Carolina Motorsports Park Lap

[lds2002black]

This seems to be the best why right now to get this posted. This is one lap at Carolina Motorsports Park outside of Kershaw, SC. This is run on the new track configuration. Street wheel alignment and Toyo RA888 tires. Brakes were not the greatest as I selected a pad based on old Spec Miata days with the result that I could not get the pads up to temperature to make them work correctly. Next time I'll have a different configuration. Enjoy!:chinese:

YouTube video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqc6IfzJK-0

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Brakes? Who needs brakes. :)

Cool video. Looks like you were making pretty good speed.

[lds2002black]

Here's some data from the fast lap of the day which I don't think is what the video shows but is close. I had some higher speeds during the day but not on the fast lap so must have messed up somewhere (or traffic ... that's my story and I'm stickin' to it). First curve shows lateral G load versus track distance and the second is MPH vs distance. These start at the start-finish line which is also where the video starts.

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Pretty cool. I wonder if those two maps could be overlaid?

[lds2002black]

Best I could do without reverting to dumping the data to Excel.

[lds2002black]

This data covers about 70 seconds of one of the laps. I picked one spot to put data in a box that might be of interest. This is 706 seconds into the session (amost 12 minutes) where everything is well stabilized. Oil temp is 276º which was were I see it run during these sessions. Goes there pretty quick then stays there. I typically see 215-220 on a normal street drive at highway speeds. Oil pressure pretty well stays 60+psi but you will see it dip down towards 50 under braking. Water temp stays pretty steady in the 198-202º range and this was an 86º day. I hope to get the remainig inputs (TPS, IAT & speed) hooked up shortly and before I go run it again.

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

That's really pretty cool. The boost seems to be very repeatable. Water temps are good too. Do you lose any oil pressure in hard acceleration during a turn? Just wondering if the sump can lose prime. That seems to be the death of some engines. I always top up before every session.

[lds2002black]

In that set of data shown in post #6 I believe the long right hand sweeper is in that data at the 715-725 time frame, not sure right now. Anyway in all of the data I have looked at I have not seen an issue with oil pressure on this track. Fuel I can't let get to low or the big sweeper will make it cough.

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Cool. That has always been my fear is oil shifting in the pan and running the engine dry. I have heard of people spinning a bearing and that is usually the cause. Typically, they didn't top up the oil before the run.

[lds2002black]

I'd hate to figure up how many miles on this track we had in the SM (1990 - 1.6) and I never saw an issue with the oil pressure (also had it logged). I'l see if I have any SM data ... if I do maybe I can look at OP vs LatG and see what it looks like. Ran other tracks also with the SM (VIR, RA, RRR) and never saw an issue. We also had the oil on the full mark. I understand you can get more power (1-3) if you run the oil a quart low but I was never brave enough to do that.

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

I assume you checked your oil every time before going out on the track? :)

[lds2002black]

That and a lot of other things!

[lds2002black]

Here's a laps worth of OIL PRESSURE vs G's from a national race my son ran in our 1990 1.6 SM. Abosolute oil pressure level is probably not correct as I took the 0-5 VDC signal from the sender and made a calibration for it (absolute level not to important ... just does it change). Based on this data and what I have seen on the 2002 ... it appears that side loading does not effect the oil pressure. The SM would run higher side loads just due to suspension settings and alignments and weight and >>>>.

[mts]

What kind of lap times to do see with your FFS car? I run CMP about once a year (really like the track now since they changed that turn) and had a fast lap of 1:48 last year with most laps being in the low 1:50's with my FFS set-up. I don't track a ton so even with the FFS I target be at/a little below what the top SM cars do (the FFS SC making up for my lack of talent). I have no idea what the SM's run at CMP, do you?

[lds2002black]

A 1:48 is a very good lap time with the new track configuration and paving. I think at the national race the SM pole time was either a low 1:52 or high 1:51 (just from memory so don't hold me to it). I think I was in the 1:52 - 1:53 range with the Miata. I found myself very unconfortable with the stock seats (LS leather) and stock seat belts (using CG locks). Just never got to where I was comfortable enough to let it all hang out. Spent to many hours in our SM with carbon fiber seat and full harness + cage ... that car we did let it all hang out. The current track car (1989 Mustang x-NASA CMC car) is running in the high 1:51's with some fuel delivery issues and some brake issues. Fuel was solved by removing the old rusted tank and replacing it and I hope the brake issues have been resolved with a caliper rebuild (found deposits on one of the pistons which I think was keeping the piston from retracting). Car had sat for 2-3 years before we got it so just have to work through the issues. One of the track managers (Brian Smith) is my son so that is why I spend a fair amount of time there. Usually run TrackDays during the week.

[lds2002black]

SM = 1:50.461 in February 08 right after track opened again.

SM = 1:51.588 at a National race in May by Tom Fowler.

I would guess ambient temperature plus a little wear on the new pavement was woth 1 second in lap time.

[mts]

Thanks for the information. Sounds like I'm where I like to be vs the SM cars. I do need to get a really talented SM guy into my car for a lap or two to see what the car is really capable of though.