Thunderhill is faster

[SolidCitizen]

In case you haven't been there in the last couple weeks, Thunderhill has a few repaved areas and some totally new pavement inside the apex and outside the exit berm of some turns. Its great that tracks get improvements like these, but I'm a little bummed that some of the turns now allow you to drive in areas you're not supposed to with no repercussions. For example, the inside of turn 12 still has the same apex berm, but beyond that is now totally paved with blue lines painted over it and some raised reflectors about two car widths inside. If you're a bandit you can just drive right over that stuff and get awesome speed on the back straight. The outside of turn 14 is a similar deal, you can arc out beyond the exit berm, take the last turn with better entry and end up going an extra 5 mph or more at the end of the front straight. The outside of 8 is also more friendly, but I think that one was done better as it only saves you from a minor overspeed; you'll still go up the grassy hill if you're exiting way too fast. Since I was instructing and have to drive the school line, I was busy trying to catch up to people as they
cut corners in front of me, calling them CHEATERS the whole time. :tongue:

NSX content: run-off room is good as it reduces rocks getting tossed around, which chip the heck out of our low cars.

 

[akrs]

I am new in the San Jose area and looking for a place to play with my toy. Where can I find out about track days at Thunderhill or other circuits in Northern Califonia?

Thanks

 

[2slow2speed]

I am new in the San Jose area and looking for a place to play with my toy. Where can I find out about track days at Thunderhill or other circuits in Northern Califonia?
Thanks

http://www.motorsportreg.com/calendar/

 

[2slow2speed]

In case you haven't been there in the last couple weeks, Thunderhill has a few repaved areas and some totally new pavement inside the apex and outside the exit berm of some turns. Its great that tracks get improvements like these, but I'm a little bummed that some of the turns now allow you to drive in areas you're not supposed to with no repercussions. For example, the inside of turn 12 still has the same apex berm, but beyond that is now totally paved with blue lines painted over it and some raised reflectors about two car widths inside. If you're a bandit you can just drive right over that stuff and get awesome speed on the back straight. The outside of turn 14 is a similar deal, you can arc out beyond the exit berm, take the last turn with better entry and end up going an extra 5 mph or more at the end of the front straight. The outside of 8 is also more friendly, but I think that one was done better as it only saves you from a minor overspeed; you'll still go up the grassy hill if you're exiting way too fast. Since I was instructing and have to drive the school line, I was busy trying to catch up to people as they
cut corners in front of me, calling them CHEATERS the whole time. :tongue:

NSX content: run-off room is good as it reduces rocks getting tossed around, which chip the heck out of our low cars.

Hi Jeff,

BTW: All of those changes were made to make Thill a bit more friendly for the guys on 2 wheels, heard that laptimes might drop by a second at most if you run over the extra portions of the track.

The exit on turn 14 is pretty much useless given that if you do go out that wide your entry into 15 will be messed up. Were you shifting to 3rd right on the exit berm of 15? Or did you reach redline much earlier than the exit berm on 15?

Just curious, I didn't try the other line that you are referring to on 14 given that the car did not feel right and the turn in for 15 would have been much sharper thus slower.

BTW: Who were you running with? What laptimes where you running?

Didn't see you at the last UL event, might be heading up there this Friday, still deciding.

Ken

 

[Hrant]

Were you shifting to 3rd right on the exit berm of 15?


Wow, Ken, you hit it right on the head. This is the stuff of real boy racers :biggrin:

You can measure how well you are coming out of 14 by gauging whether you shifted to 3rd midway on track out berm of 15 or at the very end of the berm ....... and even then, those with more hp or lighter NSXs will blow by you if you are stock :wink:

And if you mess up the track out of 14 because you took it too early, you can have a 360 or even a 360 with a backward 180 ........... been the passenger both times, and in one case the driver was an actual accomplished Speed/Touring racer!

 

[2slow2speed]

In case you haven't been there in the last couple weeks, Thunderhill has a few repaved areas and some totally new pavement inside the apex and outside the exit berm of some turns. Its great that tracks get improvements like these, but I'm a little bummed that some of the turns now allow you to drive in areas you're not supposed to with no repercussions. For example, the inside of turn 12 still has the same apex berm, but beyond that is now totally paved with blue lines painted over it and some raised reflectors about two car widths inside. If you're a bandit you can just drive right over that stuff and get awesome speed on the back straight. The outside of turn 14 is a similar deal, you can arc out beyond the exit berm, take the last turn with better entry and end up going an extra 5 mph or more at the end of the front straight. The outside of 8 is also more friendly, but I think that one was done better as it only saves you from a minor overspeed; you'll still go up the grassy hill if you're exiting way too fast. Since I was instructing and have to drive the school line, I was busy trying to catch up to people as they
cut corners in front of me, calling them CHEATERS the whole time. :tongue:

NSX content: run-off room is good as it reduces rocks getting tossed around, which chip the heck out of our low cars.

BTW: I think that I saw your NSX at Gold's in Campbell last night, I noticed that your NSX had RA1's so perhaps the 5mph difference might be related more with your tires rather than the "other" line

 

[2slow2speed]

Were you shifting to 3rd right on the exit berm of 15?


