Contemplating FRS for track car

[GrandSport]

Originally Posted by CSG Mike

NT01 are awesome

GREAT tires. They don't let go as soft as R888R, but they have a lot more grip and a lot less noise too.

I ran a 1:22 at MSR 1.7CCW, consistently. If there wasn't traffic, I was 1:22.5 to 1:23.2 all day.
I'm going to switch the Miata and BRZ over to them.

I don't know why anyone would run R888R over NT01.

edit: They also don't go to complete shit if pressure goes slightly high.

[GrandSport]

Video- better late than never

edit:
Video with data:

different session, few tenths slower but with data.
1:22.52 was my best.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Code Monkey

M3, no brainer.


Depending on where you are in TX, come to MSR Houston or Cresson and get rides in both.

Best day of my life was when I saw my E36 M3 drive away with the new vict.. owner at the wheel.

For me, FRS is a no brainer over an E36 M3. Great car when it works.. worst car ever way too often.

[Racecomp Engineering]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

Best day of my life was when I saw my E36 M3 drive away with the new vict.. owner at the wheel.

For me, FRS is a no brainer over an E36 M3. Great car when it works.. worst car ever way too often.

I've almost bought an M3 so many times...and I'm feeling pretty good about leaving it at that.

Except maybe an E30. I want one. Damn it.

- Andrew

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by Racecomp Engineering

I've almost bought an M3 so many times...and I'm feeling pretty good about leaving it at that.

Except maybe an E30. I want one. Damn it.

- Andrew

Oh I'd still buy an E30.. that and a 2002.. I will never own any other BMW besides those two.

[GrandSport]

Sine I bought the BRZ:
Stock Market: Down 11%
BRZ's value: Unchanged

Basically, I couldn't afford not to buy it.

edit: I think it's about 13 now. And considering it was mostly energy stocks, I'd probably be down about 20% lol.

[GrandSport]

Got the car out on the track. I had an (awesome, expensive) instructor set up but didn't get a passenger seat in the BRZ in time so I was switching between the Grand Sport and the BRZ. I was also getting over cold so it was a strange day, but here's how it went.

Went out on the GS: Exit I'm at 9/10s. Mid turn I'm at 9/10ths. Braking I'm at 9.5/10th. Entry speed is 3/10ths. So thats what I worked on. Of course, it's really easy to just go in faster, but then I'd try to add gas like I did going in at 3/10ths and the world would end. so I had to remember to add less gas because I'm already close to the limit, which changed driving dynamics a ton.

Then I get in the BRZ. Holy crap way different game. Very close to neutral whereas the GS understeers. The GS also basically has endless front grip with those massive 315 nittos up front whereas I'm running 245 200TW tires on the BRZ. I also couldn't turn in hard on the brakes like I'm used to or it would initial a spin. I think I spun the BRZ once every three laps because I just couldn't adjust as I kept alternating between cars.

BRZ is so neutral. You could really manipulate it easily. Easy to get more rotation on the brakes or throttle steer in it. The GS by comparison is just raw grip. Endless raw grip.

Instructor ran 1:20 in GS and 1:24 in the BRZ.
I ran 1:22 in the GS and 1:29 in the BRZ. And 1 second is a lot less time in a high powered car than a low powered car.

Overall, awesome day. I got 7 30 min sessions in (eh, probably 22min average). I need a lot more work in the BRZ, but that's why I got it. Definitely think I'm going to try a WRL race or two in it. If they let me run a bigger fuel cell anyway.
Also, my car has a fuel flapper but I was starving it for gas at nearly half a tank. Is that normal?

Anyway, I’ll post a video or something but thanks everyone for all your hel. I’m going to enjoy this car.

[Code Monkey]

Who was the instructor?

Fuel starving is normal coming out on the main straight from all those high-g left turns but I never experience it with 93, I think I was over 50% e85 and just below half a tank.

[GrandSport]

Originally Posted by Code Monkey

Who was the instructor?

Fuel starving is normal coming out on the main straight from all those high-g left turns but I never experience it with 93, I think I was over 50% e85 and just below half a tank.

Jordon Musser. Luckily he’s a good friend somcost isn’t a big deal- but it’s just as valuable. He can only come or so often so when he can I was to take advantage of it.

