o_O S2000 | Mk I — Stage II
02-02-2013, 02:07 PM
#121
Thread Starter
My goal eventually is 1:46.x with my car in stock form. Once I hit that at Laguna and around 2:08.x around Thunderhill then I may start modifying my car.
02-02-2013, 04:15 PM
#122
Thread Starter
I had my first opportunity to drive a FR-S last night! A very lightly modified version of the car, with 225F/255R tires, just like what is on my S2000, but the FR-S was wearing 19" diameter. The car felt great really, extremely stable and planted, good brake feel, very nice. The tire setup pretty much kills the fun though honestly, extremely unbalanced to the amount of power where the S2000 is a perfect balance.The difference in response between the F22C and the 4U-GSE / FA20 in the FR-S is staggering considering the 40 hp, 10ft/lbs difference in outputs. The tire size on the FR-S probably played a big part in this so I definitely want to drive one in stock form or one with a better balanced tire setup. Absolutely no reason to run a staggered setup on the FR-S/BRZ and definitely no reason to run 19" wheels. That feeling of carrying more speed through a corner than the engine can back up on corner exit isn't a good one, I would bet that stickier tires in the normal 215 front and rear sizes would be a much better match.
The clutch pedal has a really soft feel too, very little resistance compared to the S2000 that would definitely take a bit of getting used to.
Overall pretty fun though! I have to say it was nice to get back into the S2000 to hear a proper VTEC symphony. VTEC still really has no equivalent
The clutch pedal has a really soft feel too, very little resistance compared to the S2000 that would definitely take a bit of getting used to.
Overall pretty fun though! I have to say it was nice to get back into the S2000 to hear a proper VTEC symphony. VTEC still really has no equivalent
02-05-2013, 04:21 AM
#124
Thread Starter
Laguna Seca!
Definite dream come true for me. I have been driving Laguna virtually since 1999 when Gran Turismo 2 came out (I have played it since the first demo and still play the latest version), and had been dreaming of owning my own S2000 not long after playing the game and starting to learn more about it. The S2000 has been mine since October, and driving it at Laguna was checked off my list this past Sunday!
It was very damp arriving at Laguna, but that is pretty normal for the area. Prepping my car is pretty straight forward, screw in tow hook, apply numbers, check tire pressure.
I rep 95 to show some love to the Spoon race cars that have worn it over the years.
And also for Narita Dog Fight and Alpine Speed Stars.
I decided to rent a Qstarz lap timer which CityTech provided for $30 for the day (which also included a full extra session that I took advantage of, as well as being applied as a discount if I decide to purchase one from them in the future. The lap timer was excellent, easy to setup, very customizable, great real-time display that shows things in a very useful way while on circuit. As I start heading to the track more, this will be the lap timer I will purchase, just excellent really. Being my first time using one I realized I should have started it recording while I wait in the pits for my session to start so when I cross the line to start my out lap I don't record a super short lap as my green or fastest lap. The best part about the Qstarz is that it not only displays green after completing your fastest lap, it shows in real-time if your current lap is faster than your best (or last, or whatever you like), and it also manages sectors exactly how you want it, and beeps as you complete a sector of a lap.
It was extremely slippery my first session out, I am pretty used to driving quickly in the rain in the S2000, so I was having a blast sliding around on a wide open track with plenty of run-off area, even though the speeds were greatly reduced. It was great to be able to experience the track at these different grip levels. I was in the High Intermediate group this time around, which was perfect, open passing with point by recommended, and all drivers were paying attention to their mirrors and leaving the racing line open when they could, as was I. I was lucky enough to get to the front in most of my run groups and only ended up letting a Porsche 996 w/RS 4.0L blast by in a glorious way. As well as a nicely tuned S2000 who's owner I spent a few hours talking to in the paddock, and other cars whenever I messed up a corner and decided to let the car cool down those laps.
After the 2nd session when it started to dry out, I noticed I had completely melted my LF plastic valve stem cap. This was a good sign of the abuse my brakes were going to be put through over the rest of the day..
Turn 5 was always a lot of fun..
but always a little bit more exciting when taken like this.
Of course the corkscrew was fantastic..
I made it a point to hit the curbs pretty hard my first time around, and proceeded to use them more..
..and more...
..and more, as the day past.
One time in the 2nd session when the track was still a little damp I braked a little bit too late and decided to stick to what Gran Turismo taught me to do in this situation...
and cut right through the dirt. With no drama at all!
