Drove your Gen IV ACR at Seca? Tell me about it...

[rw99]

Looking for a little preview, ideally from a stock '09 ACR driver... but all Viper/Seca experiences are appreciated.

ACR: Interested in setup details (octane, shock settings/height, suspension/camber, tires & pressures, front splitter track extension use, etc.)

ACR: Any issues with bottoming out the splitter anywhere (corkscrew)? Not-so-obvious gear choices? Did you fail the 92 dB limit -- and if so, what's your exhaust setup?

I drive HPDE events, and conservatively at that. No plans to become a Time Trial driver, etc. While I've driven Seca 5+ track days, I've always been in my big SRT8s: Charger or Challenger. Needless to say, I'll be the slow & careful guy in the Viper for awhile!

Thanks in advance for any info...

Rich

 

[PDCjonny]

It's an easy track, I drive it in Forza 3 all the time....
Ever get your splitter?

 

[redtanrt10]

RW, get with the guys at the NorCal club, I'm sure they'll help, if your ACR is stock and you say that you drive conservatively, then; 91 octane is fine, look in the ACR supplement for ride height, start with rough track, camber adjustment is better but you'll be fine, set the tires at 29 all around and check after each run, shoot for 36 psi hot. Take the first lap at moderate pace to build up heat in those Michelins before you pick up the pace. Put the splitter on and don't worry about bottoming out. Then the usual, check all fluids and torque lug nuts (and re-check during the day) I've not run at Laguna Seca but everybody tells me stock exhaust will be fine for noise. You won't beleive how much the aero will make you stick in high speed sweepers. Have fun! Mike

 

[rw99]

It's an easy track, I drive it in Forza 3 all the time....
Ever get your splitter?

Yah, FedEx just brought it today. Not the one that came with the car, but... anyway.

Seca is my favorite of our "local" tracks (with Thunderhill and Infineon also nearby). I love the mixes of length, turn geometry, hills... and the setting is also just gorgeous once you're done driving. It's also a pretty friendly track, IMO, with good run-offs in most of the problem areas.

So even better than in Forza!

 

[FastGuy68]

Can't help with your questions but have to agree about living in a great place for road course race tracks!! I have been to Laguna many times and each time seemed special just because of the surroundings. Much nicer not having to worry about over zealous MP's when it was part of the miltary base also!!

Anyway, I hope you enjoy your day and your new ACR!!

 

[hou99gts]

Looking for a little preview, ideally from a stock '09 ACR driver... but all Viper/Seca experiences are appreciated.

ACR: Interested in setup details (octane, shock settings/height, suspension/camber, tires & pressures, front splitter track extension use, etc.)

ACR: Any issues with bottoming out the splitter anywhere (corkscrew)? Not-so-obvious gear choices? Did you fail the 92 dB limit -- and if so, what's your exhaust setup?

I drive HPDE events, and conservatively at that. No plans to become a Time Trial driver, etc. While I've driven Seca 5+ track days, I've always been in my big SRT8s: Charger or Challenger. Needless to say, I'll be the slow & careful guy in the Viper for awhile!

Thanks in advance for any info...

Rich

I have a stock 09 ACR, I suggest setting the car up like the ACR supplement says to (that is what I do when I go to the track). I still use the stock alignment since I drive on the street a lot also. You should pass the noise limit easy if your car is stock. You should definitely use the splitter attachment. Have fun, it is a blast!

 

[shooter_t1]

Yah, FedEx just brought it today. Not the one that came with the car, but... anyway.

Sorry too hear that. Too bad people can't just be honest.

 

[PAvenomRT/10]

RW,
Even driving conservatively, you will find yourself at or near the head of the pack at the track with the ACR. It is an amazing car and even better at the track. Have fun.
PAVenomRT/10
2000 RT/10 & 2009 ACR

 

[rw99]

I have a stock 09 ACR, I suggest setting the car up like the ACR supplement says to (that is what I do when I go to the track). I still use the stock alignment since I drive on the street a lot also. You should pass the noise limit easy if your car is stock. You should definitely use the splitter attachment. Have fun, it is a blast!

