imstimpy

Table of Contents
Summary of Modifications (scroll below)
Introduction
Wheels and Tires
OEM Brakes
Bleeding the Brakes, ABS, and Clutch
991.1 GT3 vs 997.2 GT3 Brakes
Rollbar and Race Seats
OEM 3-point Belts with Race Seats
Suspension and Alignment
Power
Maintenance
Wind buffeting
Towing
Barber Motorsports Park
NCM Motorsports Park
Road Atlanta
Harris Hill Raceway
Circuit of the Americas
MotorSport Ranch Cresson
Motor Speedway Resort Houston

Summary of Modifications

2014 981 Cayman S, 6MT, PTV, PASM, SC, SE

Brakes (F/R)
Tarett front caliper studs
G-LOC R16/G-LOC R10
Motul RBF 600

Suspension
RSS front and rear lower control arms
Porsche Motorsport front outer tie-rod ends, rear GT4 toe links
RSS rear toe locking kit

Alignment (F/R)
Camber (deg): -3.0/-2.5
Toe (deg): 0.0/0.20

Safety
Cantrell 981 Roll Bar
Sparco QRT-R seats
Brey & Kraus seat bases
Safecraft 6-point harnesses

Power
COBB Tuning Stage 1 Power Package: Accessport w/ Stage 1 93 map and high flow filters

Wheels and Tires
F: 8.5"x20"+57, 245/35-R20 Michelin PSC2 N1
R: 10"x20"+50, 265/35-R20 Michelin PSC2 N1
Tarett wheel studs

imstimpy

Introduction

History
I've been building cars for SCCA Solo since 2007- WRXs and STIs, BMW M3s, and S2000s. My last build, an S2000 CR, was later adapted to the track. A few gracious friends allowed me to drive some amazing Porsches on the street and track over the years. Despite how good the S2000 is, I enjoyed driving the Porsches more. I knew when the time was right my next car had to be a Porsche.

I have never been one to keep knowledge to myself so I intend to document my build, knowledge gained, and experiences throughout my ownership.

The Car
I bought my Porsche from Lincoln at Graham Motor Company in Knoxville, Tennessee and drove back to Texas through the Smokey Mountains and the Tail of the Dragon. Following a safe, 1,200 mile trip home I immediately sent the car to Michael at Dust to Glory detailing for a Gtechniq coating and Eric at Bespoke Paint Protection for a Suntek "track" film application.

Here are the pertinent car details or you can see the full build sheet at VIN Analytics:
2014 981 Cayman S, 5500 miles
6-speed Manual Transmission (6MT)
Porsche Torque Vectoring (PTV)
Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
Sport Chrono Package (SC)
Power Steering Plus (PSP)
Sport Exhaust System (SE)
20-inch SportTechno wheels

imstimpy

Wheels and Tires

Wheels
My car came with SportTechno wheels that are 1" larger diameter than the standard wheels and 0.5" wider than any other standard or optional wheels. They look great, and have Porsche strength, but 20" diameter are not the most suited to track driving. They will eventually be shod with rain tires, leaving dry track duty to an aftermarket wheel.

Porsche SportTechno
Front: 8.5x20"+57
Rear: 10x20"+50

When considering track wheels diameter, width, and offset are the obvious considerations. Manufacturing process and load rating should also be considered for durability and safety margin; lower quality wheels may catastrophically fracture while higher quality wheels are more likely to bend in failure. Finally, wheel replacements should be considered since wheels can be damaged individually or when the life of a full set has expired.

The de facto off-the-shelf aftermarket wheel option is OZ Racing. Price and availability is great and they have a great track record. They will net you an 8.5" front and a 10" rear in 18", 19" or 20" formats; some have found an 11" rear. The front offset is near OEM but the rear widens the track by almost an inch. The wheels are flow formed with a load rating for the 19" wheels of 600kg for the front and 620kg for the rear. Despite lower load ratings, very few people have experienced wheel failures even when running Hoosiers.

A maturing player in aftermarket track wheels is Forgestar. Price is great and availability is good when limited to off-the-shelf sizes; semi-custom sizes can be ordered. The common sizes are 8.5" front and a 10" rear in 18" and 19" formats though 9" fronts and 11" rears are possible as are custom offsets. The wheels are flow formed with a load rating for the 19" wheels of 727kg front and rear. There is at least one known track wheel failure where the manufacturer stood behind their product despite the vague history and care of the wheels in question.

