Norcal Lemons 2.0 is BACK..& BEST EVER!!!
02-06-2010, 12:07 AM
#1
Race Director
Thread Starter
Norcal Lemons 2.0 is BACK..& BEST EVER!!!
Well I just got back from the 1st test day of Norcal Lemons 928 Estate version 2.0 at Thunderhill.......total score on the weather..forecast was HORRIBLE...but we scored big time...no rain all day with only a damp track in the morning...
WOW.....the car feels GREAT...everything we did worked....engine is strong with no issues....disconnecting the throttle cable to the tranny allowed us to shift when WE want...not random 6500 RPM that it did before.....slight alignment-ride height changes really improved the cars handling too (not that it was bad before)....I beat my previous best lap time at Thunderhil by almost 2 seconds!!!! Take a look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo3EnNCXnMk
Heres a couple pics...the good news is 928's represented about 1/4 of ALL the cars that were there!!!
On to test day #2 at Sears Point tomorrow.... Bummer is the forecast is 60% chance of rain all day....fingers crossed we can get lucky two days in row!!
WOW.....the car feels GREAT...everything we did worked....engine is strong with no issues....disconnecting the throttle cable to the tranny allowed us to shift when WE want...not random 6500 RPM that it did before.....slight alignment-ride height changes really improved the cars handling too (not that it was bad before)....I beat my previous best lap time at Thunderhil by almost 2 seconds!!!! Take a look
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zo3EnNCXnMk
Heres a couple pics...the good news is 928's represented about 1/4 of ALL the cars that were there!!!
On to test day #2 at Sears Point tomorrow.... Bummer is the forecast is 60% chance of rain all day....fingers crossed we can get lucky two days in row!!
02-07-2010, 05:49 PM
#7
Race Director
Thread Starter
MK
Yup exact same...slight front ride height increase and toe set to 0'...vs 1/8th in before...suspension is more compliant and absorbs bumps better...not the harsh "bottoming" it had before....turn in is quicker, but it still pushes at the limit...however I am taking turn 8 at about 95mph at apex with a nice slight understeer to the exit....
Heres a video from Sears Point on Sunday.....it rained most of the day and I only got 1 good mostly dry session in....best time of the day was chasing an spec E30 at 2:08.16 heres the video of that session..just about perfect to the 10 second faster rule from Thunderhill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=svlF3fByLe4
The new 3rd gear all the time strategy reduced our fuel consumption to about 6.8 gallons per hour at Thunderhill...I would say about 7ish at Sears....that is much better than the 10 gallons per hour at Thunderhill last time!! I think we will bump our stints to 2.5 hours now.....maybe 3 hours for the 1st stint...
Most (not all) of the oil leaks are gone too....we burned about 1-1.5 qt of oil the entire weekend for about 5.5-6 hours on track...much better than 1-1.5 qts per HOUR before
I would say the car is capable of a sub 2:04 at Sears with ease if pushed hard under ideal conditions...
Next scheduled track day is Thursday March 4th (right before race weekend) with Hooked on Driving so Sean can get some seat time at Sears.... Possibly practice day on Friday March 5th....depending on price
Trending Topics
02-07-2010, 11:40 PM
#8
Instructor
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: sacramento
Posts: 141
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
heres some action shots I got from saturday at infineon of the 928 estate, v8olvo was ripping it up too, unfotunatley we had alot more troubles with it, we had a great day at thunderhill on friday but i didnt bring my camera.
shes still not perfect but im liking it, hey Brian... MORE POWA!
eating up the cobra too
as usual some awesome rides there
and a E36M3 met the wall and lost
it got really bad in the morning
shes still not perfect but im liking it, hey Brian... MORE POWA!
eating up the cobra too
as usual some awesome rides there
and a E36M3 met the wall and lost
it got really bad in the morning
02-08-2010, 02:24 AM
#10
Rennlist Member
Great video and times. after all, sears with a little water, is worst than most tracks in the full rain! 
that little river before turn 2 brings back DE memories. I think I have a picture of that same stream in a screen shot from back in '97.
Anyway, great driving, especially for your first time there. trust me, its much more fun in the dry.
i like the water i the braking zones to turn 7. that bmw really liked it too! was he still in NAPA when he finally came back on track?
Go wider on the approach to turn 2 (before the bridge)
turn in a little earlier through the beginning of the S's for turn 8-9 sequence. that area can really bite you.
turn in a little earlier for the famed, deadly turn 10.
that little river before turn 2 brings back DE memories. I think I have a picture of that same stream in a screen shot from back in '97.
Anyway, great driving, especially for your first time there. trust me, its much more fun in the dry.
i like the water i the braking zones to turn 7. that bmw really liked it too! was he still in NAPA when he finally came back on track?
Go wider on the approach to turn 2 (before the bridge)
turn in a little earlier through the beginning of the S's for turn 8-9 sequence. that area can really bite you.
turn in a little earlier for the famed, deadly turn 10.
02-08-2010, 05:51 AM
#11
Rennlist Member
Thanks for the video's Brian. the car sounds good.
Mark has a great point. When you come out of 7A there are two berms on your right with an opening between them. Ignore the first berm and aim for tires on the second one. It really adds to your speed into the ss's. With a 5 speed it makes a one gear difference for me before I start into 8.
I was shocked when you hit the washers. Pretty cool.
