SkipSauls

We had a warm and sunny weekend here in Colorado, so a few of us went out to 2nd Creek Raceway for a morning test & tune. A fellow Rennlister had his 993 TT out, with recent mods including PSS9s, Hoosiers, and a cat-bypass exhaust. I was out in my 993 GT-2S car to test things out before the TWS Club Race and scrub-in my Toyo RA-1 rain tires and a fresh set of Hoosiers. The rain tires were 2-3 seconds slower than the Hoosiers, but still felt great for full-depth tires that aren't as wide in the rear. When I was running the rain tires the TT could keep up fairly well, but when I switched to the Hoosiers it was a bit different...

Here's a video of me chasing the TT while running the Hoosiers. On the 2nd lap you can see where I can't get the car into gear whild downshifting in turn 1, with the shifter ending up in the "dead" space below reverse. Doh!

WMV - 20M - Right click here and save, then play locally

MPG - 48M - Right click here and save, then play locally

There are a few pictures from the paddock of my car with the new decals. Go to the 2nd Creek 03/07/2004 link in the track section to see a few like these:


(Those are the rain tires on 996 C4S wheels, which look a bit odd on a racecar to my eyese)



I'm expecting some HWFM decals soon, and I've been trying to get some from Rennlist as well, but can't figure out how to get them to process the order. Anyone know the secret to that?

Tom W

Skip, The HWFMR decals are in the mail. You should get them before the race.

Mike in Chi

Tom

Will they hold above 160 mph?

are the edges feathered to be more aerodynamic?



Skip the car looks great. I'll watch the video at lunch

Mike in Chi

OK, I couldn't wait for lunch

Great video!!! Even if if it's contrary to the teams principles.

The DOH super cracked me up -- did he back off then because he knew you'd be all over him again.

viperbob

Car looks nice Skip. It will take a while for me to view the videos. I live in the heart of Silicon Valley, which means I pay $100 a month for 144KB DSL with no other options.

Was that Grant's car you were talking about that was there? How did his new setup work??

SkipSauls

Tom, very cool. There are still several open areas on the car, and I'll figure out whether it looks better against the blue or the yellow.

Mike,

Yes, he realized that even though he could pull on me a bit on the straights, it was a different story in the twisties. A 700-800lb weight advantage, even fatter Hoosiers, and so on certainly help.

The "Doh!" part wasn't staged, that was really me not being able to find 2nd gear and having to reset a bit. Not a major HWFM moment, but certainly in the spirit.

Bob,

Yes, that is Grant's car, and the new setup seems to work very well. I've been on the track with TT's with stock suspensions before and they are nowhere near as composed as his was. He said that it felt very flat through the corners, and on that track it really helps. With a bit more experience and maybe some tweaking to the PSS9s, he should be quite fast. I'm trying to convince him to get some Pagid Oranges or other competition brake pads instead of the stockers that he has now, plus a harness so that he steers the car instead of using the wheel as a brace. The slippery slope...

P.S. I hope to be able to visit your shop someday when I'm out that way. Grant can't stop talking about how cool it is and what a great guy you are.

Agro1

Skip - Your 993 rocks man...I'm jealous. Can you imagine if you tubbed that stock 993TT and got rid of close to 1000 lbs ??? Ohhhhhhh

kary993

Skip, in the one tight corner coing out under power, is that just a big bump or do you not have lmiited slip?

GrantG

Skip - Sorry I missed you there. I picked up a nasty upper respiratory infection and have been couch-bound

What was your best time?

Beautiful car!

SkipSauls

Kary, I'm not sure which corner you mean, but I do have LSD and the track is quite rough. There are lots of bumps, surface and elevation changes, and so on that make this light and stiffly-sprung car a handful at times. The car's suspension and gearing are much better at a bigger track, and smoother tracks are also nice.

Sachin Misra

Awesome video. I have an Arena Red C4S, so watching the video felt like you were chasing me! I wonder if I can keep up to a TT with my SC install? (Although you guys are much better drivers on the track)

Thanks again for the carbon cold airbox. I hope to have my car back (with SC!) in a couple of days.

ScottMellor

Great fun to watch. The sound-track gives me chills.
Now, I am a complete neophyte track driver, and I want to take every opportunity to learn about this. Please take my observation in that light as I hope for illumination:
I have been told by one of my instructors that, when following a car, I should avoid fixating on the car in front, and that he should be moving back and forth across my windshield as we both (hopefullly) take the proper line.
The turbo seems glued to the center of your windshield. That would have the effect of making you early on your turn-ins, right?

gjb

Skip,

Thanks for the video and giving chase. That was a blast. Any driving observations or input would be appreciated from you guys. The focus my car has been on cooling, suspension and tires. Oh, and DE events with RMR PCA.

That said, being reeled in by a HWFMR member was humbling experience. Turtle Fodder. AKA Turtle Soup. Hmmmm.

I must extend thanks to ViperBob for the PSS9's, FPB and to Gert for the Cargraphic GT Aux Oil Cooler and Skip for hauling the wheels and tires to the track. Everything was as promised and more. If I only didn't cook the front brakes............

Grant

SkipSauls

Scott,

Definitely listen to the PCA instructors. I was "chasing" Grant and having a bit of fun, with the perfect line not at the top of my agenda. You can see where I'm not on the right line in places, such as the "Doh!" and other foibles. I've been driving in PCA DEs for just over two years now and did my first Club Race last September, so I still have a lot of learning to do.

For some (hopefully) better examples, I have lots of Club Racing videos here. Take a look at the Hallett, October 2003 section and the Sprint Race Group 3 links (large or small) to see a bit more of the side-to-side motions of the cars ahead. The cars are moving back-and-forth, except when passing or when looking for a line. Unlike a DE you can't always take the perfect line in a Club Race, but you also come to realize that these cars can do quite well all over the track, and that the "racing line" may in fact be a bit different.

Grant,

I had a blast, and we'll have to swap cars next time out. The racecar doesn't have the slam-you-into-the-seat acceleration of your TT, but you'll be surprised how fast it can go, stop, and take the corners.

All,

Like Grant, I'm up for any suggestions on improvements and very little pride or shame. I submitted my "HWFM Moment" videos to the local PCA for the end-of-year video, and they used almost all of them.

Edward

Skip, Great videos (and Doh moment!). Your car looks fabulous, as well. May I ask you what RPM your shift light is set to...just curious. Thanks for sharing!

Edward