A new off-the-shelf option is Titan7. Price is great for a forged wheel and availability will be good once they can manage stock on hand. They offer a 9" front and a 10" or 11" rear. Offsets increase poke (how far the outer edge of the wheel sits from the hub) by 15mm from stock. These wheels likely require an aggressive track-oriented alignment and camber plates to clear the fender(s). The wheels are forged with a load rating for the 19" wheels of 720kg front and rear.

The definitive track option is Forgeline. Price is high and each wheel is custom to the owner. They have recommended fitments in 9" front and 11" rear but can do anything, really. The wheels are forged with a load rating of 900kg front and rear.

There are other track options, including CCW and BC Forged. Price is high and each wheel is custom to the owner. They have recommended fitments in 9" front and 11" rear but can do anything. The wheels are forged with an unknown load rating.

Tires
Non-GT cars come equipped with "Max Performance" tires. When new, these tires are great for wet events or when ultimate grip isn't a priority. I considered doing my inaugural event on the Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetrics but the April 2014 date code left me no choice. Though the tread depth was still good, age can do weird things to the rubber compound in the demanding track environment.

Over the past 8 years most of my track time has been on either "Extreme Performance" or "Streetable Track & Competition". With the large diameter 20" wheels, and the tall rolling diameters, Porsche left me only three tire options: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, Dunlop Sportmaxx 2, and Pirelli Trefeo R. Cost and availability left only one: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2. Predicting the balance of the car before ever driving on track is like throwing darts in the dark. Nearly all Cayman owners keep the tires and wheels staggered, and most opt for 20-30mm less front tire than rear and 1-1.5" less front wheel than rear. I took a chance and went up 10mm in the front with an increase in diameter of 1.52%; the rear I went with the stock size.

Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2
Front: 245/35-R20
Rear: 265/35-R20

I believe 19" wheels offer the best availability as a blend of cost, sizes, and track compounds. Twenty inch tire selections are very expensive and with limited options. Eighteen inch wheels are the most affordable but options are often limited to one front and one rear per manufacturer. Nineteen inch wheels are between 18" and 20" in price but offer a few options in widths per manufacturer with a variety of manufacturers.

18" vs 19"
Wheel diameter depends upon the tire compounds you wish to run. There are a few options that retain the OE diameter of 26.4"/27.4" but many options come 3-4% smaller. It is my understanding that retaining a 1/2"-1" larger rear tire is required to keep ABS happy but an overall decrease in front and rear diameter should not be a problem.

Clubsports and IMSA cars run 18" wheels, with the former delivered with 25/64-18 and 27/68-18. Front road tires can be found in a 245/40-R18 in virtually any compound. Rear road tires are limited to just a few manufacturers in a 265/40-R18 or 275/40-R18. Obvious choices are the Bridgestone RE-71R in 245/45-R18 and 265/45-R18; Nitto NT-01, Yokohama A052, or Hankook RS4 in 245/40-R18 and 275/40-R18; and Bridgestone RE-17R, Nitto NT-01, or Yokohama AD08R in 245/40-R18 and 265/40-R18.

Road tires have more options, front and rear, in 19". Front tires can be found in 235, 245, 255, and 265/35-R19 as well as 245/40-R19. Rear tires range from 265 to 295/35-R19 as well as 295/30-R19. The obvious choice is a 245/35-R19 and 275/35-R19, offered in Bridgestone RE-71R, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, Toyo R888R, Hankook RS4, or Yokohama AD08R. If you have the fitment you can go up to 265/35-R19 and 295/30-R19 in Bridgestone RE-71R or Hoosier R7.