Mark has a great point. When you come out of 7A there are two berms on your right with an opening between them. Ignore the first berm and aim for tires on the second one. It really adds to your speed into the ss's. With a 5 speed it makes a one gear difference for me before I start into 8.
I was shocked when you hit the washers. Pretty cool.
02-08-2010, 05:45 PM
#12
Race Director
Thread Starter
Thanks for the video's Brian. the car sounds good.
Mark has a great point. When you come out of 7A there are two berms on your right with an opening between them. Ignore the first berm and aim for tires on the second one. It really adds to your speed into the ss's. With a 5 speed it makes a one gear difference for me before I start into 8.
I was shocked when you hit the washers. Pretty cool.
Mark has a great point. When you come out of 7A there are two berms on your right with an opening between them. Ignore the first berm and aim for tires on the second one. It really adds to your speed into the ss's. With a 5 speed it makes a one gear difference for me before I start into 8.
I was shocked when you hit the washers. Pretty cool.
Since it was SO wet most of the day I tried to stay off the curbs...since the few times I ventured onto them earlier in the day it was SIDEWAYS city......I'm sure they are fine in the dry...just flat scary in the wet!!
The car really drives well...best it EVER has, by far.....
02-08-2010, 06:58 PM
#13
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Your times are better than mine on my first day at Sears. I was so intimidated by the place that I took it very easy. I was turning 2:12's and it was bone dry.
Things to work toward SLOWLY when you get back there on a dry day:
No lift until after the last kink in the pit wall in Turn 1
No lift in Turn 5
No lift in Turn 9
Try clipping both inside curbs at Turn 7 & see if there's any time advantage.
Wider in the middle of the Carousel then to the apex.
Also, one of the biggest keys to laptime is getting on the power as early as possible after Turn 8 so the car floats to the exit curb of 8A as the track goes downhill. You carry all that speed through 9 (if you can be flat). If you watch from the stands, watch how close the fast guys are getting to the edge of 8A. No matter what series, Russell School, ALMS, Formula Ford, Spec Miata, you always see the fastest guys flirt with the dirt at the exit of 8A.
Things to work toward SLOWLY when you get back there on a dry day:
No lift until after the last kink in the pit wall in Turn 1
No lift in Turn 5
No lift in Turn 9
Try clipping both inside curbs at Turn 7 & see if there's any time advantage.
Wider in the middle of the Carousel then to the apex.
Also, one of the biggest keys to laptime is getting on the power as early as possible after Turn 8 so the car floats to the exit curb of 8A as the track goes downhill. You carry all that speed through 9 (if you can be flat). If you watch from the stands, watch how close the fast guys are getting to the edge of 8A. No matter what series, Russell School, ALMS, Formula Ford, Spec Miata, you always see the fastest guys flirt with the dirt at the exit of 8A.
Last edited by Dennis K; 02-08-2010 at 07:05 PM. Reason: bad advice
02-08-2010, 08:17 PM
#14
Race Director
Thread Starter
Your times are better than mine on my first day at Sears. I was so intimidated by the place that I took it very easy. I was turning 2:12's and it was bone dry.
Things to work toward SLOWLY when you get back there on a dry day:
No lift until after the last kink in the pit wall in Turn 1
No lift in Turn 5
No lift in Turn 9
Try clipping both inside curbs at Turn 7 & see if there's any time advantage.
Wider in the middle of the Carousel then to the apex.
Also, one of the biggest keys to laptime is getting on the power as early as possible after Turn 8 so the car floats to the exit curb of 8A as the track goes downhill. You carry all that speed through 9 (if you can be flat). If you watch from the stands, watch how close the fast guys are getting to the edge of 8A. No matter what series, Russell School, ALMS, Formula Ford, Spec Miata, you always see the fastest guys flirt with the dirt at the exit of 8A.
Things to work toward SLOWLY when you get back there on a dry day:
No lift until after the last kink in the pit wall in Turn 1
No lift in Turn 5
No lift in Turn 9
Try clipping both inside curbs at Turn 7 & see if there's any time advantage.
Wider in the middle of the Carousel then to the apex.
Also, one of the biggest keys to laptime is getting on the power as early as possible after Turn 8 so the car floats to the exit curb of 8A as the track goes downhill. You carry all that speed through 9 (if you can be flat). If you watch from the stands, watch how close the fast guys are getting to the edge of 8A. No matter what series, Russell School, ALMS, Formula Ford, Spec Miata, you always see the fastest guys flirt with the dirt at the exit of 8A.
You should come out and race with us!!!! I should have an open drivers slot in May and August at Thunderhill!!!!!
I was quite pleased with the 2:08.16 and the lap right after it (not on video) was a low 2:09... My goal for the day under dry conditions was a 2:10.... One thing I really like about the "estate" is how easy it is to drive....even with the open diff , in the higher speed corners its VERY easy to go flat, while still turning the car...like a spec miata...something that was RISKY in the widow or your car...even with the huge tires.. only in the tighter lower speed corners does it start to spin the inside wheel...but we are working on that
With the 3rd gear only theory we are between about 120whp-220 torque at 2800rpm up to about 180whp at about 5000rpm.... so it still pulls nicely off the corners.....but you can see a BIG drop in times when I use 2nd gear from 2-4, 7 & 11..I would guess 3 seconds.... the Estate weighs in right at 2800lbs, empty tank, but all other fluids and 53% on the nose...so with driver and a full tank its around 3100-3150..