Laguna Seca writeup & Pics (plus some T-hill pics)
02-01-2005, 10:10 AM
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Laguna Seca writeup & Pics (plus some T-hill pics)
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/43280/ht4u5111.jpg">
Well, my track days adventure for the month wrapped up with a one day event at Laguna Seca. I started on 7/8 at Thunderhill with the Audi club, then did Buttonwillow on 14/15 with Racer Factory, and now Laguna with NorCal Racing Club.
Most of the participants for the Laguna looked to be old hands at this stuff as there were a lot of trailered race cars. We got really lucky and had a nice, clear day with temps in the 60's. The turn out was light which meant for the most part a lot of open track (at times). The NorCal club is pretty layed back and most members are track junkies so everyone's prompt to the grid and there were really no closures due to cars going off. The biggest event was while riding w/ my instructor in his Vette and an older 325 grenaded big time at turn 6. There was zero visibility for a few seconds and you could hear parts hitting his car. Worse yet, the guy layed down a nasty coat of oil all through the corkscrew and down back to the pits...bad enough that we felt the vette briefly slip sideways through the corkscrew.
I also met up with Marc who drives a white S4 and we had a great time chasing each other around. I was very envious of his R compounds as by the afternoon my stock tires were done for as well as the brakes. They had 5 track days and it looks like the last day was a bit too much as even my instructor commented that the tires were gone as we slide through the turns in our last session.
Regarding the track, pretty much everything else is going to be a let down from here as it's a lot of fun. The elevation changes put a strain on the car (like climbing out of turn 5/6), and it's brutal on the brakes at turns 2 & 11. Yet for all I'd hear and imagine the corkscrew to be (from a fear factor), I didn't find it to be a problem or challenge. Quite frankly you line up w/ the 3rd tree and drop in...and drop in you do as you'll feel weightless for a moment.
And like the other events, we made believers of the S4 as a lot of people got a kick seeing the Avant chase around a GT3. The Porsche guys were all cool but what I wouldn't give to take the GT3 out...dayum. Most of the turns are done in third gear with 4th used every once in a while and 2nd at turn 11. The curbs can be nasty if you get even a 1/3 up on them, and the track seems to reward a good handling car as coming out of the corkscrew and into turns 9 & 10 really require good balance as you can't really put the power down coming down hill if you can't stick to the track. I seemed to have got the most frustrated with turn 6 in that I couldn't consistently hit the mark I wanted, and after thinking about it on my 5 hour drive home last night I was wondering if the speed sensitive steering was throwing me off. Another issue I had was with the DBW... it makes throttle modulation difficult as it feels more on/off like so as I would roll on the power sometimes you could feel the car surge which was directly related to my input.
Next on the to-do will be tires and most definetly some brake work before the Audi Buttonwillow event. I'll work on the video and put online later this week.
In the mean time check out meatballracing.com for the rest of the photos for Laguna Seca and Thunderhill.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/43280/dsc_0619.jpg">
Well, my track days adventure for the month wrapped up with a one day event at Laguna Seca. I started on 7/8 at Thunderhill with the Audi club, then did Buttonwillow on 14/15 with Racer Factory, and now Laguna with NorCal Racing Club.
Most of the participants for the Laguna looked to be old hands at this stuff as there were a lot of trailered race cars. We got really lucky and had a nice, clear day with temps in the 60's. The turn out was light which meant for the most part a lot of open track (at times). The NorCal club is pretty layed back and most members are track junkies so everyone's prompt to the grid and there were really no closures due to cars going off. The biggest event was while riding w/ my instructor in his Vette and an older 325 grenaded big time at turn 6. There was zero visibility for a few seconds and you could hear parts hitting his car. Worse yet, the guy layed down a nasty coat of oil all through the corkscrew and down back to the pits...bad enough that we felt the vette briefly slip sideways through the corkscrew.
I also met up with Marc who drives a white S4 and we had a great time chasing each other around. I was very envious of his R compounds as by the afternoon my stock tires were done for as well as the brakes. They had 5 track days and it looks like the last day was a bit too much as even my instructor commented that the tires were gone as we slide through the turns in our last session.
Regarding the track, pretty much everything else is going to be a let down from here as it's a lot of fun. The elevation changes put a strain on the car (like climbing out of turn 5/6), and it's brutal on the brakes at turns 2 & 11. Yet for all I'd hear and imagine the corkscrew to be (from a fear factor), I didn't find it to be a problem or challenge. Quite frankly you line up w/ the 3rd tree and drop in...and drop in you do as you'll feel weightless for a moment.
And like the other events, we made believers of the S4 as a lot of people got a kick seeing the Avant chase around a GT3. The Porsche guys were all cool but what I wouldn't give to take the GT3 out...dayum. Most of the turns are done in third gear with 4th used every once in a while and 2nd at turn 11. The curbs can be nasty if you get even a 1/3 up on them, and the track seems to reward a good handling car as coming out of the corkscrew and into turns 9 & 10 really require good balance as you can't really put the power down coming down hill if you can't stick to the track. I seemed to have got the most frustrated with turn 6 in that I couldn't consistently hit the mark I wanted, and after thinking about it on my 5 hour drive home last night I was wondering if the speed sensitive steering was throwing me off. Another issue I had was with the DBW... it makes throttle modulation difficult as it feels more on/off like so as I would roll on the power sometimes you could feel the car surge which was directly related to my input.
Next on the to-do will be tires and most definetly some brake work before the Audi Buttonwillow event. I'll work on the video and put online later this week.
In the mean time check out meatballracing.com for the rest of the photos for Laguna Seca and Thunderhill.
<img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/43280/dsc_0619.jpg">
02-01-2005, 01:33 PM
#4
AudiWorld Expert
What about that miata that was haulin around? :-)
<center><img src="http://pictureposter.audiworld.com/665/90miataracecar_lagunaturn5.jpg"></center><p>And going mega slow on the rainy days? I stunk on day 1...day 2 I finally got some decent grip...Ya baby.
The pic is not of the Thunderhill event..rather of Laguna last year with the ACNA.
The pic is not of the Thunderhill event..rather of Laguna last year with the ACNA.
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02-01-2005, 03:05 PM
#10
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Here's what ticks me off about Audi...
They make a great car(the S4)that is the "high performace" upgrade to the A4, and the brakes are STILL inadequate. I cooked the brakes on my A4 at my first track event in 3 runs at 50 degrees in the rain! Your S4 seems too have held up better, but still gave you issues.
You don't here these complaints from M3 and 911 owners. How much more would it have cost Audi to do the brakes right the first time?
You don't here these complaints from M3 and 911 owners. How much more would it have cost Audi to do the brakes right the first time?