It was my first time doing a NASA event and only my 2nd track event. The bad news is that traffic sucks, the good news is that traffic sucks. For me having 50 cars on track at a time (2.1 mile track) was good, as it really teaches you to watch your mirrors and set up for passes. Passing was more aggresive (5 passing zones with point-by's encouraged but not required) than the other track day I attended. After each session then had a debriefing with I thought was very good. The group leader goes over the track and each track incident (2 or 4 wheels off, mistakes, ect) is noted by corner workers and gone over during this time. This way you learn from other peoples mistakes or they learn from yours. For me it was a challenge, driving your line while setting passes that where off-line.

For Jon in the Time Attack car, it was a hinderance. He was passing cars like they where in a parking lot. Although it was really fun to watch him split two cars down the middle on the straights, it was not good for lap times. Jon did a great job of driving but unfortanetly he couldn't get a clean lap in Saturday, so with traffic in the way, we got 2nd by a small margin. With determination, Jon attacked sunday with a game plan of trying to leave space in front of him. Traffic was still horrendous but he finally got a few clean laps in. With a best of 1:34.8 , 1st place was locked in for TTU. Congrats go to Jon for doing a great job of driving the car. Thanks to everyone who came out to watch us, sorry if I seemed frantic, but I'm still fighting the flu and had my hands full all day with driver & pit duties. I actually completely lost my voice last night, it sucked!

Let's hear some more details and see some good pics from Jon:

 

Day 1: Saturday


We got 30 total laps today in 4 sessions, as many as 47 cars were on a 2.1 mile track at once, and as few as 38.

One of the laps I made was clean.

I turned a 1:36.7 which was good enough for 2nd place overall and in TTU. (On a split time at turn 12, I ran a 1:35.5 which would have been good enough for the overall win.. couldn't get a clean lap to the timing line though)

The traffic was really harsh, the slowest five or six cars were running 2:05 - 2:10 so 30-40 seconds a lap slower than I was. I was passing one Neon every two laps.


My "favorite" move in traffic.. one car moves over to let a few
others past, and I run right up the middle.

There is some video of this happening on day 2, hopefully
we will post it up, at the end of this straight I am doing
120-121mph, the cars around me are probably going 90 at
best.

Under braking here.. offline, but I have them all pretty much
cleared.


The final session got messed up, they had cars getting towed in from the race group, so 3-4 of the corners were yellow, and made it so there was no chance to get traffic sorted early. The first 4-5 cars got clean laps because they were out front, but back in the pack, none of us got clean laps, and they threw the checker at 16 min..

What they ment to do was pull one car in, leave the other two out there, and drop the yellows after 2 laps.. a misscommunication with workers had them leaving the yellows out the whole session.. >:-{



Overall though the car ran flawless, we seriously just checked the oil, water and tires, bled the brakes once, and beat the **** out of it, it never even gave a hint of a problem. I couldn't be happier with the reliability at this point, and the hard work of everyone to make sure this car is on the top of its game is top notch. I only wish I had just one more clean lap to bring back the trophy everyone deserved today.


Can't forget our beloved leader, Martin. That would be his GF katie in the seat with her eyes shut tight in fear.

Tomorrow is another day, I am going to keep messing with set-up, and I do plan on brining home fastest time in TTU, fastest time of the day, and fastest time of the weekend.

Jon K

 

My brother (Boltz.) and I were also at this track event and it was our first time at a road coarse. All I can say is that drag racing is in my past, this is the most fun I have had with either of my EVO's (or maybe the most fun I have ever had period). If you havn't had a chance to to something like this, DO IT! We spent a good chunk of change on our cars, so why not spend a few hundred to take em' to their limits.

Thanks to AMS and their crew (especially Jon's dad for the entertainment ) for answering any questions we had about our cars and their recommendations. Great group of guys. Hope to see you at other events.

A little game of cat and mouse anyone? Or more like tiger and mouse:



We really didn't get pics of our cars because we were both on the track at the same time but here is one of us lining up for our last time out (such a nice Country Club):



I would also like to say thanks to Pure Tuning who helped my bro with his brakes after he boiled them at the 3rd session of day two. Thanks guys! You were a great help!

 

This event was a blast!

I'm just curious about action shots of my car. Did anyone take any pictures of the white (85) evo in group 1/2? I'd LOVE to see some pics of the car in action.

