Braineack

iTrader: (62)

sounds just like an HPDE.

high performance driver education.

Jeffbucc

Autocross event? This is separate from this weekends autocross I have planned.

Ryan_G

iTrader: (8)

HPDE is the common name for an open track day where you are not competitively racing. The price is inline with what I pay for two days at Sebring with an instructor but that is two days out on the track with intermittent classroom sessions to discuss techniques and what you have applied.

Jeffbucc

Looks like Brain ninja edited hence my autocross confusion response.

Yup, looks like an HPDE event. The class time for the first day is around 3 hours then Skid pad, lead car follow, instructor training in car the rest of the day. Sunday is all track time.

Red Group - Advanced
Green Group - Intermediate
White Group - Novice
Yellow Group- Student
DAY ONE
7:00am Gates Open – Registration and Tech Begin
8:15am Mandatory Drivers Meeting
8:45am Instructors Meeting
9:00am Red Group on Track
9:00am Yellow Group to Classroom
9:30am Green Group on Track
10:00am White Group on Track
10:00am Yellow Group on Skid Pad
10:30am Red Group on Track
11:00am Green Group on Track
11:30am White Group on Track
12:00pm Yellow Group on Track for Lead-Follow
12:30pm Track Closed for Lunch
1:00pm Red Group on Track
1:30pm Green Group on Track
2:00pm White Group on Track
2:30pm Yellow Group on Track
3:00pm Red Group on Track
3:30pm Green Group on Track
4:00pm White Group on Track
4:30pm Yellow Group on Track
5:30pm GATES CLOSE
DAY TWO
7:00am Gates Open - Registration and Tech Begin
8:15am Mandatory Drivers Meeting
8:45am Instructors Meeting
9:00am Red Group on Track
9:30am Green Group on Track
10:00am White and Yellow Group on Track
10:30am Red Group on Track
11:00am Green Group on Track
11:30am White and Yellow Group on Track
12:00pm Track Closed for Lunch
1:00pm Red Group on Track
1:30pm Green Group on Track
2:00pm White and Yellow Group on Track
2:30pm Red Group on Track
3:00pm Green Group on Track
3:30pm White and Yellow Group

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Two day events in my area are usually around $315. So, pretty much in line.

You're foolish if you don't actively seek instruction. Sebastian Vettel has a coach too.

Stock

Yes, it's worth it. Do it.

EErockMiata

I've been to SMMR twice and it's one of my favorite tracks I've ever been to. It's got a mix of high speed high horse power biased sections and autoX sections that are compromise and force you to drive the shortest distance instead of the traditional line. (run on sentence much).

It would be a fantastic track to be coached on. A weekend there with an instructor would be money well spent for sure... in addition the price is right. Track days on tracks as good as SMMR are usually 200ish a day. It's a top notch facility.

That being said Pahrump is miserable. I'd suggest getting one of their condo units. There isn't a single decent damn thing to eat in the entire town. Fortunately you'll be exhausted so you'll just need sustenance and bed.

Efini~FC3S

iTrader: (4)

Vettel needs it too, he's getting sh*t stomped by his teammate on a regular basis!

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

LOL. I was thinking that when I wrote it. Fun seeing Daniel's beaming face on the top step. Surprised his face doesn't break he's smiling so hard.

Jeffbucc

Cool, good info. I appreciate the feedback all.

I was never suggesting that I wouldn't get an instructor to help, just wasn't sure if the price was right for it. Good to hear it is such a good track as well. I honestly had never heard of it before I saw the listing. Weird *** place for a track though, never even heard of Pahrump and I've driven past it several times on the way to slot canyons in California.

Just cleaned the **** out of my car after I got caught in a huge desert rain storm last night. Rain mixed with brake dust is a recipe for very strong glue. Best $100 I spent on the car was getting the wheels ceramic coated to protect them and make them easier to clean. Just takes a minor amount of soap/degreaser and a little agitation from a brush to remove it all.

Dark Bronze brake dust color(looks worse irl)



Shiny Gold

Jeffbucc

Actual work done on the car! Received the diff seals and new brake booster line and threw ehm in last night.

Had to remove the V Band on the midpipe to get at the drivers side but otherwise it went without a hitch. As usual, since it was my first time it took me an hour or two longer than it would take me to do it a second time. I'll be honest, most of the time was spent cleaning the rear/front subframes...

I thought I had a slight vacuum leak for my brakes and rather than trust the vacuum line that came with the car(cut for boost gauge) a new one was cheap and good peace of mind.

old



New



Stub axle flange removed and cleaned up a little



light corrosion on the seal contact area



Used 2k grit sandpaper and polished it up.



used the old seal on top of the new seal and a tapped it in slowly.



Then simply hammered the flange back in, torqued the nuts to 42 ft/lbs and was ready to go.

I also got the rear brake pad adjuster and finally got my emergency brake working properly. Nice to be able to be in neutral without my foot on the brake anymore.

Braineack

iTrader: (62)

fwiw there's a check valve in the booster line, did you replace it?

Jeffbucc

Check valve was in the line already. Just in case I blew into each end to make sure.

Also, the axle flange really hurts like hell when it suddenly pops off and hits you in the head.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

need vid.

Jeffbucc

Sweet merciful Cthulhu that was the most fun I have ever had...ever



I'll upload some videos later, unfortunately my camera died before my two best runs.

It took me about 9 runs to understand how to drive the car correctly. Luckily everyone was super friendly and unbelievably helpful in teaching me how to drive correctly. I was just too damn heavy on the throttle and too late on the brakes for most the day. Too twitchy on the steering wheel, which gave me wy more dorifto than I wanted.

Too give you an idea, here are my tires after the day was over.



By the end of the day I was feathering my throttle a lot better through the turns, rolling the car smoothly through the sections, and finding the grip limit of the Rivals. I had to lower my tire pressure to around 25 psi before I stopped getting the feeling of having the tires coated in oil(102º outside). Luckily a kind gentleman let me borrow his pyrometer to give me a more accurate idea of tire pressure needed.

Fastest time of the day was a guy in a crazy Miata with no windshield, 275 Hoosiers, turbo'd, and a **** load of talent. He put down a 65.58.

I started out getting DNF'd the first four times due to missing a gate I was overlooking. I managed not to strike a single cone. My times were 79, 78,78,77,75,75,75,87(almost missed a cone turn in). The on my very last run I put down a 72.11. It was like everything suddenly clicked and I understood how to keep everything in line properly and hit the apex's correctly.

Sadly it didn't count due to the guy before me having a timing board issue. Luckily they let me do a rerun and I put down a 71 flat that was my fastest time of the day.

Really glad I was able to get close to 70 seconds on 225 Rivals. Most the people in the 60's were running Hoosiers, but regardless of that, they were really good drivers.

Was a super fun learning experience. The car performed flawlessly, it never overheated or did anything weird. Just super reliable 25 constant psi and I never once hit my 280kpa boost limit.

It was funny to see everyone crowd around the car and ask a bunch of questions about it. No one could believe me that it put out ~300hp until they saw the car on the track and a couple people did a ride along with me. Crazy how many Miatas there were. I counted around 10, and 2 were turbo'd.

Got a ride in a guys turbo tube frame rotary RX-7 that held traction so well around the corners he scared me at one point.

Anyways. I'll stop rambling like a highschool girl who had her first kiss and just say I am glad there is another day of this tomorrow. We are doing the layout in reverse this time which should prove to be pretty interesting.

I'll get some videos up later once I have the brain power to do so. Standing in the sun for 10 hours wears you out. Especially running out on the track constantly to reset the cones.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Man, just wait until you get on a road course at speed for 30 minutes.

18psi

iTrader: (76)

wow, sounds like you just popped your cherry.

in before serious track/auto-x addiction

Jeffbucc

Cherry is indeed popped

If I had any shred of self respect I wouldn't post the two following videos. They are my first two runs of the day and they make me look comically bad.

Sit back, crack a beer, enjoy.

Sorry, these are the only two that turned out ok from the day. My mount vibrated the camera into focusing on the passenger seat the rest of the day.

hornetball

iTrader: (4)

Popped? Nope, sorry, you've been kissed. Like all good Mormon girls, I expect you to sign up for that HPDE and go to Vegas to get popped!

Let me illustrate:

Kissed:


Popped:




For goodness sakes, build yourself one of these:
https://www.miataturbo.net/build-thr...6/#post1100556

Also, don't you dare show up at a road course with 300RWHP and boosting 21psi. 30 minutes on a road course is a different animal entirely from 70 seconds at an autocross. Detune a bit and give yourself and your car a chance.

Jeffbucc

Point made Rick!

Next time will be different!