VIR Track Weekend,Get your FD on track and drive it the way it was suppose to be!
05-22-12, 07:06 AM
#201
Explanation:
I had a great time and couldn't have asked for a better experience than VIR. It's an amazing course for sure. If you've never been to track event - like me - it's a thrilling thing to do. The course has been described as the most technical track in the nation and with its numerous turns and very fast straightways, I can see why. From the novice to the most experienced, this track has it all. 3.27 miles of great fun.
I've wanted to do a track event for some time to see how the car performs and to gain driving skills. I am smart enough to know I don't possess the technical driving skills needed for success on a track and seeing advanced drivers perform reinforces this perspective in a hurry. Watching Fritz and Brent drive confirms that FDs can flat out handle and that driving trumps HP anytime. Fritz was putting down around 350 HP as I recall and I had my car set to about 550 HP and he beat my lap times by over 30 seconds. That's a lot over 3.27 miles
Yes I can blast down the straightways but it's about carryingspeed through the corners that makes the difference so most of my track time was spent on learning proper braking, apex turn ins, and tracking out. It's a different feeling and at times seems to be counterintuitive but if you apply what the instructors are saying, you start to gain a great sense of what the cars can do. By day three, I had done a much better job of carrying speed through the curves, improving according to my instructor by about 15 - 20 MPH. He's set a goal for me to increase that by an additional 15 MPH the next time I hit the track. For example, on turn 16 I was coming out of the turn at around 60 MHP and he wants me to get to at least 80. That's where the additional HP of my car can then make a big difference.
As for the car performing, it did okay particularly in the morning sessions. In the afternoons, water temps were just too high to allow me to go fast on the straightways. During my second session I hit 135 MPH on the back straightway and 115 on the front and loved it but then noted my water temps were above 105C so I made the decision to ramp to down for all other sessions to below 100 MPH. At 100 MPH or below water temps were around 100C but as I went faster they shot up. Need to fix this issue before I can feel comfortable going faster. Don't want to blow the engine. It's enough to concentrate on the course but to also have to look at water temps is too much for a first time driver.
I also had an AFR issue, with AFRs being too low, dropping into the low 10s during WOT. By 5,000 RPMs AFRs had recovered to around 11.1 but you could feel the hesitation and the loss of HP. Thought this was fixed last week so it's back to the dyno to tune out some major fuel and get the engine purring. All this fuel can also be contributing to the high water temps so we shall see.
Finally, to to a lot of track events you have to be prepared to spend a lot of money on maintenance items for the car like tires and brakes and also be prepared for the worse regarding accidents. Just one weekend event heated up and melted my Michelin Pilot Sport IIs pretty good and those puppies are around $500 a pop on the rears. So you have to be prepared to pop some good money into events like this and given everything else in my life, it's not a high priority. Then the accident risk as evidenced by Fritz is always there. With my car I am risking a boatload of money and the question is is this wise? If I were to do this often, I would most likely prep a track car so if something happens, I can walk away from it without too much remorse.
All in all great experience and I will do a few track events each year for now.
Thanks again for everyone's hospitality and advice!
05-22-12, 07:46 AM
#202
All out Track Freak!
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2.03 video is up 
Thanks DAN!!!
Dan let me use his data acquisition equip so I finally have some data to go along with the video.
I think the 3rd lap where the GT3 blocks me going in and coming out of 17 was a 2.02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnpHPkIoAEM
Thanks DAN!!!
Dan let me use his data acquisition equip so I finally have some data to go along with the video.
I think the 3rd lap where the GT3 blocks me going in and coming out of 17 was a 2.02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnpHPkIoAEM
05-22-12, 07:57 AM
#203
Pics
I've posted up all my pics here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49440849@N04/
A few select ones:
Brent Staging:
John:
Allrotor93:
Allrotor93 & Me:
Flamage:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/49440849@N04/
A few select ones:
Brent Staging:
John:
Allrotor93:
Allrotor93 & Me:
Flamage:
05-22-12, 08:29 AM
#205
I'm glad both Fritz and Brent are ok. Cars can be replaced but not your life..
