Is that the right way to keep the tyre fresh

Glad wrapped!

My theory is to keep the moisture in the tyre, preventing your tyre to dry out.

Place your theory!

Mazda RX-8 Nationals 2007

It was not the perfect day for me. I had been struggling with my step up during the day. The event itself was perfect.

We arrived at the Leisure park on Friday afternoon. There were plenty to do in Benalla (NOT)! So we went out to the race track very quicky and inspected the track. It looked good, although some open wheel Ford went out at the roll over corner.

After Phillip Island mishap, I was very cautious of what I was doing. I had to make sure everything in the car was right. So much so that I misplaced my phone, then my wallet, and had to chase around for it. I knew my mind was wrong.

Rain fell in the middle of Friday night but the weather was perfect for the track day. The air temperature is about 20 degree but the track temp is much lower. Wish the track was much colder since most people were struggling in the morning. I, however, had a much longer task getting the balance right. I will tell you what the problem is later on.

 

No mishap for today thank god, because I was driving well within myself. Still manage a 1:42.1. I got to be happy with that.

This track day will be my last for 2007. I have decided to have lots of rest and clear my mind for the track days in 2008. I will crack 1:40s in 2008 or I will stop tracking (maybe )

 

More photos for the day
http://s97.photobucket.com/albums/l230/taka_rx8/The%20Nats%202007/?start=all

Phillip island video

This is the fastest lap of the meet. No you will not see the crash video - too painful to edit and cut! At the end of the year perhaps.

It has to be done... the Phillip Island curse

Well. It was too painful to write it. Even painful enough just to think, but after a few days of claiming down most of the stuff is resolved and parts are ordered. Yes, the ride is crashed. Well I now remembered (after reviewing the video) that I went really really wide in the southern loop that my rear right was touching the gravel and spun.

The result is this.

Here is the damage and what survived:

• Front bumper needs to be replaced.
• Left front fog light bracket is done but the light itself is working, even the light bulb survives!
• Oil cooler is squashed and need to be replaced (ouch!)
• The grills and everything else are ok.
• Rear right underguard (where the side skirt is) is dented.
• The right rear toe and caster arms were bent.
• The right rear wheel is off circle a little (will be repaired) and a spare has been purchased.
• All tyres are ok.
• All brakes and wheel needs to be cleaned.

On the upside I did a 1'59"86. Link here

The circuit is fast and grippy, way too fast and way too grippy in my opinion. It has created some false sense of security and a mad rush of adrenalin. You can take a bend with full throttle at 4gh gear is very addictive. It is so nerve wrecking (what a wrong word to use here ) that one of these fear or thrill will actual give you endorphin to your brain, creating such an euphoria.

I have the video, which I am not prepare to watch too many time and show someone yet. Fuck I should just DivX it and put the unedited version up.

I always got outdone but someone else. He spun in front of me and end on the tyre of Lukey drive.

Even better post on the A050 (comparo with A048)

048と比べた印象
１．蛇角を入れてもA048ほどフロントは引っ張らない。
２．ブレーキング時の安定感、縦のトラクション共にA048より上
３．冷えている時のグリップ感もA048より上
４．耐摩耗性もA048より上
５．フィーリングは・・・？慣れの問題か？

That means, the hairpin A048 pushes less, braking is more stable in A050, it works better in cool temp and last longer.

It is less sensitive to air pressure too.

More here

RaceChrono - A GPS smartphone program. Cheap and useful

Well it is free. And I am going to have it "test run" next Saturday during my first Philip Island. It needs a bluetooth GPS receiver and the program is free to download. It is developed by a few track nuts and IT guru in Finland and I am sure they have done some great stuff.

 Here is the lap times from my around the lab run. Haha .

 This is the map around the block, with the start/finish line and S1 being set on the route (in the car). However, I found out later at home that I can set another trap when the session is finished. See the mark I set at S2. When the new trap S2 is set. I can even get a sector time from that. I can also delete any trap I previously set. So I think when I am out of the course for the first time. I can go back to the pits to set them out and match them with the official map

 

As you can see here. I set the cursor over in that. Press the ENTER button to go to this screen, and if I select the "Add trap to this" function. It will add me another trap.

