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Somewhere between the two oil changes per month and the 7mpg you average while hot lapping, it hits you—this might not be the most eco friendly of sports. For years I’ve told myself that I make up for it in other ways. I recycle my phone book (the day it’s delivered), I only shower on even numbered days of the week, and I decided not to replace the burned out lightbulb in the hallway. Boy, it’s higher than it looks. The cold hard truth is that I know this isn’t enough and that I should be doing more to offset my time on the track.

Since it’s unlikely that I’ll be able to kick the habit anytime soon, I’m relieved when I see motorsport organizations taking steps to reduce the sport’s environmental impact. Infineon Raceway recently announced it’s installation of 1,652 solar panels which will produce over 40% of the facilities power demands. Thunderhill Raceway should also be recognized, they’ve had a trio of electricity generating windmills installed for several years now. It would be fantastic to see alternative energy generation become a precedent at other tracks around the world. 

Progress is of course, also at hand on the vehicle development front. It’s old news that Elon Musk was one of the first to make a bold entry into the market of producing all-electric family sedans—by building sports cars. But with the impending introduction of the Model S, it’s interesting now to see his master plan finally coming to fruition. The challenge with all-electic vehicles has long been two critical, sales-crippling factors: very limited range and performance. But instead of hiding these limitations behind fancy small print, Tesla took the challenge head on and set out to specifically conquer these widely known weak points. It would be difficult to argue the result was anything but a success having produced the Roadster, a sports car that accelerates to 60mph as fast as a 911 Turbo and goes over 200 miles on a single charge, plenty for a few days worth of commuting. If the company is able to solve these monumental challenges in a performance car, the most demanding of product lines, then imagine the brand equity they’ll have when the family friendly grocery getter starts shipping. We’ve seen this kind of brilliant product halo in action before, and it works.

I’ve now seen several Roadsters at the track, which is encouraging. But those like myself who will miss the rumble of a small block V8 powered by dinosaur blood should’t panic, it seems we still have some time before the electrics take over. Early this year I witnessed a Tesla Roadster sitting next to a gasoline generator in the paddock recharging after running a handful of laps. If there was a Razzie for efficient use of energy, this would be an impressive entry. In that oil-to-gasoline-to-electricity-to-electric-battery cycle, I’d be surprised if 20% of the original energy was making it back into the Roadster’s cells. But, it’s a start.

First time using the GoPro HD at the track. Impressive suction cup, stuck to Tommy’s front quarter panel.

Short clip of me passing a Corvette ZR1 and a Ferrari F430. Filmed with a Flip that was unfortunately not pointing straight during that session so the perspective is a bit off. Theres no better ego boost than passing a car with literally twice your horsepower.

Traffic was heavy that day and I didn’t get very many open laps in. Best time was in the high 1:48s. As the day wore on and I was moving a bit faster I began encountering substantial oversteer, and for that reason Traction Control stayed in the “on” position. It’s kicking in to keep the rear tires from stepping out into the dirt during turns 2 and 4, and a little in 11 depending on where I am with the throttle. It’s not violent or unexpected at this point so I could probably manage without TC. The downside is when TC activates it also cuts fuel reducing power for several seconds after the activation, thus reducing my over all lap times which is frustrating. While this is all part of sorting out the car’s setup, oversteer at these speeds is less “fun” and more “scary” so it’s something I’d like to eliminate sooner than later. The lowest hanging fruit will be increasing rear tire pressure for better grip, but what I really need is a new front sway bar. The Z-51 hardware is a limp noodle compared to the GM T1 or Pfadt Sport bar which is what I’d like to end up with. There’s just no way to put down the “little” power I have without some suspension changes. Coil-over shocks should eliminate the famous Corvette oversteer altogether when dialed-in, but until then, hopefully tire pressure and new front sway bar will help.

And FYI: came across a nice quick reference on over/understeer: http://www.nyracer.com/overunder.htm

UPDATE – 2.15.11: Someone suggested the sudden occurrence of oversteer could be attributed to failing clutch packs inside my differential, causing excessive wheel rotation which leads to instability upon corner exit. Certainly would explain why I never noticed it to this degree before, with the same suspension setup. Will start there and see if that’s the cause before investing in any new parts.

UPDATE – 10.6.11: While swapping the motor out, I had the differential checked and indeed the clutch pack shims were broken. They were replaced with upgraded shims and I hope to test them on the track in a few weeks.

It always strikes me as odd that so few people keep record of their lap times at track days. I completely appreciate Hooked On Driving’s philosophy of a non-competitive environment to provide a safe education. Practicing a particular skill or nailing the apex for a series of turns is what you’re there to focus on during a track day, and you can’t do that while fighting off aggressive traffic. But one key way to know if you’re making any improvement is to record your times. That education is even more valuable if you can compare times with someone who has more experience than you who might know a better line.

So, thanks to Kevin for posting his Laguna video and giving a yard stick to measure against. Putting our two in-car laps side by side you can really compare where we gain or loose time against each other.

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After years of spectating and virtual practice at one of the most dynamic tracks in the country, I finally had my shot at the 2.2 mile course.

Xbox may “just be a game” but having at least some idea what to expect around the next turn really paid off. Memorization of any course is paramount and any edge helps. Proven by my first lap of 2:26, which only two laps later dropped to a 2:00 and mildly improved from there the rest of the day. I had one significant limiting factor all day – my clutch decided to continue it’s obstinate behavior, this time in the form of sticking to the floor. This, even after installing a brand new master and slave cylinder last month. I had run the first session all in 3rd gear, but during the second session it was clear that I was in need of 4th. I’m not sure what the issue was, if it was heat build up reducing the flow of hydraulic fluid or something else, but the peddle was HARD and stuck to the floor. After pulling it up with my toes it would work again for one or to more engagements…then back to sticking. So 3rd gear it was for the day. You can hear me in the video bouncing off the rev limiter between turns 11 and 1, and 4 to 5.

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Round number 2 with Thunderhill proved to be much more rewarding. After a slow session with B group I got signed off to move up to C group and had a lot less traffic to contend with. More…

I drove about 3 hours north to reach the town of Willows, Ca where I found the rolling hills that make up Thunderhill Raceway. More…

Last weekend I attended the 2006 American Le Mans Championship race at Laguna Seca. The weekend included a GM sponsored Corvette Corral in which approximately 250 Corvettes gathered. Little did I know… More…