redpriest HPDE journal

[Dumpspec]

ahhh that explains why my intake kept separating haha. i was wondering why but had no idea it was caused by the motor mount. i just replaced mines to the vibra technics one and love it. surprisingly not much difference in cabin noise as i expected.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by dumpm3

ahhh that explains why my intake kept separating haha. i was wondering why but had no idea it was caused by the motor mount. i just replaced mines to the vibra technics one and love it. surprisingly not much difference in cabin noise as i expected.

Yep, I was shocked too. Essentially I complained to Macht Schnell and they told me to look at the motor mounts. Sure enough, once I fixed it, no more problems haha.

[redpriest]

First day at Buttonwillow this weekend complete - massive success! Cut my best time down from 2:02.88 to 2:00.32 this weekend, 2.5 seconds!!!

It was really rainy though. Conditions on the track early in the morning were so bad people were going off left and right, myself included. I saw an M4 immediately spin out coming out of the starting grid right at the offramp hair pin coming onto I-5.

I went off once in my first session (I skipped the very first advanced group session of the day since I was still getting tires and pads set up), and then again in the 2nd session. Went off a total of 3 times. Each time, I might have saved it, but decided it wasn't worth the risk of sliding sideways through mud so just basically straightened the wheel each time and drove into it at 25/35 mph.

Lots of people were visiting the water hose to get the mud off their cars, for sure, haha.

It started drying up at around 11-11:30, so I started posting great laps from that point on. Got better and better until time progressed, and this was the best result for me on the day:

[M3 Number 86]

Good driving! Don't be scared of mud

Actually it sucks. Lol.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

Good driving! Don't be scared of mud

Actually it sucks. Lol.

M3 Number 86 Decided to turn off DSC today and was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to control the car's slides.

The entire day though, I kept trying to best my previous times from Saturday, but the best I could do was 2:01.18. I think I was trying too hard so I would make mistakes that proved costly in terms of time.

Also, the faster I get, the more MDM intrudes on me - whether or not it's saving me from being really dead or covering up mistakes/bad habits, I don't know. When I have it on, I try not to trigger it - when I've done something that does, I back off slightly from it. The issue too is, with Euro MDM on, I practice counter steering, but I can never really be sure it was me that did the work, or the computer that ended up saving me.

Anyway, at the end of the day with open track time, I decided to take a gander at turning off DSC and seeing how it went. Unfortunately, I didn't get a full session on video, since I ran out of room, so you miss out on me preventing a full spin.

Also, would have been nice to solicit some tips on catching oversteer - I made (I think) the bad habit of letting go of the steering wheel to unwind and catching it, which from what I've heard from other people is a bad idea. It didn't cost me, but it could in the future. Any advice?

[M3 Number 86]

Are those big ass cracks on your windshield?

People say not to let go of the wheel but I guess it just depends on how you learned. I do both but my hands are always moving with the wheel. If you need major opposite lock since the car has already started to slide around quite a bit it's quicker to let natural forces correct the wheel vs an intentional drift where you know to rotate the wheel x amount of lock.

But then again my tennis instructor always said bring the racket straight back without that little circle, my basketball coach told me to square up more, and people said I can't pedal with my left foot when skateboarding regular foot. So who cares?

It's all about learning. When I went to chuckwalla last year I made a point of never letting go of the wheel when correcting and the day went fine. But I felt no difference. Lol

[ban25]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

Are those big ass cracks on your windshield?

Yeah, from the transponder attached to the windshield wiper.

[redpriest]

My windshield already had a big dent in it from the FRS that threw rocks at me when he went two wheels off at Chuckwalla.

Then, as ban25 says, I closed the hood of my car and the transponder got caught between the hood and the windshield, since it was attached to the windshield wiper. The hood won, lol.

Guess I have an excuse to replace the whole windshield - again.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by redpriest

My windshield already had a big dent in it from the FRS that threw rocks at me when he went two wheels off at Chuckwalla.

Then, as ban25 says, I closed the hood of my car and the transponder got caught between the hood and the windshield, since it was attached to the windshield wiper. The hood won, lol.

Guess I have an excuse to replace the whole windshield - again.

Lol.

I just did that this weekend and everything is so clear and bright I miss my tint. Along the way I found a sturdy solution for a possible new GoPro mount.

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

Lol.

I just did that this weekend and everything is so clear and bright I miss my tint. Along the way I found a sturdy solution for a possible new GoPro mount.

