Dr. Marus or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the RB26DETT

[bobbo]

You went to Malta! Tough to beat for sure.
As for any Poles I guess it would depend on how much they're into history.

[MarusGTR]

ASCC Time Attack 2012 - Part 2



The rest of the day went out smoothly and was a good time. I got my competition license, I met a few more people, got some more tips from Bobbo, even got to ride shotgun in his Legacymobile for a spin around the track.

Bobbo was nearly ejected from the car as my passenger door C hinge started getting loose from the Gs, good times.

Still, something at the back of my head was holding me back. While I'd pick up quick on the technical corners of the track, I would still be horribly slow through fast apexes. I was holding the more experienced drivers of the field back. Like I had mentioned, I'm far from a carefree driver. It doesn't help that I drive my cars like their part of my body, I feel every nook and cranny shake, flex, etc.

I usually can't disconnect that part of my head that keeps simulating racing lines, scrub zones, friction factors, G forces and chassis load distribution in real time. It didn't help I could never seem to rise to my own technical expectations, "you scrubbed too much, too slow in, sloppy out, again, again, AGAIN", I was too quick on putting my driving skills in doubt. The two straights were the exception; you would simply mash the gas and let her rip, which I did but it wasn't enough to cut on my overall time.

The crash I witnessed also put some doubt into the integrity of my GTR. Newsflash, I had bought her for 8000$ taxes in from some middle-eastern accented dealer. I had fixed her up bit by bit with what I could. But it was too easy to consider that I could of missed some faulty hardware, or had the improper tools/technique on some jobs. She was old, she had an old engine.

This stayed with me all day, even so that back at Bobbo's for the night I kept rolling back simulations in the back of my mind. I think it was just my way of trying to rationalize some way of going past my limits, my fear.

I was sucking all the enjoyment out of my dream of racing.



The next morning, Bobbo talked tech while eating breakfast and prepared for the Time Attack. I had slept well and I had come to a resolution: I was going to push myself today. Bobbo, participating to the series, was rolling with this GTR and I'd have some kind of baseline to compare with. My friends had left for Moncton the night before so it was just him and me.

So after fueling my GTR and the jerrycan, grabbed some grub and a pack of water bottles we went on the highway for some GTR dogfighting. I had a trick up my sleeve and I didn't even know it; I could cloud Bobbo in a black smokescreen with my low 10 AFRs.

Again, we made it at the track and registered, tagged, etc.



Pictures are courtesy of a track acquaintance that was doing the T-A with an 'eagle eye' STi.

So back at the track, Bobbo made a point of telling me I was crazy to still run the boost restrictor. He had a point. I had kept it in to conserve the piston rings but everything pointed to a healthy engine. The real argument here was that raising boost would lean my AFRs and running too rich was detrimental to engine life/performance.



So we did it, took the little bugger out. Kept it as a souvenir. On a few practice laps out I couldn't see my boost increase on the gauge but AFRs had gone from wonky high 9 low 10 to solid high 10. The wideband was pulling its money's worth.

Also, you may notice that Bobbo's GTR is not only mint, its laced with magic. It came out from the dirt road fresh as a rose while I came out like I had done the Paris-Dakar.



Interestingly, my hotlaps in the practice had earned me the pole position in my group starting grid. Because the track is extremely technical and narrow, passing is only allowed on the front and rear straights, so the TA starting grid is set by hotlap times so to not create bottlenecks.

Bobbo ran in the other Group first while I would be marshalling/flagging turn no.7.

Driving like a beast, as usual.



I was paired with a guy driving the most backyard racecar I had even layed my eyes upon. Don't take me wrong though, I absolutely loved it. A middle aged american, he had built a SR20DET 510 with his son as a project, having himself built a 510 with his own father as a kid. He was running intercooler-less a few months before coming to AMP.

Custom parts included a hood spaced with slices of rubber, a coke bottle coolant overflow tank, a shifter ball wrapped with real skin just tied together at the shaft. That's the stuff that's on top of my head but that thing was pure art.



Being at turn 7 was both a gift and a curse. I could see why I had been lagging people behind. I would usually scrub a good amount of speed before getting into the apex. But from my perch, I could see that most wouldn't even touch the brakes.

Pure insanity. Especially two of them, one with an old early 90s 3 series that was floored to the limiter at turn 7, the other, this Evo IV:



Both myself and guy were a little worried about our turns coming up. But we went at it.

Turns out he had some major balls. He had picked up so much slack observing turn 7 from the perch that he was pushing his 510 to the limits, enough so that one of my sessions ended in red flag. He had spun out at no. 7.

The red flag was also bad news for me. I had been demoted in the grid again. I was back to my old antics of overthinking. I was getting increasingly frustrated at getting blue flagged (back off for faster driver overtake) in my 2nd session that I finally decided to let things go.

I got back into the pits and checked the car a bit, torqued the lugs, made sure tire pressure was good. I had even thread wear, just a hair off the sidewall wear indicator.

Time for round 3.

After heating up my tires I pushed her, shaved off 2 seconds off that lap alone and I was just getting started. But then I noticed some vibration off my front left wheel. Thinking my lug nuts were loose I got into the pits, jumped the barrier to get my gear and torqued them down again. Since I had been in the pits during my timed session, I was DQed and drove the GTR out of the pits and into the Paddock. This is where I met the STi friend, as being in the other running group he was in his waiting period, and we started talking.