For those that are interested, that part of the track is actually quite smooth, I didn't even get my car dirty or scrape my front bumper rejoining the track, but just like in Gran Turismo, the dirt line is always slower. (Notice the 2 cars passing me as I slowly roll down the hill 
) About 20 seconds after I Gran Turismo'd the corkscrew, a red Miata ended up in the wall to the left of it, ending the day for that car. This was the only major incident all day long though.
I quickly realized how hard Laguna Seca was on brakes. I ended up boiling the ATE Type 200 I was using, and was definitely noticing by pedal feel change as the day went on. Will definitely bring some brake fluid to my next track day just in case. My Project µ HC+800 street/track pads felt fine throughout the day, but I was putting them through way too much abuse and definitely experienced plenty moments of fade after 4-5 laps flat out. I have no problem braking to the limit of my tires and I had no major issues while at Thunderhill using the same pads and I think most people driving a stock S2000 at Laguna would be completely fine on these pads, I wasn't spending really any time learning the track, I already knew it well, most of my time was spend diving deeper and deeper into braking zones, and going past that limit in every single corner until I found the ideal spot. I am very used to driving super light FF cars and have a bit of an irresistible urge to late brake cars even when I know they are much lighter with more capable brake system. So i ate through a lot of pad material on my fronts, and was clearly over working the braking system as well as my tires and stock alignment. I was able to learn a lot though through my "experimenting" (I will pretend it was intentional) that will definitely come in handy the next time I am at Laguna. I don't plan on changing my setup the next time I visit, my car isn't a track car, and intelligently managing temperatures is a big part of driving a street car (and any car) quickly on the track. And it is less a problem with the pads and fluid and more a problem with the amount of heat that builds up in the stock calipers. For my next visit to Laguna I may look into some basic ducting, but most likely I will just focus on better managing temperatures and more push my brakes to their limit in a more controlled way. I absolutely love the HC+800 on the street and have no intention of ever installing any part on my car that I can't live with on the street.
Overall a fantastic day. My fastest recorded lap was a 1:49.970, and I have tons of room to improve! My target time is still the 1:47-1:48 range, and I am even more confident that is possible after my first time there. I plan on doing the S2K Challenge in the Stock Class this year at Laguna and Thunderhill, so looking forward for more changes to dial in sector times a bit more before that.
(I will post up some videos soon, working with a lot of footage from a weekend in the mountains and on track at the moment).
The track is great because it gives you the opportunity to really nail every single corner and section perfectly at the absolute ABSOLUTE limit, and then do that again without interruption. On the mountain you always have to go up, then down, then up, then down, which is like driving a circuit counter clock-wise, and turning around and doing it clockwise, effectively doubling the amount of corners. It is great to balance one with the other, there are definitely many things you will only learn at the track, and many things you can only learn in the mountains.
More photos and videos coming soon! (Thanks to Dito Milian for the great on track photos and capturing my off road action at the corkscrew!
Video:
A photo my good friend Alexey Orlov snapped of me on track:
Definite dream come true for me. I have been driving Laguna virtually since 1999 when Gran Turismo 2 came out (I have played it since the first demo and still play the latest version), and had been dreaming of owning my own S2000 not long after playing the game and starting to learn more about it. The S2000 has been mine since October, and driving it at Laguna was checked off my list this past Sunday!
It was very damp arriving at Laguna, but that is pretty normal for the area. Prepping my car is pretty straight forward, screw in tow hook, apply numbers, check tire pressure.
I rep 95 to show some love to the Spoon race cars that have worn it over the years.
And also for Narita Dog Fight and Alpine Speed Stars.
I decided to rent a Qstarz lap timer which CityTech provided for $30 for the day (which also included a full extra session that I took advantage of, as well as being applied as a discount if I decide to purchase one from them in the future. The lap timer was excellent, easy to setup, very customizable, great real-time display that shows things in a very useful way while on circuit. As I start heading to the track more, this will be the lap timer I will purchase, just excellent really. Being my first time using one I realized I should have started it recording while I wait in the pits for my session to start so when I cross the line to start my out lap I don't record a super short lap as my green or fastest lap. The best part about the Qstarz is that it not only displays green after completing your fastest lap, it shows in real-time if your current lap is faster than your best (or last, or whatever you like), and it also manages sectors exactly how you want it, and beeps as you complete a sector of a lap.
