This weekend I hit the drag strip on Friday and auto school and competition on Saturday and Sunday.

http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?m=53561721403&n=1455635151

I got two runs at the strip. My fastest was a 13.4 @ 105 MPH with ESP switched off. The tempatures were around 50F and baro. 30.20 and climbing. I was too occupied watching the scan tool to remember recheck tires pressures were set at 40 PSI from Nelson Ledges driving school and that my AC was on for the run. The rear tires barely rotated coming off the line. So there is room for improvement.

For auto crossing I used Kumho V700 unshaved and unheat cycled. They are a 255/40-17 mounted on 8x17 Ronal R-38 wheels with 35mm offset on all four corners(stock is F: 37mm, R: 34). Seventeen inch wheel was difficult to find that would clear the front calipers. Ronal only has one 17" model that will fit. Because of the width of the tire it brushed up againist the shock when mounted. I had to use a 5mm spacer on the fronts. The rears had no clearance issues at all. I had to use different length lug bolts on the front and rear, different from stock. I wanted to stick with 17" wheels to mount snow tires for the winter.

I went with the same size tire on all four corners in hoping to eliminate the typical passenger car under steer and make the car more neutral and easier to rotate. I went to an autocross school this past Saturday and then the competition on Sunday put on by the local SCCA section. Saturday I ran the stock Michelin Pilots with the ESP off. Coming out of a corner too hot would cause the rear to step out slightly (20-30 MPH) but was easy to correct while on the power. Remember that even with the ESP button turned off it still will intervene.

http://solo2.neohio-scca.org/gallery...505Paul&id=aar

Sunday I ran the Kumhos with the ESP off as I did Saturday. When the traction broke in a similar turn I had to make more correction to keep it under control with the sticky tires. Obviously the ESP is set up for less adhesion so when the higher level of grip was loss the correction by me was higher. Not that much, but it was noticeable. Handling was excellent with just a hint of mild under steer while maintaining speed through mid-turn. The Kumhos tire pressures were set at F:40, R:38. Because of the left loading nature of the course I could have increase the FL tire as it was slightly roll off the tread block. I found and Nelson and auto crossing is that sometimes the transmission will not shift down when you want it too. So I just pull the shift lever to the left and provided that there were RPMs remaining in the next gear down it would allow the down shift. One thing that I did notice was that when coming up to a cone and trying to provide steering input and light throttle with the front loaded up the car the steering would tug at the wheel. I am thinking that the car is starting to under steer and the ESP is braking the outside wheel. It is difficult to repeat though.

Overall I am pleased with the car this past Sunday. Results:

http://solo2.neohio-scca.org/

I had a two Corvettes that finished in front of me. One of which was a Z06 on stock rubber and the other was a C5 convert. on race rubber and some suspension tweaks(won the class in SS even though he should have not been in it with the negative camber he was running and sway bars). With my fastest times at the end carry passenger, the difference of about 300-400 lbs. just in the cars, and the automatic transmission I impressed a number of people.

You know the car makes a statement when at the competition Sunday and a guy makes a positive comment about the car's presence on the course and says that his buddy saw a Mercedes running 13's Friday at the strip.

 

Great run Norm! Sounds like you had a lot of fun!