[s-cars] Track time update + FBR (long)

Aaron Taylor aaron at sunvalley.net
Mon May 6 10:55:27 EDT 2002


The other solution is to try to maintain one of these suckers on a budget.  Every time I get out and thrash on the car a little bit I worry about the $ consequences and
back off.....
Also - it somehow just does not feel right to overly harass such a fine piece of machinery.  I only thrash hard on things which are easily replaced - my honda dirt bike
for example....
AT

"Pollock, Thomas" wrote:

> Frank, I have a cure...
>
> What I do is, whenever I start to get too familiar or bored with my S4 I "force" myself to drive my 8 passenger Sable wagon for a few days...  usually fixes it. 8-)
>
> I owned a 928 for a while and I used to get the same way with that car. What to do ?  Break out the diesel rabbit !  Oh baby...
>
> your welcome.
>
> Tom.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Frank Amoroso [mailto:fjamoroso at webtv.net]
> Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 2:40 PM
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Cc: frank at s-cars.org
> Subject: [s-cars] Track time update + FBR (long)
>
> I'm ruined.
>
> Here is my story...
>
> A little background for you first. As previously mentioned, I had
> brought the ol' boat UrS4 to the track a few weeks back. The dog was
> running in street / summer mode, with Bira 6x brakes (stock Porsche
> 996tt pads), 18x8 wheels with 245/35-18 Toyo T1-S, and Bilstein Sport /
> Eibach Pro-Kit suspension. The car did well, and things were good.
>
> I was slated to be at the track with Fletcher Brown racing
> (www.fbr-inc.com) Friday 5/3, and I was going to be getting the S out
> again fopart of the day. This time, I decided that I didn't want to run
> my expensive summer rubber and that a moderately priced set of R spec
> tires would serve me nicely. I wanted a set of Yoko Advans as they
> seemed like the best value going. Couldn't find these in 225/45-17 ( to
> run on my 17x7.5 "snow" wheels), so I ended up with some Kumho V700s
> (similar R tire to the Advans w/ 6/32s of tread depth molded in). I also
> figured that since I'd be runnin' the sticky rubber, that I would take
> advantage and install a set of Pagid orange pads in the front (I run
> Pagid Sport Blue in the rear on the street & track).
>
> Things were better.
>
> Well let me tell you, unless you feel like getting hooked, DON"T BUY
> TRACK TIRES! Once you try 'em, you'll never go back!! While bedding in
> the oranges, w/ the R tires on, I was totally dumbfounded at the
> available grip and the braking power. THe G forces generated w/ the Bira
> 6Xs + Pagid Oranges + R tires, was nothing short of phenomenal. Eyes
> pulling out of their sokets quickly made me start thinking about getting
> some 8.5"s on w/ the stickiest 255s for street driving. Even then, I
> won't be using all of the available braking power.
>
> Anyway, this is the setup that I drove 50 miles to Second Creek Raceway
> with, and I thought I was hooked. If only I could afford to run R spec
> tires everyday, I'd be in heaven. Or so I thought...
>
> Things start to get worse.
>
> Enter the FBR experience. A group of ten of us spent the day learning &
> driving in 3 Formula Fords and 2 SCCA Spec Racers. Purpose built race
> cars, that were low, light, responsive, and handled so well, it really
> must be experienced to be understood. The Formula Fords (open wheeled,
> tube framed, 900 pound, mid-engined, carburated 4 cylinder, 4 speed
> non-syncromesh purpose built race-cars) were simply amazing. You become
> one with the car and are able to set up a groove on the track that is
> mesmerizing. The formula fords are anything but overpowered (hell, I
> wouldn't even call them powered), however, it made no difference, the
> handling and braking more than made up for the lackluster engine
> performance (these particular uits were slightly detuned for longevity,
> etc). Besides it forced us to be better drivers and carry maximum speed
> through the track's 10 corners.
>
> As an aside, I was not as fond of the SCCA Spec Racers (1,200 pound,
> tube framed, 5 speed syncromesh trannies, closed bodywork, motors placed
> directly over the rear transaxle). After the formula cars these seemed
> large and cumbersome, braked poorly, and transitory handling balance
> seemed weak). This being said, there was a privately owned Spec Racer
> out on the track at the same time as we were, and the driver was damn
> good (laped our entire group on many occasions). He showed us what one
> of these can do in the right hands.
>
> >From bad to worse
>
> Enter the street cars. What can I say, besides that they SUCKED. Got
> into the UrS, the lumbering land-yacht that it is, and I can honestly
> say that hustling it around the track had become unpleasant at best, and
> oftentimes scary. I also tried a sport package equipped '01 A4 1.8t, and
> it was a little better, but not much. A 450 bhp GT2d 993 turbo offered
> more pleasantries yet. Still, however, nothing compared to the purpose
> built race cars.
>
> I'm ruined.
>
> I'm not really interested in tracking the UrS anymore (this too shall
> pass however), but until I can afford a purpose built track vehicle, it
> will have to do. The R tires and big brakes sure help the equation
> though. FWIW, the temperature marking paint on the rotors showed that
> the brakes got up to ~ 600 degrees C. Wow!  Most of the orange paint on
> the pads had turned black / flaked off (rotors had a bit of a blue tint
> too). This being said, although I didn't do a great number of laps in my
> car, the pads went in 18.0mm thick and came out about the same. Nice
> track pads, squeal like the devil though, whereas the stockers provide
> for a wife-friendly silence.
>
> The conclusion
>
> Anyway, the moral of the story is (and you know this already) that this
> affliction we all share also happens to be a drug. The more you partake
> (R tires, track pads, purpose built cars, etc., etc.) the worse it gets.
> No treatment, no cure, inoperable. Ain't it grand?
>
> Happy motoring, and try to get a drive in something made for the track.
> You won't want to go back.
>
> Frank at s-cars.org
>
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