!!! TRACK DAYS & ROAD TRIPS 2013 - Toronto Area and Half Shell Memorial !!!

[Jaypod]

Originally Posted by sawzall

Hi Guys,

I'm going to be talking to Jane at CMP this weekend about some more days since i've gotten a few emails from folks. If there is anyone who hasn't emailed me and is interested in getting a day or two for CMP, let me know.

We might not get quite as good a deal this time out, but I don't expect it to be more than $15-20 more than last time.

PS. See you all at the Glen!!!

Can't wait - already been at the track for 2 days this week, followed by a day at Calabogie and 2 at the Glen!

[M3-Mike]

Hey guys, I will be driving down from Toronto to the Glen on Sunday June 23.

My plan is to meet whoever wants to go at Cars & Coffee at Bayview Village between 8am and 9am, and then hit the road shortly after 9am.

I have a fun route planned with some good twisty back roads both here in Canada and in the US, should get us to the Glen for around 4pm, giving us plenty of time to register at the track and consume beverages at the Harbor hotel.

A few of you have expressed interest in joining me for the drive down.. it will be spirited but safe and without speeding tickets. If you like twisty back road driving then this is for you!

Give me a hands up if you are in!

[Jaypod]

Well that was a great long weekend! Calabogie and the Glen deliver as usual. Great group of people too!

Poor Half Shell.....................

[ZWEAPON]

I am sure everyone whould like to hear about half shell...Any pictures of said half shell?....lol

[sawzall]

Calabogie/Glen long weekend was one of the best track weekends ever!

Turns out even the squeal of cold Pagids being bedded aren't enough to scare away deer! Calabogie was fun as ever even in the wet, although I think I donated a pint of blood to the mosquitoes.

According to the American border agents, Watkins Glen is a dirt track, not a paved circuit.... The Glen was awesome, we lucked out and only had about 20 minutes of rain, and only 1 wet session. I managed to crack the 2:20 mark, didn't poop myself in a certain blue corvette. Watched Jaypod churn out some 2:17 lap times on slicks! Also got to see Farmer Bob's new tube chassis car, and celebrated National Day with Tonybest!

Alas, we lost Half Shell on the weekend. He was a fine young turtle, but the sound of M3 V8 was a siren's call. The angel eyes drew him in, and off he went to animal heaven - i'm sure the baby jesus has a nice pond for him to swim in....



.... And in tribute, ALM3 re-enacted the loss of Half Shell with a pylon in turn 7 at the Glen.

[sawzall]

Originally Posted by ZWEAPON

I am sure everyone whould like to hear about half shell...Any pictures of said half shell?....lol

It's just too soon to tell the story. I still get teary eyed just thinking about good ol' Half Shell.

[Jaypod]

Originally Posted by sawzall

It's just too soon to tell the story. I still get teary eyed just thinking about good ol' Half Shell.

+1. Poor Half Shell.....tragic

[ahsanh]

Originally Posted by sawzall

Alas, we lost Half Shell on the weekend. He was a fine young turtle, but the sound of M3 V8 was a siren's call. The angel eyes drew him in, and off he went to animal heaven - i'm sure the baby jesus has a nice pond for him to swim in....

+1. He was a good little (big) guy and lived a long and fulfilling life; when he decided to venture out on that week long journey accross that 20 foot road like he had done so many times before, little did he know that this would be his last. RIP Half Shell, RIP.

[MaxL]

Watkins Glen trip was insanely fun! The weather cooperated to a good degree, and the track is always awesome. The best part, of course, was the company - even if I was not driving, it would still be worth going.

I probably need to get Chris look at my car - it's definitely running too hot. Hot enough to overheat tires/brakes/engines of the cars I catch up to, if you know what I mean

[sawzall]

Originally Posted by MaxL

Watkins Glen trip was insanely fun! The weather cooperated to a good degree, and the track is always awesome. The best part, of course, was the company - even if I was not driving, it would still be worth going.

I probably need to get Chris look at my car - it's definitely running too hot. Hot enough to overheat tires/brakes/engines of the cars I catch up to, if you know what I mean

So what kind of lap times were you pulling in?

[STALKER]

Originally Posted by MaxL

Watkins Glen trip was insanely fun! The weather cooperated to a good degree, and the track is always awesome. The best part, of course, was the company - even if I was not driving, it would still be worth going.

I probably need to get Chris look at my car - it's definitely running too hot. Hot enough to overheat tires/brakes/engines of the cars I catch up to, if you know what I mean

That just means you need a GT3.

[MaxL]

Originally Posted by sawzall

So what kind of lap times were you pulling in?

Are you implying I do not get to harass others without having something to show for it myself? But everybody else does it

I'll download stuff from the GPS later today when I get a minute between meetings.

[sawzall]

Originally Posted by MaxL

Are you implying I do not get to harass others without having something to show for it myself? But everybody else does it

I'll download stuff from the GPS later today when I get a minute between meetings.

No, i'm implying that you better have the lap times to back up your harassment!