I also have a new respect for you Fritz and Brent on how you guys are handling this. Hope one of these days I can come out there and do a track day.. I'm slow and just want to hang out. And if both of you ever come down to Barbers here in Birmingham, please let me know and if you need a place to crash, I have plenty of space.
I also have a new respect for you Fritz and Brent on how you guys are handling this. Hope one of these days I can come out there and do a track day.. I'm slow and just want to hang out. And if both of you ever come down to Barbers here in Birmingham, please let me know and if you need a place to crash, I have plenty of space.
05-22-12, 09:21 AM
#206
2.03 video is up
Thanks DAN!!!
Dan let me use his data acquisition equip so I finally have some data to go along with the video.
I think the 3rd lap where the GT3 blocks me going in and coming out of 17 was a 2.02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnpHPkIoAEM
Thanks DAN!!!
Dan let me use his data acquisition equip so I finally have some data to go along with the video.
I think the 3rd lap where the GT3 blocks me going in and coming out of 17 was a 2.02
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnpHPkIoAEM
05-22-12, 01:15 PM
#207
All out Track Freak!
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That is just awesome and insanely fast. For comparison, I was doing around 110 on the last stretch and thought that was fast compared to Fritz at 135. He also holds his speed into the corner much longer and then is going about 30 MPH faster out of each turn. On the front s curves, I did again a little over 100 and he's doing 135. Just crazy good driving.
I'm lovin the whole data thing but it's humbling when it's 10 mph slower than your speedo and that's what I've been gauging my speeds from for many many years. Of course the lap time is all that really matters but in conversations over the years I was clearly way off on actual speeds OOPS.
05-22-12, 07:06 PM
#211
All out Track Freak!
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Not usually but I'm not racing it's either HPDE stuff or time trials and no gloves are required.
Thanks! Basically the car was rolling so I figured I'd try to start it and give it a go. Had I smelled gas or seen smoke etc... I obviously would of bailed but I was ok and was hoping I could drive it back to the paddock and get it on the trailer.
05-22-12, 09:17 PM
#213
For speed junkies unwilling to drive long distances and spend a whole weekend with other smelly speed junkies, I recommend going to your local k1racing go-karts . And for the cost of one weekend of track days, I can do a whole week of seat time. I highly recommend this as an alternative for speed junkies. Also good to learn about car control etc.
Track bug bit? Yes. Hard? No. Roebling in November? Yes!
Explanation:
I had a great time and couldn't have asked for a better experience than VIR. It's an amazing course for sure. If you've never been to track event - like me - it's a thrilling thing to do. The course has been described as the most technical track in the nation and with its numerous turns and very fast straightways, I can see why. From the novice to the most experienced, this track has it all. 3.27 miles of great fun.
I've wanted to do a track event for some time to see how the car performs and to gain driving skills. I am smart enough to know I don't possess the technical driving skills needed for success on a track and seeing advanced drivers perform reinforces this perspective in a hurry. Watching Fritz and Brent drive confirms that FDs can flat out handle and that driving trumps HP anytime. Fritz was putting down around 350 HP as I recall and I had my car set to about 550 HP and he beat my lap times by over 30 seconds. That's a lot over 3.27 miles Yes I can blast down the straightways but it's about carrying
speed through the corners that makes the difference so most of my track time was spent on learning proper braking, apex turn ins, and tracking out. It's a different feeling and at times seems to be counterintuitive but if you apply what the instructors are saying, you start to gain a great sense of what the cars can do. By day three, I had done a much better job of carrying speed through the curves, improving according to my instructor by about 15 - 20 MPH. He's set a goal for me to increase that by an additional 15 MPH the next time I hit the track. For example, on turn 16 I was coming out of the turn at around 60 MHP and he wants me to get to at least 80. That's where the additional HP of my car can then make a big difference.
As for the car performing, it did okay particularly in the morning sessions. In the afternoons, water temps were just too high to allow me to go fast on the straightways. During my second session I hit 135 MPH on the back straightway and 115 on the front and loved it but then noted my water temps were above 105C so I made the decision to ramp to down for all other sessions to below 100 MPH. At 100 MPH or below water temps were around 100C but as I went faster they shot up. Need to fix this issue before I can feel comfortable going faster. Don't want to blow the engine. It's enough to concentrate on the course but to also have to look at water temps is too much for a first time driver.
