Please include car make/model, lap time, and mods to the car.

1994 RX7 stock twins with V700s 1.49s (me)
1993 NSX with Streets 1.50s

Another friend just did a 1.47s with a stock GT3 with streets

I cannot break into the 1:52s with my Miata. I have done tons of 1:53s... I keep trying...maybe next time. Remember I only got about 96-100 bhp. Yes, this is a race car...but I still have lots of tweaking to do...and lots to learn in keeping momentum up. I have a junkyard engine...not a rebello tweaked marvel.

I don't have many times in a street car....I think I remember Corey doing a 1:53 with stock suspension, stock chip, with R compounds..in HIS old S4..but that was way back in 2000. He could go considerably faster in Sharons car now. Now, if I could just get his butt to finish the car and actually show us what he could do...that would be cool. I think he thinks that the car can go wicked fast..but he doesn't feel safe in it without a roll cage...hence playing in autocross..and no track events....In autocross a roll cage is too frickin heavy..hence his catch 22 situation.

Why, what did you do?

Driving the No. 77 Sonneen Motorcars Parts & Services Audi A4, Lambert continued to show the pace he showed in Friday's practice. Late in the session, Lambert moved to the top of the time chart with a lap of 1:43.797 [77.620 mph]. At the checkered flag, no one had bested Lambert's new lap record, giving him the pole for Saturday's race.


So, a 1:43.8 is what you gotta beat. :-)

BTW, the lap record for a Spec Miata was done by Andrew Fernandez in October 2004...he got a 1:47.9 during the race.

First time I had driven the car, mind you, so it had a bit more to give, even though the tires were worth a damn as they were.

The reason why I'm asking is, I just did an event w/ Checkered Flag Racing on Wed with my wife's stock VW R32. I put some track rubber on it and splashed some 100 oct in the tank.

I ended up running 1:51-1:52 late in the day. So, that's what I can do in a stock R32 with rubber. I think a pro driver could get it down to 1:48 in that car easily. I wasn't running the car near 9/10ths either. Yes Steve, I was passing every Spec Miata on the track in the two groups I ran in. The R32 is such a great car.

My buddy in his E36 M3 street car was running about 1:45s with suspension mods and track rubber. Good driver and a balanced car.

My other buddy was runnning 1:43s in a stock Z06 with track rubber. I rode shotgun for a session in the car. It was fast, but he's a good driver too.

There were a couple of EVO8s at the track on Wed, and I was as fast as or faster in my wife's stock R32. I was told that one car was running 25psi boost, but I was a few seconds a lap faster anyway. Anyway, it was good to hang with and even be faster than a couple EVOs in a stock R32.

ran a 1:49 something in the original Blue Civic race car with a stock engine. Was gutted and had modded suspension and shaved toyo R compount tires but a stock 125hp motor.

And the front straight had a climb too. Good to have HP at Laguna.

But we both know the average Spec Miata driving at a HPDE are probably the slower guys, like me. The fast guys go to test days mostly. You going to Laguna in March with ACNA?

but it was 1.9 miles long and 9 turns at the time heh.

doing LS w/ NASA for the first time on 3/1 and want to be somewhat prepared for it.

Or, you can borrow a mini cassette of me in the race car.

But seriously, a veteran Minnesota Porsche racer who comes here every year and used to borrow one of my cars took our chipped TTRQ (3370 lbs) and manage 2:02's with squeeling everywhere. The car was pretty much stock with the RE40 tires it came with. I don't think R compounds would drop the times down that much. On the other hand, he was running my 12V A4 with R compounds 1:59's I can only muster 2:05 with it, and I never drove the TT on the track yet. This is before Dave even bought an S4 so no CPP yet :)

I'd love to see the tape. I am in Tracy, CA however and don't get down to San Jose much. possible to mail it to me? When I send it back to you I'll throw a few bucks in there to reimburse your postage.

Your WAY overdue.

Email me with your address.

http://www.speedventures.net/Videos_WW.asp

http://www.pca-ggr.org/show.cgi?id=ttvenues

looks like a slow 2nd gear corner? is it a double-apex? I think I will need to take it easy on the brakes like every other lap on that corner, assuming I won't be blocking anyone on my tail.

E-mail me and I'll sent you the link to download it.

There is nothing to hit at all.

rbt@wolfenet.com

Thanks!

In many cars, it's 2nd gear, and you must make make a possibly short upshift somewhere near the exit. Cars with a lot of low end torque might get away with 3rd.
You can double-apex it, that's a popular Miata racing line. In a heavier Audi, the single late apex is generally the "school" line. For me, it's also faster than the double apex even in my Miata, but YMMV.
As Nogara noted, the good news is that there is nothing to hit, so if traffic is light you can experiment with your brake points and, if you waited too late, fairly easily surrender and go off straight.

For most drivers, turns 3, 6, and 9 are the hairier ones.

Early in the day, I was running about 2:00-2:03 laps with street tires (stock 225/40/18 Goodyear GS-D3). It was the first time driving the R32 and the first time doing a track event at Laguna since Nov 2000.

Once I got the feel of the track, I started to get into a groove. My timing got better and I think I was maybe running about 2:00 laps on street tires by the end of Session1.

Second session had me on 235/40/18 Pilot Sport Cup tires. I didn't have any idea where those tires wanted to run at (for pressure). I guessed at 34psi Front/35psi Rear (cold). After the session, they had inflated to just 38psi hot all around. The car was very neutral on track and there wasn't any visible wear on the tires. I was really happy with them.

Third session found me pushing it harder. The tires were working and my level of comfort with speed was growing. Lap times fell considerably, down to about 1:53. The brakes were starting to fade a bit toward the end of the 30 min session (despite Motul RBF600 fluid). This was fluid fade, not pad fade (yes, stock Jurid pads on the R32 can take some heat). I kept a Viper in my mirrors for more than a full lap. We started a 30 min session together and ended together. That was cool! Also, an EVO8 with track rubber was slower than me (I was told he was running 25psi w/ a rollbar). Not sure why, but it was fun.

The last session of the day was where I started to push the car out of its comfort zone. The tires were going away on me and the brakes were getting a little worse. By mid session (15 min mark), I was running in the high 1:51 range for sure. After about the 20 min mark, I started to pull back a bit and take care of the car. The tires were on fire, the pedal was a little spongy. I had driven decently all day, never dropped a wheel at all or ever got out of shape. So, I just adjusted my braking points back to the 3.5ish markers and drove the car within reason.

The R32 is really an amazingly fun car that's so easy to drive near and at the limit. The one thing that blew me away is the predictability. It's so forgiving! I never got out of shape all day, not once. There was a time when I went in a little to hot into T2 and later the Corkscrew...but that was my fault. The car scrubs speed well when you want it to, and rotates very well (you can throttle steer it at will).

We're building a prepared R32 in the shop now. It's a project car that will be in the press late in 2005. Based on how a stock R32 handles and slows down, this project R32 is going to be an unbelievable supercar.

Paul has run 1:39s now...but that only put in him in 7-8th position. Everyone else just got more faster.