JPR AutoSports

What a great event! Seldom is the weather so impossibly pleasant and consistent at the same time. Clear and cool in the morning, sunny and breezy in the afternoon, perfect. Not surprisingly, the great weather, NASA NE, and Poconos Raceway is too good a combination for people to pass up. They didn’t and the turnout was impressive. We were able to secure a couple of garage spaces early and Joe from EFI Logics made short work of getting the car unloaded and set up quickly. Joe is one of EFI’s newer techs and is very knowledgeable. Working with Jack they had poured over the car to get it ready for a long three days of racing as the weekend wore on it was clear, from his handling of the Evo as well as the countless questions he answered on behalf of other drivers and onlookers, that Joe has accumulated significant skill for all his youth. Next time you get to EFI in Bethel, make a point of stopping in and saying hello to Joe – worth it.

Friday was interesting as it was my first time on the single infield -long course. While running the North course backwards is easy enough, the new concrete bump on the exit to the Nascar Tunnel turn is terrible, and a giveaway. Then a sprint to 155 on the straight to a hair raising Turn 2. Heavily banked, it still takes some getting used to. Physics play a big role but it’s hard to consider the math when trying to bend the car in at 130 to a sharp right. I don’t care how banked it is, it took me a while to get comfortable and keep my speeds up. The afternoon was spent getting used to this new track configuration. The new APR Performance wing made a clear and discernible difference. Very stable at all speeds, the down force was especially evident on turn entry and exit and the wing/ splitter combination helped maintain speed and grip. We’ll review the data for the new wing vs the old wing and report back.

Friday evening was an opportunity to run the normal North course for a Time Trial with MotorSports NE, affiliated with NASA NE. I like this shorter configuration and, apparently, so do others as 18 drivers turned up to compete, including a number of the wheel to wheel racers. The shorter straights and tight turns are good for the Evo X configuration. Joe and I had worked out the tire pressures earlier that day, the Goodyear Eagles were scrubbed up and sticky as hell and he had the car dialed in pretty tight and ready to go. After warming up for 20 minutes on the track we gridded up in groups of three.

My turn was up with 20 seconds of open track. Starting on Nascar turn 3, I got to speed before timing started on the short straight after Turn 2. Despite the new bump on the Turn 1 entrance (the transition from the Nascar track to the North Course infield), we ran a 58.08 which was fastest for the day and won the event! This time was faster than our TTS course record from last year and, what’s more, the 2nd and 3rd spots were two of the fastest racers of the weekend. We were especially pleased to have the EFI Logics Evo perform so well.

Saturday and Sunday was back on to the Long course and we methodically worked the lap times down. The Evo is at a slight disadvantage on the long course as it is less aerodynamic than the big Corvettes and Ferrari Challenge cars. We saw sustained speeds of 156 and thus lap times were 1:32s. Traffic became an issue and so NASA NE did a great job of gridding up the TT drivers first and separately, which helped get us a couple of clean laps. Faster top speeds and turn entry ruled the day and while we won the TTS category, we spent the day chasing a big TTU Corvette. We had a great time and it couldn’t have been more fun as the Evo would gain ground on the infield only to give it back on the straights.

BBQ on Saturday night after the awards ceremony led into another exciting day on Sunday. We ran the track in the other direction which is, surprisingly, even faster than Saturday’s configuration. Sunday afternoon came too soon, though after winning our class twice and the TT on Friday we were feeling pretty good about the results. The Goodyear tires were spectacular and wore like iron. If you are still running Hoosiers it’s time to try something as sticky that lasts longer. EFI Logics did a great job with the car and it ran perfectly all weekend long, never a hiccup and having Joe there to keep everything in sync made all the difference. NJMP Lightening is next, are you ready?

APR Performance, one of the leaders in aerodynamics solutions for race cars, is a new sponsor this season, providing some of there very best wings and products to the Evo X. Aerodynamics play a critical role in a race car’s performance and can make the difference between being competitive or not. APR Performance has done extensive testing that clearly demonstrates how their wings and splitter technology can help dial in a car’s handling and stability on the track. Check out www.aprperformance.com

EFI Logics’ Jack Laverty suggested an upgrade to the existing wing, simply on the basis that the technology and options for the Evo X had improved dramatically over the past two years. The advice was spot on and consistent with what other TT and Time Attack race cars were running. Some key discussions with APR Performance and the mutual benefit of a relationship was quickly recognized as the EFI Logics Evo X is a great platform for demonstrating the impact of better aerodynamics. We are looking very forward to working with such a well respected organization and will be posting up some details of the different product solutions soon. The first change will be to the venerable APR Performance GTC 300 Wing for the Evo X.