Good info, thanks... so you adjusted shocks to track settings, did you change ride height? Any uneven tire wear after a few sessions using stock alignment?

BTW, nice color!

 

[hou99gts]

Good info, thanks... so you adjusted shocks to track settings, did you change ride height? Any uneven tire wear after a few sessions using stock alignment?

BTW, nice color!

Thanks! Fun fact, I sat in your car before any of the previous owners did. I went and checked it out at the dealer for Kevin before it was shipped to him. I think I still have all the pics if you would like them.

On to the car, yes, I adjust the shocks (rebound and compression) to the settings in the ACR booklet. I leave it at stock height (I believe a height change requires an alignment). Yes, you will wear the ouside of the tires faster with the stock alignment when you start running hard at the track (but running a track alignment on the street is not good either). I only do about 2-3 track days a year, so I am sticking with the street alignment.

 

[rw99]

...just to follow up on this old thread, Seca was an absolute blast. Stock ride height, KWs at 5/5 front and 6/6 back, splitter+extension, wing at stock config. Cups at 30-32 cold psi. 91 octane.

For sound, I lugged 4th through T5 and then downshifted once past the hut. Here's a little video from my GoPro, watch in HD:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhkkQUvW0kk


Rich

 

[SoCal Rebell]

I drove an '08 ACR here at Willow Springs here in SoCal a few times, all stock except for brake fluid which I changed out to Motul. I didn't change the ride height which hurt the alignment, to most negative camber I could dial in was -1.7 in the front, I would liked about -2.3. After 4 track days the tires were shot cording one of the fronts on the inside. Willow Springs has elevation changes and no problem, the car ran GREAT my best time in my Gen 2 on street tires was 1.37, my best in a stock Gen 4 ACR was 1.31. Never ran the ACR at Laguna but I've hit all the NorCal tracks many times and particularly like T-hill.

 

[EXHLR8N]

Awesome Video. Do you mount the GoPro next to the mirror and upside down?

 

[rw99]

Awesome Video. Do you mount the GoPro next to the mirror and upside down?

Thanks. That GoPro is mounted externally just about as low as possible on the middle of the lower bumper... thus the "snake's eye" viewpoint. There is a bit of fish-eye lensing, as the camera is built to capture wide-view... so objects straight ahead tend to look a little farther away then they actually are. The Z06 shown kicked up a bunch of adhered rubber on me, but thankfully none of it whacked the camera.

 

[elanderholm]

...just to follow up on this old thread, Seca was an absolute blast. Stock ride height, KWs at 5/5 front and 6/6 back, splitter+extension, wing at stock config. Cups at 30-32 cold psi. 91 octane.

For sound, I lugged 4th through T5 and then downshifted once past the hut. Here's a little video from my GoPro, watch in HD:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhkkQUvW0kk


Rich

Awesome video. I am going to have one from thunderhill after july 4th. I have the same camera mounted in roughly the same place.

 

[Bill Pemberton Woodhouse]

Shots are at a unique angle, but is it held on only with the suction cups or do you have additional mounting appartus to secure the camera? Great question as I was unsure of where it was mounted looking at the shots.

 

[rw99]

Shots are at a unique angle, but is it held on only with the suction cups or do you have additional mounting appartus to secure the camera? Great question as I was unsure of where it was mounted looking at the shots.

The GoPro comes with a bunch of little attachment pads that are 3M adhesive-backed. They serve as mounting points for the camera receiver, and the camera housing then bolts onto that piece. The attachment pads come in both curved and flat configurations; GoPro seems to realize that perfectly flat surfaces are many times very hard to come by. The pad used for my setup is slightly curved and mates very nicely with the bumper surface curvature.

WARNING: the picture below shows something stuck with adhesive to a dirty Viper ACR!

