Project 2.Slow Mazda3

[Maengelito]

Shit is in. Window works, and brake lines fixed. Aw yeah. Yes my collars are rusted. I plan to never change my height anyways....

:thumbup:

[rherold9]

Hyperdrive at Hyperfest:

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcQ3z8bOEgY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcQ3z8bOEgY</a><!-- m -->

[rherold9]

Me car loved oversteer at around the 12 minute mark. I'm glad I kept on the throttle instead of letting off so my front end would keep on pulling and not throw off the balance more causing more over steer. Was confused why the instructor was telling me to get off throttle but I could possibly be stupid I guess cause getting closer to edge of track. Someone inform me of his logic, I knew my tires had more grip to just throw more steering input and throttle, there were just little patches of new pavement that were messing things up a bit. Idk.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Can't watch your video at work but hopefully you had a good time and your instructor was good!

[Jake]

Looks like a good time, Ryan! Glad you had a chatty instructor - I always found the ton of input to be helpful, particularly on a track that was new to me. Good driving in there :thumbup:

[SlimKlim]

You looked great out there!

Your instructor was much more talkative than mine, I actually had to ask him to keep giving me play by plays. The most difficult part of the track for me was definitely the 2 part left-hander going back onto the straight in front of the pits. I could not figure out that line for the life of me.

[rherold9]

Thanks DJ, feel free to watch it whenever you want. I had a good time. More Hyperdrive's to come and once I get a bit more comfortable I'll be on to a full HPDE weekend.

Thanks Jake, it was a great time. The instructor was great and helpful. He was chatty but not too chatty. He knew where I was looking and even when my adrenaline was kicking in. I liked that track. I mean it was nice to get on a different track and drive it.

Thanks Joey, yeah I really noticed you were having trouble with that 2part left turn (shallow entry, slight brake to a late turn in). It sucks to have a bad instructor I know if I wasn't getting the instruction I would have been asking the entire time. Your rear brakes were smoking there at the end and at least your engine made it :thumbup:

Overall, this second Hyperdrive I was a lot less freaking out. I was more comfortable, sensory overload wasn't apparent, another great instructor, and had a lot of fun. I need to start locking my seatbelt and get a new seat. I also need better brakes. Other than that car did decently well.

[Senor_Taylor]

You looked great out there!

Your instructor was much more talkative than mine, I actually had to ask him to keep giving me play by plays. The most difficult part of the track for me was definitely the 2 part left-hander going back onto the straight in front of the pits. I could not figure out that line for the life of me.

At least your car looked stunning out there!

[SlimKlim]

Yeah I really struggled with that line, I started to get it a lot more when you were in front of me and I could use you as a guide. I think I could've gotten much smoother and cleaner with another session out there, I felt like I was just starting to shake out the cobwebs towards the end of that one.

[Jake]

Overall, this second Hyperdrive I was a lot less freaking out. I was more comfortable, sensory overload wasn't apparent, another great instructor, and had a lot of fun. I need to start locking my seatbelt and get a new seat. I also need better brakes. Other than that car did decently well.

Make sure to talk with some of us safety gurus before you go doing a racing seat with your stock seatbelt... especially with everything that happened on Saturday being so fresh in my mind, I just don't want to see you do safety halfassed (not that you would, just gotta say it).

Better brakes - definitely. I think you are already running Super Blue? I switched to Motul RB600 because I kept boiling the ATE stuff.

As you keep driving, you'll get a lot more relaxed and I'm glad you started to feel that way after this session. Hopefully you can have a full weekend in the cards soon - the learning really picks up if you can keep going back out throughout the day.

Rock on.

[rherold9]

Joey, I feel the same way about some parts. I felt I had some turns down decently. While others I needed another session where I could really start getting it down.

Jake, I'm going to test locking my seatbelt. If that doesn't hold me I'm going to eventually step up to Corbeau with a harness bar. I've found Corbeau X1 Pro will fit and has a okay price tag that's affordable and reasonable for this car. I have the fluid but I have not put any in. Planning on killing these pads probably by winter because of Hyperdrive's and Auto-x, then getting EBC Yellow's or Hawk HP Plus', rotors resurfaced plus SS lines and then put the new fluid in.

