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Agreed - single day race events generally don't interest us much either, I much prefer the 2-day format and honestly the AER 3-day format is usually the best mix of getting away for a full weekend of racing if I'm going to take the time off. Friday is always an open track day / practice in the morning where you can bring any car as long as it passes 'track day' tech and then the afternoon is reserved for registered racecars qualifying for the weekend. Then you get two 9hr races on Sat/Sun each.
Borrowed some scales from a buddy just out of curiosity to see what ballpark weight I was at. 2310# with driver weight in the car along with 1/4 tank of fuel. Xidas installed essentially right out of the box with the car yet to be aligned resulted in 52/48 front to back weight distribution, 50/50 cross weights, and 51.5/48.5 left to right. I will check the weights again following the alignment this weekend and consider some corner weight adjustment. Not too bad I think for OEM hardtop, passenger seat, and no true weight saving modifications (solely for the purpose of weight savings anyway) done yet. No idea how much weight the cage will add at the end of the season, but there's still plenty to pull off the car for sure. Either way, should easily be in the ballpark for SPM S2 and NASA ST6 goals.
Check list to do before first HPDE of the season March 23-24 at VIR:
- install rear swaybar endlinks
- replace torn front swaybar bushing (sucker tore right in half when I was grinding it down to sit flush with the bracket! New one on the way from Racing Beat)
- alignment from having all the arms/subframes off the car and addition of Xidas and ELBJ
- new front pads, rotors, and fluid flush
- finish installing new concave "blind spot" mirrors in place of the stupid OEM side mirrors
- clean out and reorganize trailer (been used for storage over off season)
Also, I ponied up for a track-side alignment setup from QuickTrick so I can start playing around with settings once I get comfortable with the newly overhauled suspension. Still need to order a pyrometer...
I got the car pointed in the right direction yesterday. I also ordered a pyrometer to make sure I'm using my tires right! VIR in two weeks, just some trailer maintenance and upgrading to do between now and then.
Just wrapped up the first HPDE of the season and first time on track with the new SuperMiata suspension set up. Man the car felt awesome. Took curbs like a champ, the increased negative camber made turn-in understeer almost non-existent, and the lack of body roll was very confidence inspiring. Along with actual race pads up front the car was consistent and much faster than the driver haha.
I was solo for the weekend but asked an instructor to jump in and got a second recommendation for HPDE 3, so I'll request that check ride next event which should be May back at VIR for Hyperfest. I unfortunately found out this weekend that my time off request for Summit Point in April got denied.
No pictures for this post...I was busy this weekend actually enjoying spectating and had two buddies out for their first ever on track experience so I was spending a lot of time answering questions for them. It's rather nice having the car run flawlessly for the entire weekend with no work needed at all. Also, the tire pyrometer is definitely an awesome tool to have. Will analyze the data more as I have time this week. Currently ~8-10 seconds off Spec Miata race pace, so TONS of room for improvement still, but not too bad for first weekend with the new stuff.
Currently ~8-10 seconds off Spec Miata race pace, so TONS of room for improvement still, but not too bad for first weekend with the new stuff.
A full Supermiata S2 is 2-3s faster than an SM on a typical 2 minute / 2.5 mile course. Just for reference. Sounds like your car is still a ways from S2 though.
A full Supermiata S2 is 2-3s faster than an SM on a typical 2 minute / 2.5 mile course. Just for reference. Sounds like your car is still a ways from S2 though.
Thank you, that is a great reference point to know. I absolutely love the Big Grip kit I got from you BTW, the car felt fantastic all weekend.
And yes, I'm not anywhere close to S2. The engine is 100% stock and probably very tired. Rolled 140k at the track this weekend. More importantly, myself as a driver is no where close to being anywhere good or fast. I'm only just now starting my second season of HPDE and this was the first weekend with the new suspension (installed pretty much out of the box with no real tweaking or adjustments) and actual race pads (front only). I'm still waaaaaayyyyyyy over-slowing for a few corners and figuring out how to drive smooth and consistent. This was also my first time throwing a lap timer app up on the phone just to see what ballpark I was in. Overall my main goal is to learn how to drive the car, learn the appropriate lines for different racing scenarios, learn how the car behaves differently off-line, etc. I don't care about lap times at all (yet!) but wanted some verification that the line changes I was making this weekend were working for the better.