Wheel Studs
The Porsche aftermarket appears to have three common wheel stud conversions, ordered from least to most expensive: Rennline private label, Tarett private label, and MSI-branded. I've used ARP, Rennline, and MSI studs on other cars. I really like the longer nose of the MSI and the coating feels nicer through their lifespan. The Tarett pieces come pre-thread locked, Tarett is heavily involved with PCA classes, they are "NASCAR quality", they offer lug nut seat options, and they were a bit cheaper than MSI-branded. I purchased 82.5mm studs and OEM R14 ball nuts from Tarett, which don't look excessive yet are more than enough to run modest spacers if required. The instructions are somewhat atypical of most stud conversion, given the 60-70 ft-lbs or torque. Getting the nuts to jam and hold 60 ft-lbs can be tricky, as is getting the front hub to hold in place. Install job is roughly 1 hour and you can follow this DIY.

Wheel studs or lug bolts, like wheels, are consumables. Tarett provides these replacement guidelines:
CLUB RACE/STREET USE – EVERY TWO YEARS
RACE CAR, 10+ EVENTS/YR – EVERY YEAR
PRO TEAM RACE CAR – TWICE A YEAR





Torques and Tools
Wheel stud torque- 60-60 ft-lbs, two 19mm wrenches, two 19mm lug nuts, 19mm deep socket
Lug bolt torque- 118 ft-lbs, 19mm deep wheel socket
Lug nut torque- 90-95 ft-lbs, 19mm deep wheel socket

imstimpy

OEM Brakes

Brake Pads
Finding the right brake pads can be a costly and frustrating process. Ultimately you have to put the pads through the ringer to know if you chose correctly. Getting it wrong, at best, requires you to adapt; at worst, you melt a set of pads in a weekend. Switching pad manufacturers requires you to re-baseline and risk incorrect pad compounds.

The common forum suggestion for Cayman track pads are Pagid RS29 (yellows)/RS14 (blacks). These were out of stock so plan B was to consult a brake pad manufacturer. I was already familiar with the Carbotech/G-LOC compounds so I called Danny at G-LOC for a baseline. To summarize our discussion, he said the Cayman S has good swept area and thermal capacity but is known to have sensitive ABS when compounds differ too much front to rear. He recommended R12/R10 to start, despite me melting those pads in a weekend on my S2000.

G-LOC R12 (pre-bedded)
G-LOC R10 (pre-bedded)
Brake feel was decent off the track and great on the track. Noise was near non-existent and dusting is tolerable. No fade noticed at Barber Motorsports Park or NCM Motorsports Park despite 60 minute sessions. Durability in the front was poor, however: they wore from 17 mm (100%) to 10 mm (59% - to the pins) in 450 track miles. Rears wore from 15.5 mm (100%) to 13.5 mm (87%).



I again consulted with G-LOC and bought a much higher temp front: R16. The R16/R10 is the same setup I ran on my S2000 with great longevity but it was at the thermal limits on that car, evidenced by minor pad smearing.

G-LOC R16 (pre-bedded)
G-LOC R10 (pre-bedded)
Brake feel was decent off the track and great on the track. Noise was near non-existent and dusting is tolerable. No fade noticed at Michelin Road Atlanta despite 60 minute sessions. Minor fade noticed at Circuit of the Americas during 20 minute sessions. Durability in the front is moderate: fronts wore from 17 mm (100%) to 13.2 mm (77%) in 280 track miles and to 12.2 mm (70%) after 380 track miles. Rears went from 13.5 mm (87%) to 11.2 mm (72%).

Brake Pad Swap
Rather than deal with the one-time use front caliper bolts, and risk wearing out or cross-threading the wheel carrier, I opted for the Tarett Brake Caliper Stud Kit (Equivalent Bolt Length = 77-85mm), BCSK-85, and Tarett Bracket Stud Kit, BBSK. The Tarett Brake Caliper Stud Installation Instructions are well done and easy to follow.

Unclipping the pad wear indicators is a delicate process, which I accomplished with a small screwdriver. The track pads did not have locators for the pad wear indicators. Since I perform pre, during, and post-track inspections, I opted to zip tie the indicators out of the way.

The front pads are now easier to swap with the Tarett pieces, but nowhere near as easy as the rear. The fronts have an ABS sensor to unclip, a brake line bracket to unbolt, the caliper studs, then the funky retaining pins and springs to juggle all while suspending the caliper on the studs (20-30 min job). The rear pads simply have a small clip and retaining pin (5 min job).



