My E90 M3 Dedicated Track build (with pix!)

[roastbeef]

So dudes with aeromotions wings would kill it.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by 72dan

Gabe
I am familiar with the turn. Just wondering, I take it flat out if I set up properly in my M3 but no supercharger but also no aero. It is worth up to a full second because that speed is carried through 7 and into 8. I lift in 8 in my M3, maybe w aero I could take 8 flat out. some of the lighter cars are flat out from exit of 5 to entry of 9 so being flat out on 6 is huge for them.

Yeah I back off the throttle at the entry of Turn 8 too. The supercharger speed makes it a bit hairy. I do go back to full throttle once I'm in the turn though.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by nickofnicks

any OEM parts that is still up for selling?

No, nothing for sale. We just pulled the headlights, but I'm gonna keep them for now.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by dparm

Shit dude, sub-2:30 is really hauling the mail. Nicely done. Hope to see you at an event this year in TX -- come say hi!

Thanks! Actually, most people would accuse my car of hauling the groceries...... (Actually, my car was hauling trash. The track photographers snapped some pix of the plastic bag caught on my splitter. Once I buy the photos, I'll post it.)

I'm gonna be back out there next weekend Feb. 15/16 for SuperLap Battle. I'm hoping I can take it under 2:20.

Come out and say hi at SuperLap! (I'm sure everyone in Texas is just 5 minutes from COTA right?)

[reidetailing]

What front bumper-to-fender clips are those? Do you have a link to them?

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by reidetailing

What front bumper-to-fender clips are those? Do you have a link to them?

(All the mods on the car are listed in the first post of this thread)

The bumper/fender latches are AeroCatch 3 latches.

https://www.aerocatch.com/aerocatch-3/

[dparm]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Thanks! Actually, most people would accuse my car of hauling the groceries...... (Actually, my car was hauling trash. The track photographers snapped some pix of the plastic bag caught on my splitter. Once I buy the photos, I'll post it.)

I'm gonna be back out there next weekend Feb. 15/16 for SuperLap Battle. I'm hoping I can take it under 2:20.

Come out and say hi at SuperLap! (I'm sure everyone in Texas is just 5 minutes from COTA right?)

Will probably be at MSR Cresson that Saturday to do some shake-down on the car, unfortunately. I will be at COTA the following weekend for Lone Star LeMans -- will you be spectating?

And yeah, I saw the photo of the oil dry bag on Facebook, lol!

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by dparm

COTA is interesting in that it has some pretty fast corners that need downforce (16/17/18 complex), but also has the huge back straight that will penalize you for it. I hit about 152mph at the back straight...same as a Z06 that has 200hp on me. Talked to some Z06 owners who have the factory stage 3 (adjustable) aero, and they all swear that removing the Gurney flap makes the car way too nervous elsewhere and their lap times suffer.

Also, that back straight at COTA is not perfectly level. The first 1/3 of it is actually slightly uphill, then it levels off for the next 1/3, then you are downhill into the braking zone.

I'm running a decent AOA on my wing so I can hold the car down from Turn 2-10 and 16/17/18. I don't think it's overly holding me back on the back straight----when the engine is fresh. In the first session, on my warm up lap on Sunday in the cool air, I hit 157mph on the back straight----and that's with exiting T11 in 3rd instead of 2nd, and I lifted before I should have before the braking zone for T12 because the brakes were still cold. The truth is, there was so much traffic at the Chin track event that whenever the car was ready to run, I was in traffic. That's fine. The Chin event was practice for me. I'm hoping to find clear track when it counts at SuperLap. With any luck, at SuperLap Battle, I think I can get closer to 160mph.

[dparm]

Originally Posted by dogbone

I'm running a decent AOA on my wing so I can hold the car down from Turn 2-10 and 16/17/18. I don't think it's overly holding me back on the back straight----when the engine is fresh. In the first session, on my warm up lap on Sunday in the cool air, I hit 157mph on the back straight----and that's with exiting T11 in 3rd instead of 2nd, and I lifted before I should have before the braking zone for T12 because the brakes were still cold. The truth is, there was so much traffic at the Chin track event that whenever the car was ready to run, I was in traffic. That's fine. The Chin event was practice for me. I'm hoping to find clear track when it counts at SuperLap. With any luck, at SuperLap Battle, I think I can get closer to 160mph.

