Well, we had some fun today but like always it was cut short. The plan was skidpad testing in both directions on a large and small radius, also varying cambers between run sessions.
We tried a small diameter (50 feet) but the crappy parking lot surface with the sand and dust meant that there were slick patches that was affecting the run. We went to the large diameter (100 feet) to avoid that and it was working well but we figured out our max lateral g numbers were from spikes so we turned on the low pass filter. By this time I was driving and got 4 runs in (2 left, 2 right) and got up to a sustained lateral g before spinning. Then the other guys there alerted me to the right rear tire (the one that regens and so locks up a lot). It was way into the cords on the inside shoulder but the worst part is that chunks of rubber were coming off.
So we got the tire off the rim and had some other worn mediums (to match the worn mediums on the other corners) to put on. After a hard-fought battle we got the tire onto the rim (with much cringing at the scratching and bending of the rim- luckily it came back mostly round) and one bead seated. But we could not get the other bead seated. We tried tire irons, then the shop air compressor, then a tire shop but they were closed.
Finally we ended up trying starting fluid. It took us a while to find the right mixture but we figured out that less was more and got a few nice big BANG!s and the bead would seat momentarily but due to the wall of flames we were not able to get the air compressor nozzle on there fast enough. So we were defeated and are just going to take it to the tire store where we can get it done for free.
We put a rain tire that was already mounted onto the right rear corner and Alissa drove it back.
I did have a lot of fun doing the skidpad. It is actually quite easy to drive at the limit aside from the not-enough-lock, too-slow steering. My hands were moving around really quickly but I could hold it for quite a while. I liked going with the torque vectoring best because power did not mean understeer but instead tightened the line.
Alissa did get to drive before the skidpad testing and she enjoyed it, even though she did not really go too fast. But it was her first time so that is understandable, especially since she has never driven a kart or a fast car before.
We will test again on Thursday I think.
Driving a fast car and playing with fire with a hot girl... I think that qualifies as a great day.