I also had an AFR issue, with AFRs being too low, dropping into the low 10s during WOT. By 5,000 RPMs AFRs had recovered to around 11.1 but you could feel the hesitation and the loss of HP. Thought this was fixed last week so it's back to the dyno to tune out some major fuel and get the engine purring. All this fuel can also be contributing to the high water temps so we shall see.
Finally, to to a lot of track events you have to be prepared to spend a lot of money on maintenance items for the car like tires and brakes and also be prepared for the worse regarding accidents. Just one weekend event heated up and melted my Michelin Pilot Sport IIs pretty good and those puppies are around $500 a pop on the rears. So you have to be prepared to pop some good money into events like this and given everything else in my life, it's not a high priority. Then the accident risk as evidenced by Fritz is always there. With my car I am risking a boatload of money and the question is is this wise? If I were to do this often, I would most likely prep a track car so if something happens, I can walk away from it without too much remorse.
All in all great experience and I will do a few track events each year for now.
Thanks again for everyone's hospitality and advice!
Explanation:
I had a great time and couldn't have asked for a better experience than VIR. It's an amazing course for sure. If you've never been to track event - like me - it's a thrilling thing to do. The course has been described as the most technical track in the nation and with its numerous turns and very fast straightways, I can see why. From the novice to the most experienced, this track has it all. 3.27 miles of great fun.
I've wanted to do a track event for some time to see how the car performs and to gain driving skills. I am smart enough to know I don't possess the technical driving skills needed for success on a track and seeing advanced drivers perform reinforces this perspective in a hurry. Watching Fritz and Brent drive confirms that FDs can flat out handle and that driving trumps HP anytime. Fritz was putting down around 350 HP as I recall and I had my car set to about 550 HP and he beat my lap times by over 30 seconds. That's a lot over 3.27 miles
Yes I can blast down the straightways but it's about carryingspeed through the corners that makes the difference so most of my track time was spent on learning proper braking, apex turn ins, and tracking out. It's a different feeling and at times seems to be counterintuitive but if you apply what the instructors are saying, you start to gain a great sense of what the cars can do. By day three, I had done a much better job of carrying speed through the curves, improving according to my instructor by about 15 - 20 MPH. He's set a goal for me to increase that by an additional 15 MPH the next time I hit the track. For example, on turn 16 I was coming out of the turn at around 60 MHP and he wants me to get to at least 80. That's where the additional HP of my car can then make a big difference.
As for the car performing, it did okay particularly in the morning sessions. In the afternoons, water temps were just too high to allow me to go fast on the straightways. During my second session I hit 135 MPH on the back straightway and 115 on the front and loved it but then noted my water temps were above 105C so I made the decision to ramp to down for all other sessions to below 100 MPH. At 100 MPH or below water temps were around 100C but as I went faster they shot up. Need to fix this issue before I can feel comfortable going faster. Don't want to blow the engine. It's enough to concentrate on the course but to also have to look at water temps is too much for a first time driver.
I also had an AFR issue, with AFRs being too low, dropping into the low 10s during WOT. By 5,000 RPMs AFRs had recovered to around 11.1 but you could feel the hesitation and the loss of HP. Thought this was fixed last week so it's back to the dyno to tune out some major fuel and get the engine purring. All this fuel can also be contributing to the high water temps so we shall see.
Finally, to to a lot of track events you have to be prepared to spend a lot of money on maintenance items for the car like tires and brakes and also be prepared for the worse regarding accidents. Just one weekend event heated up and melted my Michelin Pilot Sport IIs pretty good and those puppies are around $500 a pop on the rears. So you have to be prepared to pop some good money into events like this and given everything else in my life, it's not a high priority. Then the accident risk as evidenced by Fritz is always there. With my car I am risking a boatload of money and the question is is this wise? If I were to do this often, I would most likely prep a track car so if something happens, I can walk away from it without too much remorse.
All in all great experience and I will do a few track events each year for now.
Thanks again for everyone's hospitality and advice!
05-22-12, 10:52 PM
#214
Ronald..