[navin]

Skip the harness bar... it's not even worth the money.

I believe there is a company called CG lock that makes something for seatbelts that lock them in place. A lot of auto-x guys use them.

[SlimKlim]

+1, the more I'm around track guys the more I'm convinced safety mods are either 100% on or 100% off.

Either you stay stock, or you do a cage, 2 seats, 2 5-points, and get rid of the airbag. Anything in between, 4 points, harness bars, harnesses on stock seats, etc, are really only good for autocrosses and are potentially more dangerous if you got into an accident on the road, so it's not worth the money IMO. If you just throw in a driver's seat, an instructor probably won't ride with you because they don't want to be in a car with mismatched safety stuff.

I wouldn't even mess with a fancy seat belt locker, get in, slide the seat all the way back, pull the belt tight as possible across your lap, then jerk it from the top so it locks, then while holding it tight, slide your seat forward until you take up all the slack and it's tight across your chest. You'll be surprised just how well that method holds you in place.

[rherold9]

I have a hard time locking my seatbelt. I have attempted this. But will keep trying. Hopefully one of these times it will work.

Edit: Got it. Just might take 2 tries sometimes to get it perfect

[rherold9]

This weekend at VIR was awesome. Got to ride in a GT2, C6, C7, Jake's M3, and Chris' M3. I learned a lot by watching their line and such as I need a bit of help in some turns. It was a really fun time.

Wasn't able to get a video of my Hyperdrive. I have other pictures and videos but I learned a lot.

Brakes really are pretty damn good for stock brakes. I had to correct bad oversteer 3-4 times at 60+ mph and literally drifting corners at times. Tires stick very very well but that back end loves to come out if you arent on the throttle (which was my fault). I was not able to push the car like today with the old all season tires and never had an issue. I just have to learn it and get used to it with practice and time. Now that I'm pushing the car more and more things can get a bit scary. So either I slap on the FSB I have been holding off on or I lower the rear sway bar to the lowest setting or I keep it and learn the car. I think I may just keep it as the car rotates nicely I'm just not used to it yet.

The car was able to keep up with a BRZ in the straight and we danced a bit in the corner but my lack of ability with the newer set up I wasn't pushing it. This is my DD and I'm not about to try to put the car into the wall pushing to hard right now. I'm enjoying it and my instructor never said anything badly about my driving which was nice. I just corrected a few things with my line and I was good to go. He said he was surprised about how much I knew of the line as he has been out with a few guys that have been there several times and didn't have it down.

I shall be back that is for sure. I need a full weekend sometime so I can get some consistency in my runs. Also, I started heel toeing during the Hyperdrive, wasn't too bad. Needs improvement of course.

[rherold9]

Quick video I made of some of the racing: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV47VJ4lszY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hV47VJ4lszY</a><!-- m -->

[Jake]

Was great seeing you! Sorry for the brief pucker moment at the top of the esses... guess I now know where my limit of grip is there

Now save up some cash and do a full HPDE 1 weekend!

[rherold9]

Was great seeing you! Sorry for the brief pucker moment at the top of the esses... guess I now know where my limit of grip is there

Now save up some cash and do a full HPDE 1 weekend!

Oh I wasn't worried about going off at the top because there wasn't any walls directly in front of us we would have just went across 10 towards the back straight and then maybe hit something hopefully slowly down a bit

I really need to do that. I just have a lot to pay for coming up in the fall (brakes soonish, parking pass, new phone, textbooks, etc...). So probably not until Spring/Summer sadly.

[rherold9]

Pics of my car from a forum meet in NOVA. Damn a nice camera can make a car look so damn nice!!! All photo credits go to BJ McCardle. Sick shots.

[ScottyB]

so how did you get out of your car after you parked it in that mini-pond? just suck it up and soak your shoes?