On The Run Trackday @ winton - 30th August 2008

On The Run Trackday @ winton - 30th August 2008

new PB *1:40.7500s

It was another great day at winton. i finally had a chance to write the blog. kept putting it off since i got addicted to spore (blame shaun)

Session1 - im starting with 28psi cold. i had Qui as my passenger. i was stuck behind Deng / MREVOMR for the first 3 laps. it was quite frustrating as he would go 40kmh around the corner, and on the straight he would accelerate away from me as his car is a lot faster on the straight. at the 4th lap, he came off the track. i only got 2 laps after that and the semis is not even hot yet.
1:55.0900
1:51.8600
1:57.1300
1:42.2600
1:43.4600

Session2 - had Henry, as my passenger. he is interested in 350z and wanted to know how it handle around the track. this time i was doing 'left-right swerve' for the whole 1st lap to warm up the tire coz i notice today for some reason the semis took abit longer to heat up. it did help, but running 33psi still felt abit too high for me.
2:01.8800
1:42.1500
1:41.5000
1:42.4100
1:41.6900
1:42.5300

Session3 - this is the best session for me as this is the only session with no passenger and the track is getting warmer. im running 30psi hot and it starting to feel alot better. i had abit of traffic for few laps, but i managed to get 3 clear lap and did 2 laps of 1:40.7s and 1 lap of 1:41.0s. i found that maybe its time for new semis lol coz i felt the back is quite loose in some part of the track... but then also maybe its probably bcoz i got abit more power now, so i have to be more gentle with the throttle.
1:47.1300
1:53.7000
1:40.7500
1:42.9700
1:41.0500
1:40.7900

Session4 i had Acey as passenger. i'm excited coz i got the turn to use the video cam . but then it started drizzling and the track is getting abit damp. still can di good lap but i had to slow down alot coz its getting very taily...

Link

the video, thx to shaun.
2:05.4700
1:45.6700
1:44.1400
1:45.1500
1:42.4400
1:44.0300

Session5 RAINING!!! decided to have some fun instead...
2:18.9600
2:13.6400

wet session!!! noob tyring to do dori dori

Link


drive by video thru the 'S' turn - sound of Buddy Club full system. *wet session*

Link


My Opinion
anyway, i did 1:40.9 with stock + semis. and now with full exhaust and Plenum Spacer, i only managed to improve only slighty. its more to do with driver error

with the mods, the car pulls alot harder and definitely faster. esp on the top end. but i chickened out and back off earlier on most corner entry and i stayed on the brake abit longer compared to when i did it in stock form. it might take abit of getting used to and hopefully next time i am there i can get a bit faster with this new setup.

im thinking if i can get 1:40.00 flat or even 1:39.999 with this setup then the next time i can start looking into handling upgrade, like swaybar, camber arm, etc.

Conclusion
next time i will try to adjust the braking point. now that i have more power, i can feel that i dont have to hit the corner as hard to be able to reach the same top speed or lap time. so if i enter the corner as hard as when i did in stock, i should be able to go faster right?

NO. for me its not that simple. i didnt enter as hard, coz i didnt feel i can handle it. with the stock form, i think i entered the corner nearing my limit of controlling the car safely around the corner. now with extra power, i have much higher entry speed, if i didnt brake enough, im entering too quick which lead to understeer then oversteer if i didnt handle it correctly. if i brake too much, im too slow around the corner...

i need to find the fine point to slow down just enough but still enter the corner as fast as i did with the stock form.

till next time


my winton records:
-------------------------------------------------------------------
* 11/12/2006: 1:43.9470 sec (235/45/17 RE55s, APS catback, race pipe, K&N filter, HC+ pads, 37.2kg weight saving, 164kw atw) - first time ever @ winton

* 26/01/2007: 1:42.2420 sec (same mods as above, 164kw atw)

* 11/03/2007: 1:41.3410 sec (same mods as above, 164kw atw)

* 16/04/2007: 1:41.4970 sec (front tyres finished, so i changed to a 2nd hand 225 dunlop semis, i also added RSR spring, 164kw atw)

* 01/07/2007: 1:41.0680 sec (bought 2nd hand from takahasi: 245/40/18 RE55s semis**, 164kw atw)

* 30/10/2007: 1:41.2250 sec (installed Cusco Front Camber arm**, put 'X' pipe on the APS catback, 160kw atw*)

* 10/03/2008: 1:45.9200 sec (stock, full interior trim, street tyres) **PB with street tyres**

* 9/06/2008: 1:41.3000 sec (stock, full interior trim, semislick tyres)

* 26/07/2008: 1:40.9200 sec (stock, full interior trim, semislick tyres)

* 30/08/2008: 1:40.7500 sec (Plenum Spacer, Full BC exhaust, full interior trim, semislick tyres)
**PB with semi slick**

My Winton Line

well.. qui asked me to draw my racing line for winton. so here is the line you requested qui.



Note:
- only brake where the star is... if you need to brake somewhere else, you are entering the corner too fast... remember slower entry = faster exit and vice versa

- this is not 100% accurate, but its from 15 latest line from racechrono, that i have sampled and overlayed together with correction here and there. so this is my ideal line that i have in mind, in practice will differ slightly depending on conditions i guess...

there is no such thing as the most correct line as every car and driver will differ slighty, but the basic is similar i guess.

detailed walkthrough:

1. turn 1 i turn late to utilise the top speed from the short straight and brake hard. enter the corner slow and accelerate early.
   
2. turn 2, no need to brake in my car, but if you have faster car you might need to tap the brake, i just ease off the throttle and maintain speed around the corner and accelerate as wide and as straight possible. use the whole track.
   