We’ll report back on the install and performance changes, and are working hard to get the wing set up for the Poconos. Needless to say, we are both excited and appreciative for the opportunity to work with APR Performance products and, again, thank EFI Logics for their help in ensuring the car stays at the cutting edge.

NASA NE next event is up in the Poconos on July 15-17th. We are busy getting ready for the three day event and are excited to see everyone up there, especially presuming the weather is a bit warmer than on our last visit. The track configuration should be different too as we are running a combination of the North and South courses. It’s a great track that takes some getting used to as the transitions to from the Triangle to the infield can be rough and a little tricky. Turn 1 to the infield has a new concrete patch that, if taken at the wrong spot, can render the car briefly airborne near the apex. Move the car left 3 feet and you are fine but taken close in and it’s, well, more exciting…

EFI Logics has the car and are working to get it prepped with fresh oil, brake fluid, pads, rotors and tune. They are one of the few NASA Tech shops and, knowing the rules, can sign off on the car’s build and safety. They’ll tune the car again with the new cam setup to bring it right in line with the TTS requirements for power to weight ratio. We are not expecting a big difference in raw HP or torque numbers from last year (still just over 440 NASA adjusted whp), as the TTS limits haven’t changed, but Chris will manage the power curve to make sure the car is as tractable and smooth as possible.

A fresh set of the venerable Goodyear Eagle RS tires for the dry and a new set of rains and we are ready for whatever Mother Nature brings. If we are lucky we will have a few surprises for the car thanks to Jack Laverty’s counsel on race car aerodynamics. More to come soon.

The track is closer than you think so please head up on any of the three days. It will be a great time so don’t miss out and be sure to let us know when you arrive. See you there!

Check out our new gallery of pictures!! Not only have we posted up more pictures of the car and events but they are now much easier to access and more organized. Have a look and tell us what you think.

We had been using Hawk pads almost exclusively last season and found them consistent with excellent bite. The Evo X Brembo front caliper uses a two (per side) large pistons and, with the right pad generates some significant stopping power with the right pad. Hawk’s very aggressive DTC 70 race compound was working well and so we were somewhat reluctant to try any other compound. An opportunity to try the Raybestos race pad came up and so we mounted up a set of their front pads. Also a full race compound, these things (like the Hawks) are terrible until fully warmed up. This is not a a street pad and you can not put them on anything but a race track, promise us you wont, as you will roll right through that stop sign with no stopping power whatsoever. Once heated though, watch out, as racing pads will grab you hard, wrenching the car into the turn. The Raybestos has been a good pad and seem to wear well, even better I suspect, then the Hawk DTC 70. They do not, however, have the same bite and raw stopping torque as the Hawk DTC 70. Depending on the circumstances, that might not be a bad thing, as it is important to consider brake modulation, control, ABS impact, etc.

Nonetheless, this isn’t a full brake review so much as it as an acknowledgement to Hawk Performance. As EFI Logic’s master tech, Jack Laverty was preparing the car for Lime Rock he indicated new rear pads were needed. Your pads last 50,000 miles, these last 4-5 days. Typically we keep an extra set, just in case, and so it was somewhat of a surprise that they couldn’t be found – Another item I overlooked as we moved from last season to this one. Nonetheless, it seemed all was lost as new pads were required but without time to get a set ordered. Amazingly, a quick call to Hawk Performance headquarters saved the day. Describing our dire circumstances on the phone, Hawk understood completely, took us under their wing and agreed to ship a set of DTC 70 rear pads directly to the track so they would be ready for installation by 8:30 am. Unbelievable support, really.

Sure enough, UPS came through and the pads were track side and ready to go. Installation is easy, two pins, push in the pistons a bit (Jack showed me a new, brilliant trick for this) slip them in and you are done.

Now, it is impossible to say whether or not some other manufacturer would have offered the same level of support under the same circumstances. The racing community is, like none other I’ve ever known, filled with people working and willing to help each other out. Hawk’s willingness to rescue us was exceptional though, very much appreciated and made all the difference. Despite the exceptional performance of the DTC 70 Hawk pad, with all the different options available for brake pads, it’s this kind of attention and commitment that warrants loyalty. Enough said.

