JPR AutoSports

Off  to a VERY strong start with PSI Proformance  with Wins and podium finishes for all 2015 NASA NE events:

May – NJMP  Thunderbolt – 1st Place

July – Limerock Park – 1st Place

July – NJMP_ Lightning – 2nd PLace

July – NJMP Lightning – 1st Place

The following press release was prepared by our sponsors and released over the wire. Excerpts have been posted here: http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-212922.html and I suspect we’ll see additional write-ups soon. Here is the complete text:

ROBBINS SEEKS THIRD STRAIGHT NASA REGIONAL TITLE

RIDGEFIELD, Conn. (Jan. 8, 2013) – When he changed from John Robbins, race car driver, to John Robbins, regional champion, it wasn’t time to sit in an easy chair and enjoy the off season.
Robbins, who works in the finance industry, will spend the winter months working closely with EFI Logics (Bethel, Ct.) on the 2008 Mitsubishi Evolution X racer that they campaign throughout the Northeast, trying to find more speed.
“Everyone in my class will be looking for an edge over the winter,” Robbins said recently. “We can’t take any time off.”
Robbins won the 2012 NASA Northeast Time Trial Series championship, winning three times and posting three track records. His wins and records came at the New Jersey Motorsports Park (twice) and at Pocono Raceway. He had several non-winning podium finishes as well.
“You can’t win a championship in the winter time, but you sure can lose one then,” Robbins said. “We have to keep after the technology, build up the parts inventory, update the safety equipment and make sure the car is set up for the entire season. I’ll work side-by-side with EFI Logics, Boosted Racing, Girodisc, Moroso, Full Race and other industry leaders to get the car just right. We have to be completely ready from the first race on, and that takes preparation and coordination.”
It is a champions’ lament. The work never stops. But, as is true in every sport, it is a lot easier to win a title once than it is to stay on top. Robbins knows all about the demands of defending a title because his 2012 championship was his second straight. He won nine times in his 2011 campaign.
The NASA Northeast Time Trial class will change names in 2013 to Time Trial 2, but Robbins said the competitive challenge will remain the same.
“NASA Northeast has developed a great and very competitive Time Trial series and the field of competitors and quality of the hardware has grown considerably over the past several years. It’s hard to win one of these things,” he said. “Winning three straight will take some work.”

More information about John Robbins is available at www.jprautosports.com and www.efilogics.com.

EFI Logics Evo X
Poconos Long Course July 14th- 15th, 2012
NASA Northeast TT

The Poconos race-track is something of an enigma. The speedway is newly paved while the infield remains rough. The transitions between the courses are treacherous and what was once a fast sweeper is now a slow bump that demands the car be positioned just right. The long straights benefit the low cars with tall gearing, opposite the Evo X, the tight turns inside are suited to cars with grip. Getting the right balance during car setup is very challenging. We are all looking very forward to Poconos repaving and reconfiguring the infield this winter.

The TT field remains very competitive with a variety of well-prepared cars in the TTS class. On Pocono’s unique track, it was anyone’s race. Saturday was warm and muggy with temps around 85 degrees providing good grip on the newly paved high turns. Like NJMP Lightning differences in lap times through the field was extremely small from lap to lap. Running the course clockwise, the key to a lower lap time was entering the “bowl” much faster than what might seem reasonable. The banking is steep enough that physics takes over and scrubs off all excess speed. An exercise in restraint to not touch the brakes at turn entry was in order. A slight lift brought the car from about 155 to 135 at entry to the turn making for some exciting driving as racers were fighting for every tenth.

The Evo X had some issues early Saturday. The very high speeds and resulting high G forces on the speedway turns caused the front left strut plate to shift as a top hat bolt was damaged from the load. The result was a cloud of smoke as the front tire was thrown against the spring, destroying the tire. This ended the qualifying session and the slower lap times caused the car to be grid late in the group. EFI Logics was on hand to assist and we rebuilt the strut top hat by the third event. A few hot laps into the session and a new boost hose leak resulted in much lower power and another thrown heat. It wasn’t until later in the afternoon, with a replacement hose in place, that the car was finally on the hunt. The final session resulted in some laps in the 1:32s and a 2nd place overall in the TTS class. Not as fast as I’d like but a good finish given some of the challenges of the day.