Let me try this cf my AIMS unit on Saturday. fun!

A050 soft compound review

Very interesting article and some deeper meaning of just longitudinal and transverse grip comparison.

http://feed.carview.co.jp/tb.aspx?t=blog&i=5832160&h=5c7e9

This person driving EVO still prefer A048.

Corner balancing - my suspension height is way out!

I went to Melbourne Performance Centre again today to get the car on the scale! Well besides the fact that I need a diet (because I was also asked to sit in it), the suspension height is way off. There is a 10mm difference between the left and right rear suspension when Mr fat Taka is in-situ , and the weight for each corner is way off too.

This is the scale and wires ~

The plates goes under the car.

Adjustment is needed for all 4 corner but mainly the right rear. I helped too!~ but I had a slightly easier job.

Total weight of the car, with me (91kg) in it is 1430kg.

The corner of each car is like that and of course, with the driver in the right, the right side of the car is going to be heavier. The main thing they are trying to adjust is the right front to left rear ratio, or the cross ratio. This is aimed to be 50% when corner balancing. With me in it, the front is 52.1% and the right is 52.6%. So I am contributing to 2.1% and not quite 50:50. I need to lose weight, don't I. I also have the car in 3/4 tank of petrol to simulate what I have mostly on the track. I normally have a full tank to start off the day and reach to 1/2 by the end of it. So 3/4 of tank is the best.

Dean, who did the car up for me at MPC, said that if the balance is out before you will find the car will prefer to turn to one side under brakes, especially in my case where the rear is off. Actually in the last few track days, I found the car turned better to the right then to the left, which I struggle to set the final corner of Broadford.

Let us see later what this do.

By the way, the A048 is quieter than RE55s Bridgestone but they are still noisy.

My Knight Sports 4 BEAT tune

This is the way to tune the car. Now I have it!

Here is my story and all the picture are taken from mobile phone (*sorry it is so bad :rolleyes: ).

From Knight Sports Website

そして実際の空燃比は、ノーマルの場合、２０００－９０００まで約１２－１３になっています。
Normal AFR is about 12-13.

ノックレベルをみながら思い切った燃調を試しましたが、結果的には１３－１３．５がベストパワーに
なります。  Considering without pinging, the best AFR is 13-13.5

結果的に点火が進み、空燃比がストックデータより約１ほど全域で薄い状態ですが、３０００ｒｐｍ
以上で、全域にわたり６-７馬力のアップ。排気効率の良いマフラーとの組み合わせで１１-１２馬力
アップします。特に中間域がきちんと上がっていますから、扱いやすいパワーカーブです。
Too technical for me for most of its parts: Essentially they talk about advancing the timing and if the AFR goes from low 12 to low 13s... one expects 6-7ps increase all the way from 3000rpm, with good flowing catback combination can achieve 11-12 ps. Mid range will increase mainly.

燃調と点火以外では、スピードリミット、レブリミット、電動ファンの作動温度設定、メタポンのマップ変更も
可能です。
Besides timing and ignition change. Speed cut, fan control.

弊社のデモカーでは、ファンの設定を８８度にしている為、常時９０度以内で水温が安定しています。
また、ＷＤＳによるチェックも行っていますが、異常は検出されませんし、アップデイトも問題ありません。 Fan is set at 88 degree. WDS can still check codes, update (?refresh) will be ok.

Now.

The morning started with me going there very early

  

The tuners arrived in a few several minutes ..... They come and inspect the dyno carefully My car gets on the dyno and do the initial run 119kW only

  

The guru... the gentleman on the right is the president of Knight Sports - a man with a few words. The tuner opens the ECU cover. Need some adjustment on the board to install the map

 

One is plugged to the harness and one to the other (bottom loop). Then he keys in the all the important data.

 

Uplading ... 30%. When the upload is finished. Check with the dyno graph again.

 

Finish ... a sticker of approval!

 

Dyno chart

Power to Torque

 

Power to AFR

I have some driving impression... but I will conclude after cold start tomorrow.