New Year, New Personal Best

"WRXforScience" (WRXforScience) 01/14/2020 at 12:25 • Filed to: Track Day, BRZ

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For the third year in a row, I’ve reset my personal best at my local track at the first event of the year. Cold weather is great for horsepower, so as long as the track is dry and temps get up to about 40F you’ve got a good shot at setting a great time. Last January I got down to a 1:23.6 in my BRZ, this time is moving for a sub 200hp car on street tires (about 1s faster than the spec Miata course record). I only had a couple of laps in the 23's in all of 2019 and I wasn’t sure how much time was left for me to find with my current setup, and I thought it would be a struggle to improve in 2020.

Well, turns out I just needed some great conditions. With fresh tires, low temperatures, and open track I was able to shave off 0.6s and get all the way down to a 1:23.0 (within half a second of my friend with a 2014 Mustang GT who runs the same type of tires, has the same level of modifications, and experience). My only disappointment was that I wasn’t in the 22's, so close. I don’t have another event on the same configuration until the beginning of May so getting conditions that are as good might be tough and my time might stand for awhile.

One of my goals for 2020 was to improve my PB’s at both the tracks and all the configurations I run at them, one down and five to go.

Nibby > WRXforScience 01/14/2020 at 12:37

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davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > WRXforScience 01/14/2020 at 14:05

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Very nice!

WRXforScience > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2020 at 14:32

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Thanks, I had a great weekend at the track. The morning actually started with snow (just flurries) and temperatures were below freezing. But by the second session the temps were above freezing and the tires were able to build some heat and grip after a couple of laps. The motor always loves colder air, so you get bonus horsepower when it’s cold.

I ended up driving in 7 sessions (20min each) , I had to get gas between sessions 3x (which is enough for your credit card to get a fraud alert). This was my first of 40 scheduled track days (and 9 autox events) for 2020, I’ve only got 10 weekends without at least one event for the whole year so it’ll be busy.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > WRXforScience 01/14/2020 at 14:38

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Wow! That’s an awesome schedule.

WRXforScience > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com 01/14/2020 at 14:42

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I spent a couple years becoming an instructor with nearly all the local clubs (SCCA, BMWCCA, PCA, APEX Academy, Edge Addicts, Park Place Experience and Eagles Canyon Raceway) and I can run for free whenever I coach (well, I have to pay for consumables, but there’s no registration fee). That’s the only way I can afford to do so many events.