Fritz's Track Videos
 

A friend of mine (very cool forum member and customer)hooked me up with some bandwidth so I now have some decent video :)

Go to: http://speedwurks.com/fritz

It takes a long time to down load so have patience. I'll continue to add fast laps (for me anyway) and mistakes and or accidents from me or others to keep it interesting ;)

The video thats currently on there now is my fastest recorded lap on the VIR full course. Its about 2:13 starting from the bridge after I pass the Porsche.

If you take the time to check it out please give me your feedback both positive and negative.

Thanks,
Fritz

Looks great, Fritz! I guess my only suggestions would be to see if you can get the camera positioned any farther forward, as sometimes the difference in contrast between the car cabin and outside is too much for the camera, and the view outside gets blown out. Also, maybe find a way to get more of the engine sound into the vid, as it's difficult to hear over the wind noise and that annoying BOV (j/k :D ).

What engine and tire/wheel size setup are you running?

great videos! i'm not a track person but i really enjoyed watching them, thanks :)

-Kevin

Maybe I can get one of those bars that straddles the seats for a better cam pos. On the sound I might be able to add a mic and I could could place it down low and toward the engine to avoid the wind issue. I also might just try taping a piece of foam over the built in mic.

Setup: 275/40-17s victo racers that are on there last legs. I have some 285 30 18 hoosiers that will go on once I use these up. Probably just one more event. Street port with all the bolt ons running 11lbs of boost. Big brakes up front with pfc 93s, hp blues on stockers in the back. Key ingredient: jrz coilovers :), sways etc...

Oh and a whistle to remind me when to shift ;) Seriously can't stand that bov but its welded on so it will be staying for a while.

Thanks for the input
:D

That will probably help the most, as it's mostly at high speed that the wind noise becomes overpowering.

Yeah, once or twice it kind of seemed like you were struggling with the car in the slower turns...sure better than that Porsche or whatever it was getting squirrelly on the brakes...

On the slower turns I'm closing and opening the wheel pretty quick to get some rotation so not fighting so much as just setting it up. See the Z06 video I just added. In that one in a turn 11a (they call it Oaktree) I am definitely fighting with a bit too much oversteer through that turn.

I'm going again to VIR's North course this coming weekend so hopefully I can get some interesting footage :)

Heh heh....uhhh...yeah, definitely some oversteer there...good recovery! edit: after looking at your first vid again, yes, I can see the oversteer getting a little out of hand in that turn. Although, as I said in the original part of this post, maybe a little intent on closing up on the Z06 before the little straight? :) j/k I was actually kinda bummed that the vid ended just as you were getting ready to joust with the Z06. :D Great vids, Fritz!)

Yep, I was salivating and licking my chops :) I stopped the vid right after he pointed me by so you most have missed the ending on the download.

I'll put in a portion where I come across the z and porsche again after they gain some respect for the fd :)

awsome!:D
I am new, and wanna race so bad(i have played GT3 on ps2 evry night since it came out), so im gonna save and find a first gen rx7 for a first time project car thing for in my s pare time! that gets me stoked. You blew the doors off that Z06 on that winding section!:) i wwatched it lotz.
what is yer ride n-e ways

:rolleyes:

Glad you enjoyed it :)

Driving an FD.

:D

Just found a section with a spec miata leaving the track going up the esses :) Video is called NASA 2-04 spec Actually happens quite a bit in that section but still freaks me out.

:confused: I looked at the vid "NASA 2-04 spec", and I didn't see it...you sure that's the right vid?

OOPS not leaving as in off but just coming of the ground going over a slight rise before the left hander.

put a piece of electrical tape over the mic, it helps a BUNCH with wind noise.

looks good :)

PaulC

Ohhhh, OK...I was waiting for some dust and theatrics. :) Vid resolution isn't that great, so it's kinda difficult to see.:p:

Heh, I don't really care for that section of the forum, but it'd be funny to post something in the Kills section with the header "Z06, PORSCHE 914-6 (or whatever that was)-- GUN CAMERA FOOTAGE, CONFIRMED KILLS"

Kento,
Even better post it in the z06 forum :) I visit the race section some on those forums and they can be pretty cockey. z06's in the right hands though can be a handful but not to many running under 2:13s. At the last z club event during the time trial a slightly modded Z ran a 2:14 which ended up being 2nd place behind a radical that ran a 2:04 :eek: I was going to run but my fuel pump died.
Fritz

Not really following the thread but keep in mind that Fritz is a very experienced driver and it is He who is whopping some ass on the other drivers, not his RX-7 vs some other car.

It may not look it from the videos, but he is moving. Most people with modified FDs probably don't even get to 2:20 for VIR full (and that is a respectable time --I think).

Food for thought.

R

Ramon,
Thanks for the compliment :) Yep anything under 2:20 in any car is pretty damn good. The pro spec Miatas run 2:30s I think. Anyway down load some of the videos they are much better quality than the one I sent in the email. Just take a while to download.

See you this weekend,
Fritz

which spec miata, the black and green or the one i crew for, red and blue aka poppa smurf.

p.s. we were running 20 degrees timing because he is an idiot and should only be allowed to drive the car.

Some folks are better off keeping there mechanical thoughts to themselves and I'm one of them thats why I need your help :)

I think in one of the vids I have a shot of the black and green spec catching some are going up the esses.

Which is why I prefer roadracing on a circuit to the "shift and stomp" of dragracing-- driver skill plays a huge role in how quick you go, and can make up for any power deficiencies you may have compared to the competition. I roadraced motorcycles for 15 years in regional (numerous championships) and national competition, so I know the value of pilot skill over hardware.

My comment about the "Kills section" was primarily meant as a joke, because I could really care less about that section of the forum. But it feels good to romp on others with "supposedly superior" equipment, which is why it's great to have "gun camera" footage. :)

Very true BUT there is serious skill involved in the competitive league of drag racing. For the avg guy going to the track its not nearly the thrill level or skill level when comparing it to taking your car to a road course track. Moderate skill and high hp and you blow the doors off most everyone. Moderate skill and high hp on a road course and your pointing a spec miata by.

In competition dragracing arenas, yes, there is serious skill involved, but note that I emphasized huge with regards to the role skill plays in getting around a road course circuit quickly, which was meant in a comparative sense. Ramon's comment seemed to indicate that I wasn't taking your driving skill seriously when I mentioned the joke regarding the "gun camera footage".

I think a more apt description would be that at the dragstrip, moderate skill and big $$$, and you blow the doors off most everyone; moderate skill and big $$$ on a road course, and you're "pointing them by" Actually, that's what's fun about bikes; as long as you pass in a safe place, you don't really need to wait for them to point you by. :)

I hear that I think one of the most frustrating for everyone during hpde events is not getting pointed by and all the trains that develop as a result. Atleast once a day in the classroom there's a 10 min chat about passing :)

Well, the faster you go, the higher the frustration level because you're catching more cars. Perhaps your frustration factor would be reduced if you chose to drive a slower car. ;)

Anyhow, just joking, hope to see you this weekend at VIR.

Mark

Nice Video's
 

I will get there someday

Very true :) Is this Mark with the turbo charged miata?


BUT the faster you go the bigger the grin :D

No, red 3rd gen, running in red group, ran the JC at Summit Point last year and VIR MDA in the fall. Let's see..., you borrowed a bit of oil (Amsoil) from me at VIR. You were parked on the other side of the road from me. Probably, in your eyes, an "older guy" :)

Mark Weller

This is when u need that 500bhp....

and the huge 355mm brakes....

To blow by one and divebomb another...;)

I remember you well :) Any recent upgrades I remember your car being pretty well sorted? See you Saturday. Also try to make it to Seat Time at Summit on April 1.

Sounds like a plan. How about 400 rwhp and 2500lbs and I won't need the brakes :)

Also can......

Hey Fritz:

Nice videos. Glad to hear the tip from someone on electrical tape over the mike; I get wind noise like heck and it's tough to hear the engine at all. Could be just the fact that it's my 11 year old VHS-C camcorder, mounted with my $5.00 Home Depot Camera mount........hmmmmmm

Have got to get to VIR someday, have run Road Atlanta once and the rest of my track days are at Sebring.........loved RA since it's "hilly"..........Sebring being dead flat.............VIR looks like a great track.........liked your lines and it especially looks like a blast through the esses..........looked like you were carrying 80-90mph through there............which is such a blast in the FD...........the esses at RA were def my favorite part of the track............actually my avatar is me coming out of them with a $150K GT3 in the background tracking me down............

I also just looked up the specs on VIR; loved the idea of the 3000 and 4000 foot straights............what do you hit in those...........? the back straight at Sebring is a around a half mile and I usually see around 130mph..........the back straight at RA is about 3/4 mile and I think I was seeing about 140............coulda done more but my grapes kept retracting.............plus it was 20 degrees out when I ran there and the tires never got above 70 degrees...........and that was before I discovered race tires....yum yum...........that plus seat time took me from 3:07 at Sebring down to about 2:46 now..........puts me at about average lap speed of 81 or so versus your 87 at VIR based on rough calculations.............

Anyway really enjoyed the Vids.........great driving.........

My only suggestion; clean your windshield ;) :p: ;)

David

C'mon down to Sebring sometime!!!! Now that those pesky big boys are off the track as of last weekend it's time to go racin'!!!;)

nice line and even nicer track. where's it at?

I'm driving the VIR (virginia international raceway) full course in Danville VA

Will have a couple of more vids soon from the VIR North course but it will be in slow motion. I was getting 1lb of boost starting at 5k and building to about 4lbs at 8k because of a severe exhaust leak :) Basically like driving a 2nd gen. I was turning in much earlier and trail braking much harder to carry as much speed as possible. It was still a blast but I must say that the HP was really missed and I would not want to drive a low HP car :)

The 1st video is me catching a Diaso

The 2nd one is me finding a friend and discovering a very loose bmw 3 series in route.

I have no times because it was pointless :)

Just the two vids compiled during the first session of the 2nd day because my camcorder ran out of batteries.