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I'm sorry about the hit Fritz, I know how much time you had invested into that car. Great driving by the both of you guys during the race though. I'm really glad your ok. Best of luck in what you decide to do next my friend.
05-22-12, 11:22 PM
#215
Brent, Fritz and Jonathan
Wow, hell of a weekend guys! I feel like I need a vacation from my "vacation". I've been wanting to run VIR for a while now and couldn't have asked for a better weekend for it. The weather was absolutely perfect. VIR is a FANTASTIC track! We definitely held down that BBQ! With the help of Dave McLaughlin and his "slices" hahaha. Thanks again Dave for the Jameson and green party cups.
I was fortunate enough to have Fritz as my co-pilot/instructor for the first few sessions before he deemed me clear for solo flight Thanks again Mr. Fritz for the course notes and ride alongs. I may have had more fun riding in your car than I did driving my own haha. Either way I can't wait to get back down to VIR and go for that 2:15 Get your next ride ready, I'm hoping to get back down there once more before the end of the season.
Brent, had a blast hanging out as always. Thanks again for letting me and Renna snuggle in the trailer... Jonathan couldn't get over that extra door you had; nothing a sawzall can't fix lol. Unfortunately I didn't get a ride in your v-8 powered monster, hopefully one of these days I'll have the opportunity. Huge thanks for hooking me up with those Kuhmo tires, can't wait to try em out.
i'm hoping to have a little video from one of my sessions up in the next few days with that fancy data overlay. My best lap was nowhere near Fritz and Brent's screaming times, but I managed a best of 2:19...I'm more then happy with that time and have a good idea where I can improve for next time.
For now here's my contribution...
Brent:
LS1 VS LS7...Brent wins
Our staging area
John:
John navigating the climbing esses
Dave enjoying the weather
Fritz:
-Dan
Wow, hell of a weekend guys! I feel like I need a vacation from my "vacation". I've been wanting to run VIR for a while now and couldn't have asked for a better weekend for it. The weather was absolutely perfect. VIR is a FANTASTIC track! We definitely held down that BBQ! With the help of Dave McLaughlin and his "slices" hahaha. Thanks again Dave for the Jameson and green party cups.
I was fortunate enough to have Fritz as my co-pilot/instructor for the first few sessions before he deemed me clear for solo flight
Thanks again Mr. Fritz for the course notes and ride alongs. I may have had more fun riding in your car than I did driving my own haha. Either way I can't wait to get back down to VIR and go for that 2:15 Get your next ride ready, I'm hoping to get back down there once more before the end of the season. Brent, had a blast hanging out as always. Thanks again for letting me and Renna snuggle in the trailer... Jonathan couldn't get over that extra door you had; nothing a sawzall can't fix lol. Unfortunately I didn't get a ride in your v-8 powered monster, hopefully one of these days I'll have the opportunity. Huge thanks for hooking me up with those Kuhmo tires, can't wait to try em out.
i'm hoping to have a little video from one of my sessions up in the next few days with that fancy data overlay. My best lap was nowhere near Fritz and Brent's screaming times, but I managed a best of 2:19...I'm more then happy with that time and have a good idea where I can improve for next time.
For now here's my contribution...
Brent:
LS1 VS LS7...Brent wins
Our staging area
John:
John navigating the climbing esses
Dave enjoying the weather
Fritz:
-Dan
05-23-12, 05:59 AM
#218
^ The other guys can post up GPS based info but we (me and my other driver Mark) did a bunch of hand timing while others were out on the course. Lap time and consistency is most definitely a function of track experience, driving skills, and tire and suspension setup.
Fritz ran the best hand timed lap at 2:03.1 and he's got around 350 WHP with racing slicks. Brent and Fritz were also the most consistent, running from 2:03 to 2:09 on most every lap with a few in the 2:11 range. Dan was next - our unofficial timing during one of the last sessions had him from 2:22 to the 2:33 range with most runs in the upper 2:20s. John timed in at 2:38 to the low 2:40s. Again these are just hand timed numbers and not for all sessions. I think both Dan and John used street tires.