Brake Fluid
Motul fluids have been a long-time favorite of many track drivers, myself included. Using a Motive Products 0109 Black Label European Power Bleeder and a brake bleeder bottle I flushed the fluid with Motul RBF600 by following the proper Porsche bleed procedure.

Brake bleeding order
RR -> LR -> RF -> LF (outside -> inside)



Motul RBF600 works, and it is cheap, but it isn't the best. Braking feel notably degrades after a hot session and maintains a similar albeit degraded feel through all subsequent sessions. It doesn't boil, it doesn't go to the floor, it just gets softer. Bleeding after the weekend, the day, or the session yields bubbles. Rather than fuss with some incrementally better options I'm going to jump straight to Castrol SRF and be done with it.

I've found fluid on the caliper near the bleeders in subsequent sessions following a brake bleed. At first I thought I was under-torquing the bleeder screw but over-torquing the bleeders had no effect. Next I thought it was fluid left inside the bleed screw. As you can see in the picture below, a measurable amount of fluid can be extracted from within the bleeder screw after it has been closed. Despite extracting the fluid, I still cleaned fluid off the calipers after a hot session. Some 993 discussions left me with a theory that fluid also pools around the threads of the bleeders. I have a bottle of Speed Bleeder thread sealant which I will use in an attempt to also seal the threads.



Rotors
My front rotors were done at 8300 total miles and roughly 1000 track miles. Given the accelerated front pad wear, the yellowing of the front calipers, and dead front rotors I am investigating alternative front brake options. My plan would be to find incremental improvements towards an end goal of a track braking system capable of 60 min sessions and modest pad and rotor wear.

A few upgrade possibilities:
OEM front 981 calipers
Girodisc front 350 x 28 mm rotors

OEM front 991 calipers
OEM front 350 x 32 mm rotors

OEM front 997 cup calipers
OEM 380 x 32 mm rotors

Torques and Tools
Tarett front caliper stud nuts- 53 ft-lbs, 12mm 12pt socket
Tarett brake line stud nuts- 5 ft-lbs, 10mm deep socket
Brembo bleeder screws- 7 ft-lbs, 11mm wrench

imstimpy

Roll Bar and Race Seats

Caveat emptor
Read the safety rules for FIA Appendix J - Article 253 Safety Equipment, NASA Club Codes & Regulations, SCCA General Competition Rules, PCA Club Racing Rules, and BMWCCA Club Racing Rules and the installation instructions from SFI and G-Force, Schroth, Safecraft, Simpson. Unless you utilize a professional cage builder and a trained Scruitineer you will be dependant upon your own sound engineering judgement. There are some designs on the market that don't align with the principles presented across the majority of the sanctioning bodies and manufacturers. Primarily, these designs lead to incorrect harness angles though structural integrity may also be up for interpretation.

The safety equipment in your vehicle work as complete system. Changing one piece, without careful consideration on the remaining pieces, may leave you with a vehicle that is more dangerous than one left unmodified.

Introduction
Before buying or building a roll bar one must know where the harness bar is to be located. Harness bar height is determined by the depth and recline of the seat, the seat mounting structure, the length of your torso, and the guidelines for harness angles. Since you generally cannot change your body, select the seat first then select the rest of the safety equipment around the seat.

Seat Selection
While most manufacturers publish seat dimensions, there is no standard way to measure the seat and each manufacturer varies. Further, small dimensional changes can have a big effect on fitment even within the same manufacturer. Sparco, for instance, increases all width dimensions from Evo to Evo II, but decreases harness passthrough height.
The best thing you can do is sit in as many seats as possible. You are looking for a seat where the width accommodates your hips, back, and shoulders, and the tops of your shoulders are located roughly at the center of the harness passthrough holes. A good fit should yield a seat that is comfortable for hours.

Sean and Julianne at Winding Road Racing were quite helpful in guiding me through this process. I sat the following seats, with only one that actually fit me properly: Sparco Evo, Sparco Evo II, Sparco Pro 2000, Sparco QRT-R, Recaro Pole Position, Recaro Profi SPA, Recaro Profi XL, Racetech RT4009, Sabelt Titan, and OMP WRC-R. I have a longer than average torso and an athletic build so most seats are too wide and too short. At the time Sparco had just released the QRT-R, and information was scarce, but an in-person seating sold me. The fit was spot on! Even better, Sparco's new processes yielded a fiberglass seat nearly as rigid and light as carbon/kevlar construction.

