Group: Red
Tires: Nankang AR1 (started at 5 hc)
Weather: Fairly warm, not super bad
Setup changes/maintenance:
- replaced both FLCA rod ends
- SPL adjustable tie rods (small spacer)
- adjusted rear sway bar to full soft
- more aggressive alignment (-3.8F/-2.4R camber)
I was supposed to do the whole weekend, but I screwed up and could only do one day. A bit of a blessing in disguise since now I'll go into Sonoma with more rubber. Track temps were def not ideal, but oil/water temps weren't out of control. I'll be trying 5w40 next since blackstone kept reporting reduced viscosity on most of my reports. This day was the second on AR1s, and I'm not very happy with them. I think they have less or the same good laps as RE71RS per session, but they don't grip as well. I def prefer AR1s over the V730s, mainly due to better grip and response, but V730s get me way more consistent seat time. I'll probably go back to V730s after this set since hot weather is upon us, and I'd rather not run expensive/faster rubber in bad conditions. Or I can keep running narrow AR1s since they're still $600/set...
Overall my driving was pretty bad. I kept going over the limit either due to driving like I had unlimited grip or simply skill issue. I was also testing a few different ways of taking some corners (mainly T2, T4 and T9), so there's some inconsistency there. I might be undergoing a hooning phase in my driving journey, so hopefully I don't develop too many bad habits that I can't unlearn. Had a couple moments that would have gotten me kicked out, and the starter even "black flagged" me before the last session started for sliding too much.
I'm surprised at how different the car feels going over bumps/crests with the bumpsteer adjustment that came with the outer tie rods. The steering feels way better, and I guess I've been driving with a lot of bumpsteer for several years now. As for the rod ends on the control arms, I shouldn't be surprised that I've had to replace them already. They were installed back in July, and it's been well over 20 track days. I need to track my car less or stomach having to replace them every 6-9 months.
With the more aggressive alignment, reduced (or maybe even eliminated) bumpsteer, and better turn-in inputs, I'm somewhat confident that I've improved how I'm managing front grip to a point where I'm now rear grip limited. It's a good place to be, but adding rear grip will be a challenge. Aero isn't really an option since I want rear grip on all types of corners, and I can't imagine a lowly M340i with downforce. There will be more setup tweaks/changes this year, but I may have no choice but to try running wider rear wheels/tires at some point.
10:00 red miata got flagged for going off, so I thought he was gonna pit, ended up drifting
11:22 KP on my ass, tires were greased out, time to slide
11:52 yikes
16:24 only 24 lap today kek
18:10 imagine embarrassing yourself in front of a fellow speedsf instructor by running out of track on entry
19:11 no wonder my control arms get f'd up
21:06 stay with it
22:34 stop
23:34 grade A idiot
31:46 still in control I swear
34:43 almost blew it
39:11 this was really bad... shameful display
40:35 T1 exit was so eventful this day
52:13 big slide on T6
54:30 big slides on T1 and T2
0:00 session 2
14:57 session 3
25:42 session 4
40:54 session 5 w/ KP