Thanks again to gilcwong for this vid!!

1 Lap of Thunderhill

 

Josh, thanks for hosting it! Did you move the full Sears Point video to the public area?

Anyway, I need to find 10 seconds to match the course record in T2 (set by a BMW M3). I think I can pick up a few seconds by not lifting in turn 8 and braking later in all of the corners, especially turns 10 and 14. Oh and for those of you who have never been to Thunderhill before, you can get over 100mph+ on many of the straights.

Front straight before turn 1: 115+
The "straight" between turn 6 and turn 9: 100+ (if you don't lift for turn 8 )
The straight between turn 9 and turn 10: 100+
Back straight between turn 12a turn 14: 100+

 

The sears point video is up as well, in the same old url.

My only recorded time here is a 2:17 on a very very cold December day. Considering it's a 3 mile track, that means I'm averaging about 79mph.

I can hit about 125 on the front straight at my best.
turn 8 can be taken at over 100mph, but 100 is the fastest I've ever done when I was on OEM tires. talk about scary, you hardly have any runoff room and there's a big bump in the apex if you're off-line by the slightest bit.
Braking for 10 I'm coming down from vtec in 4th. 10 is wierd though, it's a downhill entry with a slight hump in the braking zone.
back straight I usually get to around 115. It all depends on how well you take 11, a 2nd gear uphill left with off camber exit into medium right->left esses.
14 you have to late brake and the late turn-in encourages it. Braking zone is downhill, but you have plenty of paved runoff room if you miss your turn-in. From halfway thru turn 14 to turn 1 you should be full throttle.


This is a great track, I hope you all get a chance to drive it!

 

I can't wait until S2KDays! It does look like a fun circuit. Turn one looks pretty hairy as well... how high in 4th can you take the corner? And if you're hitting 125 on the front straight on street tires, race tires might mean over 130! Cool!

Anyone else that wants to post their 'talk through' of a lap go for it... It would be nice to have a reference point before coming out there.

 

Jason - Turn 1 is not that hairy, you just have to remember to brake. I think you can go into turn 1 at 70-80mph (+/- 5mph) with race tires. Any faster, and you'll spin. Ask davepk about his spin three weeks ago in turn 1. The King car can probably get into the high 120s or 130s on the front straight. You guys will probably fly through turns 14 and 15.

Turn 2 is a nice place to go three wide

desert tortoise - If you're going to S2Kdays, are you going to bring your timing system?

 

Hmm I shall try to join you guys on the S2K days in June. BTW will there be any needs for instructors? Who do I talk to about maybe helping out?

TH is a very fun circuit, it flows really well, and has a littel bit of everything. My normal driver is a del Sol, currently it turns 2:14.x there. My del Sol is just a hair behind a stock S2K in straight line so the mph I list belows should be close. I haven't driven a S2000 @ TH before but I have had some seat time in few different NSX and other cars here. I'll be there this Thursday, hopefully I'll drop a second of two off that. There are couple of detailed TH guide out there, but briefly:

T1 - you can carry a lot of speed, it is a little blind. Entry speed about 75-80, basically turn in, and get back on throttle (should be well before apex) as soon as the line looks good. By the entry of T2 you should be 90 mph or so.

T2 - constant radius (part of an oval). I usually enter about 1 car width from the right, and stay there. Be paitient and look ahead for the late apex. Constant throttle once you enter, and get on the throttle as you see a line through the apex to the exit (good exit will bring you to the curb).

T3 - off camber right, people who race seem to conclude that various line through here results in similar lap times. Just stay no further than middle. Too far out the track is dirty and not much grip ou there. Personally I find a high speed entry on the inside works well, go in straight, and then once the car settle on the off camber, gradually turn in. this will place the car 1 width from the right, then look for the exit.

T4 - left hander before the T5 cyclone. A dab on the brake to settle the car is good, but a well timed hard lift will rotate the car enough. On S2K maybe you don't even need to do anything and just turn in. :-)

T5 - turn in between the 2 and 1 brake marker (off my memory), and on the exit you should get near the berm. hug the inside... and... hmm i'll continue after i make u/l my video, and fresh notes on thursday.




[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jason Saini
[B]

I can't wait until S2KDays!

 

front straight I hit 125 w/ RA-1, 120 w/ OEM.
T1 is fast, uphill, gentle blind crest on the exit. Entry 85-90mph.
T2 is long 180* left hand sweeper, slight uphill exit, very late apex. maintain mid track and 75-80mph, go full throttle before the apex. I usually enter T3 braking zone ~85-90.
T3 is blind decreasing radius right hander with a crest at the end of the braking zone. All but the very right edge of the pavement is off camber so stay right. I learned to keep my right front tire on the edge of the pavement so I can carry ~70+mph around the turn. No real exit or apex.
T4 is sharp slightly banked left exits uphill. No braking and immediate entry from T3.
T5 is 90* left over a crest into a steep downhill. Entry is steep uphill. Hard to shift into 3rd from 2nd on the downhill and stay balanced, I usually stay in 3rd but fall out of vtec. Gravity is a great assist. Exit to the right berm. This is the trademark turn of the track
T5a is long sweeping downhill. Track out to midtrack (king car w/ aero could probably stay right) and fall back in to the right side to line up for T6. Full throttle all the way!
T6 is a nice passing turn, 90* left but has a very nasty apex berm that you DO NOT want to touch. Light braking, then full throttle exit to the 6-9 "straight"
T7 is a kink.
T8 is a fast turn, ~100mph or more. Bump in the apex is nasty if you hit it, but it is avoidable. Once on OEM I hit it and my car hopped 2 feet to the right, putting my right wheels on the outer edge of the exit berm. Scary! Most ppl will lift throttle, but if you have balls of titanium then you can go full throttle all the way to 9.
T9 is another great hill turn. Downshift to 3rd, enter earlier than you think. Full throttle after braking, hit the left berm then parallel the right one to send you over the blind crest. If you see an outhouse across the field in front of you then you're on the right track. You have plenty of pavement here, you pay for it all so use it
T10 has a crest on the braking zone, but is a fast banked downhill 90* left. The downhill entry and crest make your brain want to brake more than is necessary, it's really faster than it looks.
T11 is the slowest turn there is. Sharp 2nd gear uphill left with off-camber exit. I usually try to tap the apex berm w/ my rear left tire to help rotate the car so I can stay full throttle and carry more speed.
T12-13 are medium right-left esses, full throttle. exit onto the front straight.
T14 is VERY late entry, and is a deceptively long turn due to the blindness. Late downhill braking, late turn-in, then full throttle.
T15 is 90* right that can be taken at full throttle with no braking and exits onto the front straight.

That's a lap off the top of my head as I run home to feed my starving stomach

 

Great writeup Josh. I didn't realize you could carry so much speed into turns 1-3! Then again, I usually don't look at my speedo during a turn and I don't have balls of steel yet

On turn 4, I wait one car length after the end of the berm at the "exit" of 3 before I turn in (no braking). What do you mean by immediate entry from turn 3?

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by gilcwong
[B]Great writeup Josh.

 

Thanks guys... those are some helpful writeups. Got me itching to get out there. Gil, thanks for the tip on T2!

I hope DT brings his timing system... If he does, it would behoove him to keep it quiet and for a small bunch of people, hint hint. It would be great for some of us that have time trial and competitive experience to be able to compare lap times without anyone else knowing until after the fact. What people don't know won't hurt 'em.

Thanks again for the writeups!