[Tonybest]

My car got the yellow check "engine" light a little after I fueled at the Sunoco half way up Seneca Lake. Probably nothing, maybe bad fuel. The engine sounded good, no limp mode. I will fill it up tonight and check if the lights miraculously disapears.

I had a blast at the track once again. Thanks to y'all for making it always so enjoyable. This event is a must for every year.

[MaxL]

Originally Posted by sawzall

No, i'm implying that you better have the lap times to back up your harassment!

I think mid 2.17s on MPSS tires and no power mods should do it

I was not flooring it all the way through the S-es (chickened) and kept apexing too early in the Toe - not sure why, I guess I oped for more rotation by throttle. Also was braking earlier than last year - I just cannot get over this shaky feel of PSS on threshold braking. Or maybe it was fear after the bleed valve popped out leaving me without brakes in turn 1 (I'll upload video of that). So there is another 1-2 seconds there, if not more.

Most of the laps were in mid to high 18s though, because I was not able to use 3rd gear for more then 3-4 laps and there was a lot of passing, both give and take. I guess I do need a different car - I could clearly see on datalogs that it takes 2 laps to warm up tires (Gs go up progressively), then I get 2 fast laps, and then I start slowly losing both acceleration and cornering Gs, so both tires and engine power decline after just 4 laps! This track is brutal.

[sawzall]

Originally Posted by MaxL

I think mid 2.17s on MPSS tires and no power mods should do it

You definitely get bragging rights with times like that! 2:17 on MPSS is crazy fast!

.... But then again, you only have to point and shoot your car since you drive an automatic (sorry had to get that in).

[Tonybest]

Props to Max... great lap time there.

This is from Day 2 Session 3.

I am following ALM3 in his M3. The frozen silver M3 is Jaypod's running continental slicks and 5 seconds quicker than the both of us.

It is always great fun when you find a track accomplice who is lapping close to the same times as you.

[Jaypod]

Thanks for sharing Tony! Wish I had a vid of the other encounter I had with Al when I saw you guys on track.

[Jaypod]

Max - that is pretty cool data. What device are you using? Can you show is what it looks like if you compare laps? Looks neat.

[MaxL]

Originally Posted by Jaypod

Max - that is pretty cool data. What device are you using? Can you show is what it looks like if you compare laps? Looks neat.

I'm using this thing: http://racing.qstarz.com/Products/BT-Q1000eX.html and software that comes with it. Pretty good value for the money (I think it was around $200), but with some limitations - no ODB/CAN logging, so I cannot see when I apply throttle or brakes. Also weirdly it measures horizontal speed only, which results in weird speeds when slope is significant - for example, it shows as if I'm slowing down after turn 4 at mostport, but it's really the track dropping down.

Comparing is ok - basically it overlays two laps, and I can see Gs, speed and time to distance for each lap at any point on the track. One limitation is that speed graph overlay can only be synched by distance from start, so if you take a significantly different line, it shifts. V-box software has built-in correction for that.

So I would not recommend it. V-box's blutooth GPS seems better option with 20Hz sample rate and better software, plus compatibility with Harry's Lap Timer. I am now debating between Harry's + V-box or Smartycam HD + Solo + CANbus adapter. The former is more flexible and cheaper and the latter has more channels on CANbus.

[Jaypod]

Originally Posted by MaxL

I'm using this thing: http://racing.qstarz.com/Products/BT-Q1000eX.html and software that comes with it. Pretty good value for the money (I think it was around $200), but with some limitations - no ODB/CAN logging, so I cannot see when I apply throttle or brakes. Also weirdly it measures horizontal speed only, which results in weird speeds when slope is significant - for example, it shows as if I'm slowing down after turn 4 at mostport, but it's really the track dropping down.

Comparing is ok - basically it overlays two laps, and I can see Gs, speed and time to distance for each lap at any point on the track. One limitation is that speed graph overlay can only be synched by distance from start, so if you take a significantly different line, it shifts. V-box software has built-in correction for that.

So I would not recommend it. V-box's blutooth GPS seems better option with 20Hz sample rate and better software, plus compatibility with Harry's Lap Timer. I am now debating between Harry's + V-box or Smartycam HD + Solo + CANbus adapter. The former is more flexible and cheaper and the latter has more channels on CANbus.

Thats pretty cool. I have a Vbox Lite that I use with 2 camera's, that set up is currently in our Chumpcar. I used the Solo DL this past weekend and was really impressed, I have the Canbus adapter installed in my car. I am currently waiting for the new SmartyCam GP HD to arrive and will use that with my Canbus and Solo DL. Harry's is a cool app don't really use it anymore, I found that the Solo DL worked amazing and gave me some good Data to look at. I am going to put some video together with the Solo data when I get some time.

It was a great long weekend at the track. Hard to beat a day at Calabogie and two days at the Glen. Best Track Weekend Ever!

Can't wait to hit Calabogie again next weekend!

[Jaypod]

Here is a vid from the first day session 1. Have ahsanh as a passenger to show him the track as he had never been there before. Video is from a Gopro and I used the data from the Solo to do the overlay. I used a piece of software called Race Renderer 2. Pretty easy to use!