*The FL5 Track Junkie Thread*

[Rexpelagi]

On a side note can you run aftermarket brake calipers in gridlife street?

Yep - the ruleset is pretty open, but ya you can run whatever brakes you want.

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[west357]

I’m on stock tune and I struggle to get power down over that hill. I can imagine 400hp is impossible. FWD is not ideal on that part of the track

 

[Rexpelagi]

Day 2 (Saturday) Update: 0% change of rain apparently meant rain from 730a to around 10a, so the morning session was trashed again. The 2nd session had an issue with traffic impacting multiple cars (me and the Elantra got held up hard), but I managed to sneak a good lap in towards the end of the session at 1:35.7 that was enough to snatch the FWD lead in the class, which I extended to 1:35.6 in the 3rd session, but ultimately everyone knew it was all going to come down to the morning of day 3 (assuming it was dry).

Day 3 (Sunday) Update: Well, it was dry! And everyone dropped time, massively. Eddy was in the front of group C and was the first to lay down a run at 1:35.312, with the Elantra and me grided in the back of the slightly faster Group B based on times from the previous day. We both went out and laid down much faster times, but in the end I was frustratingly behind by only 0.050s, with the Elantra at 1:34.827 and me at 1:34.875! I was happy with the time but devasted to be relegated to being just behind the Elantra, again, and given the temps expected for later in the day I was chatting with my buddies that I just wish I had found 0.060s, semi-resigned to 2nd in FWD, as lots of people rolled out skipping the afternoon session.

Like many I assumed the 330p session would be trash, but I knew I had a little bit of time left (as many people likely did). I went out and on my first flier I did a slightly faster 1:34.8xx, but I wasn't sure if it was enough on the official transponder time, and I didn't know what the Elantra did. I ran 2 slow laps letting the field go and then did one more flier, and managed a very slightly faster 1:34.8xx, but I still didn't know where that put me. I pulled in and frantically checked my phone and I did it! I managed a 1:34.825 on the first flier (which actually was enough), and then managed a 1:34.809 on lap 5 through force of will, as the tires weren't happy by Thunder Valley, and since the Elantra didn't go faster I finally got a record (and only 0.060s out of a podium)!

For context, the previous record was 1:36.060 (by Eddy last year) and 4 of us in class crushed it this year, but I was ecstatic to finally walk away with one having held the record at some point during the weekend at every event so far this year.

Here's the fast lap - I did go back to 3rd in madness only - not sure if it helped, but I needed to try something, and I was off the apex on T9 and T11 as the tires just could not hang on that long that late in the session, but it was enough!

 

[west357]

Super impressive lap. Congrats on the record!!

 

[svvitch]

Hell yea John! That's awesome! How'd you like Mid-O? I mean, obviously you liked the result, but was it *fun*

 

[Rexpelagi]

Super impressive lap. Congrats on the record!!

Thanks!!!

Hell yea John! That's awesome! How'd you like Mid-O? I mean, obviously you liked the result, but was it *fun*

Thanks!!! I actually really enjoyed it. It was my first time driving here even though I lived in NE Ohio for 30yrs as I always heard how diabolical it was in wet conditions and didn't see the appeal (although it was repaved finally a few years ago), but I have a lot more track experience now and my very first laps on the track were wet. If you get the chance to drive it you definitely should - it's challenging in the right ways and flows really well.

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