Roll Bar Selection
Selecting a roll bar is no trivial matter. One must consider: the material type and thickness, the welds, the finish, how it installs or attaches to the vehicle, how much interior can be trimmed and kept, how the main hoop is reinforced, how much passenger compartment does it consume, how do harnesses attach, what harness angles can be achieved, which brand is available, which brand is your installer familiar with. Some aspects are personal preference while other aspects are defined by sanctioning bodies.

Before buying anything I wanted to be sure I could achieve safe harness angles. To determine roughly where the harness bar should be located for proper harness angles, I noted the top of my shoulders against the OEM seat then used a pencil to approximate a 10* downward harness angle. This position is the "low" position, which either sits in front of the carpet, and reduces leg room, or passes through the carpet.



The product offering the sales assistance from Cantrell Motorsports really stood out. The bar itself is 1.75"x0.95" cromoly, TIG welded, 100% bolt-in, and power coated in discreet matte black. In addition, Cantrell also includes trim templates and comprehensive install instructions. Jeff answered all of my questions but was out of stock when I asked to order. He went beyond my expectations in calling all of his dealers and eventually contacting a customer who had a bar set aside. Jeff was able to get me the customer's bar to hit my deadline.

Roll Bar Installation
If you've never installed a triangulating roll bar it can be quite the frustrating experience. You have two solid pieces (the bar and the car) built against two different jigs that must both me of the same dimension. A successful install usually involves slowly iterating to find the right sequence of installing and tightening, along with an occasional bit of grinding or hole elongation. Installing just the roll bar, ignoring the interior trimming, is a 2 hour job.




Cantrell provides templates for cutting the holes in the carpet the plastics. For those with a #becauseracecar mentality, taping the templates in place and cutting will get you close enough. For those striving for a discreet install, the templates are close enough to start small and slowly trim to fit. WARNING! It is easy to cut too much and leave a gap. Experience cutting carpet is key here, and I didn't have any. I unknowingly followed the instructions by taping the templates in place, cutting, and trimming everything outside of the car. In the car, however, the fitment was rough not up to my standards. I ordered a second carpet kit (981 551 035 08) and started over, this time going painfully slow.

The interior plastic panels are much easier to get right. I cut all four of the interior plastic panels with the worst one being a 1/4" gap. I purchased a new one and tried again, netting me a subtle 1/8-1/16" gap.




Seat Installation
The Sparco QRT-R was released Summer 2018, shortly before I needed a seat. Sparco hadn't published the measurements and no manufacturers had confirmed fitment. With the seat physically in possession, and a few phone calls to Trey at Brey-Krause, we were able to cross the measurements to existing products. Stable Energies stocked everything I needed and shipped immediately. The BK R-9075 side brackets, meant for a Recaro Profi XL or a Sparco Evo II US; the R-9044 floor mount and sub belt; and the BK-9004 lap belt mounts all came together in what I deem the easiest race seat I've installed! Due to the width of the QRT-R, retaining the OEM belts is not a small ordeal.



Torques and Tools
Roll bar to chassis, 34 ft-lbs, E14
Belt strap guide, 34 ft-lb, 18 mm
Strut top to chassis- 24 ft-lbs, 13 mm
Belt buckle to seat- 26 ft-lbs, 5/8"
Seat rails/floor mount to floor- (37 ftlb!?) 31 ft-lbs, E12
Shoulder belt to sill- 37 ft-lb, triple square 10 mm

imstimpy

Adjustable Suspension and Alignment

Adjustable Suspension
It was readily apparent that the stock alignment wasn't up to the task. I took the shoulders of my front tires just to the carcass in one weekend. A good track alignment is a compromise between good tire wear and ultimate grip; the stock alignment provided neither. Unfortunately the stock suspension components simply cannot achieve a proper track alignment. Justin at Rennsport-One spent a great deal of time acclimating me to track alignments on Porsches. The outcome of our conversations was a set of components that allowed precise control of the alignment with easy to use components.