Attached.

[admranger]

In the buttonhook, it's easy to get oversteer. Way easy. Look at how much steering input you have when you are applying the throttle. You've got your entire traction account used up by the LF and then you add gas...BTDT (and gone off in a nice 180 to the inside of the track...). You need to unwind that steering wheel as you apply the throttle or have a much more gentle application of the throttle (or take a different line through there with a later apex -- stay farther left on entry and move your apex 3' forward around the corner). Try these and you may not have to worry about catching oversteer.

Those cheater transmissions sure look easy to use on track...

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by admranger

In the buttonhook, it's easy to get oversteer. Way easy. Look at how much steering input you have when you are applying the throttle. You've got your entire traction account used up by the LF and then you add gas...BTDT (and gone off in a nice 180 to the inside of the track...). You need to unwind that steering wheel as you apply the throttle or have a much more gentle application of the throttle (or take a different line through there with a later apex -- stay farther left on entry and move your apex 3' forward around the corner). Try these and you may not have to worry about catching oversteer.

Those cheater transmissions sure look easy to use on track...

For that particular turn, I did that on purpose - I wanted the car to oversteer since that was kind of a safe spot to practice doing it, and it was low enough speed I wouldn't go flying into a wall. It's also a spot, that, with MDM on it was flashing like crazy so I wanted to see what was going on there. Was good to know. In all of the further turns I was pretty gentle on the throttle since I didn't want to go off track.

I've practiced a few lines going through that slow turn, and this time I settled on trying to hog the right side like I've seen some others do, to see how it worked out on this go. I'll try out the one you suggested next time I'm there, thanks, and see how it goes

It's kind of spoiling with the DCT to do all sorts of bad things you can get away with, like shifting in a turn and it's so nice not having to take the hands of the wheel.

[roastbeef]

is it hard to place the car and spot the apexes on the flat corners? it might just be the angle of the camera, but some of those corners don't seem as obvious as they are at willow springs.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

is it hard to place the car and spot the apexes on the flat corners? it might just be the angle of the camera, but some of those corners don't seem as obvious as they are at willow springs.

I think it's just the angle, I don't recall having any problems when I was learning the track. Then again, I've done 265 laps now on the CW 13 configuration, so I think I've memorized each turn pretty well. Any screwups are because I screwed up the approach to an apex rather than me not spotting it

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by redpriest

I think it's just the angle, I don't recall having any problems when I was learning the track. Then again, I've done 265 laps now on the CW 13 configuration, so I think I've memorized each turn pretty well. Any screwups are because I screwed up the approach to an apex rather than me not spotting it

Apexes are visible except phils hill which is blind but in general you just use a different reference.

@Admranger always refers to flag station at riverside for entering the esses! I just try to set up a straight line by looking at the pavement. Lol.

[roastbeef]

Laguna seca 03/26? It's my birthday weekend! I'm trying to put a trip together.

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by roastbeef

Laguna seca 03/26? It's my birthday weekend! I'm trying to put a trip together.

Tentatively should be there!

My next track day plans are:

Feb 20-21 ACS Speed Ventures OR
Feb 20 ACS Speed Ventures + Feb 21 Buttonwillow Speed District
Mar 13 Sonoma Speed SF
Mar 26-27 Laguna Seca Speed SF

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by redpriest

Tentatively should be there!

My next track day plans are:

Feb 20-21 ACS Speed Ventures OR
Feb 20 ACS Speed Ventures + Feb 21 Buttonwillow Speed District
Mar 13 Sonoma Speed SF
Mar 26-27 Laguna Seca Speed SF

Envious of so much set time! I need a signed permission slip

Will see you on the 20th!

I want to start a journal too.

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

Envious of so much set time! I need a signed permission slip

Will see you on the 20th!

I want to start a journal too.

I can negotiate a divorce for you. Hardly will cost you a thing. 50 percent for her 25 for me

[M3 Number 86]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

I can negotiate a divorce for you. Hardly will cost you a thing. 50 percent for her 25 for me

If you buy me a permatent or a permashack (preferred) you got a deal.

[1MOREMOD]

You can stay with me and use the tools

[redpriest]

Originally Posted by M3 Number 86

Envious of so much set time! I need a signed permission slip

Will see you on the 20th!

I want to start a journal too.

lol - it's not exactly set in stone, maybe in mud.