Summit Point, Shendandoah Circuit - This Sunday.

[Garrett]

Hello all,

The SCCA was nice enough to grant me a spot for their "Helmets off to Heroes" Veterans day event this Sunday.  It is an HPDE event.  I am super excited about this.  If anyone has ran this track, please advise me about it.  I will be on Bridgestone Potenza 215/45/R17 RE71Rs that I normally autocross on.  The tires are new, only used for one event so far (and that was in the rain).  My concerns are tire pressure for track (I am thinking higher then autocross, near stock values due to heat), brake fade due to boiling of the brake fluid, and inexperience on this track.  Any advice that keeps the rubber side down and heart beat up is appreciated.

[1975_mini]

3 hours ago, Garrett said:

Hello all,

The SCCA was nice enough to grant me a spot for their "Helmets off to Heroes" Veterans day event this Sunday.  It is an HPDE event.  I am super excited about this.  If anyone has ran this track, please advise me about it.  I will be on Bridgestone Potenza 215/45/R17 RE71Rs that I normally autocross on.  The tires are new, only used for one event so far (and that was in the rain).  My concerns are tire pressure for track (I am thinking higher then autocross, near stock values due to heat), brake fade due to boiling of the brake fluid, and inexperience on this track.  Any advice that keeps the rubber side down and heart beat up is appreciated.

@MarkDDrew have you run out there?

[MarkDDrew]

On 11/5/2020 at 2:41 PM, 1975_mini said:

@MarkDDrew have you run out there?

Corey, thanks for tag, I have indeed driven Shenandoah many times.

Garrett,  it's a great track and you're going to have a lot of fun!  First, you're going to have an instructor in your car the whole time on track with a mic and earpiece in your helmet they will provide so you can talk to each other.  As long as you listen to your instructor, they will keep you safe.  The approach will be to build slowly and learn the track, so your instructor will have you braking fairly early, especially at the start to leave plenty of room for error.  Usually they'll have some cones at entry, apex, and exit for the corner for visual references which are a challenge for track driving as often you won't see the exit, and even sometimes the apex at the turn-in point.

I've driven a couple 2nd gen / r56 MINIs there many times with the time trial group, so I've driven the track fast, but not in a 3rd gen, so this will only be based on first hand r56 JCW experience.

- With tire pressures, starting with OEM pressures should be fine.  If I start with 36 psi all around after I come off from some fast driving for 10 minutes or more on the track the fronts will be around 50 PSI, and the rears will be just over 40.  For learning a track high PSI is fine and it will help protect the outside edges of your tires from fast wear due to camber gain in the corners.  If you bring a tire pressure gauge and and want to check pressures and adjust, I'd still keep them in the 40s when you are out on track.  Based on your tires you'll have plenty of grip regardless of pressure, likely more than most other drivers out there.  As the day goes on, you can look at the wear on your tires and adjust pressures accordingly.  Also, a slightly understeer bias while you are learning a track can keep things a little safer as if you start to overcook it a little on a corner exit, usually that will just mean your front tires start squealing but the handling otherwise is very predictable.  Leaving the pressure in the fronts a little higher will increase that understeer bias.

- As far as brake pads and fluid on the r56 with the brembo JCW BBK with stock pads and fuild, I could definitely start to build too much heat in the fronts after 7 minutes or so of running hard with very late braking on every corner.  I don't think I had a problem with the fuild, it was the pads that would get too hot first.  When I run pads that can take a higher temp with OEM fluid I haven't had a problem.  I'm not sure how the 3rd gen will react, or what pads you are running.   Usually the instructors start out with "70%" breaking which won't throw so much heat into the brakes so quickly.  The reality is in a group where you could have a number of beginner drivers, you'll probably spend a fair amount of time waiting to be pointed by in the passing zones, which are only in the straight sections.  In this scenario you may not build enough heat in the brakes to have any issues.  If you do get several laps of consistently fast running in, pay close attention to the feel of your brake pedal.  If it starts to get soft at all, back way off in your braking zones and let your instructor know.  When I've been trying to run all-out with OEM pads and fluid, I might get one "warning" stop where the pedal starts to feel softer.  Especially if the first soft-pedal stop is in one of the 2 big braking zones, then on the next stop the brake pedal could go straight to the floor for me, and I've had to slow the car with the e-brake to get it off the track and cool things down. 

Between track sessions, check you car out, its good to check tire pressures soon after coming off the track to see it close to the hot pressure on track and adjust based on that.  Once the car cools down you may want to check the torque on the lugs nuts on the wheels just to make sure nothings is coming loose.  Once the car is cool I also look at my fluid levels and I also check the hose clamps under the hood with a screw driver as Shenandoah can be a bumpy track and may shake things loose.  Hopefully in a 2019 MINI, this won't be much of an issue, but in an 09 with over 100k miles on it, I definitely have to keep an eye on things shaking loose.

 

 

 

[Garrett]

Thank you for the advice @MarkDDrew, yours matched up  with my instructors advice (I emailed him the same day I wrote the post).  I started with OEM tire pressures and would check and adjust back to 38F/35R after each session.  After the first session, the fronts had jumped to 55 psi.  The track was great fun and an amazing time.  My video is up on FB and its public, so anyone can see it here:   https://www.facebook.com/100000300670813/videos/3593579167328737/ .   

Pics can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/100000300670813/videos/3593579167328737/

On my last session I used the HOTLAP app and it has me at 1:59.494 for my best time.  I have no idea where that stacks against other hatchbacks (I'm not judging myself against the Vettes), but who cares - it was amazing fun.  So I would love to continue doing it, but money is always the limiter.

See you all tomorrow at the Tri-State run.