California speedway July 31-Aug 2.

[magnusfeuer]

I am thinking of signing up and trying to move (finally) into HPDE 4.

Anybody else?

/Magnus F.

[moosetestbestanden]

Yeah, I'll be there most likely. Jon will be too, unless he has problems at Buttonwillow like those he had at the last Fontana event. He finally got his car back together - he's up "testing" at Willowsprings this weekend.

You'll see the highest speeds you ever will see in your car at that track, on the banking. It's awesome!:D

[sdcat]

I'll try to be there as well. I still haven't been on the roval with the seven. Should be a lot of fun. I assume we would be running the roval? I am curious to what speed I'll get to at the end of the straight before the bank. Probably not much more than 110 in my car. Maybe 120?

Justin

[moosetestbestanden]

ALMS course.

Last year on Sat. I saw about 130 according to my not super accurate 5 Hz GPS data logger. On Sunday into a headwind I recorded 115.

Jon is up in the 150s.

[slomove]

I'll try to be there as well. I still haven't been on the roval with the seven. Should be a lot of fun. I assume we would be running the roval? I am curious to what speed I'll get to at the end of the straight before the bank. Probably not much more than 110 in my car. Maybe 120?

Justin

Probably a bit more....below 2 GPS logs that I took in 2007 with a top speed of 128 mph and my personal best time of 2:04 (yes I know I am so slooow). Disclaimer: I don't know either, how accurate the GPS was but AFAIK, the velocity information (unlike position and acceleration) is not too much affected by the GPS update rate. Since you have essentially the same engine and no windscreen you should be a bit faster but that may also depend on
- the wheels
- diff and final gearbox ratio
- your determination to hold the gas pedal down until the brake zone in spite of the unusual g-forces and the thought of some suspension pieces breaking loose

Gert

[moosetestbestanden]

This is a left turn track, the opposite of Willowsprings. If you're running slicks it is wise to check the condition of the right side tires after every session, especially the right rear. My car felt real squirrely near the end of a session and when I inspected the right rear was majorly corded. If I hadn't looked I might have been in for a very unpleasant surprise on the tri-oval the next time out. As it was I consider myself lucky that it didn't blow on me. Lesson learned.

[magnusfeuer]

Signed up for Saturday and Sunday, with transponder.

If anyone wants to share a garage, please tell me. They are $89 for the weekend.

/Magnus F.

[sdcat]

I have to work that weekend. Really bumbed. Have a great time!

Justin

[moosetestbestanden]

I'll be there. Stokes will too.

I've lived long enough w/ out a garage now that I (almost) prefer to do without. Or, more accurately, I'd rather spend the money having tires changed.:-O

Jon's hired one - perhaps he'd be willing to share. They're different there in as much as you really only get one spot in the long barn-like facility, not the private, lockable walled enclosures like Buttonwillow or Willowsprings. I'll be using Jon's to get out of the sun for sure.:D

[RAC mini]

Have fun!!! I just ran the VARA race last weekend, air temp 102, track temp 137!!!!! had fun anyway but I would suggest a garage. Steve

[moosetestbestanden]

Magnus, when are you heading over to Fontana?

[magnusfeuer]

Early Saturday Morning for tech.

/Magnus F.

[moosetestbestanden]

OK. I should be there about 7:00. Jon will probably show up Friday or even Thursday night. I'm going to ask him to stake out spots by his truck / RV.

[moosetestbestanden]

Everything good to go Magnus? I'm good - the car starts and everything:D

[moosetestbestanden]

Well, that was pretty fun wasn't it fellas? Jon & I had the opportunity to talk w/ Clarke when he came by Saturday - good to see ya man:D. Magnus made it out on Sunday and Scott E came out on the moto and hung out for most of the day. Thanks for coming over fellas, it was good to see you both!

On Saturday Jon blew the right front fender off of his car. He'd gone to the CSR front wings whose stays are more slender (frail even) than the S3 wing stays. I'm not too sure why but the front bolt failed and then the wind pressure of the tri-oval lifted the wing right off of the wheel and the rear support arm sheared right off. NASA let him run wingless thereafter and he busted down into the 1:47s.

I popped in my best time ever there in the last session yesterday, a 1:51.8. To put this in perspective, the top car in my class (a 600+ hp full-on race spec Corvette) was in the 1:43s. Can you say aerodynamic drag? Btw & for what it's worth, the NASA TT "rules" regarding car classification are, um, loosely enforced, in fact so little so as to be laughable. The competition isn't really competition at all. In most classes there's 1 or maybe 2 cars that have a spectacularly "fast driver" & everyone else is playing for the leftovers

Happily, I couldn't care less. People who cheat never really win anything, except in their own fucked up heads. I go out there for fun and my only competition is me. I try to do it a little better each time and when I manage to do that & have fun at the same time it's very rewarding.:D

It's such a fun track to drive. Fast, w/ heavy braking zones, lightning fast kinks, a great chicane and all that racy type stuff. Simultaneously fast and technical. Magnus had a blast too I think. He'll likely be along to report.