It was extremely slippery my first session out, I am pretty used to driving quickly in the rain in the S2000, so I was having a blast sliding around on a wide open track with plenty of run-off area, even though the speeds were greatly reduced. It was great to be able to experience the track at these different grip levels. I was in the High Intermediate group this time around, which was perfect, open passing with point by recommended, and all drivers were paying attention to their mirrors and leaving the racing line open when they could, as was I. I was lucky enough to get to the front in most of my run groups and only ended up letting a Porsche 996 w/RS 4.0L blast by in a glorious way. As well as a nicely tuned S2000 who's owner I spent a few hours talking to in the paddock, and other cars whenever I messed up a corner and decided to let the car cool down those laps.
After the 2nd session when it started to dry out, I noticed I had completely melted my LF plastic valve stem cap. This was a good sign of the abuse my brakes were going to be put through over the rest of the day..
Turn 5 was always a lot of fun..
but always a little bit more exciting when taken like this.
Of course the corkscrew was fantastic..
I made it a point to hit the curbs pretty hard my first time around, and proceeded to use them more..
..and more...
..and more, as the day past.
One time in the 2nd session when the track was still a little damp I braked a little bit too late and decided to stick to what Gran Turismo taught me to do in this situation...
and cut right through the dirt. With no drama at all!
For those that are interested, that part of the track is actually quite smooth, I didn't even get my car dirty or scrape my front bumper rejoining the track, but just like in Gran Turismo, the dirt line is always slower. (Notice the 2 cars passing me as I slowly roll down the hill ) About 20 seconds after I Gran Turismo'd the corkscrew, a red Miata ended up in the wall to the left of it, ending the day for that car. This was the only major incident all day long though.I quickly realized how hard Laguna Seca was on brakes. I ended up boiling the ATE Type 200 I was using, and was definitely noticing by pedal feel change as the day went on. Will definitely bring some brake fluid to my next track day just in case. My Project µ HC+800 street/track pads felt fine throughout the day, but I was putting them through way too much abuse and definitely experienced plenty moments of fade after 4-5 laps flat out. I have no problem braking to the limit of my tires and I had no major issues while at Thunderhill using the same pads and I think most people driving a stock S2000 at Laguna would be completely fine on these pads, I wasn't spending really any time learning the track, I already knew it well, most of my time was spend diving deeper and deeper into braking zones, and going past that limit in every single corner until I found the ideal spot. I am very used to driving super light FF cars and have a bit of an irresistible urge to late brake cars even when I know they are much lighter with more capable brake system. So i ate through a lot of pad material on my fronts, and was clearly over working the braking system as well as my tires and stock alignment. I was able to learn a lot though through my "experimenting" (I will pretend it was intentional) that will definitely come in handy the next time I am at Laguna. I don't plan on changing my setup the next time I visit, my car isn't a track car, and intelligently managing temperatures is a big part of driving a street car (and any car) quickly on the track. And it is less a problem with the pads and fluid and more a problem with the amount of heat that builds up in the stock calipers. For my next visit to Laguna I may look into some basic ducting, but most likely I will just focus on better managing temperatures and more push my brakes to their limit in a more controlled way. I absolutely love the HC+800 on the street and have no intention of ever installing any part on my car that I can't live with on the street.
Overall a fantastic day. My fastest recorded lap was a 1:49.970, and I have tons of room to improve! My target time is still the 1:47-1:48 range, and I am even more confident that is possible after my first time there. I plan on doing the S2K Challenge in the Stock Class this year at Laguna and Thunderhill, so looking forward for more changes to dial in sector times a bit more before that.
(I will post up some videos soon, working with a lot of footage from a weekend in the mountains and on track at the moment).
The track is great because it gives you the opportunity to really nail every single corner and section perfectly at the absolute ABSOLUTE limit, and then do that again without interruption. On the mountain you always have to go up, then down, then up, then down, which is like driving a circuit counter clock-wise, and turning around and doing it clockwise, effectively doubling the amount of corners. It is great to balance one with the other, there are definitely many things you will only learn at the track, and many things you can only learn in the mountains.
More photos and videos coming soon! (Thanks to Dito Milian for the great on track photos and capturing my off road action at the corkscrew!
Video:
A photo my good friend Alexey Orlov snapped of me on track:
02-07-2013, 07:58 AM
#128
Moderator
Awesome write up! Pics are great and looks like a blast! Looking forward to the videos.