[Velocity]

Who is using their car for track and/or Auto-X? What is your setup?

Also, how does the car behave? I see mostly complaints from daily drivers about things like suspension setup and such, but I don't hear that much from track people. I'm looking into doing this with the VT myself and was curious.

Thanks!

 

[Blakngold4life]

I'll bite, I want to hear more about what other people are running on theirs. My track set up is pretty simple right now, I autocross in GSX (street tire). I have MSW type 22 wheels. 17x7.5 and 21 lbs, my local club doesn't care about the change in wheels especially since it will be legal for the new SCCA street tire class if it gets approved. Tires are Hankook R-S3 in 215/45/17 with a 200 tw. I am still playing with tire pressure, but seemed to be pretty happy with about 42 psi in the front and around 55 in the rear. The car handles very neutral for a fwd, but still pushes into hard corners more than I would like. Due to class restrictions, I really cant do a whole lot and would have to invest way more money than I want to into it to be competitive in a st class. There really arent any ways to adjust the alignment using stock equipment, but I dont think anyone would notice some Whiteline crash bolts... Hopefully a rear sway bar will help to get rid of some of the push, as that is within the stock class requirements. Also on my list is an exhuast, which is more for sound than anything else, and some decent brake pads with DOT4 fluid. This is my 3rd season, first in a fwd car,I have been consistently finishing around 3rd out of 10 in the street tire class (PAX'd) and around the top 40% (PAX'd) and around bottom 40% raw time. Here is a link to my youtube channel abshifflett - YouTube

 

[Blakngold4life]

I am participating in a "practice" autocross this weekend. What that means is, I will have time to do simple modifications and compare the results. So far I plan on experimenting with the clutch switch, air box magnet, air filter, tire pressures and will do a comparison on stock tires to give everyone an idea of just how slow they are. Any other free "mods" or changes anyone wants to see? Not sure about the install of a rear sway bar, but if it takes under an hour, and someone in Richmond wants to lend me one, I will gladly test the results of it for them.

 

[swordfish]

You can speed up the bar install time by putting the bolts in prior to the event. That way you just snapping on a couple of bolts.

 

[Blakngold4life]

I've seen a bunch of other guys posting about going to the track, what is everyone else's set up and classing? With all the recent stuff thats been coming out I'm really considering moving out of stock class.

 

[Petey T]

I ran mine in an Auto-X for the first time yesterday. I have some experience but my car is basically 100% stock (Injen SRI). We ran a hybrid road/auto-x course on a small oval track with a figure 8 infield. It really favored the high HP cars who could keep up speed in the banking before dropping in to the infield.

Here's a shot of the track before the final setup was finished:

As far as a stock VT it was very hard. I had massive understeer, virtually no grip on the Khumos, and was lacking power on the straights. The brakes felt great though and in the few tight corners the low weight of the VT was nice. I did a few last year in our shop pig, an '06 Audi A4 1.8T on coils and 19" Champions. Overall I don't think it was a lack of power as much as a huge need for improved suspension that would have helped my time. I was hoping to be lowered and have my strut tower brace before I ran but that never happened.

After everyone left I did get to run wide open on the full oval. It was awesome. I was hitting 65mph before getting on the brakes. First time I've driven on any banks.

 

[Hurricane]

This past weekend was my first run at an auto-x. From what I was told this is the first time this group did it on a banked oval track. I didn't do anything with the tire pressure and have the stock tires. I have a strut tower brace and Pierce torsion bar. I'm going to get a set of camber bolts next month. But, with the torsion bar it helped out keeping the rear end planted. The pictures Petey T posted are from the same auto-x I was at.

Here's a video of one of my runs.

 

[serioussam]

I ran mine in lapping night here on a small track every friday since near 2 months, with all the mods I got on suspension the car definitly feel great and really well balance on track, the stock tire and brakes are really the limiting factor on the car right now...I ran in a session with fast cars 3 weeks ago and made 6 fast laps before getting really bad brakes fade....and i mean really bad like no brake at all when entering a curve at 155km ( I really really did all I can to follow that nice 911 turbo!)...but nothing beats the 6 points brace from pierce to level up grass in a corner! But all in all the car is fast enought to get past some civics, g35, gti, cts-v...