Before my heat issues, the best lap I ran was a 2:34 and I was consistently in the upper 2:30s. I have Michelin Pilot Sport IIs which are super sticky for street tires (also too expensive for track use IMO as they do heat cycle). My buddy Mark puttered around the track generally in the mid 2:40 range but did turn in one lap around 2:34. Hey at least we were were below the dreaded 3 minute mark
Jonathan spent his time working on staying on the course as he had suspension and tire issues and I didn't get a time for Dave as I never got a clean time for him due to track warning flags or him pitting.
Fritz ran the best hand timed lap at 2:03.1 and he's got around 350 WHP with racing slicks. Brent and Fritz were also the most consistent, running from 2:03 to 2:09 on most every lap with a few in the 2:11 range. Dan was next - our unofficial timing during one of the last sessions had him from 2:22 to the 2:33 range with most runs in the upper 2:20s. John timed in at 2:38 to the low 2:40s. Again these are just hand timed numbers and not for all sessions. I think both Dan and John used street tires.
Before my heat issues, the best lap I ran was a 2:34 and I was consistently in the upper 2:30s. I have Michelin Pilot Sport IIs which are super sticky for street tires (also too expensive for track use IMO as they do heat cycle). My buddy Mark puttered around the track generally in the mid 2:40 range but did turn in one lap around 2:34. Hey at least we were were below the dreaded 3 minute mark
Jonathan spent his time working on staying on the course as he had suspension and tire issues and I didn't get a time for Dave as I never got a clean time for him due to track warning flags or him pitting.
05-23-12, 08:48 AM
#220
LMAO! Poor old guy
John will be posting video tonight, but unfortunately my gopro filled up after the first lap of my best session so all I have is the data. I'll be posting video from one of my other sessions as time permits.
These DE events aren't really about timing, but more so learning your car and having fun But the fact of the matter is you're still on a race track and want to pass the guy in front of you. I personally like to see what kind of times I'm running and where I can improve. So Renna, Rich and I all split the cost of a performance box (gps based) ...Which is WELL worth its money. That video fritz posted with the data overlay was used in conjunction with his video recording device and all synched together using a program called dashware. 
sounds confusing right? It's not once you do it a few times.
Here's a a little screenshot of the raw performance box data.. I was slated for a 1:18 on lap 6 lol but got held up in traffic
Depending on where you're timing from the lap times will vary quite a bit, I set the start/finish at the actual start/finish line on the track.
Note: The purple line is Fritz's speed differential compared to mine.
I'm on Dunlop Star Spec Direzza Z1's...The front tires are done for but I'm running 255 front, 265 rear.
-Dan
PS: Fritz if you want the straight data files from your runs I can send them to you, you'll just need to figure out how to use the software.
These DE events aren't really about timing, but more so learning your car and having fun
But the fact of the matter is you're still on a race track and want to pass the guy in front of you. I personally like to see what kind of times I'm running and where I can improve. So Renna, Rich and I all split the cost of a performance box (gps based) ...Which is WELL worth its money. That video fritz posted with the data overlay was used in conjunction with his video recording device and all synched together using a program called dashware. sounds confusing right? It's not once you do it a few times. Here's a a little screenshot of the raw performance box data.. I was slated for a 1:18 on lap 6 lol but got held up in traffic
Depending on where you're timing from the lap times will vary quite a bit, I set the start/finish at the actual start/finish line on the track. Note: The purple line is Fritz's speed differential compared to mine.
I'm on Dunlop Star Spec Direzza Z1's...The front tires are done for but I'm running 255 front, 265 rear.
-Dan
PS: Fritz if you want the straight data files from your runs I can send them to you, you'll just need to figure out how to use the software.
05-23-12, 09:05 AM
#221
John will be posting video tonight, but unfortunately my gopro filled up after the first lap of my best session so all I have is the data. I'll be posting video from one of my other sessions as time permits.
These DE events aren't really about timing, but more so learning your car and having fun But the fact of the matter is you're still on a race track and want to pass the guy in front of you. I personally like to see what kind of times I'm running and where I can improve. So Renna, Rich and I all split the cost of a performance box (gps based) ...Which is WELL worth its money. That video fritz posted with the data overlay was used in conjunction with his video recording device and all synched together using a program called dashware. sounds confusing right? It's not once you do it a few times.