Turns out the guy in the Evo IV was shattering everybody's times... and it had been his summer on the track and first time in a T-A. I must say, ignorance is bliss. No flying fucks given. He was eating his sidewalls, pushing his light car like a tank. And it was working.

Anyway round 4 came up and on my warmup lap I again noticed some wobble but since I told myself it was paranoia, I pushed on to my hot lap where the wheel started to shake uncontrollably under rightward corners. I had to DQ myself and slowly went to the pits.

I was 600kms from home and I had nearly lost a wheel. What could of been the problem? The track was closing soon and my options were limited. So I borrowed some tools from other drivers and lifted her up. Everything was in place. My STi friend couldn't even see where I could of gotten the wobble from. But that's when I grabbed the kingpin arm and gave it some muscle. It had major play from the top.

The goddamn AMS control arm had gone loose in its sleeve.

Basically somehow, the control arm made contact with the wheel well and one of the clamps got crushed, causing the clamp gap to expand and making the main shaft loose in the process. By the time that was found, the T-A had ended and people were starting to pack up. I had missed most of the T-A. And I needed to find some fix as the track was closing.

With Bobbo lending a hand, he found a way to secure the clamp back in place for me to limp back home.

I wasn't too happy about my day. I hope I'll have the chance to make it up for it someday.

[MarusGTR]

^ read new chapter first

Here's some track footage. It's embarrasingly slow but gotta start somewhere. And I guess I was right of being a little cautious after all.

[bobbo]

Also, you may notice that Bobbo's GTR is not only mint, its laced with magic. It came out from the dirt road fresh as a rose while I came out like I had done the Paris-Dakar.

LOL!

BTW I like that pic you took of me. Don't suppose you could email me a copy of it? docz1@hotmail.com

Next year if I'm around and you can make it out to some lapping days we'll put some radios in the cars and take turns following each other. It'll give you a good opportunity to see the lines from a good perspective and I can follow you and point out any areas where you could try something different.
From your video you are doing really well and there are only a few corners where you're off the ideal line (although safe). Going into 7 you are tight IMO but it's a tricky corner and takes BALLS to really cook through it. I'm still learning that sequence after 4. I'm sure I can get more speed through there.
That being said I'm almost to the point where safety is becoming a concern.
Keep doing what you're doing and I'm subscribed to this thread. A great balance passion, education, entertainment and cheeze

[bobbo]

Thought I'd share this vid if you don't mind Marc. It's from a lapping day the year before so a fair bit less power, worn out rear diff and crappy AMS pads plus my friends Dad on board.
I got black flagged because I forgot to put my window up.
The camera position gives a good idea of roughly where I brake (deeper with no one onboard) and the line I like to use.

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=FK0Z8vNRGSo&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DFK0Z8vNRGSo%26

[MarusGTR]

Thanks I'll take a look. As for my lines, like for example at no.7, I kinda got in the apex in too early to have less load on the tires while steering (keep the arc straighter but slower). Pretty much all of my speed/lines reflect this... when I started getting more ballsey my lines started getting more late/arced but then my control arm said no, not happening.

[DJ]

A little late and off topic but how did you like Malta?I was there this past summer !

[MarusGTR]

A little late and off topic but how did you like Malta?I was there this past summer !

Being a guy used to drive 15 mins to get milk, Malta was like another world. I was staying at a small friendly family-operated hotel and would only have to do brisk walks to the conference center and to other hotels where I had made friends. I'd usually grab a few fruits from the mobile fruit stands everywhere I went, especially when I'd wake early in the morning to go the conference center all prepped up.

It was... refreshing. I'm very grateful for the experience.

I was there in July, if you were too, its too bad we were oblivious to it! You could of joined us scientists sharing a couple cheap wine bottles on the beach at sundown.

PS: As much as I did like this new world, being around 90% teenagers partying 24/7 just made me feel -old-. I was in Saint-Julians so you can imagine how it was at night.

[bobbo]

It's a shame you didn't have more time to take in some of the historical tours in the area. Some of the things you see there are simply unbelievable. It's a solid reminder of just how young Canada is.

Any word on what you are going to treat your car to during this off season?

[DJ]

I was in saint julians as well but in june. Very nice little country.

[MarusGTR]

It's a shame you didn't have more time to take in some of the historical tours in the area. Some of the things you see there are simply unbelievable. It's a solid reminder of just how young Canada is.

Any word on what you are going to treat your car to during this off season?

Oh don't get me wrong we did visit Mdina two times, one at night with friends, saw the view of the country (lol) atop the fortified walls and the other in daylight with other delegates with champagne served.

Sorry to dissapoint you but... this year is not looking promising. I haven't bought parts yet and anyway, I haven't had a job in a while. I do think I'll do a bushing refresh on the car though. The rims would also need a new coat of paint, the tracking burned some and it yellowed.

Obviously I'm always up for more track time, especially if it could be two days in a row to properly get my money's worth/hang out.

On another note I'm finishing my article and going to look for jobs soon.

PS: If anyone knows about good RnD jobs, high stakes project management or just worthwhile engineering, I'm interested.

[bobbo]

Empty your mailbox.

[MarusGTR]

2012 - Epilogue

Here are a few pics I had taken in various photoshoots











And finally, a recap of my 2012 season... I'm weary of thinking about 2013, it's coming around really quick.

[bobbo]

Damn the looks great in those pics! Well done!

[quadracer111]

God damn those rotors are sexy. Want!