Sunday looked like rain. Cloudy, humid and a bit cooler, the forecast was ominous and it was clear that the best lap times were going to come early in the day. Today we were running the course clockwise, as such the banking into the bowl was reversed from Saturday and even faster, permitting an entry speed of 140-145 mph. With some wide-open track, the Evo running well and the spectacular Goodyear Eagle RS tires on each corner, this was not a session for the faint of heart. By the third lap the tires were warm and the front straight saw a trap speed of 156 mph. Lifting into the banking and through the bowl the car exited at 138 providing a back-stretch into the tunnel turn of just over 160 mph. This was our strongest run and resulted in a lap time of 130.9. The result was considerably faster than last year’s times and placed us clearly in first place. The rain rolled in and turned the track slick for the next sessions. Even with rain tires there was no way to get close to the lap times of the morning and while the late afternoon run was finally dry, the track remained damp and slick. That morning heat was the fastest of the day resulting in a 1st place finish in our TTS class for Sunday’s event.

The CL8 brake pads from Essex continue to perform and are wearing better than originally forecast and better than the DTC 70. The bite is impressive and the stopping power is amazing with absolutely no fade. We are monitoring rotor wear closely but if the Girodisc rotors last as long as they have with the Hawk DTC 70, than the CL8s are the pad to beat and will lower pad cost considerably over the course of the season. We are experimenting with new brake ducting and directing a bit more airflow on the rotor and caliper, more details soon.

As always, setup is key and we are always looking for ways to manage cost and reduce weight. Even the lug nuts get close attention. The Yonaka nuts have proven themselves again and again. Super light aluminum, we are swapping wheels so frequently that each nut is checked carefully each day to make sure it continues to thread and torque properly. We’ve had great results racing with Yonaka nuts and couldn’t be more pleased with their performance. They are light, priced right and bulletproof.

Despite some early hiccups the weekend was a terrific success. A 2nd on Saturday and 1st place win on Sunday has set us well as the current regional points leader for TTS. Another exciting weekend that would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our sponsors, family and friends. A big thank you to EFI Logics, Goodyear Racing, APR Performance, Yonaka, Boosted Racing, Girodisc, Seibon, Enersys, Torque Solutions, Moroso, GSC, and Full-Race. Check out our sponsors’ page for direct links to their sites and products.

This past weekend’s competition at New Jersey Thunderbolt course was exciting, fast and fierce. Two days of 90 degree heat and high humidity took its toll on several cars and while the track had good grip the high temps caused a number of problems for other participants. With many new competitors and some important setup changes the differences in lap times through the field was extremely small. This made for some exciting driving as racers were fighting for every tenth.

The Evo X ran like a top and while the humidity certainly had an affect on power the overall setup was consistent and fast. EFI Logic’s prep and Chris’s tune continues to pay big dividends, as the car is rock solid throughout each and every session. New for this event are the CL8 brake pads from Essex. We’ll do some additional testing but over the weekend the pad maintained tremendous bite and strong torque despite the heat. Wear seems good or equal in comparison to the Hawk DTC 70 but some additional analysis is needed. More soon.

EFI Logics’ Jack Laverty reset the alignment and corner balanced the car nicely using a bit of ballast in the rear right corner. We ran the Thunderbolt track with the chicane, which adds some complexity with a series of short turns with strong weight shifts. Coming in a little early allows for the Evo X to flatten out and power through the next two turns and onto the back straight. The car is extremely predictable, and the Goodyear Eagle RS tires continue to perform exceptionally well. We can’t say enough good things about the tires as the R compound has fantastic grip and wears like iron despite the weight of the car and AWD setup. Turn in and rotation is fast and consistent and when they do break away it is smooth and stable. The tires are unidirectional and so it is easy to swap them around to ensure even wear. If you haven’t tried these tires then, well, you are missing out and will continue to burn through alternatives wondering why you had good grip right up until you slid off the track.