If you don't have it already, get a lap timer with predictive lap timing. Next to personal coaching, it's the most useful money you will spend on learning what's fast and what isn't. At some point, put a quick driver in it for 2-3 laps. No need to do a full session. Compare data. You will learn manys.
If you don't have it already, get a lap timer with predictive lap timing. Next to personal coaching, it's the most useful money you will spend on learning what's fast and what isn't. At some point, put a quick driver in it for 2-3 laps. No need to do a full session. Compare data. You will learn manys.
A predictive lap timer is definitely next on my list, and a financial discussion I've been having with my wife since this weekend haha. There were like 3-4 AIM Solos for sale in the last few weeks I saw and I stupidly didn't jump on any them. Might just bite the bullet and buy new so I can continue progressing. I feel I have had enough time learning in a way that I KNOW the car is consistent, it's just time to make ME consistent.
Thank you for the advice Emilio. I have been paying very close attention to all of you informative posts and I think that has helped me drastically with building a reliable, fun, and consistent car.
Man, I have majorly failed at keeping this thread updated. I know only a few people following along since there is way more entertaining stuff on this forum, but a brief recap of the season so far:
- Xidas are freaking awesome. No drama what-so-ever and I haven't even made any adjustments yet. Still haven't reached a plateau on times as driver consistency is still the biggest weakness. I absolutely love how the car feels.
- Hawk DTC-60s work well and should last one more event. Ordered some Raybestos ST-43s to try next because variety is the spice of life, right? Definitely planning on brake ducts this upcoming off-season for some better temperature control and longevity hopefully.
- R888Rs are still doing great with ~30 HCs. Should get me through the rest of the season. Just received some 15x9 Dekagrams from Goodwin before the July 1st price hike and will grab some 225s once my measly 195s finally call it quits.
- Predictive lap timer will be ordered next overtime check per Emilio's recommendation. I've known I needed one for a while, just always found other places the money had to be spent first. Luckily overtime is plentiful and pays well.
- Ultragauge totally crapped out with new-found fun in jumping curbs. Installed Longacre water temperature gauge.
- Due to some incorrect information on NASAs part I was denied my HPDE-3 check ride for next event (August at VIR). Will have to do one more weekend in HPDE-2 SOLO and take their new flag test that no one told me about.
- Crazy work schedule has really limited events this year between specialty classes and preparing for promotion. Might get lucky to make 5 weekends. So far have only done 2 (March and May, both at VIR). Hoping to do August and October at VIR and November at Summit Point. No bucket list tracks this year, but with my HPDE ladder progress being slowed I can wait to start expanding to new tracks next year. I need to get better at my "home" tracks first...
- Some new (and apparently common) frame rail rust was found, so I acquired a rust-free tub from Florida for $500. The new tub will be sent off for cage once I have the funds and then I'll move everything over. I have designed a livery for the new body as I figure I might as well take my time and build the car with a good attention to detail without breaking the bank. Might as well do it while it's all apart already.
- I added a piece of safety gear by grabbing a driving suit at OGRacing's sidewalk sale a couple months ago, so that box is now checked for whenever I can do any W2W when the time comes.
That's all for this update. My goal is to update more regularly to document my build/journey, it's just been a much slower season than I was expecting.
Off-season plans as of right now:
- 225s for the new wheels (so excited to get off 195s!)
- Singular brake ducts
- Fresh hubs/wheel bearings all around for maintenance sake
Thank you to everyone again who makes this forum so great. I have learned so much from everyone's build threads, so hopefully someone can learn from something I have to offer one day as well.
Nice progress. I'm looking forward to seeing how you like those ST43's, I was going to switch to them once I get rolling in ST5 because contingency. Have always used either Hawk DTC-60 and Hawk HT-10 so it might be a nice change to make.
I'm looking forward to seeing how you like those ST43's, I was going to switch to them once I get rolling in ST5 because contingency.
I was unable to get race compounds through Raybestos’ NASA contingency. Like the people running and administrating the contingency program didn’t have access to the race compounds as awards. The most aggressive compound they were able to offer me was the “XP7” street/track compound which the guy told me “should” work fine because the Miata is “so light”.
