Last trip to Chuckwalla with the 718 GT4 for 2024...
I had the old Dunlops replaced with new Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires just before the track day, and also had wheel alignment done bringing front toe to 0 degs and maxing out the front and rear camber (without any suspension mods).
The weather was perfect, with temperatures below 80F and everything was looking great to break the 2 minutes wall - but apparently this was not to be the day yet.
The track was setup as counter clockwise and not only it was my first time running CCW in the GT4, but I only ever run with that configuration once before, more than 3 years ago.
I started pretty slow in the first session, clocking in a 2:04.4. I gained confidence throughout the morning, improving consistently to finally get a 2.00.018 in the fourth session.
While happy about the improvement, I can't hide the disappointment of not being able to dip below the 2 minutes mark.
On the plus side though, the data traces highlights my inconsistent driving, showing that I should have at least 1.5 or even 2 seconds to gain by fixing small errors and being more committed in some corners.
Finally, while the brand new MPSC2 definitely offered more overall grip with respect to the old Dunlops I must say I was not impressed with the car drivability, since I feel it still suffer from a good amount of mid-corner understeer. Most likely this still depends from the relatively low static-camber at the front. To fully correct that I most likely will need to make some suspension components changes (shims/camber plates and/or adjustable toe-links), but before that I will likely try some setup adjustments next time, like lowering the front end to add some rake and stiffening the rear sway-bar.
Date
2024/12/03
Track
Chuckwalla Valley Raceway, CCW
Details
Session 4, Lap 4
Lap Time 2.00.018
Car
2020 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4
Engine/powertrain
- APR ECU Tuning
- Fabspeed Over Axle Pipes
- BMC Engine Air Filters
Suspensions
Front Camber: -1.8 deg
Front Toe: 0.0
Caster: 9.1 deg
Rear Camber: -1.5 deg
Rear Toe: 0.22 deg
OEM ride height
Front Sway-bar in "soft" position
Rear Sway-bar in "mid" position (OEM)
Aero
OEM splitter
OEM Wing
OEM "Track" setup (rear wing in high incidence position, removed under tray airflow diverters ahead of front wheel wells)
Tires
Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2, 4th heat cycle
- Front: 245/35 R20 ~32 psi (hot)
- Rear: 295/30 R20 ~33 psi (hot)
Weather
23.7 °C (74.7 °F), 1036hPa (30.6 inHg), 8% humidity