Set up and preparation is key to producing consistent results throughout the TT series. It’s the little things that matter, from EFI Logics’ tech Joe checking pressures, fluids, tires, and zip-ties. EFI’s process of confirming the car’s readiness is exhaustive and makes all the difference. Even the Yonaka lug nuts get Joe’s keen attention. Super light aluminum, we are swapping wheels so frequently that each nut is checked carefully each day to make sure it continues to thread and torque properly. We’ve had great results racing with these Yonaka nuts. Light, priced right and bulletproof, these lug nuts are the right solution.

Overall, it was a great weekend of racing with strong results across the board. With less than a second difference between the top 6 competitors, we took 4th in TTS on Saturday. Sunday’s times improved further with a first place in TTR and a 3rd in TTS. This was an exciting weekend that would not have been possible without the unwavering support of our sponsors, family and friends. A big thank you to EFI Logics, Goodyear Racing, APR Performance, Yonaka, Girodisc, Seibon, Enersys, Torque Solutions, Moroso, GSC, and Full-Race. Check out our sponsors’ page for direct links to their sites and products.

NASA NE’s first event of the season in New Jersey Lightning was action packed. These early events are great as they bring out hundreds of cars, new modifications, and old friends. Things have changed over the winter and the Time Trial classes have grown considerably. Importantly, NASA NE made some significant changes to our grid set up to give us more open track time. A number of new competitors with some very fast cars this year and so the competition was fierce. Fortunately, Saturday was clear and bright and, with EFI Logics’ tuning and the excellent Goodyear Eagle RS, we were able to slowly peal off successively faster laps, ultimately securing the TTS win for the day.

The car was rock solid throughout both days, EFI Logics’ chief Tech, Jack Laverty made some significant changes to the suspension settings including corner balancing the car. The difference was immediately evident, providing more rotation at turn in and planting the rear end at exit. If you haven’t had your car set up for the track by a professional it’s more than worth it. Jack is the master and you need his input. As I posted earlier, part of the changes to the car over the winter were new Torque Solution side motor mounts, rear differential, exhaust, and shifter bushings. These are great products and I am consistently impressed by their impact on the handling of the car. Everything is tighter and makes the car feel more predictable. Check out our sponsors page for their website link, they have developed a number of cost effective solutions for a wide variety of cars and it’s these small changes that can really impact your car’s performance over time. For the Evo X, start with motor mount bushings first, then shifter bushings, then drive shaft and rear differential. Get ready for an amazing impact to your car’s handling and feel.

Sunday’s weather was the opposite of Saturday. Much colder, the rain started at 9 am and only increased throughout the day. lap times were much slower and it was extremely slick for anyone without a full wet rain tire. A second place on Sunday felt especially good given the number of cars spinning or off the track. We loaded up early, vowing to procure a better wet weather set up before the next event. All in all it was a great weekend. EFI Logics had a number of cars at the event and each had wins in their respective class. It’s a strong testament to their support and set up skills. A special shout out to EFI Logics’ newest member Kevin. He and his buddy Brian covered the four EFI Logics cars over the weekend as well as providing some technical support to a few others.. The focus and commitment was great and I never saw two guys run so much in my life.

The NASA Northeast results are now posted, the points tallied and it was great to see John Robbins in the EFI Logics Evo X listed as the TTS class Regional Time Trial Champion! 2011 included some strong competition with 12 drivers competing during the season’s events, but podium finishes at all events and winning twice at Poconos, at New Jersey Lightning, and on the final day of the season at New Jersey’s Thunderbolt race track helped secure the title.