We participated in CART TT event yesterday out at beautiful Lime Rock Park; it’s so close that it really has become a favorite, and the Evo is well suited to this track. Yesterday was no exception and the day started out great as it was cool and cloudy with a heavy threat of rain, but none yet. The first session was a warm up and so with some heavy traffic from other similarly prepped cars lap times were :59s – 1:00.5. Not too bad and there were some nice Subarus and Evos on the track. A very well prepared Porsche GT3 was making good time and I very much like looking at their cool led headlights in my rear view mirror…they look swank. Nice car and no match for the EFI Logics Evo X. The Goodyear Eagle RS are very fast and consistent and getting the pressure and temp right for the car was key as it has now become a very predictable and quick tire we can count on. I’m still pulling video but, preliminarily, it seems there were no clean (traffic free) laps in the early sessions. Last season we ran a :58.5 with Chris tuning the car to 407 whp (TTS class limit) and just two weeks ago we were in the :59s with NASA NE, so the car is getting pretty consistent at this track. Here’s a shot from the event yesterday:

The afternoon was a different story, as the heavens opened and the rains came. I swapped to my wets, which are a heavier set of wheels with a good quality rain/ street tire but it’s time to buck up and get a set of rains that are truly competitive. It was VERY wet and in the ensuing melee many cars were off the track, in the dirt and a couple into the wall. Not good at all and so the rest of us tiptoed through the standing water on the track and lap times slowed to the 1:10-1:12 range, and even THAT felt fast! Video will be posted but it is nuts as you can hardly see the track for the rain. We’ll get the video up soon.

The car ran extremely well in the morning but as the afternoon set in stumbled a bit at high rpm and didn’t pull quite as well. This slowed us some on the main straight and No name. Likely new spark plugs are in order or the MAF got wet (something EFI Logics venerable engine builder Rob suggested) and for which I should have watched for and will do so from now on. We had spares but no time to make a plug swap and so labored through the TT that afternoon in the downpour. Despite some high rpm stumbling (no excuses) we managed a 2nd fastest time of the day. Technically, I won the class as well but there were few entrants in that category. So, a good day, some good rain practice and a nice finish. CART did a nice job and we’ll be back for more in August and September!

When Chris of EFI Logics first indicated he wanted the car at Wicked Big Meet 2011 in Stafford Springs I didn’t know what to think. “It’s a Subaru show, right?“ I asked. I couldn’t imagine they would have been too happy with the Evo X in their midst. Chris reiterated they were a significant sponsor of the event and would have a large display and having the Evo there would be valuable. I agreed, but having never been, didn’t know what to think.

Saturday dawned warm and bright and it was clear the weather was going to be perfect for this event. I drove the trailer up to Stafford Springs and, as I got closer, noticed a decided shift in cars. No more American, no Porsche, nothing Bavarian, only a sea of Subarus moving down the freeway. I was excited and nervous, not sure what they would think of the heretical Evo X in their midst.

Chris was right; EFI Logics was center stage with a number of tents and displays of their cars, including the Evo X, right in the middle, surrounded by well prepared and pristine 400-500hp Subaru muscle. Equally impressive was the attention that Chris and the EFI team generated. They are very well known and very well respected. It was really something to watch, literally, hundreds of event participants, other vendors, and event staff acknowledge the EFI group. I was proud to wear the shirt.

The car received a ton of attention and was regularly surrounded by participants looking at the motor, cage work, tires, you name it all with lots of questions and comments. I had thought the Subaru owners would be biased against the Evo but this certainly wasn’t the case. Each of the EFI cars garnered attention and close scrutiny and everyone was great. Comments across the board were extremely positive and it was clear the EFI fan base was to grow even larger.

Later that afternoon I had the opportunity to get the Evo on the short track there at Stafford Springs and while it was not ideal, I had a great time offering some ride-alongs to event goers EFI had partnered with the event sponsor and NASA NE and had several modified street cars on the track. Notably, EFI’s other dedicated race car was out there as well. This is an incredible piece of hardware, light and extremely fast in Devin’s very capable hands. In a few of my warm up laps I had a chance to chase Devin a bit and despite having some extra hp was challenged to stay with him on the narrow little track.

While we weren’t operating at 10/10ths it was great to get some laps in with passengers. They all seemed to really enjoy themselves and got a quick flavor for being in a race car. I’ll admit, I had a great time and can’t thank Chris and EFI Logics enough for including me.

Here’s a nice post by one of my passengers with some excellent pictures from the track.

http://ivyleagueeast.com/2011/06/19/efi-logics-at-wicked-big-meet-2k11/