3. turn 3 is double apec, so imagine big smooth circle instead of hugging the inside. hit the first apex, go abit out, and don't fight the car, and go back in to hit the second apex before shifting the weight and straighten up for the next right hand kink before turn 4
   
4. turn 4, basic late apex turn. brake progressively, wait n turn late and enter with abit throttle on. not too much, but enough to keep the car balance. instead of going wide on the exit, try staying in the middle...
   
5. turn 5, here is the corner where i sacrifice in order to get good exit on turn 6. i hug the inside on the exit of turn 5 in oder to enter wide and late for turn 6.
   
6. turn 6, entry is almost identical with turn 4, only smaller circum, slower and tighter. the difference is on the exit when you should exit wide but straight... use the whole track again...
   
7. turn 7 is tricky for me, i used to leave it till really late, and turn... but i realise that too late, i loose exit speed and cannot reach high top speed on the straight. and too early is bad coz i will run too wide and understeered off the track. the right timing after few try and error is the key. imagine a big 1/4 circle and start fainting before the entry. not too much coz you will be drifting (for RWD) and use the exit as wide as possible... it may look like a late apex turn but for me its kinda more towards early apex than late apex... i could be wrong but it works for me as i got 10kph more top speed out of this...
   
8. turn 8, i maximise the use of the straight and the top speed, so turn really late, and brake progressively, follow by trail braking, and use the INTIRE track.... until the outside extension bit... but remember to go back in coz the ripple strip on the outside is very bad for you LOL... imagine a big circle to connect turn 8 and 9....
   
9. turn 9, if you turn correctly and connect it properly, your weight shifting should be already correct for this corner and all you need is just a little bit of tap on the brake if needed and just accelerate wide out of the corner... 
   
10. turn 10, i brake just after 100m marker... brake hard and jump straight back to the throttle coz otherwise if i coast at that speed and that much G force, the rear will start lifting up and i will be going sideway.... not fun to do that in this part of the track as it got the most wall.... i climber the first left ripple strip entering the 'S' bend and the just straightforward exit as wide as possible to the short straight...
    

please feel free to express your opinion as i am still learning too, so any input would be good to improve my time.. 

Final Preparation:

• flush coolant and refill - DONE 
  
  
• change front pads - mine is finish... again (T_T). Bought 2nd pads from Sheepo... thx man *HUG* it's endless CCX.... im a big fan of project Mu but couldnt get the HC+ in time for the price that i want. so 2nd pads is my other option coz my budget is limited. 
  
  
• plenum spacer from motordyne (1/2") - it meant to gain mid to top range power and torque by increasing air capacity on the 2 front cylinder that starved due to the angled plenum design of stock 350z. 
  
  when i open the pelum, both lower n top plenum are very oily and dirty. i cleaned this up with carby cleaner just like the TB. 
     
  
  installation of the plenum spacers are straightforward, just put them in between the upper and lower plenum, and then bolt everything up backon in the order stated in the workshop manual. 
   
  
  the hardest bit is to re adjust the stock strut bar, with spacer and alter its length, in order to make enough clearance for now higher upper plenum  
  
  
  
• i fitted back my DIY K&N intake back on... its basically just a K&N pod filter, modified to fit into my other stock airbox. so its legal, stealth, and no heat soak  
   
  this is the photo of it with the airbox lid open... when i close it, you cannot see the pod filter  

here is the video of me starting the car... 
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=q37c-GpdYA4

BUDDY CLUB HEADER part 2, BC CATBACK, TB coolant bypass

I HATE WORKING ON WINTER NIGHTS!! look at this water droplets that turned into ice. it was 0 degree that night in my area...


THROTTLE BODY COOLANT BYPASS (5min)
i decided to do coolant bypass at the same time since the car is in pieces. this mods considered free and i did this on my mazda3 and micra. works great! well the purpose of it is to re-route the hot coolant line that goes thru throttle body (to prevent TB from freezing up on ppl in extreme cold area). this hot coolant cause heatsoak and heat up the air that goes thru the TB to the intake plenum. bypassing this coolant improve slight performance (imagine your car sucking colder air all the time). the downside: higher idle on some car.

remove the TB, and clean it up with carby cleaner. the plenum is dirty too, i will open the plenum in the next few days when the plenum spacer arrived and clean it up too.


Bought this for $7.95 from ENZED. just 90 degree brass hose connector.


TB coolant bypass done!





BUDDY CLUB HEADER PART 2 (3.5hours)

installation of the left header was straight forwards.


the right hand side, i had to remove the steering shaft lower joint (the U connector)


then just a matter of connecting all the harness, coolant line and hoses back together.


here is Jason / Unco's beast behind my car. drooling and staring at it few times each time i took a brake



BUDDY CLUB CATBACK INSTALLATION (3 hours)
installation is pretty straight forwards. most of the time wasted on removing plastic and metal cover to reach the hanger bolts.


the hardest bit is done, removing the rear muffler. its heavy and it got 3 hangers on the hard to reach spot.


remove metal shield too... weight reduction 0.001% hahaha


mocking up the BUDDY CLUB Catback...


the view of it on the car, from the back... not a big fan of 2 canon but its all i got. i bought the BC catback and header ages ago, mind as well use them now that im keeping the car... (i know its not aligned. the photo was taken before i aligned them)


2 mighty silencer for extra quiet exhaust system


thx to shaun: for the assitance on most of the install
thx to jase: for the help removing stuff
thx to Dan: for all the advice as usual
thx to the BC mid pipe for 3 dint on my door (T__T)

its almost finish. next step:
- flush coolant and refill
- change front pads
- plenum spacer from motordyne (1/2") - it meant to gain mid to top range power and torque by increasing air capacity on the 2 front cylinder that starved due to the angled plenum design of stock 350z
- if i have time i might fit back my DIY K&N intake back on...


few random shots of the crew


sleeping beauty...