A late start due to the car not being complete and then a delay for repairs after an incident with some Armco at Lightning posed an interesting challenge. We needed to be at every remaining event and a mixture of TTS participants meant we never knew who or how many were going to be competing. The car was consistently brilliant though and now is well sorted and no major plans are forecast for the winter, save for typical maintenance activities. There may be a few surprises and so keep watching – there is always plenty to do to get the car ready for next year.

As I’ve written throughout the season, any success in racing is not a singular effort and, in our case, has included significant coordination and support from a variety of sponsors, manufacturers, and of course, family and friends. Notably, and I’ve said it before, EFI Logics in Bethel CT has played a huge role in making sure the car was fast, safe, and ran properly throughout the season. There are so many aspects to their support and expertise that I can’t express it all here, you’ll be best served by a direct visit to their shop. Goodyear Racing and their venerable Eagle RS tires have had a dramatic impact on lap times, regardless of the track. Predictable, fast and long wearing, the Goodyear’s have been great tires; if you haven’t yet, you should try them, really. Additionally, significant support from Moroso’s development group, Girodisc, Route 53, Seibon, APR, Full-Race, GSC, ATI, and others (see the Sponsors tab for direct links) have all made a huge difference and we are both honored and humbled by the opportunity to work with these great companies.

The NASA TT program grew exponentially this season, with many new racers, new cars, bigger contingency awards and unique track configurations and events. The TTS class is larger than ever, reserved for the more heavily modified street and race cars it should grow again next year as more drivers continue to improve and develop their vehicles. The inclusion of Real Time Attack and Global Time Attack competitions throughout the US, including the Northeast, is helping to bring more attention to the NASA TT events, which is sure to bring additional excitement in the upcoming 2012 season. Thanks again for all of your help and support and get ready for 2012, it’s already shaping up to be a great time.

Ultimately, and somewhat despite the weather we had a good time this weekend at NJMP.  Multi day events are great but offer additional complexity and require more work to keep everything together. Having car and pit support from EFI Logics at the track always makes a huge difference and this weekend was no different. Their help really allows me to focus on my driving, what’s happening with the car on the track, my competitors and less about air pressure or tire temps and the car’s overall health.   I was especially fortunate as EFI’s head tech, Jack Laverty attended as well.  A hell of a driver as well as tech, he was racing in the Enduro. In addition to his racing at Thunderbolt, Jack provided considerable guidance regarding the track, managing the conditions and suspension adjustments to handle the weather.  While I do understand his changes (mostly), I would generally not make these tweaks on my own at the track for fear of making something worse. As I said, it’s one thing to have a good car, it’s quite another to have a good car that’s been taken care of by the best in the business.  I don’t offer this lightly, but being associated with EFI has again made the difference between success and failure on the race track.  The level of expertise and commitment they bring to each thing they do serve as a benchmark for every tuning and race shop out there.  Those of you who met up with us at the track know that EFI Logic’s name generates immediate respect. This weekend was no different than others as we had a bunch of Evo and Subaru owners stop by our garages to inspect the cars, ask questions and talk with Joe and Jack about things they’d like done.  It shouldn’t at this point, but it always surprises me just how much attention the car gets, and while you all might not love it, the consensus on the new paint scheme is very positive. 

Friday night’s arrival was uneventful and so nice that we believed the forecast to be way off, as so many tend to be. NASA had an open track day and so we had a chance to pull the car out and scrub in some tires. Warm and breezy, we had no idea.

