Pocono Track Day
 

Had a terrific track day at Pocono yesterday with Performance Driving Associates (PDA). Back in action after a brief hiatus due to a dislocated elbow acquired on the mean steets of NYC (also very slippery when wet). They had all 3 subtracks open, and each run group got two 30 minute sessions on each of the 3 tracks. That's three hours of seat time. I was toasted at the end on the day. The SVX was down a touch on brake fluid, and actually, I think my front pads are toasted too. Otherwise in good shape. It did try to run hot a couple of times, but I made sure, that when I came off the track, I would drive around at slow speed in a high gear for a short time. No boil-overs, Thanks for the advice about the Water Wetter adn removing the grille. A tank and a half of gas expended for a good purpose. Below is a map

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...lade/37626.gif

The north course is run clockwise and the other two are run counterclockwise. The banked oval turn on the south track is particularly steep.

Here I am after my first session. Pretty nice NSX next to me

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...lade/37622.jpg

Some really nice machinery there. Here is a Superformance S1 Lotus 7 knock-off:

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...lade/37623.jpg

Here is a really nice Ferrari 360 track car:

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...lade/37624.jpg

and here is a clutch of Lotuses, two Elises and an Exige: One of the Elises was in my run group, but I couldn't stay with him, especially on the very twisty East course. See the SVX in the background:

http://www.subaru-svx.net/photos/fil...lade/37625.jpg

Took a half hour ride with an instructor in his c5 Z06 on the north course, He hit about 135 or more at the end of the long straight. Got a little rear end coming around, powering out of the turns. That was arush.

Performance wise, the car did very well. I was running with a '95 M3 before he broke a strut tower. He said I was following him around very closely on the twisty bits, but he thought when we got to the long straight he would walk away, but he was really suprised when I creeped up on him and he had to give me a point around. Even passed some c5 Corvettes in the hands of very noobie drivers. In the North course long straight, am well over 105 now, but the important thing is the cornering speed. Just learning how to use trail breaking, which is very very useful in this reliably understeering car. In the right places, it can bring the rear end around just enough to get you pointed better at the turn apex and and allow you to drift out under full power, with less power-on understeer coming out of the turn. That was particularly useful on the East course, which is very twisty. Didn't like it the first run, car just doesn't want to turn that fast, and I would lose a lot of momentum on the tight ones. The trail braking, that I started to use in the second run really helped out.

This is a good car. It suprises a lot of people with how fast it is, both on the straights and in the turns. I was drifting a little close to the wall coming out onto the superspeedway on the North course, and my instructor kind of flinched. I told her that I wsn't worried, because if I got too close I could just lift off a little bit. She flinched even bigger, being a Porsche person, but I reassured her, it's AWD, no lift-off oversteer, just less drift and a slightly tighter line. It holds its own with a lot of cars and it is very easy to drive.

Next month, Watkins Glen.

Dan,
You're just having too much fun!;) Have you thought about going to better tires? The new Toyos are being used in several SCCA road racing classes. Seems like you're rapidly reaching the limits of the KDWs:cool:
-Bill

Nice write-up and great pics Dan! Awesome!!! :cool:
I'd have to agree. His driving skills are definitely taking him to the limits of his current tires...

Chike

Bill and Chike:

I think you are probably right about the tires. I think I'm going to go with a dedicated track day tire. Don't know if I'm going to R compound, but at a minimum, it'll be a dry tire as opposed to a wet/dry tire like the KDW2's

As the KDW2's heat up, they get a little slippery. Kind of like running around a gym floor in wool socks. You're never quite solidly connected. But it's like skiing on ice. It forces you to develop good technique. Otherwise, you fall on your a$$. You know you're entering a new realm when it loosens up like that, but you're still under control, and you think about what you can do to keep the momentum even while you're loose. I've definitely got a lot more learning to get under my belt. I'm just very pleased with the car that I've put together with so much help and advice from this network. Chike, Tom, Tom, and Bill and others have really been there for me and my car. Now, I get to reap the benefits, and it's a blast. I want to try Autocross sometime, but you AutoX'ers ought to try a track day. It's a little pricey, but you get anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours of seat time, with an instructor, and if your car is set up for autocross, you should be fine on a larger track. Andy there's nothing like a 4-wheel drift on a medium speed turn, with those tires singing to you, and you controlling the drift with your right foot.

I think you need to get a way to make a video of a course run, or a video of you in a few corners atleast... I'd love to see you and the car in action, and I'm sure others here would as well ;)

Dan,
maybe next year for track time...given the distance I have to travel to get to Summit Point, I'm going to be looking for a trailer to get "BillStock" there. With the 275/45s, oil cooler (sitting in a box waiting to be installed), seats/5 point harness, and "special engine" for next year it should be fun. Harry (NEWSVX) and the Washington, D.C. Mercedes Benz club have track days at Summit every year.
-Bill

Bill:

You are about as far from Summit Point as I am from Pocono. Takes just about 2 hours when there isn't any traffic. I'll probably just carry my race wheels in the car when I get to that point. Don't have a trailer and don't have anything that will pull a trailer. Just looked at my tires. Need to rotate front to back, but I think I'll make it throug h2 more track days on them. So, its a wintertime project.

Dan

not to be an @$$ but that isn't a 360 challenge its a 355 challenge

About the Ferrari, Sorry, my mistake.

Dan,
I'm a solid 3 hours from Summit Point when there isn't any traffic. Two hours away and I'd be there on a regular basis;) :D
-Bill

[QUOTE

I think I'm going to go with a dedicated track day tire. Don't know if I'm going to R compound, but at a minimum, it'll be a dry tire as opposed to a wet/dry tire like the KDW2's

As the KDW2's heat up, they get a little slippery. Kind of like running around a gym floor in wool socks. You're never quite solidly connected. But it's like skiing on ice. It forces you to develop good technique. [/QUOTE]

Greetings Dan,

I doubt that you will gain any prizes for faster lap times. Fun is the name of your game and more grip will spoil the fun. :D

You have mentioned "trail braking", a term which I have not run across. Could you please explain.

Thanks and keep having fun, Trevor.

Trevor:

Trail braking, undoubtedly a US term for an age-old technique, means continuing to apply light brake pressure after you have completed your main straight-line deceleration and have initiated your turn in. It keeps the rear unweighted, so the turn-in will tend to throw the rear end out a little bit, just a bit of oversteer. Obviously, too much brake pressure, and you'll come completely around, even in an SVX, but I'm beginning the long quest to learn just how much will redirect me directly toward the apex without scrubbing off as much speed as the standard understeering turn and will allow me to get back on the accelerator sooner.

Forgive me for going into far more detail than I'm sure you needed, but I thought there might be some younger folks out there who could benefit from a complete description.

This is a great write up, the pictures and the detail is great! Thanks. I ran the south course a few years ago with EMRA. It was a blast! However I had no idea how to drive the way you do! Even though I wasted a lot of speed in the turns, it was great fun and I would do it again. What oil are you racing with?

Dan, nice job out there seems like the 5 speed is teaching you a lot more about how to throw the car where you want it. Trevor, I can honestly say that with the 50/50 torque split all the time the 5mt is a WAY different car from the auto and I too had to learn the hard way that if you want the rear to come around you need to use the brakes more than the accelerator. Now this is the exact opposite of my 6mt which has a 35/65 torques split where I don't even need breaks to melt the crap out of my rear tires around tight turns:D ;)

Tom

Hi Dan
i'm one of those "younger folks" and i will definetly try to benefit from your description! :cool: thank You!
p.s. very good writeup!