RSS Tarmac Series 2-Piece Front Lower Control Arm Kit - Pair of 2 ( Hydraulic Adjustable Caster ) RSS361
RSS Tarmac Series 2-Piece Rear Lower Control Arm Kit - Pair of 2 ( Hydraulic Adjustable Caster ) RSS357
Porsche Motorsport Front Outer Tie-Rods with adjustable bumpsteer . FIts all 981 and 991 Models PMSGT4FOTIERD 981.341.231.8A
Porsche Motorsport GT4 Toe Link Kit PMSGT4TOE 981.331.231.8A
RSS Rear Toe Locking Plate Kit RSS333
RSS 981 Litronic Rear Control Arm Shim for 2-Piece Control arms RSS387



Most toe arms/tie rod ends use a traditional jam nut to lock in the adjustment. The GT4 motorsports arms instead use a pinch style lock. Not only are they easier to use but the alignment before tightening the arms is the exact same after tightening!



The solid pucks in the rear initially bound against the thrust arm. The diameter of the puck was a few mm larger than the depth of the arm. The fix was to grind the rib until the thrust arm hole lines up with the puck hole.

My car required front and rear, left and right Litronic brackets. The RSS Litronic bracket kit comes with 0.88 mm thick brackets which go in the shim stack. The fronts (not pictured) provide solid support to the Litronic sensor. The rears (pictured below) flex more than I'd care for but the flex hasn't seemed to induce problems that I can tell.



Determining the shim stack starts with using the rough rule of 10 mm of shim per degree of camber. To get to -3.0 up front I used 22 mm of shims. At the time I didn't know the front upper strut mount is slotted; maximizing camber at the strut top first, before shimming, should produce a smaller shim stack. The rear only needed 7 mm of shims to get to -2.5, combined with the eccentric bolts.



Alignment
I didn't measure my factory alignment before re-alignment, but I did track it once on the factory alignment. Tire wear told me I needed substantial more camber up front. Cayman 987 and GT4 owners have reported great success with roughly -3 front camber and 0.5 less rear camber.

The factory alignment specification is
F-30' toe 0
R -1.5 toe total 16'=.080

The 2011 911 GT3 Cup manual lists a 1 mm change in the front wishbone is 6’ or 0.1*. At the strut top 1 mm is 6’ or 0.1*.

I followed the guidelines from the 2011 911 GT3 Cup service manual:

• Tire pressures set to hot pressures
• Fuel filled half full
• Ballast placed in driver's seat
• Anti-roll bar end-links disconnected

1. Set the camber then the toe on the rear axle
2. Set the camber then the toe on the front axle

Torques and Tools
End link to stabilizer bar 37 ft-lbs, back 90*, 48 ft-lbs, 16 mm, T30
Tie rod ends 56 ft-lbs
Toe link eccentric 74 ft-lbs
Lower control arm eccentric 74 ft-lbs
RSS lower outer balljoint 88 ft-lbs
RSS upper outer balljoint 56 ft-lbs
RSS inner monoball to arm 16 ft-lbs, 1/2" 12 pt
Thrust arm to control arm 118 ft-lbs

imstimpy

Work in progress...

Tie Downs
I tow with a flatbed trailer. I've used both wheel straps and Rennline's tie downs on other cars. While the wheel straps will work, tie downs are faster and offer an extra piece of mind. Rennline offers both universal (used on the S2000) and car-specific tie downs. I purchased the Rennline Tie Down / Jack Plate, E36 and Rennline Rear Tie Downs, E47.

<insert photos of front tie downs>


Toe Hook
There are many reasons you could need a tow off of the track. Eventually, you will need help and you should be prepared with at least one tow hook. I considered the Raceseng Tug, for its bright red ring and elegant design, but opted for the the Rennline Folding Tow Hook - REV2 991/981/718 Front, E19.238 981, for its great price and ease of installation. The most important tow hook is the front but both two hooks should ideally be fitted.

<insert photo of towhook>

<insert note about trailer service>





Torques and Tools
Front Rennline tie down/jack pad, 29 ft-lbs
Rear Rennline tie downs, 47 ft-lbs
Rennline Subframe Stabilizer 19 ft-lbs

imstimpy

Wind buffeting

History
I experienced nausea at the track for the first time from the passenger seat of a 987 Spyder on Circuit of the Americas. My conclusion at the time was the Spyder's top flapping against my helmet caused the nausea. Later, I became nauseated while driving Texas World Speedway in my S2000. This recurred on numerous other days at various tracks in the S2000. Eating snacks through the morning helped keep the nausea at bay. The worst nausea came from the passenger seat of a race prepared 987 Cayman R at NCM Motorsports Park. I couldn't shake the nausea, then later the headache, through the day as I took my sessions in my Cayman.