Wow, Ken, you hit it right on the head. This is the stuff of real boy racers :biggrin:

You can measure how well you are coming out of 14 by gauging whether you shifted to 3rd midway on track out berm of 15 or at the very end of the berm ....... and even then, those with more hp or lighter NSXs will blow by you if you are stock :wink:

And if you mess up the track out of 14 because you took it too early, you can have a 360 or even a 360 with a backward 180 ........... been the passenger both times, and in one case the driver was an actual accomplished Speed/Touring racer!

Hrant,

Yep, the glory is in the details. hehe..

With the stock 6 speed and 275/35/18 rears (RA1's or SO3's) most of the time I'm feathering the throttle so that I won't go over redline between 14 and 15 , have tried short shifting but that results on lower exit speeds.

BTW: Having the big a$$ spoiler on the back really helps on 13/14/15, so it's not just more hp and lower weight :wink:

Ken

 

[SolidCitizen]

Hey Ken,

Oh I'd hope the track owners were thinking of more than just bikes...bikes only fill half their calendar! :wink:

The NASA race groups were reporting up to 4 seconds off their lap times with the new pavement. Most of that was from going fast out of 11 and completely cutting 12, and getting the most out of 8. These guys don't care about punting cones.

I definitely wouldn't call the 14 runoff useless towards a faster line. I'm not talking about taking an early wrong apex through 14, going far into the new pavement then wide arcing through 15. What I found is I could go an inch or two past the berm to get a straighter, faster angle through 15. All the competitive cars I watched in front of me that day did pretty much the same thing. But yes, as far as all the track changes go, the 14 exit pavement is only so good since the 15 apex must still be hit.

Your turn in to 15 wouldn't be sharper if you arc smoothly beyond the 14 exit berm, again just a couple inches.

It was a NASA trackday and I didn't measure my times this time. The last time I measured was last summer on street tires 215/45-16 RE010, 255/40-17 S-03, full track (cyclone), 2:15. I've gotten faster since then and of course RA-1's cut a lot of seconds.

My front straight speed comparison is with the same R tires each time, duh! :tongue:

With street tires I'd go into 3rd on the 15 apex berm. On R tires I enter 14 in 3rd and am WOT in the 14 late apex, almost in the gutter.

I'm skipping this Friday. Part of the reason is my pads are done and it always seems to take forever to get Carbotech pads. I hope you get out there!

Hi Jeff,

BTW: All of those changes were made to make Thill a bit more friendly for the guys on 2 wheels, heard that laptimes might drop by a second at most if you run over the extra portions of the track.

The exit on turn 14 is pretty much useless given that if you do go out that wide your entry into 15 will be messed up. Were you shifting to 3rd right on the exit berm of 15? Or did you reach redline much earlier than the exit berm on 15?

Just curious, I didn't try the other line that you are referring to on 14 given that the car did not feel right and the turn in for 15 would have been much sharper thus slower.

BTW: Who were you running with? What laptimes where you running?

Didn't see you at the last UL event, might be heading up there this Friday, still deciding.

Ken

 

[kenjiMR]

Hey Ken,

Oh I'd hope the track owners were thinking of more than just bikes...bikes only fill half their calendar! :wink:

The NASA race groups were reporting up to 4 seconds off their lap times with the new pavement. Most of that was from going fast out of 11 and completely cutting 12, and getting the most out of 8. These guys don't care about punting cones.

I definitely wouldn't call the 14 runoff useless towards a faster line. I'm not talking about taking an early wrong apex through 14, going far into the new pavement then wide arcing through 15. What I found is I could go an inch or two past the berm to get a straighter, faster angle through 15. All the competitive cars I watched in front of me that day did pretty much the same thing. But yes, as far as all the track changes go, the 14 exit pavement is only so good since the 15 apex must still be hit.

Your turn in to 15 wouldn't be sharper if you arc smoothly beyond the 14 exit berm, again just a couple inches.

It was a NASA trackday and I didn't measure my times this time. The last time I measured was last summer on street tires 215/45-16 RE010, 255/40-17 S-03, full track (cyclone), 2:15. I've gotten faster since then and of course RA-1's cut a lot of seconds.

My front straight speed comparison is with the same R tires each time, duh! :tongue:

With street tires I'd go into 3rd on the 15 apex berm. On R tires I enter 14 in 3rd and am WOT in the 14 late apex, almost in the gutter.

I'm skipping this Friday. Part of the reason is my pads are done and it always seems to take forever to get Carbotech pads. I hope you get out there!

cool. looks like we gotta another local nsxer that times his laptimes around here. Ken, looks like we got some good competition to play with.

 

[Andrie Hartanto]

From what I heard the extra pavement is about 1-2 sec faster. We'll find out for sure tomorrow!

 

[RP-Motorsports]

What is up with all of the "berm" talk??? I have never heard of that before??? We non-californians use the terms "track-out, curbing, or rumble strip" :biggrin:

 

[SolidCitizen]

Hi Kenji,

cool. looks like we gotta another local nsxer that times his laptimes around here. Ken, looks like we got some good competition to play with.

I'm definitely down for some friendly time trialing. Its fun like bench racing but we can learn from each other.

RP,
I never really thought about the use of "berm" before. :smile: It does sound a little hokey, but its short.