This was in Everett/Boeing - a little wet, but not too bad (par for the course in washington). I also hadn't slept at all, but I still managed to pull off one of the best runs I've ever had. :)
here's the link:
http://www.325ix.com/movies/autox_05-13_everett-L.wmv (29mb)
I repositioned the camera this time (seat all the way forward and raised up) so you can actually see the course now..
anyway, my first run was a disaster. I was experimenting with tire pressures and bumped my rear tires up to 42psi (fronts at 45). previously I had them much lower, and it wasn't working since the balance of the car has changed drastically from last year. well, the combination of wet pavement and cold hoosiers didn't work out so well either, so I had no rear traction from the very start. when I shifted to second I immediately lost rear traction and took out a cone.. and the rest of the run wasn't any better!
I bumped the rears down to 40psi for my 2nd run and it worked better. I wasn't launching too hard yet (figured no need since it goes right into a slalom). I got a clean ~47 and I knew I could go faster...
3rd run I got a little too hot in the second slalom, and took out two cones.. I think I recovered smoothly though, and I nailed the last corners perfectly. I was using the same pressures from the second run, but my rear tires were ice cold.. I wasn't launching hard enough!
4th run it just came together. I set the rear pressures at 39, with the fronts still at 45. I launched at about 5500rpm and buried the throttle to get the rear tires hot, and it worked! I had just enough rotation that I could get on the throttle a little earleir and still control the oversteer. I got a little hotter than I wanted to at the stop box, but I didn't hit anything and managed 44.487 clean.
I was less than 4/10ths away from a guy I've been competing with for several years now (a VERY good driver in a well setup Integra LS), which made me feel pretty good - I don't think I've ever been that close to him before. fastest guy in my class ran ~43 seconds.
oversteer in an ix is tricky and I haven't mastered it yet - the problem is the VC, which is both a blessing and a curse. because it doesn't lock up immediately and allows some rear slip, it gives me the ability to rotate the car with the throttle (you'll never get this in an audi).
but also because doesn't lock up immediately, if I don't straighten the front wheels from countersteer to the direction I want to go *just when the VC locks up* the front wheels will suddenly grab and pull me in whatever direction they happened to be pointed to.. so if I'm countersteering hard, well, you can see what happens in the video.. lol. It's only a matter of timing, but overall I really liked the way the car felt yesterday!
comments... suggestions.. haters.. whatever. enjoy :)
here's the link:
http://www.325ix.com/movies/autox_05-13_everett-L.wmv (29mb)
I repositioned the camera this time (seat all the way forward and raised up) so you can actually see the course now..
anyway, my first run was a disaster. I was experimenting with tire pressures and bumped my rear tires up to 42psi (fronts at 45). previously I had them much lower, and it wasn't working since the balance of the car has changed drastically from last year. well, the combination of wet pavement and cold hoosiers didn't work out so well either, so I had no rear traction from the very start. when I shifted to second I immediately lost rear traction and took out a cone.. and the rest of the run wasn't any better!
I bumped the rears down to 40psi for my 2nd run and it worked better. I wasn't launching too hard yet (figured no need since it goes right into a slalom). I got a clean ~47 and I knew I could go faster...
3rd run I got a little too hot in the second slalom, and took out two cones.. I think I recovered smoothly though, and I nailed the last corners perfectly. I was using the same pressures from the second run, but my rear tires were ice cold.. I wasn't launching hard enough!
4th run it just came together. I set the rear pressures at 39, with the fronts still at 45. I launched at about 5500rpm and buried the throttle to get the rear tires hot, and it worked! I had just enough rotation that I could get on the throttle a little earleir and still control the oversteer. I got a little hotter than I wanted to at the stop box, but I didn't hit anything and managed 44.487 clean.
I was less than 4/10ths away from a guy I've been competing with for several years now (a VERY good driver in a well setup Integra LS), which made me feel pretty good - I don't think I've ever been that close to him before. fastest guy in my class ran ~43 seconds.
oversteer in an ix is tricky and I haven't mastered it yet - the problem is the VC, which is both a blessing and a curse. because it doesn't lock up immediately and allows some rear slip, it gives me the ability to rotate the car with the throttle (you'll never get this in an audi).
but also because doesn't lock up immediately, if I don't straighten the front wheels from countersteer to the direction I want to go *just when the VC locks up* the front wheels will suddenly grab and pull me in whatever direction they happened to be pointed to.. so if I'm countersteering hard, well, you can see what happens in the video.. lol. It's only a matter of timing, but overall I really liked the way the car felt yesterday!
comments... suggestions.. haters.. whatever. enjoy :)
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