Track Day - Toronto Motorsports Park Lapping Day

[Sleeper_08]

Yesterday was my last event at the season. It was an open lapping event at Toronto Motorsports Park which is a 3 KM/2 mile road course with no elevation changes. Passing was allowed only on a wave by at four places on the track. There were not too many cars so the track was pretty open. It is also pretty safe as there is not much to hit.

The day started with rain shortly after arrival and I don't like rain so drank coffee and waited for it to pass. I got bored and then went out and tried it on the wet track. After a few times of four wheel drifting through corners and having the back end go sideways with anything other than the slightest touch I parked it again based on my #1 objective for every track day of driving the car home.

It then stopped raining and once the track was dry I then started going faster and my best time of the day was 3 seconds faster than my previous best. Later I'll post video with data of my two best laps as well as compilation of my best 8 segments.

A fellow I work showed up with his new series M3 (the one with the V8 and asked me to chase him for a while so he could have some video of how his car handled. Considering his Bimmer had R-comps,Brembo brakes and carbon fibre wheels the Mustang did pretty well. Sorry that the video is not too clear but it appears that the camera was not able to handle the large contrast between the ground and sky.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSQdveX9ttk

Here are some other shots of me chasing other cars on the track, including a mid mounted motorcycle engined old Mini that they were running for the first time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hlL-OdTdcOg

In all it was a good day but unfortunately it now time to put the snow tires on and start planning for next season.

 

[Gray Ghost GT]

Great way to end a fun HPDE season - you and the car back home safe in one piece. Now its time to start making plans for "mod season" - or as some people call it, "Winter". I have three more events to go - all on the VIR full course - before my season is over and I begin fine tuning my setup for next year. Mike

 

[Sleeper_08]

I just my combined data & video finished of my two best laps (1:28.919 and 1:29.260) and the combined best segments (1:26.905). Now if I could just actually put all of those segments together in one lap

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCF2rCRe3T8

SoundGuyDave - there is a fair amount of tire noise in the best segments. Not a lot of engine noise as the exhaust is stock and the SC whine drowns out the exhaust.

 

[Vapour Trails]

I just watched your full 9 minute video and then the 1st fatest lap, and I can see where you got the line better in the fastest lap. It looked to me like you were turning in too early in many corners.

 

[Rodeoflyer]

Turn in later - everywhere.

From the tires screaming it sounds like your coming in too hot, turning in early, and when it understeers your gassing it thru and abusing the fronts rather than unwinding the wheel and pedaling it a little bit. Must be nice to have horsepower........

Stay off the berms - you're not in a V8 Supercar. It looks cool when you have a pic of daylight under your tires, but the car doesn't like it.

I'll bet the only time your eyes were up and looking ahead was to watch the guy in front of you. When HPDE starts being about going fast and not about catching the guy in front of you - you will get faster.

Don'y take any of this as flaming, just observations.

 

[Gray Ghost GT]

It would be helpful if we could see your hands in the video - it tells a lot about how smooth you are with the car as you turn in and track out. Looks like you could brake later to take a slightly later apex so you can get on the throttle earlier as you track out. Looks like you're using the entire track where it makes sense - hopefully you're looking at the next turn as you're coming through the current one. Looks good overall, but small areas for fine tuning.

 

[Sleeper_08]

Thanks for the comments guys. Unfortunately I won't be able to try them out until next spring.