Just got back from Road America

[74goldtarga]

Well, I just got back from Road America. The Nord Stern PCA club (Minnesota) rented the track Monday and Tuesday. There were around 150 entrants divided into four run groups, 75% were from WI, MI, IL and the rest of us were Nord Sterners. My nearly stock 87 951 with chips, 968 MO30 front bar and Toyo Proxes RA1s was ready to roll.

Monday it rained in the morning. A fast lap is like 2:45, we were running around 4 minutes but it was great. Huge rooster tails coming off the cars in front and a little sliding powering out of the corners, I so wish I had the camera hooked up but I didn't buy the mount until day 2. There were some NASA spec 944s in my group and a few 951s in various states of tune (I think mine was the only car at the event that hadn't at least been lowered). There was also a new Noble M400, a BMW M3, a very slowly driven Z06 (which was passing me by Tuesday, Hi Andy), some GT3s , a Boxster S, a 993, and some old 911 race cars. In any case I only had power on the Spec 944s and they are quite fast everywhere but the straightaways. I was passing people left and right (literally, with permission of course) and having a ball.

My brakes pretty much sucked and were pulsating and chattering the whole time. They have worked great in the past but I think my front rotors were shot to begin with from my last track day. I replaced the pads before going to the track but to no avail.

Anyway, it dried out in the afternoon and we started with a ton of cars and were going at each other pretty hard with heavy traffic - my car would get up to about 120 to 130 at the end of long straights before I would worry if my brakes were going to stick and I would break early or get off the gas early(usually both). I watched in-car video after the event and my early braking was pretty pathetic (I will try to post video of a lap soon). These cars really lean quite a bit under heavy cornering with the stock suspension and ride height even with the thicker front bar. I am obviously going to get a new set of rotors for the front but I may also get the 928 S4 calipers with matching rotors while I am at it - anyone know where to get these from? I am torn between upgrading the brakes first or the suspension - definitely going to coilovers on all corners but not sure whether to do the brakes first or the suspension (yes I could do it all at once but I am trying to pace myself financially).

By the second day I was getting quicker on track but everyone else seemed to be going faster still and I was no longer competitive in my run group (people I was catching and passing in earlier sessions were now disappearing in front of me, especially that Z06) - disappointing and probably related both to my skills and the car. I pushed pretty hard the 3rd session of the day and turned some faster (for me) laps and nearly went off at Canada corner - I dialed it back for the rest of the day wanting to bring myself and the car home in one piece. My best lap might have broken 3:00 which is very slow but I feel pretty good about it given the level of preparation of the car and this being my first time at the track.

My Proxes RA1s worked great wet and dry and wore very little in the 2 days, I ran 10 sessions 20 minutes each. I have 225 16s front and 245 16s rear. I don't think traction was the weak link as I seemed to stick with anyone in the carousel. I am running 2.2 degrees front negative camber (I aimed for 2 but 2.2 is what I got - I have a gauge and set it myself) and -0.5 degrees rear with very even tire wear. The fronts have worn faster than the rears which talking to others is typical for a 944. I have 5 total days on the tires an there is still a trace of the tread blocks showing. I started at 33psi cold and got 40 hot which was my target. When the tires were new (full tread - not shaved) they wore very quickly and I was really pretty concerned, but now that the blocks are gone they are holding up, I can't say I detect any wear over the last 2 days - remarkable.

If you actually read this, thanks and hope it was worth your time. Any feedback would be great including encouragement from anyone who ever figured out that when it is all said and done I'm still too darn slow. I am posting this on the track racing board as well so apologies for the duplication.

[944 boy]

You also need a ton more rear camber. Most spec guys run 3-3.5 front and 2-3 in the rear. Sounds like you had a blast! A set of new rotors, good fluid and good race pads and youll be golden. Suspension is a gotta have though.

[Icey1174]

I would upgrade the brakes first. Sounds like a lot of fun!

[xupkid2]

Sounds like a blast. I have run at Road America many times in my '88 944 na and would have to say that the suspension is my reco on what to do first. The brakes on the 44 are actually pretty good as it is mostly a momentum car. I have Hawk HT-10 pads with frozen rotors in the front and have run them for about 20 track days and have more than half the pad left and no grooves on the rotors. I swear by this set up and my brakes are the best I've ever had. I previously had 4 piston Brembo's and they were pretty poor.

If you put on the right pads and rotors your should then be able to focus on the suspension. Check out Paragon Products as they make an economical coilover set up for the front and you can look into 30mm or bigger torsion bars in the rear. On my car I have 400# springs up front with 30mm torsion bars, Koni Sport shocks and Weltmeister adjustable sway bars with Kumho Victoracers and I love the way my car handles. Last time up at RA I was able to run 2:53's which was a huge improvement from the last time I was there with the car and was running 3:00.

As long as you have fun thats all that matters.

[Marcone]

That sounds like a wicked time.. nice to hear the details of the fun.. and the analytical side of the racing! great stuff..