I dunno, I'm just sharing my perspective based on some the [vague] data other Corvette owners have shared. Maybe one of these times I'm out there I'll remove the rear spoiler and see how the car feels -- and look at the PDR data.

Chin runs good events but they are usually packed. I'm sure the COTA event was particularly bad since it just reopened after the repaving.

Good luck at SLB!

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

So dudes with aeromotions wings would kill it.

Yeah active aero can be effective. It's actually not allowed in certain classes of time attack competition.

[reidetailing]

Originally Posted by dogbone

(All the mods on the car are listed in the first post of this thread)

The bumper/fender latches are AeroCatch 3 latches.

https://www.aerocatch.com/aerocatch-3/

Thanks man! Are they the above or below panel series?

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by reidetailing

Thanks man! Are they the above or below panel series?

Above.

[reidetailing]

Do these latches offer any sort of theft-deterring features...say you park the car somewhere (for example), couldn't someone simply just on latch it and leave?

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Thanks! Actually, most people would accuse my car of hauling the groceries...... (Actually, my car was hauling trash. The track photographers snapped some pix of the plastic bag caught on my splitter. Once I buy the photos, I'll post it.)

I'm gonna be back out there next weekend Feb. 15/16 for SuperLap Battle. I'm hoping I can take it under 2:20.

Come out and say hi at SuperLap! (I'm sure everyone in Texas is just 5 minutes from COTA right?)

Ugh, I'm not liking the weekend forecast right now. Thankfully in Texas that can (and hopefully does) change by the time the weekend rolls around. It was wet for our SCCA race yesterday - I know every situation is different but if you want to chat about what we saw yesterday let me know. What wet tires will they let you run?

You are sub 2:20 if the conditions & traffic work out - no doubt. If it stays dry your great approach at working up to the limits will definitely get you there. And since I won't be there none of the car gremlins that travel with me should not be there too!

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by reidetailing

Do these latches offer any sort of theft-deterring features...say you park the car somewhere (for example), couldn't someone simply just on latch it and leave?

Security? hehe no. This is a race car part. These latches were added after the car was no longer a street going car.

But the latches are not the only things holding the bumper on. The four screws at the top of the bumper under the hood are the main supports. And there are several screws on the splitter that are screwed in on the bottom of the car. (On a regular street going car with fender liners, there are a bunch of screws that attach the fender liners to the bumper as well.)

These latches were added because the front aero was generating too much downforce for the thin little hangar clips that connected the fender to the bumper. The thin clips were getting bent and were poking into the fat front tire on track and grinding the tire. These AeroCatch latches allowed us to make more room under the fender for fat wheels/tires and remove that thin hangar clip.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

Ugh, I'm not liking the weekend forecast right now. Thankfully in Texas that can (and hopefully does) change by the time the weekend rolls around. It was wet for our SCCA race yesterday - I know every situation is different but if you want to chat about what we saw yesterday let me know. What wet tires will they let you run?

You are sub 2:20 if the conditions & traffic work out - no doubt. If it stays dry your great approach at working up to the limits will definitely get you there. And since I won't be there none of the car gremlins that travel with me should not be there too!

Saturday still looks ok. Sunday has more question marks. I'll do my best to do what I gotta do on Saturday. My car is not a wet weather car......But I accept whatever weather Austin gives us. Those are always the risks with this stuff. Actually, the Austin weather is what has prevented me from visiting COTA in the past. But, I pushed to go because of SuperLap Battle and my 50th birthday.

They do have a wet weather Yokohama slick spec'd out. I haven't bought any yet.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Saturday still looks ok. Sunday has more question marks. I'll do my best to do what I gotta do on Saturday. My car is not a wet weather car......But I accept whatever weather Austin gives us. Those are always the risks with this stuff. Actually, the Austin weather is what has prevented me from visiting COTA in the past. But, I pushed to go because of SuperLap Battle and my 50th birthday.