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And here's how the camera looks when mounted:

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As a sidebar, their suction mount is pretty damn strong: I've used it on a couple of Waverunners and it seems like it's glued on.

And anyone considering a GoPro setup should be forewarned that the audio on these can be problematic
.

 

[SFViper]

...just to follow up on this old thread, Seca was an absolute blast. Stock ride height, KWs at 5/5 front and 6/6 back, splitter+extension, wing at stock config. Cups at 30-32 cold psi. 91 octane.

For sound, I lugged 4th through T5 and then downshifted once past the hut. Here's a little video from my GoPro, watch in HD:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhkkQUvW0kk


Rich

Rich,

That's some great driving and fantastic video too! Are you going to the ThunderHill event on September 24?

Hope to see you there.

Robert

 

[rw99]

Robert, I'm leaning heavily toward the Sept. T-Hill track day. If I were retired and made of money, I'd track this car a few times a month instead of a few times each year. Too much fun!

Rich

 

[rw99]

Because I can't resist a) driving Laguna Seca, and b) posting video from driving Laguna Seca (crank the sound and view in HD!)...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOnVW0euljk


Another perfect day in Monterey, once the fog burned off. Hosted by PCA Golden Gate Region and Coastal Driving School... really enjoyed driving with them.

Kept the setup the same: street alignment and rough track height; compression and rebound set as per ACR manual. Starting the Cups at 30 psi cold all 'round had them at around 37 psi after cool-down lap and parking, and they felt grippy and predictable at those pressures.

Glad to have the PartsRack carbon fiber rock guards on the car this time, as they effectively reduced the track rubber marks on my lower panels.


Rich

 

[CA97GTS]

What's that old saying: Porsches for breakfast Ferraris for lunch ! Bimmers this time -
Man I want an ACR bad !

 

[PDCjonny]

I'll probably never see that track in real life, but have driven in hundreds of times in Forza 3....
I swear I know every inch of it, the game duplicates it exactly.
That corkscrew....awesome.

Fun video to watch thanks!

 

[BAD BOYZZ GARAGE]

Good footage.. looks like a fun time for sure!

BAD BOYZZ GARAGE, INC.
Toddy

 

[Viper X]

Great videos.

FYI, a couple of our So Cal Club members drove LS recently. It seems that LS now has a "roving" sound person, so it's not just T5 for sound anymore. One of our guys got black flagged twice in a completely stock Gen IV.


Too bad LS isn't more reasonable.

IMHO, any car that passes federal sound regs and has a completely stock engine and exhaust system, like a stock Viper, should be allowed to run without getting black flagged.

Dan

 

[rw99]

Great videos.

FYI, a couple of our So Cal Club members drove LS recently. It seems that LS now has a "roving" sound person, so it's not just T5 for sound anymore. One of our guys got black flagged twice in a completely stock Gen IV.


Too bad LS isn't more reasonable.

IMHO, any car that passes federal sound regs and has a completely stock engine and exhaust system, like a stock Viper, should be allowed to run without getting black flagged.

Dan

Dan, the PCA/CDS guys running these track days were told the same thing re: roving measurements... and the limit was only 90 dB for the entire weekend! In the vid you can probably hear me let off a bit or lug 4th going up T5-T6, depending on traffic. I was conservative with the throttle in the first session of each day when passing the sound hut... the track was cool and I'm not one to start testing my limits early in the day... so I just tried to establish myself as a "non-offender". God knows I stood out visually, and I didn't want them to mentally flag me for a check on every damn lap.

If I can set up a pass for that hill, though, I'll go ahead and take it WOT in 3rd and make sure that the pass happens as we go by the sound box. That has worked, and I know from talking to the nice lady in the hut that they won't meatball a car when there's another one right there contributing to the noise.

A fair number of P-cars were failing sound, and many were using custom Seca exhaust piping to route their tips to driver's left. Always a challenge.

Here are some pics; beautiful Porsches everywhere. And then there was me and my buddy in his green Z-car, spoiling the Germanic purity of the event

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Rich