Car stalled coming out of big bend at 3/8 tank

[14stu]

Originally Posted by GrandSport

Got the car out on the track. I had an (awesome, expensive) instructor set up but didn't get a passenger seat in the BRZ in time so I was switching between the Grand Sport and the BRZ. I was also getting over cold so it was a strange day, but here's how it went.

Went out on the GS: Exit I'm at 9/10s. Mid turn I'm at 9/10ths. Braking I'm at 9.5/10th. Entry speed is 3/10ths. So thats what I worked on. Of course, it's really easy to just go in faster, but then I'd try to add gas like I did going in at 3/10ths and the world would end. so I had to remember to add less gas because I'm already close to the limit, which changed driving dynamics a ton.

Then I get in the BRZ. Holy crap way different game. Very close to neutral whereas the GS understeers. The GS also basically has endless front grip with those massive 315 nittos up front whereas I'm running 245 200TW tires on the BRZ. I also couldn't turn in hard on the brakes like I'm used to or it would initial a spin. I think I spun the BRZ once every three laps because I just couldn't adjust as I kept alternating between cars.

BRZ is so neutral. You could really manipulate it easily. Easy to get more rotation on the brakes or throttle steer in it. The GS by comparison is just raw grip. Endless raw grip.

Instructor ran 1:20 in GS and 1:24 in the BRZ.
I ran 1:22 in the GS and 1:29 in the BRZ. And 1 second is a lot less time in a high powered car than a low powered car.

Overall, awesome day. I got 7 30 min sessions in (eh, probably 22min average). I need a lot more work in the BRZ, but that's why I got it. Definitely think I'm going to try a WRL race or two in it. If they let me run a bigger fuel cell anyway.
Also, my car has a fuel flapper but I was starving it for gas at nearly half a tank. Is that normal?

Anyway, I’ll post a video or something but thanks everyone for all your hel. I’m going to enjoy this car.

I've got the fuel flapper and run in the 1:24's on RE71r's and low 1:25's on my RS4's at MSR-C on the 1.7ccw. I don't fuel starve until about a quarter tank on 93 (I haven't run any flex fuel or ethanol but I wouldn't want to without a surge tank or fuel cell). As long as I start a session with 1/2 a tank or more I'm fine. A third of a tank is risky and at a quarter tank I'm almost guaranteed to get fuel starve.

The good news is that the 1.7ccw is really the only place I've had trouble with fuel starve (MSR-H would probably cause problems but I've only run there once and it was in the ccw direction where the long sweeper is a right).

I've done 3 sessions without fueling, but I typically just do 2 between fuel stops whenever I run the 1.7ccw. If there's traffic I usually get better fuel economy and can stretch to 3 sessions.

[GrantedTaken]

How to tell if your car needs more HP
1) Go to track with your unmodded car

2) Use stopwatch and record a few lap times.

3) Have an instructor do a lap.

4) If your time is equal or faster, then add HP
Otherwise, your car doesn’t need horsepower.
It needs the driver mod.

[GrandSport]

Originally Posted by GrantedTaken

How to tell if your car needs more HP
1) Go to track with your unmodded car

2) Use stopwatch and record a few lap times.

3) Have an instructor do a lap.

4) If your time is equal or faster, then add HP
Otherwise, your car doesn’t need horsepower.
It needs the driver mod.

No car "needs" more horsepower unless it's being professionally driven. I'm never going to be as fast as my instructor. I'd honestly be surprised if anyone on this forum was as fast him. There may be one or two, at most. He's fast. It's what he's done his whole life, and he's been paid a lot of money to do it all over the world. I'm almost 35. I'm never going to be a truly fast driver. Yeah, I can hang with the top guys at HPDEs and maybe in a year or two even with the top guys at small entry level type regional races. I'm never going to a big series top dog. Ever.


That doesn't mean I can't come close to using a lot of the power the car has and being an extremely proficient driver that can really take advantage of more power without using it as a crutch with some more coaching and seat time. We can all always improve- if "do you have any room for improvement" was the metric, we'd all be in Miatas.

With that said: I'm doing this for fun. A 110hp miata was getting old and lacked power to do some stuff like really make the car rotate on throttle and honestly, be fun. Sure I COULD have a good time in it, but not as much as the BRZ.

And lets' not kid ourselves- a well sorted car with power is a lot of fun. My stock Grand Sport is a ton of fun. Fun is what it's all about. The moment I stop enjoying this hobby and turning it into an obligation, I'm over it. It's far too expensive, time consuming and at times stressful to do if I'm not enjoying it.