They do have a wet weather Yokohama slick spec'd out. I haven't bought any yet.

The funny thing is we are normally a low rainfall area. Been kind of a crazy last few years. Hopefully it holds up on Saturday for you.

I'm ready to pick your brain about aero. We have time now to address the front before the next race in March (and can actually run front aero this time which is nice). I also have to address my hooptie doors - but that is a whole separate issue. We did cut the triangle out for the oem mirror mount area and put on GT mirrors - the visibility was much better.

[dogbone]

I was eager to see the COTA pix from the Chin event, but for whatever reason, the the pix from Lightspeed Images took a week to upload. At first, they uploaded some very high quality preview images without any kind of watermarks on them. That's not great for business.......Soon after, they pulled them all down and new thumbnails emerged with small watermarks.

Anyway, they took nice pictures, so I bought them.

The bag that the transport guy left in CA not only had my helmet and neck restraint, it also had a new set of vinyl numbers for my new doors. Since that bag didn't make it, I had to tape on crappy tape numbers.....yuck. So yeah, every shot I post, I'm photoshopping out the crappy numbers......

Anyway, thanks to Lightspeed Images for the cool pictures:

I never drive with my visor down, but the morning sun going up the front straight hill was insane. Anyway, the light in this shot really shows the carbon doors.
Never had white Yokohama logo swirls before. That's new.


Are you even allowed to leave COTA without the Tower-In-The-Background Pic? Which turn is that?


Interesting side shot angle.


Ah yes, the old plastic bag on the splitter trick......at least now we know what they clean the spills with! Lightspeed actually put that photo on their Facebook page and invited funny captions.......there's just no love in the world..... I still think I should be paid for my trash pickup work.....fastest trash truck in history.

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by dogbone

I was eager to see the COTA pix from the Chin event, but for whatever reason, the the pix from Lightspeed Images took a week to upload. At first, they uploaded some very high quality preview images without any kind of watermarks on them. That's not great for business.......Soon after, they pulled them all down and new thumbnails emerged with small watermarks.

Anyway, they took nice pictures, so I bought them.

The bag that the transport guy left in CA not only had my helmet and neck restraint, it also had a new set of vinyl numbers for my new doors. Since that bag didn't make it, I had to tape on crappy tape numbers.....yuck. So yeah, every shot I post, I'm photoshopping out the crappy numbers......

Anyway, thanks to Lightspeed Images for the cool pictures:

I never drive with my visor down, but the morning sun going up the front straight hill was insane. Anyway, the light in this shot really shows the carbon doors.
Never had white Yokohama logo swirls before. That's new.


Are you even allowed to leave COTA without the Tower-In-The-Background Pic? Which turn is that?


Interesting side shot angle.


Ah yes, the old plastic bag on the splitter trick......at least now we know what they clean the spills with! Lightspeed actually put that photo on their Facebook page and invited funny captions.......there's just no love in the world..... I still think I should be paid for my trash pickup work.....fastest trash truck in history.

Awesome pics! Very kind of you use the bag to block off the airflow like that to give the rest of us a chance to catch up!

I think the pic with the tower in it is from a spot between 10 & 11. Looks like they got you right before you cut that 10 dogleg left.

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

Awesome pics! Very kind of you use the bag to block off the airflow like that to give the rest of us a chance to catch up!

Was that you hiding behind the wall tossing bags onto the track?!

Originally Posted by OG Shark

I think the pic with the tower in it is from a spot between 10 & 11. Looks like they got you right before you cut that 10 dogleg left.

Ah. Yeah, that's it. Thanks!

[OG Shark]

Originally Posted by dogbone

Was that you hiding behind the wall tossing bags onto the track?!

No - that was my buddy Will. I was too busy over driving my car trying to keep up with you

[dogbone]

Originally Posted by OG Shark

No - that was my buddy Will. I was too busy over driving my car trying to keep up with you

Will----of course. Just one more thing for the tech guy to do. "So, uh Will.....I have sort of a weird task for you......"