Laguna Seca is excellent

"Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)" (rduncan5678)
06/28/2019 at 23:11 • Filed to: None

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I had a great time today at Laguna Seca. It is truly a special track and I can see why it is so revered by so many people. It is definitely my favorite that I have been to so far. While it cost 3x as much as last weekend at Buttonwillow (5x as much per seat time really) it was totally worth it just for the experience.

The car did have an issue but I think I have narrowed it down to a bad fuel filter or something like that. Second session under a half tank, the Andretti turn (turn 2) going from 90 in the braking zone down to second gear and powering out, I got some hesitation. After some insight from other Miata guys at the track, I added more gas and the problem went away 100%. So I just need to sort out why my Miata needs a half tank or more to function properly on track. Fun fun sorting out problems on cars with 245k miles! It didn’t hamper the day at all though, it just worried me for a bit during the lunch break.

Anyways, my fastest lap of 2:03. I was looking at the recorded data and found it neat how it was segmented into sections and predicted my theoretical fastest time based on the fastest time in all sections from all laps.

I have no idea why it’s giving me a 0-50 in 12 seconds but that statistics thing never seems to work right. But anyways 2:02.6 is the fastest theoretical time which is neat, that means I had another half second without changing anything.

I started the day with a best time of 2:08 in the first session so I grew quite a bit by the end of it. The corkscrew still tripped me up constantly but it was fun the few times I really felt like I got it right. I know in Grand turismo I rarely stay on the pavement there so it was nice to take it easy. I could have taken a few turns way more aggressively considering my tires but I care more about not hitting walls than I do about lap times!

And now the car is tucked away nicely in our airbnb in San Jose. I'm able to leave the tires and all of my tools here tomorrow for the trip to Napa for the day. Should be some great weather to enjoy the top down life with the car now in "Street mode".

DISCUSSION (24)

Aremmes > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/28/2019 at 23:33

The hesitation thing was probably caused by fuel starvation due to fuel moving away from the pickup in the tank during heavy braking.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Aremmes
06/28/2019 at 23:44

Well yeah but I'd like to be able to solve that somehow then. Being required to keep more than a half tank of gas sounds annoying. Maybe I wasn't braking as hard with the other car? But I was able to run that one well into the E and continue my track sessions without issue. I guess Laguna could be particular like that but man is that annoying. Gas being $6 a gallon at the track doesn't help either lol.

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/28/2019 at 23:45

Fuel starvation in certain corners isn’t unusual in street cars, although I’ve not heard of it often being an issue in a miata. Tanks in street cars often don’t have baffles set up with sustained, high-speed cornering on sticky rubber in mind . On my racecar, I’ve to maintain the fuel level above half a tank to keep from having fuel starvation in certain. This means starting races with 2/3 of a tank or more.

That said, if it has been more than about 25k since it was last done, that fuel filter is ready for replacement anyway.

Nick Has an Exocet > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 00:05

Hydramat?

https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/hydramat/

Flynorcal: pilot, offshore sailor, car racer and panty thief > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 00:25

The reason your monitoring shows weird results has to do with your phone’s GPS slow refresh rate. Basically you might hit the gas and hit 50mph and your phone doesn’t know if it took three seconds or five seconds if your timing is just so. So you might be REALLY fast or similarly slow due to a 1 second refresh.

You can buy a dongle to speed it up 10x which is about where the $2k data acquisition units run.

Glad you liked Seca. I'm looking forward to a track day with you soon.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
06/29/2019 at 00:27

Pretty sure that filter has 245 on it lol

SmugAardvark > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 00:30

You can’t see it, but I’m making my jealous face right now.

Been there a few times, but never on the track. I need to get out there one of these days for some shenanigans.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > SmugAardvark
06/29/2019 at 01:39

Just wait till I have video! Then everybody can see how slow I am.

gettingoldercarguy > ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com
06/29/2019 at 02:49

You think the pump sock could be dirty?

gettingoldercarguy > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 02:53

May want to try this.

https://www.holley.com/products/fuel_systems/hydramat/

gettingoldercarguy > Nick Has an Exocet
06/29/2019 at 02:54

Crap, you beat me to it!

ITA97, now with more Jag @ opposite-lock.com > gettingoldercarguy
06/29/2019 at 10:09

That’s possible.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 10:15

I’ve been curious as to how well I’d do driving on courses I know well in gran turismo. Laguna Seca was one of my favorites.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
06/29/2019 at 10:22

I spent like 2 hours test driving on Streets of Willow in GT6 before going there my first time. It kinda helped a little bit, at least with visualizing the layout. Kind of like walking the course for autox. So it definitely does give some idea of layout and racing lines at least. I'm never driving something as slow as a Miata in GT though lol.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 11:44

Haha that’s about what I was thinking it would do for me. I do have a Miata in game, made to look like mine, but it’s like 300hp and a 1.6 and right hand drive . Not quite the same

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
06/29/2019 at 16:25

I did the same thing in that game. But I wish the car could be optioned with the top down and a roll bar.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 17:27

I share your exact sentiment lol. Also hard top. What’s your favorite car (non race car) in the game? Mines Rx-7 spirit r. I put so many miles on it cause it just kept winning races in every class

SmugAardvark > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 17:50

It’s interesting watching track day videos after the fact. I always say, “ Damn, I felt way faster than I look!”

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
06/29/2019 at 18:01

I have a Ferrari 458 that I really love using. I also have fully built (maxed out every item) for s2k and rx7. But I just love the character of the 458 for whatever reason. It is really difficult to drive which makes it more fun. Rear end is always kicking out but it just feels so fast all the time. I've used that in races that required WAY higher max Points but that cat will end up working.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/29/2019 at 22:42

I have a 458 and s2k but don’t recall too much about them. I had to turn gt6 on now lol. Driven 1,073 miles and 35 wins with the spirit r. I’ll have to try the 458 again now. You drive with 0 traction control? I feel like the r x steps out just enough to have fun with my set up , but not enough to get thrown off at speed on a bumpy track like Nurburgring.

How about favorite race car? Mine is ft-1 vision gran turismo and close second for 787b

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/
06/30/2019 at 01:26

Always the 787b. That thing is just cheating. Also like taking the Jr red Bull racer out for a spin too. Both of those I'm always trying to use the power limiter to meet the points requirements for races lol. I still haven't beaten the full size red Bull Challenge, Idk how the hell to actually win those races.

mXxxxXm24 /O/ /O/ > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
06/30/2019 at 10:42

Oh yeah I’ve got both versions of 787b and use them a lot. The black version is maybe too much power. Those high powered race cars can be so finicky at the limit with no traction control. I’ve beat the game, but still have to go back and gold some events. I think full size red bull was one of those events. T hat jr car is fun has one of the best sounding engines in game.

B_dol > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
07/01/2019 at 14:09

Big fan of the track, the corkscrew is always a riot when hit just right (use the tree marker!)

Kinja'd!!!

CaptDale - is secretly British > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
07/01/2019 at 18:30

Ok, now on my list of things to do sooner than I thought