What a weekend...towed the car up on Friday (Its so hard driving 55 mph) Got to Laguna Seca the next morning entered in Group 4 which you are aloud to pass anywhere.
I ran around the track in the first session slowly getting used to thr track...
Tire pressure 32psi in front... 30 in rear
Saturday Session
1st session 2.01
1.59
2.02 (Traffic)
1.58
1.58
1.54
1.53
2nd session 1.56 w/passanger(everyone wanted to ride)
1.57
1.56
1.53
1.52
1.50
1.51
3rd session 1.50
1.51
1.50
1.49
1.49
1.48
1.48
4th session 1.51 w/passenger
1.49
1.49
1.48
1.48
1.48
1.48
By about the 4 lap of each session I could feel the brakes starting to fade and my braking points became much longer.
Sunday, Tire pressure..31psi in front 30 in rear (The car has alot more push with less air pressure up front)
1st session 1.49 w/passenger
1.49
1.50
1.49
1.48
1.48
1.47
2nd session 1.48
1.48
1.47 Met my Goal!!!
1.47
1.48
1.55 Traffic
1.56 Traffic
3rd session 1.48
1.47
1.46 YEHAW beat my goal!!!!
1.46 YEHAW
1.46 YEHAW
1.52 traffic
1.50
4th session 1.48 w/passanger
1.47
1.46
1.46
1.47
1.50 got squirrly in turn 9!!!
1.47
Scared the hell out of the Safety Girl who wanted a ride in my last session.... got alittle sideways in turn 9. A couple of times I felt I was airborne coming down into the corkscrew. By my last session i noticed that the brakes where not holding up anymore and felt a small grind coming from the front rotors. Got off the track and it was true i had pushed the brake pads to far and grooved the front rotors. I was running brakeman 3 pads and got 1 weekend of use at Willow (about 200 miles of track time) and 1 weekend at Laguna (187 miles)
On Sunday I checked the oil again and I was 1 1/2 quarts low so I added 1 3/4 of oil. Everytime I got the car up to speed going into turn 2...(******* the brakes and sharp left turn) by the time I reached the exit of turn 2 the car had lost power and again the big PUFF of blue smoke all the way around through turn three. This is making me nervous How can I stop this problem?? I checked the oil level after the first session on Sunday and it was right at the full level...but not above. I dont like the thought of all the oil moving up into the intake.
Passing off-line was a real challenge for me. Its very different passing someone off-line and finding that new apex. This is something that is going to take alot of practice.
Turn 2 at the begining was giving me alot of trouble... i kept running out of track (again car pushing) by the time I got to the exit. I started practicing trail braking....and what a difference.. I felt like I was bending the car right around the turn with ease and staying on-line all the way through the exit!!
Anyway It was a blast!!! Laguna Seca is a very technical course and was a real learning experience me.
Cant wait for Viper Days!!!!!
John SSpeed Racer Dearing