Saturday morning was cold and ominous. At 6 am and ( I remember this distinctly) it was simply brisk and cloudy, seemingly unsure of what weather it wanted to bring. At 6:20, mother nature decided to bring rain and she wasn’t fooling around. It started to rain pretty hard immediately and never stopped, Never, all day, always hard, always wet, always cold. The only thing that changed throughout the day was the wind. Sometimes it was light and sometimes gale force with sideways water cutting across the sky and turning umbrellas and ponchos into worthless flapping flags. By the time we were at the track and had the car organized it was a steady deluge, and 35 degrees. By 8:20 and our first session the track was flooded and almost freezing. Each rain drop getting big and slow on the windshield, that transition time just before it turns to snow. The track was a skating rink and I discovered, and later confirmed throughout the day, that the Hankook RS3 is no cold rain tire, not even close. Jack or maybe it was Joe had said, “hmmmmm” indicating some measure of uncertain disapproval. I chalked it to their not having perspective on Hankook’s latest and greatest and so maybe we would all be pleasantly surprised. The tire sure surprised me enough times, but not in a particularly good way. I’ve sure had good success with their dedicated racing tire and have heard great things about this RS3 in the dry. Maybe it would be fine at 80 degrees out and damp, but not 35 with standing water.

During the first sessions, in all that water, I was everywhere on the track. An Evo 9, that we had no problem beating at Poconos, was beating me by 15 seconds in the first session. He passed me on the inside like I was standing still. He had grip where I was deep into traction control and fighting to keep the car out of the mud. Certainly a good driver, he was running all season Dunlops and had the tire to beat apparently. He’s in a similarly powered car (but he said a little less than me), but wow, I sure couldn’t sort it out early on. One off track slide on the sharp left T5 and I learned that I had more traction in the dirt than the pavement. Sitting in the mud, the tires seemed particularly stupid in this weather and I was frustrated that I didn’t have the right tool for the job. I pulled back on and kept driving.

The water didn’t let up and flooded the pit out area, under the bridge and end of the straight. It flooded everywhere and started coming under the doors to the registration office and garages. Out racing, if you followed the dry line you hydro-planed right off the track. People were off track everywhere and I think that the tally was no fewer than 20 cars went off and 8 crashes into the wall, Day 1. It was mayhem.

My new front splitter system, which EFI Logics developed, is very impressive, by the way. A combination of a Carbon Fiber and Alumalite sandwich, with a gurney flap on the back sits on adjustable aluminum rails. The whole bumper attachment has been redesigned to pop off now with four zip ties and two quick release turn screws. You can stand on the splitter. It’s an impressive and beautiful build and a testament to EFI’s ability to fabricate for racing performance, for functionality, while keeping it looking great.  The only bad news was, with all the rain, the splitter would scoop up so much water through the puddles it would splash over the air intake and the motor would stumble then clean itself out in a giant cloud of smoke and steam, then it would do it again. Finally, after the second session we put the new EFI solution into action and popped off the bumper, removed the splitter remounted the intake higher. It took Joe about 8 minutes start to stop.  The good news is I know I could do it in about 15 minutes.  This cured the water boarding issue and by the third session I got my sea legs and was able to do a little better. I lopped off almost 20 seconds and was in the hunt for the podium. The tires were still terrible at this cold temp but I did a little better finding their limits in the turns.  The car’s motor was now running brilliantly despite the continued rain.  Luckily it had warmed to lovely 40 degrees.

The last session was better still as the rain paused slightly, or at least slowed to a drizzle and it was a bit brighter. On any other day we would have complained for all the rain but now, given the comparison to the earlier cascade of water, we were almost jubilant. A few other sessions pushed some water off the line and while it was by no means dry, the track was a little less chaotic. We were still running the 2nd chicane and water was still running all over the track making everything very challenging. For example, on the back straight in the dip, there was a stream running over the track. I would hit that spot and all four tires would spin, all at once. Excitement… Guys in rwd cars would either lift there or their rear end would kick right out and spin them, again and again. Despite these spots, I got a little faster and put up a 1:58, now only 3/10ths behind the 1st place Evo in his heaven sent snow tires. I felt a little better too and having escaped disaster so many others had found my 2nd place trophy never looked so good.