Here's a a little screenshot of the raw performance box data.. I was slated for a 1:18 on lap 6 lol but got held up in traffic
Note: The purple line is Fritz's speed differential compared to mine.
These DE events aren't really about timing, but more so learning your car and having fun
But the fact of the matter is you're still on a race track and want to pass the guy in front of you. I personally like to see what kind of times I'm running and where I can improve. So Renna, Rich and I all split the cost of a performance box (gps based) ...Which is WELL worth its money. That video fritz posted with the data overlay was used in conjunction with his video recording device and all synched together using a program called dashware. sounds confusing right? It's not once you do it a few times. Here's a a little screenshot of the raw performance box data.. I was slated for a 1:18 on lap 6 lol but got held up in traffic
Note: The purple line is Fritz's speed differential compared to mine.
i think i'm going to get this iphone app, instead of shelling out for a performance box. here's what it looks like:
http://youtu.be/GajkcGabZ5U
and here's a little info:
I'm using Harry's Laptimer IPhone App ($20). It uses the phones HD video capture ability as well as the GPS and accelerometer to display what you see on the left side of the video. The right side of the video which shows gear selection, throttle and RPM is the App communicating with one additional pieces of hardware, it’s a Kiwi Wifi OBD II adapter ($149). This OBDII adapter allows the app to record your cars PCM data such as RPM, gear selection, actual speed etc…. The app then uses the data to overlay the video. You can also add the Emprum Ultimate GPS ($99). It's the size of a quarter and attaches to the iPhone and boosts GPS from 1Hz to 5z which will give you even more accuracy while on track. These two additional pieces of hardware are not needed but just make the app for fulfilling.
The app comes with a data base with many of the tracks around the world, if your track is not on the list you can always add it yourself than have Harry certify your track set and he will add it to the data base. So for about $270 you can have a data and video capture track tool that cost upwards of $500 for other brands. Yes those are more robust but this is perfect for your weekend track junky. As I said before the additional hardware is not needed so that drops the cost to $20. Though the OBDII tool I think is a must in order to analyze your driving.
The app comes with a data base with many of the tracks around the world, if your track is not on the list you can always add it yourself than have Harry certify your track set and he will add it to the data base. So for about $270 you can have a data and video capture track tool that cost upwards of $500 for other brands. Yes those are more robust but this is perfect for your weekend track junky. As I said before the additional hardware is not needed so that drops the cost to $20. Though the OBDII tool I think is a must in order to analyze your driving.
05-23-12, 09:24 AM
#222
As for the car performing, it did okay particularly in the morning sessions. In the afternoons, water temps were just too high to allow me to go fast on the straightways. During my second session I hit 135 MPH on the back straightway and 115 on the front and loved it but then noted my water temps were above 105C so I made the decision to ramp to down for all other sessions to below 100 MPH. At 100 MPH or below water temps were around 100C but as I went faster they shot up.
05-23-12, 10:42 AM
#223
Are you still running without an undertray / ducting? Also it's my understanding that 105c isn't dangerous or abnormal for a car on the track.
When I hit 105C I backed off on the straightways and went 100 MPH. After finishing the first session when this happened (Friday's afternoon session) I talked it over with Fritz and then called Steve Osley, my mechanic here in Asheville, to discuss. Both agreed that 105C is not ideal and I should get this resolved before beating up the car. Fritz was kind enough to discuss better ducting on the car as well as replacing the front end with something that has larger air intake sections. Steve Osley wants to drill out the thermostat. Dan suggested Evans coolant so I've got a bunch of stuff to think about. I should mention on the way home from the event and with the AC on, we hit around 100C at 80 MPH but when going 60, temps were around 96C so there is definitely opportunity for improvement with high speed air flow.
