First off - let me start by saying that all of you who race/track in the summer are absolutely nuts. I will never, ever go in the summer again. I know I did this two years ago and there is a reason I don't do summer track days but yesterday I was reminded quite brutally why I just don't do it.

It hit 111-113 the other day at Willow Springs raceway, and I literally melted. I have never seen the temperature gauge creep up on the S, but my car putted a tick mark up and after I turned the fan on it went back to normal. My first question concerns reliability:

I understand our oil temps run on the high side, even if the car is within safe operating parameters. I imagine this is why we change oils so regularly when we track our cars. Do those of you running in summer weather take extra precautions? If so, what?

1) Larger radiator
2) Oil Cooler?

How often are you guys doing fluid flushes on the coolant?


Secondly - my laptimes were just devastatingly terrible. How far of an effect does the heat REALLY have? First session was 93 degrees at 9am. I think I had 2 hot laps before I came in. Rounded the day out in the top 5-6 spots for the day overall which is ok - but I was definitely at the very least a full second off pace, if not more. I guess those of you attending summer days aren't really going for the numbers

 

Cool suit dude. Cool suit. I got it for my enduro events, and then just started using it all the time when i was hot for HPDE's and such.

Oil cooler and a stock radiator. Remember when the intake temps go up, and the ecu pulls timing - the same exact thing is happening with our competitors engines. And if they are turbo - they lose even more performance and reliability. 1 second/lap isn't bad. Your tires are melting too!

100+ degrees is freaking hot though. That means it's 125 inside the car. Gotta be careful in those temps. If it's really hot i suck ice water from the drink bottle and just spit it back out all down my chest. Your soaked anyways. Might as well be soaked and cold for a second.

-Paddy

 

Doesn't throwing ice on yourself in that kind of heat make you more prone to sickness?

Option B is to just not go on hot days. I don't think I'd want to rock a cool suit in my mostly stock car

 

Did you run with the heater on? Dead serious...

I'm actually working on a relatively affordable drop-in radiator solution...

 

Yeah - turned the heat on. I think someone said it was a bad idea but I didn't have temp issues. Any input on this one?

 

Heater serves as an "extra radiator".

Also, if you're parked and want to cool faster, turn your AC on (with the heater blowing).

 

Heater serves as an "extra radiator".

Also, if you're parked and want to cool faster, turn your AC on (with the heater blowing).
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Yep, thats what I do. I just hear tons of differing viewpoints on this one.

 

Heater serves as an "extra radiator".

Also, if you're parked and want to cool faster, turn your AC on (with the heater blowing).
[/quote]

Yep, thats what I do. I just hear tons of differing viewpoints on this one.
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It turns on the slim fan in addition to the big fan. More airflow when parked = more cooling

 

You can spray water on the radiator when parked and fans running for more evap cooling.

 

I noticed you pulling off early in most sessions. I called it a day after noon. It was just too hot.

I was seeing temp creep after 5-6 hot laps, and running the heater would keep it under control for a little while but with ambient temps that high it still couldn't keep water temp under control.

Also yes, I was much slower than normal that day.

I was talking to the gentleman from Eibach with the blue S2K who was running an upgraded radiator and while he said water temp was solid, oil temp was getting over 270. I am now looking strongly at a radiator upgrade and a oil cooler for engine longevity.

On the keeping yourself cool front, Frank with the legend car had a novel solution of draping a moist towel over himself, he looked a little strange but he said it was only 70 under the towel. I think ill be giving that a shot at buttonwillow later this month.