DamonB

Here was my fastest run Sunday when I finally busted into the 63's. This site is the somewhat hilly asphalt one and once again we had a turn across the single patch of concrete present there. I had the opportunity to do just as I did earlier this season and intentionally pitch the car hard through this turn knowing that right before the car would try and get away I would hit the concrete and the increased grip would get me back under control.

This is the map of that run along with the instant readings at the bullseye as the car rode over the concrete patch.

DamonB

I made another appreciable gain through the dogleg area midway through the course. These maps show my first (on the left) and my fastest (on the right) runs side by side so they are easier to compare. I drove this section completely differently between these two runs.

On the first run I slow the car hard and make the first left turn. I then get back into the power hard but a push came, pulling me out a few feet and I had to give up power as I worked the car around the right and then back to the left into the slalom. This slalom was very fast so getting a poor exit out of the dogleg section would hurt you.

On the fastest run I again brake hard and make the left turn. I get back into the power hard and hold it as long as I can until I feel the push begin to build. At that point I brake the car hard once again to plant the front and I turn it even harder around the right hand portion keeping as close to the inside of the turn as possible while accelerating the car very hard. The front end holds and I'm rewarded with not only more speed but more room to enter the fast slalom coming up.

The first pic below shows the instant readings at the bullseyes on the map; just after making the first left turn. Speeds in the first pic are about the same (46 vs 45 mph) but the payoff is coming.

The second pic shows me rounding the left hander out of the dogleg and into the fast slalom. On the fast run I'm a full 5 mph faster here and I'm cornering at higher g because I did a better job with my line, allowing myself more room to make the left into the slalom (this was a tricky area; you either got it perfect or you were slow. There seemed to be no middle ground). My acceleration is lower because at the higher speed any further acceleration around the corner was traction limited.

Again as is typical for me when you compare the acceleration charts for the two runs the later one has more deliberate and confident throttle use. I don't poke and feel around with it much and the later run is more aggressive whether speeding up or slowing down.

DamonB

I still have not gotten around to posting results from the last couple events or from the track day I attended last week. Bear with me

Here's a shot of my Geez install.

The small box acts as a junction box for the connections and usually houses a 9 volt battery to power the accelerometers. I instead installed a small 9 volt power supply inside the box and fed it power from the car through the small wire and connector I added in the bottom so I never have to worry about batteries. I installed hook velcro to the back of the box and it stays easily attached to the carpet. No fuss at all.

The sensor is a small cube of about 2". There is just enough height underneath the center console to install the cube on the driveshaft tunnel. It's a tight fit but it works perfectly and I never have to worry about the sensor being in the way or getting bumped. If you were to pop the plastic trim off from around the shifter you would see the sensor velcroed to the driveshaft tunnel a few inches to the rear of the ashtray. Out of sight and out of mind. The wire from the sensor extends out the stock flap in the carpet and connects to the junction box with a telephone type cable.

The Palm attaches to the junction box through a standard serial cable and I coiled the excess behind the carpet flap as well. The Palm has hook velcro on the back of it and stays put but is a cinch to remove in order to download data. The Palm is within reach from the driver's seat so I can turn it on and off and set it up to record. Honestly the only thing I ever bother to remove is the Palm, I leave everything else installed in the car even though I could easily unplug everything and tuck the cables out of sight. I don't bother since I use it so often and because it's never in the way.

DamonB

The 2006 autox season has started! SS locally is going to be much bigger this year as some fast drivers have jumped to SS and brought their new toys with them. It's no longer just the Z06's and I as we now have a Porsche GT3 and an Elise; I'm told a second Elise plans to run as well. For this first event we had 9 drivers in SS, losing one regular SS driver because his new C6 Z06 puts him in ASP (beautiful car!).

My car has had zero changes made to it other than fresh V710 rubber. Unfortunately I lost the ABS and really struggled slowing the car down on this big fast course. I had an ABS gremlin a few years back that went away on its own after a few minutes but this time it appears to be a real problem. I'm hoping to troubleshoot it this week as the next event is this Sunday. With the new talent and their fast cars in SS I'm sure my finishes won't be as high but I look forward to the competition. It's more fun having a big class with a real mix of different cars. I ended up 5th this week and am very dissatisfied with that. In all the events I have driven over the years if you were to design a perfect course favoring the FD this one was it. Unfortunately since it was terribly fast I had real trouble in the braking zones and feel like I had to brake for years in a straight line to get slowed down and avoid tires locking. I'm so used to trailbraking into really fast corners and the moment I turned the wheel under braking the inside front would lock. I never felt fast trying to deal with it and am certain I was losing time. I can't say how much though. The car had it in it to easily make 3rd and perhaps compete for 2nd but I couldn't get it done as I proved incapable of braking consistently in anything but a straight line. If I have any hope at a good finish for the season I'm going to have to score some points early before the others get their new cars figured out and I threw away a big one already.

Enough sobbing This course was a blast! 70, 80, 90 and 100 mph! Yeeha! Since this was the first event on brand new rubber I insisted to myself that I wouldn't abuse the tires and get them too hot. No wheel spin at launch, no hanging the tail out etc. Unfortunately I abused them anyway by often locking the inside front I didn't lock them enough to flat spot them but I chirped them everytime in the three hardest braking zones. I never realized how much I was using the ABS until now. I rarely activate it when initially slowing but at turn in when trailbraking into fast corners I apparently rely on it quite often. I felt like I was having to brake much earlier and slow down much more before turn in than I do with ABS. It was a real mental struggle to force myself to go to the brakes so early.

DamonB

Here's the map of my fastest run for the weekend. My goal was to hit 68's but the closest I got was this 69.1. That run still had me not getting the braking right in a couple corners and one in particular I had to hang around way outside waiting for the car to slow down.

Off the start and hard under power into 2nd gear at 4 seconds. Slow down really early for the right hander at 7 seconds (no brake problem, just braking early) so I can get the hammer down and accelerate all the way around the first corner and well into the slalom. Third gear at 12 seconds and breathe the throttle a little near the end of the slalom, hitting 75 mph before trying to get slowed down for the coming left. Between 16 and 17 seconds you can see a brake spike as the inside front tire locks up. I come off the brakes to catch it and then begin slowing again. Thankfully I don't overshoot the corner and am back on the power hard just after turn in. From 20-23 seconds you can see I'm scared of using more power; I hold it steady. The next corner I've had issues slowing for as well and I'm holding back; always better to go in too slow rather than too hot. I get slowed down on time and speed up through the corner at 25 seconds. This leads into a short slalom and I lock the brakes again with spikes all over before I finally get it settled down and setup to enter. Into a big sweeping double apex decreasing right hander (playing with the power all the way around. Eyes watching way, way out the side of the car for coming slalom to see how fast I can go without pushing out wide of the entry) uphill into a 3 cone slalom. Exit the slalom about 70 mph (carrying second gear on the rev limiter) and fighting wheel lockup again at 40 seconds before getting it slowed all the way down and back on the power hard to round the left hander as the surface transitions to level. This is one of the most important corners on the course as it leads to the super fast back side. The earlier and harder we can get power down here the faster we go at the other end. Do not blow this one! Eyes looking way around the corner still riding the power and pointing the car downhill into the left offset before a slight breathe to enter it at 52 seconds. Immediately back into power and onto 3rd gear at 53 seconds being careful not to upset the car with the shift as we're pulling hard around the apex of the first offset. Top speed of 101 mph is reached after the third offset at 56.5 seconds. Slowing down way early for the hard left at 60 seconds (100 mph is fun but blow this braking zone and there's no way you'll make the corner). I'm again back on the power hard as I turn in, redlining second gear again before playing with the throttle through the dirty surface in the final slalom and into the finish.

DamonB

So now let's look at all the poor areas. The first one right off the start is no big deal. I was making certain to get the car slowed down early so I can turn in really tight while also being on the power hard. The first half of the first slalom was completely my fault as I was just plain under driving. I forgot how good brand new tires are! The last half of the slalom I was scared to go faster because I was having such problems getting the car slowed down to enter the left hander after. I figured the slower I came out the easier time I'd have on the brakes. 30-35 seconds is the short slalom that dumps into the first apex of the long double apex right hander. Again I struggled here all day as I'm trying to brake hard and change direction at the same time. With the loss of ABS I constantly struggled to drive the car in the manner I'm used to. 42-45 seconds I plain under drove again. The car always felt good here but I just wasn't going through as fast as I could have. If I had a laptop and could see my data onsite that is one area that would have absolutely been fixed; I didn't realize how much I was under driving there. The last real poor area was the final slalom before the finish. The previous run I had overcooked it into there, couldn't get slowed down and was forced to enter the slalom on the opposite side I would prefer. This was my last run of the day and I was determined to make it the fastest. This time I slowed down too much but as least didn't blow it. I ended up turning my fastest raw time of the day but picked up a cone somewhere. I know I didn't actually strike any but as tight as I was trying to keep everything I probably ran over the base of one under power somewhere on the backside.

It's disconcerting to have seen what is one of the favorite courses I've run and have such problems but we'll see if I can regroup both mechanically and mentally before next week. With my luck it will be some horrible overly kinky and over slowed course where I never get a chance to build boost and just wheeze around

DamonB

Forgot to mention the worst part of the weekend. On the way home while passing through a small country town doing 30 mph I was rear ended by a 4wd F-250 diesel pickup; grill guard and all. The car in front of me was slowing to turn into a parking lot so I started slowing as well. I wasn't even stopping hard, just slowing down; we're all only doing 30! Doofus in the pickup behind wasn't paying attention and the first thing I hear is tires squealing. I look in the rear view just in time to see nothing but a giant Ford grill coming when it thumps square into the rear of the tire trailer. The last few inches of stopping he used me for brakes. Christ. We pull over and I get out, absolutely astonished to find no damage to the trailer at all. He hit me perfectly square right at the base of the toolbox. Since I'm utterly shocked to find a jolt like that didn't harm anything I look more closely and notice the hitch ball is a couple inches closer to my license plate than it should be and it's bent at an odd angle. Looking under the car I find the hitch is buckled.

The rear bumper and subframe of my car appears to be just fine but the hitch collapsed a couple inches forward when it bent from the impact. I believe I can straighten the hitch after I remove it; we'll find out this week.

AMRX7

Hi Damon,

I've had issues with the ABS on our car (including this last weekend at Fontana). Haven't figured out the latest one, but in the past I "fixed" and ABS issue by replacing the relays and cleaning all the sensors. Over time, the sensors can magnetize alot of junk on them and affect your wheel speed reading.

The problem at Fontana had something to do with the course. Somewhere in the two 180's at the end the ABS was kicking out. If we cycled the key it would go away for the next run. We may have been picking up a wheel or having odd speed differentials at the pin turn that the ABS computer didn't like.

Anyway, hope that helps.

-Andy M.

DamonB

^ Thanks, Andy. All I've checked so far is the sensors and they're fine. I have a spare ABS pump that I plan to plug into the harness and see if that does it but fact is I've been lazy and working on other things. If no change from there I'll pull the ABS computer and go pin by pin through the connector. The FSM has the specs for everything. I'm hoping to find absolutely nothing in the harness or pump which in my mind means the computer is toast. The ABS blew two fuses and then quite blowing them but also quit working and constantly displays the light. I'm thinking it's got to be a piece of harware, either computer or pump controls.

DamonB

Some pics from the event thanks to Dennis Rothermich at www.autocrosspictures.net

The first is pulling the car hard around the first turn the instant before nailing the power and heading towards the first slalom. This is the turn where I was slowing very early and rotating the car around that cone as quickly as possible. The second pic is shutting the car down at the finish. Thankfully I didn't lock the tires so there's no smoke

7racer

hey damon, do you know if the manufacturer is still making these? His website is no longer working. Seems to be a great tool for a steal of a price.

DamonB

^ Site is working right now?

www.extremegeez.com

7racer

your right!?? wierd...thanks for the scca link

Umrswimr

I can't wait to see the GEEZ plots from the waterski session.

DamonB

^ I hope to go through them tonight. I'll have to draw the rivers into the track map One run the windsheild started fogging up and from the in car camera you see things getting blurrier and blurrier. It was funny.

DamonB

It was a wet one on Sunday! We received over 6 inches of rain on Sunday alone! Unfortunately we were only about 75% of the way finished when the remainder of the event was cancelled due to lightning in the area. The forecast had called for pouring rain the entire weekend so many people stayed home, but I was surprised to find 80 drivers (about half of normal) come out anyway. It was miserable. I really enjoy driving in the rain but the rest of the day becomes a chore. I had rain gear and a large golf umbrella and still managed to get wet and cold. After the wind folding my umbrella inside out for the fifth time it finally broke just before I went home

Since it was always raining we spent most of our time in our cars trying to stay dry and warm. There was one Z06 on Hoosier wets, a pair of Elise on I don't know what and myself running Kumho MX. I know the Z06 put about half a second on me but I have no idea what times the Elise were running. Times haven't been posted yet and the club may choose to strike the event from season points since we couldn't complete it. First heat made 5 runs and was even lucky enough that the rain letup for about 15 minutes but those of us in second heat had just finished our third runs in constant rain when the event was shutdown and we went home. It was disappointing to have been sticking it out all day in the wind and rain and then not get all my runs but I guess that's better than being struck by lightning

DamonB

Knowing that the weather would be wet I went ahead and adjusted the front swaybar Saturday night in the dry warmth of my garage so I would't have to mess with it in the wet on Sunday. I typically run the bar at the third hole from the front but for the really wet stuff I move to the fourth hole. This really frees the chassis up and allows the car to turn in on the slick surface as opposed to attempting to turn in and immediately plowing as soon as weight begins transferring. The course was wet enough that there was no way slicks would work so I stayed on my Kumho MX street tires and was once again impressed with how well they worked even though the course was underwater. I left the tire pressures alone (30 psi) all day. When the course is so miserable and you know the course will change slightly every single time due to the amount of water on it I resist messing around too much with the car and just concentrate on driving everything right with what I have to deal with. For the first run I tried half a turn of front shock and knew right away that wasn't going to work. After that everything was at full soft.

The rain was constant and water was standing everywhere on the course with a swell "river" that had to be fjorded twice (the river is due to the slope in the lot for drainage). It was not merely damp; it was wet everywhere with more constantly coming down. I ran with wipers and defrosters on everytime. Since results aren't posted at the moment and I can't remember my times off the top of my head you'll have to trust me but IIRC my third run was about a full second faster than my first, even though if anything the course was wetter.

I knew the course would be slow due to the rain so my plan was to keep the car tight everywhere, always willing to give up speed in exchange for a shorter distance. One point in particular I was practically crawling but the stopwatch proved it was the right choice. All the inputs into the car become slow motion; easy throttle inputs, bending the steering in and out slowly, bringing the brakes on and releasing them slowly etc. I think lots of people forget that the last half of the input needs to be gentle as well. If you're on the gas and then snap it shut you upset the car just as much as if you stomped it down. The car is incapable of any sort of quick transition in the rain and you'll never get the car to settle if you keep tossing it around. Think way, way ahead of the car (you'll have the time since you're going so slow!) and be as smooth as possible. In my mind I picture constanly managing the attitude of the chassis. How can I get the car to go where I need it to without forcing the chassis to move around again? In "normal" situations with grip I try to key into what the individual tires are doing and drive the tires. When it's really slick I try to drive the chassis. That's the best description I can come up with.

DamonB

Here's the first run. I had half a turn of front shock in and knew right away I'd go faster with the shocks as soft as possible. At 21 seconds I'm trying to get the car slowed down and into a short slalom but overshot it and scored a DNF. I still haven't fixed the ABS but that wasn't the problem, I was just plain too hot on the way in. I'd have overshot it even with the ABS.

Looking at the charts you should be able to see right away that grip was low. The steering inputs are slow, the brake and acceleration inputs are slow and there's nearly a complete lack of transition rate. The friction circle shows hardly any blending of throttle and brake with steering inputs. Many of the transition spikes are me purposely sliding the rear end of the car around slightly just for an instant to point the front in without using as much steering. Just enough power to oversteer for an instant but then feathering back out as the car rotates. You can really see this by comparing the lateral and accel charts from 5-15 seconds as the car travels the circle. This was the first run and I was hunting a little as this thing actually wasn't circular, it pinches twice. I knew I'd pick up time in the 2 pinches later if I steered the car with the throttle rather than the steering. I could actually point the car more quickly and upset it less by using the gas than I could if I tried to steer it. When you oversteer the rear under power on a low grip surface you don't transfer much weight across the chassis, but you'd better not screw up.

I cross the "river" the first time at 25 seconds (I back out of the power in case the car tries to float away) and again at about 35 seconds (another lift in fear of hydroplaning). The left hander between 32 and 35 seconds was actually much tighter and the car was traveling downhill through it but I haven't bothered to correct the map much, it shows enough. Between 35 and 40 seconds I'm again sliding the car under power to get it lined up for the slalom before the finish. I'll have to stress again that I never drift the car as the kiddies like to say. I let the rear come around enough to point the car in the direction I wish to go and I counter steer only enough to catch and then hold attitude. The car is not traveling around corners with the tail hanging way out and the steering rolled way into it, it's merely slipping.

All in all I was ok with the run even though I had the DNF. Even better I was confident I could fix the DNF easily and that I was going to make up some time into, around and out of the circle and most likely when crossing the river as well.

Time was a high 39 IIRC.

DamonB

For Run 2 the goals are to be more aggressive and faster around and out of the circle, don't overshoot the brake point for the slalom I DNF'd at and see if I can't go faster through the river which will net me a lot more speed between 25 and 30 seconds. Compared to Run 1 I get more power down around the circle and I brake earlier before entering the first slalom (too early. Let's fix that on the next one...). Compare the track maps from 21-25 seconds on Run 1 and 2 and you'll see that on the second run I actually drove through the slalom rather than driving around it

I go a good bit faster than Run 1 but still with one mistake; braking too early for the first slalom. The goal for Run 3 is to go even faster around the circle by using even more throttle steering and to get into the first slalom as fast as possible without overshooting. I was too conservative here on this run.

Time was a high 38 IIRC.

DamonB

Third (and what would unknowingly be my last) run. Check out the lateral chart between 5 and 15 seconds as I travel the circle and compare to Run 2. It's much smoother and I didn't brake as hard on the way in. I was on the gas sooner after turn in, did a better job of modulating the throttle to steer as I desired, and again got on the power sooner and more aggressively on the way out. This one felt good and I knew it had to be quicker here than the other runs. Comparing the lateral chart of this run you can see my cornering force is more consistent as I travel around the turns and in general have just cleaned everything up a little more.

Time was a low 38 IIRC.

DamonB

Here are charts from the 3 runs side by side. Run 1 on the left, Run 3 on the right. You can compare the runs more easily and I have a stopwatch setup on each run. The watch shows the time passed from the start of the run to the red bar on the chart.

The first one shows the time from the start to the upshift to second, just before beginning the right turn into the circle. I've made a few tenths already but doing nothing but not fearing the surface as much and goosing it harder.

The second shows the brake point for the second pinch of the circle. This is just before going to the gas out of the circle. I'm only 14 seconds into the run and have already saved a full second compared to the first.

The third is at maximum braking just before entering the very tight, offset slalom. Still holding my one second advantage from the first run.