05-23-12, 11:00 AM
#224
i started road racing, or high speed autocrossing (hsax) last year, and so far, i refuse to to a track day if there aren't any lap times. (but i understand the place for open lapping days) the first half of our events are ran similar to yours, where they are basically open practice sessions with no times. sometimes i feel like i'm hanging with some of the real fast guys, but then the second half of the day, the times tell a different story.
i think i'm going to get this iphone app, instead of shelling out for a performance box. here's what it looks like:
http://youtu.be/GajkcGabZ5U
and here's a little info:
http://www.gps-laptimer.de/Features.html
i think i'm going to get this iphone app, instead of shelling out for a performance box. here's what it looks like:
http://youtu.be/GajkcGabZ5U
and here's a little info:
http://www.gps-laptimer.de/Features.html
05-23-12, 12:18 PM
#225
Ducting yes, under tray no. I have a very nifty 3 piece Shine 99 spec under tray that unfortunately makes temps go up quite a bit when it is installed. I had this on the car in Orlando when at Kilo and we measured the temps with it on and with it off at 60 MPH and temps went up over 8C with it on. Took it off and temps dropped back down. Same day with multiple back to back measurements. I know this is contrary to what normally happens and I was quite bummed. We then cut in up vents (scoops) in the underside of the tray right below the the radiator with the idea that we could force air into the underside and thru the radiator with it exiting on the top vents. No change however in the rising temp problems so the under tray is sitting at Kilo Racing for now.
When I hit 105C I backed off on the straightways and went 100 MPH. After finishing the first session when this happened (Friday's afternoon session) I talked it over with Fritz and then called Steve Osley, my mechanic here in Asheville, to discuss. Both agreed that 105C is not ideal and I should get this resolved before beating up the car. Fritz was kind enough to discuss better ducting on the car as well as replacing the front end with something that has larger air intake sections. Steve Osley wants to drill out the thermostat. Dan suggested Evans coolant so I've got a bunch of stuff to think about. I should mention on the way home from the event and with the AC on, we hit around 100C at 80 MPH but when going 60, temps were around 96C so there is definitely opportunity for improvement with high speed air flow.
When I hit 105C I backed off on the straightways and went 100 MPH. After finishing the first session when this happened (Friday's afternoon session) I talked it over with Fritz and then called Steve Osley, my mechanic here in Asheville, to discuss. Both agreed that 105C is not ideal and I should get this resolved before beating up the car. Fritz was kind enough to discuss better ducting on the car as well as replacing the front end with something that has larger air intake sections. Steve Osley wants to drill out the thermostat. Dan suggested Evans coolant so I've got a bunch of stuff to think about. I should mention on the way home from the event and with the AC on, we hit around 100C at 80 MPH but when going 60, temps were around 96C so there is definitely opportunity for improvement with high speed air flow.
I know you think your car is some kind of exception to the physics of fluid and thermo dynamics, but it's not. There is no reason why a properly designed / installed undertray would cause harm cooling. Do you see any other cars running around the track with no undertray? Doubt it. Do you see any of the Rolex GT class cars racing without an undertray? Definitely not. There are multiple reasons for having an undertray, not just cooling (e.g. protecting underside of motor from debris, minimizing drag, aiding in stability at higher speeds).
Without any modification / added ducting to the 3-piece undertray, you'll have two gaping holes on either side of the radiator (depending on where your rad sits) where most of the air will escape (instead of going though your radiator). If you look into the mouth of your bumper and you can see pavement, tires, etc., then your car is not ducted properly.
Below is a photo of the outer pieces from the Shine 3-piece. I don't have a completed photo (and I later revised this setup), but notice how I attached side ducting to the undertray. The center part also has a "lip" attached to it, for where it meets the lower side of the radiator. When all 3 pieces are installed, all of the air entering the main opening of the front bumper is forced though the radiator (with the exception of the scoop for the SMIC). Example (not complete in this photo, just mocking up):
The goal is to have as much air as possible forced though the radiator. If there are holes anywhere, the air will take the path of least resistance which is around the rad instead of though it. I understand you have an FMIC - you need to have ducting between the FMIC and the rad. The concept is still the same. If you don't have ducting/undertray after the FMIC, all the air going though the FMIC will just go around the rad instead of though it.
Like I said, your car isn't some magical thing that just doesn't like having an undertray. Whoever installed it must have done it wrong (i.e. simply bolted it up unmodified). I would think ~$150,000 worth of Rx-7 would at least have a proper ducting setup.
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What happens to airflow without vs. with an undetray/ducting:
