Rockingham track day

[TK2015]

Much fun was had at the BaT (Book-a-Track) track day at Rockingham last weekend (23.9.07) It was a shame that there were not more 944's there to hold their own against the CaterField/Elise crowd.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/29539507@N00/sets/72157602151369484/

A totally road standard 944 Turbo (approx 1400kg) can hold it's own against most things on the straights (with the help of a ProMAX Level 2 kit ) but the corners take their toll on the tyres

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=1439052405&context=set-72157602151369484&size=l

 

[Riverside]

Those wheels look familiar []

How did the car feel with the 16's on compared to your road wheels? Did you try playing around with the tyre pressures?

 

[TK2015]

The biggest problems for track work are weight and body roll. As I do not intend to strip the car out, there's not much I can do about the former - I'm on the lookout for non-electric seats and may take the air-con out as it doesn't work anyway but that's about it. As for the latter, I might be tempted into thicker ARB's and I hope to replace the shocks with refurbished Koni's (or KW V3 if I win the lottery). The difference was brought into sharp focus when I was given a passenger ride in a stripped out Toyota MR2 Mk1 (about 850kg - all right then 945kg with me in the passenger seat[]) and race suspension. The car went round corners like a go-kart but the poor 1600 engine ran out of steam very quickly - most of the lap was done with throttle firmly pushed to the floor. By contrast I had to brake hard well before each corner to let the suspension settle, then go with a balanced throttle until just before the apex when power could be applied. Timing the power was fun with 3 seconds lag - get it wrong (and I did) and the torque arrives with a bang and you are looking through the side window at the grass run off []. Get it right and the rears give a little chirp and she sets off like a scolded cat - not much was catching me on the straights[]

I've settled on 32psi (cold) for the road on the 17's for the time being. On track with the 16's I ran 32psi (hot - very hot!) as a compromise between squirmy and grippy. However, as I was on road tyres they soon melted and after about 4 or 5 laps it felt like it had started to rain - the grip reduced dramatically.

I know that this is going to sound wierd but with the 17's the car actually turns in better and the steering is lighter.

 

[Globe_911]

if you can put up with non reclining seats then scrap the originals and put a set of cheap bucket seats in. I took the seats out of my 89 S2 and hey were 24.4kg each! to be replaced with a pair of cobra monacos for £195 which are 9.4kg each! [] worth the saving imo, just depends if you need to be able to get into the back of the car!!

 

[Diver944]

Only done Rockingham once but I never really felt comfortable in the 944 as there are too many slow 90 degree corners which don't really suit the lardiness of our cars IMHO [&o] I prefer circuits with faster sweeping bends where the car has time to settle and enjoy the corner [8D]

I would imagine a lighter, harder suspended car like Peter Empsons would be much more enjoyable at 'The Rock'

 

[MarkK]

I did a day there this season with RMA,it was lots of fun they let us do some full laps of the oval in the middle of the day aswell.....weird.....felt dizzy!Also went on their wet handling course this was in my red tuned turbo,it was a handful.. 360 spins allround[]

 

[TK2015]

ORIGINAL: Globe_911

if you can put up with non reclining seats then scrap the originals and put a set of cheap bucket seats in. I took the seats out of my 89 S2 and hey were 24.4kg each! to be replaced with a pair of cobra monacos for £195 which are 9.4kg each! [] worth the saving imo, just depends if you need to be able to get into the back of the car!!

I really want to keep the back seats and trim so that I can use the car with the kids. Lighter reclining seats might be an option.

 

[TK2015]

ORIGINAL: Diver944

Only done Rockingham once but I never really felt comfortable in the 944 as there are too many slow 90 degree corners which don't really suit the lardiness of our cars IMHO [&o] I prefer circuits with faster sweeping bends where the car has time to settle and enjoy the corner [8D]

I would imagine a lighter, harder suspended car like Peter Empsons would be much more enjoyable at 'The Rock'

But the slow corners give lots of opportunity to revel in 80's style turbo lag - they just don't make lag like they used to []