Update to my "push-loose" condition tuning and race notes
06-26-2006, 10:43 AM
#1
Addict
Rennlist Member
Rennlist Member
Thread Starter
Update to my "push-loose" condition tuning and race notes
So after my last race, threw it out on here how my car was exhibiting the classic NASCAR-style push-loose condition, and was looking for thoughts on how to address it. I decided to level the car back out, since the rear was 1/2" lower than the front and the weight bias was 2% to the rear. After scaling it, post-race weight condition was 20lbs heavy on the rear, and even left-right. Set the alignment and took it out to race. This after repairing the crash damage from hitting the wall with the LF; wadded up the LF fender a good bit, bent the spindle, broke the caliper, bent the rim and a-arm.
Well, after bandaiding the header; after some muffler hanger troubles in a DE earlier than week, the header developed a crack. We bandaided it with a couple of hose clamps - no time to remove and weld, and no access to weld anyway - and prayed it'd stay put. Much to our amazement, it did all weekend no issues - didn't even sound leaky.
No great surprise, my confidence level was down through the corner I crashed in; unfortunately it's the 2nd fastest corner on the track, leading onto the longest straight, so it cost me an average half-second a lap every lap. Unfortunately, though the car's turn-in felt much better, even after easing back on the rear bar the car still felt more dodgy than I'd expect at the limit, making it difficult to hold there. Not even so much as unbalanced, just felt like it wasn't stable anymore (where it used to be). The turn-in response can be seen pretty clearly in the data, 4 key corners (including the above) where I'm just not carrying the speed into the corner, just feels like the car isn't turning like it should. Seems also like I've lost my left-foot-braking technique a bit too, in that I'm forgetting to get off the throttle, then I am, and that's messing with my corner entry as well.
So apparently I still need a little more push up front or weight in the rear to really keep it/me happy at the limit; I think we'll ease the rear back down slightly, like 1/4", and try that out. If it feels worse, now that it's even L/R, we can always lower the front back down a 1/4" to level it again. We're definitely fine tuning now.
As for race results, it was a rough, chaotic, and disappointing weekend. The timing and scoring computer crashed during our qual session, and they split our grid (putting the GT, Prod, and SRF cars up front) and gridded us on points. Great, that put me on the pole, but I didn't have the car to hang onto it, so that just led to me losing even more spots on the start than I would've normally, falling back to 3rd. The car/driver combination was working so badly, I couldn't even get past the 2nd place black Capri and retake that spot, so I finished in 3rd.
Second class race was even worse, mixed back in with the GT and other cars, but still mismatched for start speed, so there was a lot of hesitation and banging at the start. This resulted in the black Capri getting punted into me (by the #21 car - more from him later) on the RH side, right into the front wheel and fender, wrenching my shoulder and giving me the gift of 1.5" toe out! Again trailed him to the end, and the car still wasn't going that fast - still a second off the pace, finishing in 3rd again.
Final race, the Feature (doesn't count towards class points), was another crash fest, even worse. The black Capri rolled forward again, but this time took out the ITC Civic in front of me. Great, so I got around them. Next corner (still just getting clear of the start) the remaining ITC Civic in front gets pinched badly by a Spec Ford, spinning her and taking them both off track and out of our way. That takes car of 4 out of 5 cars in-between me and the ITB leader, our buddy in the BMW! But I fail to drop it down into 2nd to pull up the hill out of Turn 3, and the #21 car gets a nose ahead of me going uphill.
So I hang onto the left side of the track, trying for an outside pass over Hilltop turn (#4). But while I have a great run coming off the hill and am ready to line up a pass into Turn 5 on the outside - he chops me off hard enough to buckle my fender badly and nearly completely spin himself. Barely recovers, but stays in front, and I'm thoroughly pissed. A couple more run-ins, getting denied racing room, I'm pretty pissed (mind you, our track is only 2 cars wide). Then his exhaust starts falling down, popping/backfiring very badly, and I back off, since I know he's going to get meatballed. Meanwhile, I'm held up so badly I get passed by a GTL Mini! Then he gets the meatball, and motor on to the checker in 2nd. Not going fast enough, still slower than ever, but the black Capri never gets back in touch to apply any pressure.