The fourth shows maximum braking after traveling across the chute from the first slalom and slowing up for the left hander at the top left of the map. Still maintaining the same one second advantage I got all the way back at the circle.

The fifth is maximum braking just before entering the final slalom into the finish. I've picked up another few tenths, mostly be getting a better run out of the previous corner.

DamonB

The final one shows the brake point at the end of the slalom just before entering the finish. I pick up another tenth.

I was very pleased with the third and didn't plan to do anything any differently, just try for even better execution. Unfortunately I didn't get that chance. I know the Hoosier rain shod Z06 was about half a second quicker than I but have no idea what the Elise's did so I can't say where I placed until the results come up. The vette and I were running pretty quick compared to the rest of the second heat even though we couldn't use any power. The Z06 was still hydroplaning through the river even on its rain tires and my Kumho street tires were not. Probably the only time my narrower tires have been an advantage

DamonB

Choices to make.

I said already my plan from the beginning that day was to drive the absolute shortest distance possible, no matter how slow I had to go to get it done. My peak speed on this course was hitting 50 mph for just an instant twice, but the majority of the time I'm slipping around at 30 or so. When you're going that slow you want to go slow in the shortest path possible. You're racing against the stopwatch, not the speedometer.

That said the slalom at the top right corner after the circle was a 3 cone slalom with the middle cone offset slightly to the right. It was also optional, you could enter on either side. Once clearing the slalom there were no other cones or gates until well around the next left hander. There was plenty of room to do that turn anyway you desired.

I was very surprised to see many of the drivers enter on the right! Bad choice. Taking the easy way through the slalom killed you! Entering on the right made it easier and faster to get through the slalom since the offset middle helped you and it let you take a wider (and I guess they assumed faster?) arc out of the slalom into the following left turn. But it forced you to drive too damn far to do all of that, epecially just before and just after the slalom!

The pink line shows what I saw many doing. It looks so clearly obvious standing back now and looking at it but it was more deceiving seeing it in person. When walking the course you don't get a birdseye view and you have to really think carefully through what all the consequences are. The people doing it wrong IMO were releasing from the circle too early. They saw a chance to speed up and took it. This then forced them to slow down and steer harder before the 3 side by side cones in the left hand kink but they could carry that nice gentle arc right into the slalom. Once in the slalom it much easier and much faster and left you lots more real estate to come out wide at the exit and carry speed into the following left hander.

Here's the things I saw. Releasing early from the circle got you sped up sooner but you had to give more up to make the kink and you weren't making a direct shot in. Again it looks so painfully obvious with the map here but the perspective it totally different when walking on the ground. They could still make a pretty arc into the slalom, speed up through the slalom, and speed up nicely again as they made the next left turn. But did you need that wide arc to make the left hander after the slalom? No! Regardless of which way you entered the slalom you were not going to have so much speed coming out that you'd need such a wide line. There's no way you could get through it and be so fast as to need the room for the next left, no matter which side you entered on. They came out of the slalom fast and again let themselves get sucked out wide as they passed through the left hander.

You are not racing the speedometer, you are racing the clock! I'm sure watching it looked like I was parking in the slalom because I had to slow so much (I can't stress enough how "quick" the right side entering cars looked here!) and they were flying right through, but I was making up for that and more before and after and it all started way the heck back at the beginning when I chose my point of where to leave the circle.

DamonB

Once again the Kumho MX proved their mettle in the rain. .9+ g and I was driving through puddles the entire time! Water was running off the course all over, it was wet, wet, wet! Just like the previous runs in the wet keep in mind what you're really losing. Steady state grip is much better than most would expect, but your ability to transition from one state to the next is nearly non-existant. Do everything very slowly and don't ask the car to transition fast and you'll be completely suprised in many cases how hard you can corner and brake. That's why you want a soft car when grip goes down; the tires can't load up as quickly.

DamonB

How wet was it? Here's one of the local STi's making the rounds.