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Old 03-26-2017, 11:46 PM   #2
strat61caster
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Join Date: Nov 2012
Drives: '13 FRS - STX
Location: SF Bay Area
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What's the purpose? Daily, autox, track?

I think that's a pretty decent start, an interesting way to spend the afternoon at the very least if you're nerdy like some of us.

Ultimately what you as a driver like best is king, if you're autocrossing (presumably by the FatCat and FarNorth references), find a local club that gives you a shit ton of runs, or a test and tune day so you can go out drive a course (or skidpad), adjust, drive it again see how it feels, see if the time is faster, and if you can get data collection you'll hone in on a preferred setup. Something may FEEL slower, but maybe it's allowing you to power on earlier or use less steering input that ultimately results in a faster car. And the hardest thing is there's so many variables (especially if you can't drive like a robot) that it can be hard to pinpoint cause and effect.

Experimentation will beat out any internet advice, hell even professional advice, as far as I'm concerned. I would always think 'well, what if that guy hasn't tried X?' and end up going out and trying it anyway.

I recently saw the old quote: "The master has failed more times than the beginner has even tried."

So get on out there!


Check out Mark Donohue's book The Unfair Advantage if you're into the history of tuning cars, he was kind of a pioneer back in the 60's & 70's in setting up cars for racing. And I think his thoughts on using a skidpad to understand a car's dynamics are still relevant to this day.
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