Long, exhausting weekend, just glad its over. Need to find some more speed, get back on the pace with the Bimmer, or the run for the Championship is his to lose. Sorry, no video; the cameras were dropping out for some reason. So all that excitement is not really caught.
Well, after bandaiding the header; after some muffler hanger troubles in a DE earlier than week, the header developed a crack. We bandaided it with a couple of hose clamps - no time to remove and weld, and no access to weld anyway - and prayed it'd stay put. Much to our amazement, it did all weekend no issues - didn't even sound leaky.
No great surprise, my confidence level was down through the corner I crashed in; unfortunately it's the 2nd fastest corner on the track, leading onto the longest straight, so it cost me an average half-second a lap every lap. Unfortunately, though the car's turn-in felt much better, even after easing back on the rear bar the car still felt more dodgy than I'd expect at the limit, making it difficult to hold there. Not even so much as unbalanced, just felt like it wasn't stable anymore (where it used to be). The turn-in response can be seen pretty clearly in the data, 4 key corners (including the above) where I'm just not carrying the speed into the corner, just feels like the car isn't turning like it should. Seems also like I've lost my left-foot-braking technique a bit too, in that I'm forgetting to get off the throttle, then I am, and that's messing with my corner entry as well.
So apparently I still need a little more push up front or weight in the rear to really keep it/me happy at the limit; I think we'll ease the rear back down slightly, like 1/4", and try that out. If it feels worse, now that it's even L/R, we can always lower the front back down a 1/4" to level it again. We're definitely fine tuning now.
As for race results, it was a rough, chaotic, and disappointing weekend. The timing and scoring computer crashed during our qual session, and they split our grid (putting the GT, Prod, and SRF cars up front) and gridded us on points. Great, that put me on the pole, but I didn't have the car to hang onto it, so that just led to me losing even more spots on the start than I would've normally, falling back to 3rd. The car/driver combination was working so badly, I couldn't even get past the 2nd place black Capri and retake that spot, so I finished in 3rd.
Second class race was even worse, mixed back in with the GT and other cars, but still mismatched for start speed, so there was a lot of hesitation and banging at the start. This resulted in the black Capri getting punted into me (by the #21 car - more from him later) on the RH side, right into the front wheel and fender, wrenching my shoulder and giving me the gift of 1.5" toe out! Again trailed him to the end, and the car still wasn't going that fast - still a second off the pace, finishing in 3rd again.
Final race, the Feature (doesn't count towards class points), was another crash fest, even worse. The black Capri rolled forward again, but this time took out the ITC Civic in front of me. Great, so I got around them. Next corner (still just getting clear of the start) the remaining ITC Civic in front gets pinched badly by a Spec Ford, spinning her and taking them both off track and out of our way. That takes car of 4 out of 5 cars in-between me and the ITB leader, our buddy in the BMW! But I fail to drop it down into 2nd to pull up the hill out of Turn 3, and the #21 car gets a nose ahead of me going uphill.
So I hang onto the left side of the track, trying for an outside pass over Hilltop turn (#4). But while I have a great run coming off the hill and am ready to line up a pass into Turn 5 on the outside - he chops me off hard enough to buckle my fender badly and nearly completely spin himself. Barely recovers, but stays in front, and I'm thoroughly pissed. A couple more run-ins, getting denied racing room, I'm pretty pissed (mind you, our track is only 2 cars wide). Then his exhaust starts falling down, popping/backfiring very badly, and I back off, since I know he's going to get meatballed. Meanwhile, I'm held up so badly I get passed by a GTL Mini! Then he gets the meatball, and motor on to the checker in 2nd. Not going fast enough, still slower than ever, but the black Capri never gets back in touch to apply any pressure.
Long, exhausting weekend, just glad its over. Need to find some more speed, get back on the pace with the Bimmer, or the run for the Championship is his to lose. Sorry, no video; the cameras were dropping out for some reason. So all that excitement is not really caught.
