boomn29

iTrader: (47)

The final event of the NASA MW/GL regions was last weekend at Putnam Park outside Indianapolis. The forecast was to be gorgeous, and it actually turned out HOT! High of 87 Sat with zero clouds.
The NASA MW/GL region does an end of the year banquet now on Saturday night, so Saturday was to be a double-points day for all classes. For TT, that meant we get 1 warmup session as usual; then 2 sessions for 'event #1' and 2 sessions for 'event #2'.


I got to the track about 45min before the required meeting to unload and prep the car. The first odd happening was where I found my keys to the Evo - my only set I had with me.



Yep, right there on the bumper of the truck. Meaning they rode the entire 230 mile trip to the track right there! Lucky...
Not so lucky - I unlocked the car to find about 3 gallons of 100octane spilled inside the car - assummedly on the trip there so it'd sat at overnight! Needless to say it was nasty smelling. Fortunately I've removed all the interior carpet so that wasn't an issue. It was also in the mid 40's at this time so scooping up the cold liquid wasn't fun. I did the best I could but quickly ran into another issue - the sound deadening that comes on the floor of the car was starting to dissolve and turn into a tar-like substance. Nasty. I took a putty knife and hammer and scraped out as much as I could in the driver's footwell. The rest I covered with some adhesive paper and (you guessed it) duct tape!


So with the car smelling quite ripe yet - but dry and less sticky - it was time to lineup on grid. Doing my best to breathe fresh air (which is difficult when everyone on grid is trying to warm up their cars and most run catless exhaust including me) and be aware if I got dizzy or a headache... I sat out on the opening warmup lap with 40 other cars on Putnam's 1.8 mile curcuit - needless to say it was crowded. Here's some vid of the practice session which is different than most of the vid I show of just 1-2 clear & open laps. Enjoy. Only ran a 1:19x to get a descent grid spot, then just navigated traffic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwwoTzvrFQo

For sessions #2 and #3, I let it fly. Ended up with a personal best of 1:17.4 winning my class by about 1.5 seconds and setting the 4th fastest time of 40 cars.
Session #2, looking backwards:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfmbbKJwHY4

By Session #3 everyone was agreeing the track was getting pretty greasy. Most were probably like me and using up the last of their old tires to finish out the year?!? I ran a 1:17.5 in this session. Here's vid looking backwards again. Check out the rubber laid down! Running 245's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcf20A072Zw

Event #2 (sessions #4 and #5) were to take place between 3-5pm. As the track was already feeling rather greasy from nonstop sunlight all day, I decided to change setups. I added a bit of weight (gas) and switched to a wider tire. The car felt more stable and ran a similar time of 1:17.9 which was enough to sweep TTA for the day!

All-in-all a good weekend. I corded the outside of both of my front tires, I believe because I'm driving too hard w/o enough camber. Really looking forward to new suspension and a much more aggressive alignment next year!
I also confirmed my suspicions; that when running my high-boost tune, my car has been down on power all year long. I've been gaining time as compared to last year in the corners with more aggression, more disregard for tire life, and most recently Shep's upgraded rear diff. I'm hoping it's just a boost leak; perhaps the stock BOV but we'll see.


Here's a pic of the backseat of the car as it currently looks. Note that sound deadening turned to tar/sludge and is just nasty. Oh, and it still smells quite nice.

apagan01

iTrader: (299)

moving right up Nathan

keep us posted and nice work as usual

Andrew@AMS

iTrader: (11)

Awesome job again Nathan!!!

awdboosted

iTrader: (30)

Congratulations!!

Balrok

iTrader: (15)

Nice, VERY lucky. I've left my hitch ball cover on the bumper and some other things, but at my last event I almost threw away my kill switch key, my only one, no fun indeed. You mention switching to a wider tire, what were you running/switched to?

But it's TIME TO SCRAPE! Thought you had done this already bro lol. Have fun with that, I know I did . Dry ice, heat gun, chizle, hammer, grinder to clean said chizle, some acetone, and a mask

kyoo

iTrader: (29)

i thought i posted something along the lines of this already but:

and you were looking for a new track car to play with?? =]

Bueller

iTrader: (1)

Wow, talk about some major luck with your key. Ive misplaced my key once before. It was not fun driving back to the track armed with a plan to comb the parking lot while the sun is setting. After about a half hour of combing my area in the dark, it turns out i had dropped it in my car.

400whp350wtq

Nice man looks good

boomn29

iTrader: (47)

I've been armed with 2 sets of rubber this year. Hoosier 245's & 255's - as I planned to bounce back and forth between TTB & TTA depending on car counts. I ran my 245/40-18's at this event being they were less heat-cycled and are taller and I nearly run out of 4th gear in a few spots on this track. Using the 245's I was claiming like 10 weight points (but no way I can get down that low).
I switched to the 255's for session #4... stayed out most of the session and hammered for about 8 greasy laps and ended up cording both fronts! lol.

I had done a little, but quickly gave up. Planning for dry ice or just mid-winter and a hammer!

Always gotta have an eye out of the future! I talk about selling the car every winter I think - sometimes more seriously than others. Ultimately looking for a potential toy for late 2011 or 2012 - unless I get something with a cage... And I figured that was a different thread altogether!

Galant VR-4 #34

iTrader: (4)

Congrats Nathan!