Sunday dawned clear and very cold. The good news was that the track was no longer flooded, but there was a thick frost on the windshield. We watched our breath roll lazily upwards as we put on the dry tires and reinstalled the splitter. I was looking forward to getting off the Hankooks and onto the big Goodyear Eagle RS.  I love this tire and at the right pressure and temp it wears well, is fast and sticks even better. The first session was very cold and therefore slippery and careful but already better than yesterday. I even felt fast for a minute, but I wasn’t, the cold wet track made everything still slow. I won the session but this wasn’t saying much as we were all so tenuous and there were so many off track on Saturday that we didn’t really trust the track  It was finally sunny though and with this there was a measure of hope. Certain parts of the track were drying out and as morning came into full swing things were speeding up.

It wasn’t all good though as under the bridge and chicane were still soaked and super cold and very dangerous. NASA held drivers meetings to discuss the danger, specifically as a Porsche GT3 slid through the esses and drove his front end into the bridge at speed. He was fine but big damage to the car. Somewhat surprisingly, cars were continuing to spin regularly and it was a constant yellow or black flag in the second session. I’d run 3 laps, Yellow, 1 more under Green, then a Black and it was over. Nuts, and in one session alone we had 5 drivers off. I won the second session as well, though the times are still well off pace. The Evo 9 that beat me on Saturday was running fast too and was now on some nice Nitto NT01s but my set up was better and Jack Laverty worked with Joe to dial the suspension in to accommodate the slowly increasing grip. I was a second or so faster and what’s more, I got a little confidence back with the tightened up suspension and more predictable handling. Across the board, lap times were going down fast, it was now 50 degrees, my tires started to warm and grip improved dramatically. Finally, the track was near dry, it was sunny, the car’s motor was magic and the suspension and tires were working well. Unfortunately, with all the crashes and spins the events were well behind schedule and I knew with the storm up North that I was needed at home soon, so the third heat was my last session of the day, and of the NASA season.

NASA NE now, when we are combined with another group, grids the TT groups separately allowing us to get a clean 1 or 2 laps before catching the HPDE 4 or instructors. We pull out onto the track according to lap time and I was following two monster TTU cars. We like to let all the cars come out behind us and bunch them all up while tires are cold. This reduces the risk of coming through your first lap only to find straggling HPDE guys still just entering the track. This was no different and we took 3/4 of a lap very slowly, swerving back and forth to get our tires ready and to collect the entire field. It’s important to get on the gas at the same time as the lead car so as not to be left hanging, mouth agape, and I wanted to follow the TTU cars as closely as possible, despite their increased power, so I watched carefully. Pause, tick, tick and then wham we three took off almost perfectly at the same time. The lead TTU was a full race set up Subaru STI with huge Aero and 680 hp to the wheels. Number two, Mike Ellis the Grand Am driver in his seemingly giant and beautifully set up Penske Z06. The car makes almost 500 whp and 480 wtq and weighs 3100lbs, but on top of that he is just so damn fast. The roar from the three of us, so close together, at that moment, was palpable. This first was to be a very hot lap, as I was on their line and, for the moment was on pace staying with them to the straight. Mike passed the big Subaru and I was in chase. His power was spectacular but through T3, T4, and into T5 I gained a few car lengths. Somewhat unfortunately, I caught the Subaru all the way around by T8 in the Octopus slowing my lap for that moment.

Still, and despite catching him, I knew was in the game and the laps were pretty fast despite the traffic – I could feel it. The car was very dialed in and the splitter created enough down force that I now needed to push my braking points later and later. The Girodisc two piece rotors are fantastic with the Hawk pads. I’m used to some very aggressive braking but hadn’t any time to experiment with this new splitter setup in yesterday’s rain and didn’t have much time now to think about the improved affect on the car’s braking and turn in. By lap 5 I was in heavy traffic and, with another car off track under yellow, I pulled in to the pit to get clean track. I waited for a few seconds and then was waved back on behind a MX-5 running TTE. I tucked right in and behind me were a bunch of cars including a fully built BMW Z4 sitting right on my tail. He was pretty fast, and the MX-5 was not and so I was worried about him and others trying to get by us but decided to sit behind the Miata for the remainder of the lap and let the pack crowd up behind us a bit. The Miata was slower (though had a very good line) and the gap between him and traffic ahead of him was widening. This was great and a good opportunity to create some clean track. My plan was to sit there until the final turn and then pass the Miata fast on the straight, presenting a clean lap with almost no cars to interfere with my line.