I hooked up with lots of buddies and saw some friends from the forum. Gotham Racing was there handing out T-shirts which was pretty damn cool of them and quite a hike as well. Damn, now I have to give them some business :)

Lol, is that what it takes.....cross country trips to impress ya ;)?

Fritz:

Yup, now that I've seen the video a few more times it does look like a lot more than 90 or so through the esses................130...........I'm drooling........:eek:

What tires are you running............I switched to Hoosiers (got a good set of A compounds for $100, couldn't pass them up.....ate them up in one day though.........then got a great deal on Victoracer V700's, and ran exactly the same times as the Hoosiers...........but I had just a tad more seat time as this was my subsequent event.

Anyway, watching your car go through those turns at those speeds gives me even more confidence than ever...........I'm taking a syringe full of testosterone next event though just in case..........:p:

I played the video for my buddy who drives a 911.........we both are thinking the same thing..........ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!

If we're serious about it I'll find out how to hook up with your group...........

C-ya.

My turbo needs a blankey :)

The esses are so much faster than they look and a real blast at speed. Probably my favorite section at vir. With good tires and susp just about any fd should be able to tackle them at 120 plus.

When are you going to VIR or Summit?

Just like at Road Atlanta; that was definitely my favorite as well...........you enter the esses off a right hander at about 80, and then it's balls to the wall downhill into the esses........I found that running through them by entering them in fourth was extremely fast, and anyone that entered just behind me usually got left in the dust as I "drag raced" them down through them. I think there's a link I can send...........I'll post it, of some video that a guy took from his 1972 XKE................not real fast but a pretty neat old car.................he runs with the group I run with, ChinMotorsports............

To tell you the honest to God's truth, my plans to go to VIR only started when I saw your video...............that track looks just great..............a buddy of mine that runs his 911 just bought a new 40 foot class A motorhome, which will pull his trailer, so we now can make "road trips" and cut back a little on costs by staying in his RV. I sent him a link to your videos and he also became VERY psyched...................

I'll definitely be in touch when we can plan it...........we typically run at Sebring since it's local to us (1 1/2 hours away)...........or at Moroso or Homestead............but running new tracks is always a blast............

Here's the link to the video page on the Chin Website...........the Road Atlanta Video is actually a guy named Pascal in his XKE chasing another XKE.......a buddy of his with a cherry ride...............unfortunately as he enters the esses it's sort of into the sun so real glarey............it was obviously taken late in the day which made that track a little challenging.............

The other shame is that the video doesn't give you the sense of the famous turn 12 "bridge turn"........right after you pass under the Suzuki bridge it drops 60 feet and feels like you just drove off the edge of the earth...........wild..................at speed your stomach sorta jumps up in your throat.............def takes at least a few days of driving it until you get used to it..........

http://www.chinmotorsports.com/video/video.asp

C-ya.

David

P.S. Btw, you never told me what type of tires you've found to be the best set up on the FD............I wanna carry the speed you do someday when I grow up......;)

Hey Fritz, just noticed your second video was me at the end. :) (red FD) Guess I could have guessed that from your title. I think I was somewhere up ahead through your entire clip as we were picking our way through traffic. Had a blast this past weekend, great fun as always. Hopefully I have some good video, I haven't had time to look at it yet. Looking forward to June, VIR full course.

Mark

I'll check the vid out when I get a chance. Honestly I still haven't decided which setup is best. I love the 285 30 18 setup for the stick but I really believe a lighter combo would be better for the fd. Like maybe 265 35 17 or 275 40 17. I've been using 275 40 17 with ssr comps the last 3 times or so. I just use whatever I can find in the parts bin :) If your car is light with stock power I would say stock wheels with hoosiers would work well. It really depends on your car/upgrades.


If and when you decide to make it up to VIR let me know as soon as possible so I can plan on going to the same event.
Thanks,
fritz

Yep thats Weller ride up ahead looking good :)

Can't wait until June to do it again. Nice seeing you and your car is really coming together. Love those wheels and tires. I'll be going back to the 285 30 18 set up for the next few events. Hopefully I will have my car back together and running strong before April 10th.

Road atlanta definitely looks like a great track and I just love the hood on that Jag. I think the hood is the best part of the video :)

Ehaust Leak Fiasco
 

In order to fix the exhaust leak I had to take the turbos off which is where the fun begins. Fortunately I had the gifted hands of a surgeon to be to help. 1st 2 studs broke off in the manifold so I had to take the manifold to the machine shop. Picked up the manifold bolted everything up and things looked peachy until the last bolt a tricky little 14mm in the upper right hand corner of the turbo housing would not thread. FUCK!....take it all back off and return the manifold. Pick up the manifold and this time there is no problems. Car runs great but have some creep beyond 6k in 3rd or 4th gear so I will have to put a hf cat on. Why am I getting creep because I'm so damn cheap I put on some decent looking stockers so I could sell the nice ported TEC rebuilds :( Oh well track time don't come cheap and every bit counts :)

Anyway just an update on the monster and will hopefully have a lot more fun this coming weekend with a strong running FD.

I will have the vid cam charged and get lots of footage of the South Course at VIR.