Nice progress. I'm looking forward to seeing how you like those ST43's, I was going to switch to them once I get rolling in ST5 because contingency. Have always used either Hawk DTC-60 and Hawk HT-10 so it might be a nice change to make.
I'm looking forward to trying them as a lot of endurance guys say they work well and last a little better for only a few dollars more than the Hawks. Finding the balance between performance is always the goal! They are a little harder to come by than the standard Hawk offerings though, so that may play into whether I go back to the DTC-60s or not. I'm hoping brake ducts will also help with longevity to stretch my dollars a little further on consumables.
Originally Posted by Efini~FC3S
I was unable to get race compounds through Raybestos’ NASA contingency. Like the people running and administrating the contingency program didn’t have access to the race compounds as awards. The most aggressive compound they were able to offer me was the “XP7” street/track compound which the guy told me “should” work fine because the Miata is “so light”.
Nice progress. I'm looking forward to seeing how you like those ST43's, I was going to switch to them once I get rolling in ST5 because contingency. Have always used either Hawk DTC-60 and Hawk HT-10 so it might be a nice change to make.
G-LOC has contingency. They pay in G-LOC brake certificates, which is equivalent to Hawk bucks.
I've been running the R8 front / R6 rear for last 2 seasons and they work well. I'm planning on moving up to TT6 this fall. I've been slowly narrowing the distance between the Great Lakes hot shoes.
Good modulation, good temp range, and the best part is the dust isn't corrosive. I usually leave the car in the trailer until the following weekend, when I pull it out and wash it. I have to remove the tire marbles with some force, but I can almost blast the brake dust off with a hose. I have 2 seasons on my bronze 6UL wheels and they still look new. I started out with the R10 Fr / R8 Rr 3 seasons ago, but wasn't able to get them up to operating temp consistently and the brake torque was a bit higher, which made less modulation.
I've had Singular brake ducts sitting in the box for a few years; just haven't felt it necessary to install them. I run RBF600 and bleed before every event and have never had anything but a firm, consistent pedal. I swap the pads inside <-> outside or left <-> right after every event and they'll easily last 2 seasons. The rotors usually start cracking at that point, so I throw in a new set. No issues with taper wear with the NB sport calipers.
Nice work! Since you're local, maybe i'll see you around at an event (now that i have the car together)
Would love to get a feel for the Xidas.
Definitely! I'm at most of the NASA Mid-Atlantic events. If you make it to one please feel free to stop by!
Originally Posted by engineered2win
I've had Singular brake ducts sitting in the box for a few years; just haven't felt it necessary to install them. I run RBF600 and bleed before every event and have never had anything but a firm, consistent pedal. I swap the pads inside <-> outside or left <-> right after every event and they'll easily last 2 seasons. The rotors usually start cracking at that point, so I throw in a new set. No issues with taper wear with the NB sport calipers.
Thank you for the data. I've been having a hard time determining if brake ducts are truly necessary quite yet. If I can put them off a little longer it certain helps the budget. I am not sure exactly how much longer my DTC-60s will last, but I probably do need to start swapping pads between sides after events to help with the taper (though I've only experienced very minimal taper so far) and inner vs outer pad wear. If the Hawks last me the last three weekends this year I would be happy with that. Just wasn't sure if the ducts would potentially help with better longevity.
G-LOC has contingency. They pay in G-LOC brake certificates, which is equivalent to Hawk bucks.
Little bit a thread revive here but I remembered you saying this when I was looking at brakes, finally went to the website and checked out the G-Loc contingency and discovered it's only for nationals. So equally as useless for a lot of people I suppose.
There is never a reason not to set up good brake ducts. They will always make your pads last longer. Usually 2x to start and sometimes 3x if you're having trouble with rapid pad wear, tapering, fade or all of those things.
There is never a reason not to set up good brake ducts. They will always make your pads last longer. Usually 2x to start and sometimes 3x if you're having trouble with rapid pad wear, tapering, fade or all of those things.
Thank you Emilio, I think I had read that from you somewhere before as well. I think I'm still planning on doing the ducts since I'm going to be in there replacing hubs this off-season anyway.
02-28-2019, 09:35 AM
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