a busy day, so I didn't have much chance to take many pictures. Here are some of the more interesting ones:

 

I agree with you one hundred percent. This was my first time on a track and I think I learned a lot more about my cars handling because of the rain. I don,t have DSC on my car but it handled very well. I only felt it break lose a few times and it did'nt seem hard to keep under control. Being my first time I did'nt think I would get up much speed. But I think i did very well, I was to busy paying attention to the track to check out my speed in the corners. I will be going back June 6TH and I don't care if it rains or not.

 

Hey guys,

Ian Prout just sent me an e-mail to remind me that they will be at Watkins Glen on May 2nd and 3rd. So if you can't wait to get back on the track, here is your chance. If you want more info let me know and I'll get you pointed in the right direction.

Don't worry about mailing in your application and payment. He realizes that this is a short notice and you can settle up at the track. Just let Ian or myself know if you are interested in attending.

The Glen is an awesome 3.5 mile road course which is more than twice the size of NHIS. It has lots of elevation change and plenty of variety in the turns. Hair pins, high speed sweepers, esses... It is all good and is by far my favorite track. My only complaint is that it is 350 miles away.

I'm not going to be able to take the time off from work to head to this event but if you can go I would highly recommend it.

Check out this thread for more info and photos from our last visit to the Glen.

Update: Ian Prout is offering a larger discount for upcoming events if we can get 10+ people to go. For example the next NHIS event on June 6th would be $200 versus the regular price of $235. That is a 15% discount. Not bad! I guess we made a good impression and they would like for us to come back.

 

Downshift,
How was the drive home? Have you had a chance to get the tire replaced?


vwnh,
Did you get your sub and amp reinstalled?

 

No i have been driving around with no radio. But that's ok i had a great time and can't wait to go back. I am going to get it back i this weekend. To busy working.