Corners 5 and 6 at NCM Motorsports Park, with speeds at 80-100MPH, were agonizing. The wind buffeting, combined with the headache and nausea from the morning, pushed me to near a migraine. It was then I began thinking my nausea could be related to wind buffeting. I did not have all the interior pieces in the car so I draped a towel across the firewall, then later a moving blanket stuffed into the rear trunk. The extra damping took the edge off the wind buffeting but merely made it tolerable.

Much to my disappointment the wind buffeting was no better at Road Atlanta. Despite now having a full interior, nausea and a headache steadily built each time I drove on track. Much to my surprise, my nausea lessened dramatically during a mid-day session in the passenger seat of a GT350R. The GT350R had zero wind buffeting. That really got me thinking it wasn't my body per se but my car. Over dinner I researched "wind buffeting fixes". This lead me to TheSmokingTire's Chevrolet Volt video, some discussions on the Porsche forums, and finally a few videos of "fixed" Porsches. Since I couldn't procure a solution overnight, the moving blanket went back into the rear trunk. While going down the back straight I confirmed I could affect the wind buffeting by placing my fingers just outside the window near the side-view mirror.

Fixes
Of the wind buffeting solutions I found, DIY rubber air foil, Blackmill metal wind deflector, and AWE Foiler Wind Diffuser, I opted for the AWE piece.

I was able to follow the 5 min install instructions on my car. Though the out-of-the-box fit was close, it didn't sit just right. The internet says there are a few door moulding profiles across the 9X1 models. After roughly 10 minutes of Dremeling the curvature of the wind diffuser I was able to properly match the moulding shape. Voila! A Viper ACR, one of the fastest production circuit cars in the world, happened to be right behind me and, what do you know, it comes with a wind diffuser already!



Post-install observations
With the wind diffuser in place I took the car up to freeway speeds and dropped the windows. Amazing! No wind buffeting! My first track day with the diffusers was Harris Hill Raceway and I experienced no nausea, no headache, and noticed no buffeting! My next track day was Circuit of the Americas and I'm confident the wind buffeting is fixed. This is a must have.

imstimpy

reserved for tracks

Work in progress....

Barber Motorsports Park

Barber Motorsports Park is an immaculate multi-use motorsports facility located in Leeds, Alabama, just north east of Birmingham. The drive from Austin, Texas is 12 hrs, 800 miles. Overall the drive is an easy one until Birmingham where the traffic gets heavy and the drivers are aggressive but oblivious to tow rigs. The facility has manicured grass throughout the complex- on the in-roads, throughout the paddock, surrounding the track, and even the run-off area alongside the track surface. Ample paddock space is available across multiple tiers. The restrooms were clean and up to date. Food was available on-site, a few miles into Leeds, and a few more miles into Birmingham. The facility has a long history with motorcycle racing, Honda's IndyCar, and Porsche. On the campus is a motorcycle racing museum and the Porsche Driving Experience.

"The park, which opened in 2003, has a 16-turn, 2.38-mile (3.83 km), designed by Alan Wilson, viewable from the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, as well as from the naturally-wooded or grass-covered banks surrounding it. The track is 45 feet wide and is designed to be run clockwise. The layout is compact, with elevation changes of more than 80 feet."
From Barber Motorsports Park
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia





<insert track map>

Slim987

...

JAhmed

Looking forward to updates!

Jim137a

Subscribed.

Great thread.

Zach L

Near H2R?

I don't see reserved spots for MSR Cresson, MSR Houston, or COTA!

imstimpy

All of the reserved posts are topics I am prepared to discuss right now. While I've driven the aforementioned tracks, I have not visited them in the Cayman. I have MSR-C and COTA on my 2019 schedule; MSR-H is a maybe.

The list of posts is not all inclusive

masti99

Congrats and subscribed!!