Archive for July, 2012
Nice Video!
by John on Jul.29, 2012, under Event Calendar and Updates
Have a look.
Poconos results July 13th-15th
by John on Jul.29, 2012, under Racing Results
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.