It almost worked too but the Z4 behind me was stupid and reckless and passed us both, badly, coming into T6. He crowded on the inside and almost collected the Miata, who didn’t expect it at all and turned right in not knowing he’d be right there. Frustrated, I had to throw my plan then and catch the Z4 before the straight and so I squirted by the Miata too, coming into T7 right after the Z4. Frankly, I was a little pissed at his bad pass and was worried about losing my clean lap opportunity.  I pushed it and caught the Z4 by T8 but with no clear angle to pass. I took it hard to the inside of the turn, relying on the awd and better traction to pull me through. It worked and ended up pushing him way off line while I was on the throttle coming under the bridge in 4th at redline. Exiting to the straight I was presented with clean track as far as I could see. The car is about 150 or so on the straight and I braked at the 5 marker, though now wish I would have waited to the 4.5 though, as EFI’s splitter worked its magic and I gave up a little more speed than I needed. The car tracked out easily, up the hill and I tapped the brakes to settle the car for T2. I like this turn, it’s fast but I know now I could still go faster here. T3 was fine but in T4 again I was a little slower than I think is necessary. Damn, the braking and turn-in is so improved I just needed to relearn this new capability of the car. I downshift to 4th here and touch the brakes and it feels fast at entry but there’s plenty of room and it’s still too slow. I need to stay in 5th and just tap the brakes to settle the car. Frustrated, I think there is a half a second here I can pick up.
I’m fast in T5, the tight left is easy for the Evo, the tires hook up and I have a ton of torque right there. This is where I can really discern the difference between a good racing tune and a tune for peak power.  I see so many guys have trouble in this sort of turn as their car’s power is not linear enough and they struggle to manage the car at turn exit.  An red Evo X with a fully built 600 hp motor spun here, as it seemed the driver couldn’t manage the power delivery.  I can certainly imagine the fellow coming out of the corner and the power coming on in one giant peaky blast that pushed him right to the mud.  This might be fun on the freeway but is not effective on the racetrack.  

Chris, EFI Logic’s tuner, knows this difference well and the car is masterful at staying planted on exit as it accelerates smoothly right to redline.  Shift from 3rd to 4th and T6 is clear and fast and I barely tap the brakes but it’s still probably more than I need, but not by much. It’s an easy and fast turn; I track out with my foot mashed to the floor. I trail brake into the Octopus and back on the gas through the turn, then hard to the brake and a shift to 3 as I take the hard right. Damn it, I’ve caught me a Porsche, but, thankfully he sees me coming up on him at full tilt and pulls way outside off line. A gift and I don’t waste it. His change blows my normal line of fading out a bit, rotate the tail around and come in close with heavy gas to the bridge; but isn’t too bad. I take the inside all the way through and am full throttle as the Goodyear’s work hard to find some purchase. I lift for an instant to settle the car and shift the weight left for the esses. I short shift to fifth, as I come through tight to the apex at about 110 and track out (too) easily. A mad race to the finish line and I’m done with one almost clean lap. I ran a 130.1 and know I left maybe 1.5 seconds on the table with my braking. There’s probably more there too, but then I’m just bumping into my skill and experience at this track.  I suppose the traffic played a part too, but not much.

In the end, we felt good about the 1:30 and the car really felt sorted. I won that session for my class and then we loaded up to go. There was some worry that the final session would be better still and so I would be in 2nd or 3rd for the day but the lap time prevailed, as the closest TTS was still 2.5 seconds away. At this point anyway, it seems we won the day for TTS. We had a great time regardless and everything felt really great. 2012 is right around the corner, and it couldn’t look more promising.