Thanks again;
-Aaron and Keith from pure tuning who got me back on the track A.S.A.P after I boiled my brakes and asking nothing in return.
-Jon, good looking out offering his help when he was done with his work
-Martin for being such an easy guy to talk to and answering some questions for me


What an awesome weekend!

Can't wait for the next track day!

 

Here are some shots, actually alot of shots:

http://brandont.smugmug.com/gallery/1698250

 

Day 2:

First in class, first overall, fastest time for the weekend.



Traffic was still an issue, but I did get a couple clean laps. The sad part, or good part, depending how you look at it is the car is just too fast. Had I been running 1:38s I might have gotten a clean lap, but running 4 seconds a lap faster, I would just catch people so fast.


An example of speed.. this is the front straight I am shifting into 4th gear about when this picture is taken.

Look at the distance I put on the other two cars...

Nearing top of redline in 4th gear here and the braking zone for turn 1.. in just a little over a second, I have put 200 feet or so on the other cars that I entered the straight with.

We missed the first session changing a wheel bearing (had a vibration and some pad knockback, so we wanted to be better safe than sorry) The second session I went out, got a clean lap, turned a 1:34.8 then got caught in traffic for the 5 laps or so, I was on another clean lap, when heading into turn 8 (60mph right hander, from a 122mph straight) the brake pedal went to the floor. At that speed there really isn't much time to pump, (got one pump in but pedal still way down) and I just pitched it into the corner.. car slid through the corner mad tight dorifto style yo, then off into the grass. I kept it out of the tire wall, but for NASA Time Trial, if you go 4-wheels off, you lose all the times from that session. So.. even though I had stuck a 1:34.8 out there, it wouldn't count.


Me going by in the AMS Evo, in the background, the AMS crew watches.

Session 3, we went back out, I lined up ok, played with traffic and never really got a clean lap, but didn't have to slow down for the cars as much as I had to before. A car had also put down antifreeze in an earlier session, and the track was much more slippery, so we were pushing worse. On my best official lap I put down a 1:35.2 (which would be my official time) and from back straight to back straight (before I caught a Miata) I ran a 1:33.92 If I could have only put that time out there officially.

For the fourth session, we decided not to go out, there were a couple of things Martin wanted to check, and with the win pretty much in the bag at that point (1.2 second lead for the weekend) the only thing we would have been going out for was bragging rights, and we decided to save the wear and tear on the car since it has two more events in the next three weeks.



The driver in me wanted to get that 1:33, but the smarter side figured it was better long-term to sit out the session.

Jon K

 

3 Wide in the back straight.....sorry....my NASCAR side coming out....sounds like you had a good time. Nice!!!!

 

Congrats guys... seems the car is coming together really nice. Best of luck to you in your future events.

Doug

 

In the 6 sessions I ran, I went 3 abreast at least 6 times, and three of them were in one session. It was fun, other than the fact I was trying to get a clean lap.

People were coming up to me after and saying "oh my god, I was focused on passing/being passed and all the sudden you would go in between and scare the crap out of me."

Some of it was probably closer than I liked, but yea.. I wish we had gotten video, it owuld be exciting as hell.

Jon

 

So did you get a trophy???

 

The session I saw was just crazy crowded, and I _could_not_believe_ that they let the Miata pull out right in from of Jon. All I can say to those who have not seen this car in action ... it is crazy fast. I got to see the 3 abreast coming down the start/finish straight, and Jon just flew by everyone. Would have been interesting to see you go up against the stock car they were running on the other track.

l8r)

 

Look like you guys have nice time!!Good job,AMS!!

 

NASA gives out medals. I will take a pic and post it.

When looking at the whole weekend for the south track, I was 5th in terms of lap times with my 1:35.2 I think the back straight to back straight lap of 1:33.92 would have been 4th, so chances are, I would have given the Stock car a run for its money.

Did you happen to get lap times on the stock car onthe North Track.. we ran 1:11s a year ago with the drag car in One Lap trim, I think I could easily put the Time Attack car in the 1:08s right now on the North course.

Jon K

 

Jon,
Your write ups are top notch. How much boost were you running with the 2.3 and 35R? What do you think is safe for an event like this?

 

Congrats K-man. Traffic as an issue in Time Trials never even occured to me as being something that should be an problem. It would seem to me like it would be a sweeeeeet idea to do something like F1 qualifying and apply it to a TT format. It would pay dividends to the team that is quickest off the bat, and able to adapt to change throughout the day. hmmm......Seat-Time-Attack just flows oh so well


Scorke