 

[Blakngold4life]

I've seen a lot more members post about taking their cars to the track, so lets bring this back and add what class you are competing in if applicable. I have the same set up with addition to a k&n drop in filter, running in G-street (GS) through SCCA.

 

[vt_guest123]

STX Class in SCCA.

With everything in my signature.

Stock suspension.

 

[JGunz18]

Wow PeTey that was as basic of a course as it gets. On normal courses you should hardly ever be in 3rd gear. On that course it looks like 3rd gear will be touched frequently. I will give Hella updates on this Thread next month :cool2:

 

[bosco72]

Pierce said he had rear bar, front 2 point ,strut brace , springs and good tires and it had g force like a lot of sport cars when test it

 

[Darkhill240]

Most of those mods are there to make the car more predicable and consistent. Those are magic words in racing. The best handling mod you can do is get good tires that can grip. You can drop 2 seconds on an autox course with tires alone.

 

[SquiddyB6S4]

Most of those mods are there to make the car more predicable and consistent. Those are magic words in racing. The best handling mod you can do is get good tires that can grip. You can drop 2 seconds on an autox course with tires alone.

I disagree - the best handling mod you can do is the driver mod. Second place is get good tires, and everything else is way behind from there.

Also, remember that the stock Kumho's were stated to be good for 0.80g on the skidpad by Car & Driver, while the optional, same size Michelin PSS's tested at 0.90g. A tenth of a g in lateral acceleration is an epic difference. PSS's or similar (or R-comps) should be on every real enthusiast's short list of stuff to buy. Restated, if you think you're a serious enthusiast and you have stock Kumho's, or any other economy or all weather tire, then you're not a serious enthusiast, and all the money you've spent on coilovers and other stuff is wasted because your tires won't let you make any real grip. 0.80g is the lateral acceleration of a pickup truck.

Also, when I get this yahoo out on the open track later this year, I will be bringing my GTech RR to do some logging of lateral acceleration, just for giggles. Plus, it will help give me some concrete numbers, turn by turn, which I could compare in the future should I decide to make this car the dual purpose machine and get some track wheels and tires. I just might need to make a custom mount to the passenger seat rail or something, but I really want to bring it. I also want to log the OBD2 port with my logger, but that's probably going to be a little more difficult to get past tech.

 

[sonofjohn]

took my car to autox as eel for 2 hours just for fun and honestly i had a blast!!! aside that i have stretched tires it wasn't doing to bad aha xD ill post my video soon

 

[RPW00Mirage]

i cant wait...

i've got:
k-sport coils (will be cornerweighted)
whiteline rear sway
hankook slicks 225/40r17

no actual power mods yet, running in DSP. i was getting shitloads of torque steer in the NAV. i don't see this car being any easier... especially with the slicks hardening up a bit over the winter

 

[vt_guest123]

i cant wait...

i've got:
k-sport coils (will be cornerweighted)
whiteline rear sway
hankook slicks 225/40r17

no actual power mods yet, running in DSP. i was getting shitloads of torque steer in the NAV. i don't see this car being any easier... especially with the slicks hardening up a bit over the winter

Why are you running DSP?

I thought the VT would be in GSP once on slicks.

 

[RPW00Mirage]

no idea. they always classed the higher HP FWD cars into DSP (GTI turbo etc, sub 225hp)

every club is a little different.

 

[vt_guest123]

no idea. they always classed the higher HP FWD cars into DSP (GTI turbo etc, sub 225hp)

every club is a little different.

Yeah still on street tires so I get to play in STX but once I find a good price on some RPF1s I will be getting a set of slicks and moving up to the SP classes. Want to make sure I get the right one so the PAX is on point.

Classing the VT is still wonky due to SCCA just getting us in the rules book.

 

[RPW00Mirage]

i always pick up second hand slicks. 80% of the grip at 1/3 the price