What I Learned at Sigma;

1) That RX7 owners are really a great group of guys and way way to much into their cars.
2) Toronto Motorsports Park is really really bumpy and really narrow. Also, a race suspension setup doesn't work at all there.
3) Torque rules on such a tight slow track, unless you own a really small and nimble car like a Miata or a Lotus.
4) If your rpm range is large enough, you can drive the whole track in one gear!
5) Did I mention that TMP is really really rough and bumpy and I also understand the passing rules. If you tried to hold events with open passing there, Body Shop guys would be kept busy for years.
6) A lot of you guys own extremely pretty cars.

So, if I was going to take this seriously, my car setup would have to change dramatically. I was surprised how much different the setup would be for this type of track as compared to Mosport or even Shannonville. Everything about TMP and I assume Mosport DDT, is about torque coming out of the corners and mechanical grip. None of the corners are actually fast, so you can sacrifice a ton of stability for suspension compliance. You also need very low gearing in your car and the biggest tires you can fit in the wheel arches. Now, what I would do if I was ever coming out again would be the following;

1) Raise my car about an inch and drop the spring rates down to 350 front and 200 rear. I would also put the biggest bars on my car that I can find, front and rear. I was running my Mosport setup (600 front and 400 rear) and my car was pogoing off the track in most of the corners. Fun to drive, but not quick.
2) Beg, borrow or steal a 5:12 rear gear setup. This would allow me to play between 3rd and 4th gears which is a straight throw and easier to manage than a cross gate shift.
3) Take as much weight out of my car as possible. It makes the car accelerate faster and brake easier. Even if i did this only for the weekend and put it all back in afterwards, it would be worth it.
4) Run as little fuel as possible. I would put in about 4 gallons for the run and add more each time I went out to replace what was used up.
5) As I am down on power to most of the turbo cars and weigh about 300 lbs more than the Miatas, I would put as wide a tire as possible on the car. I would look at 15x9's and have them stick out of the fenders and run a 245x50x15 A6 on the car. The tires are about an inch taller than the 225x50x15 and an inch wider. The width gives you more grip and the taller sidewall will give you more compliance for the rough and bumpy tracks. It will give you more grip overall at a cost of some gearing.

Thats it for now.

Eric

 

Great tips. How did your brakes and tires hold up – and was heat buildup an issue?

 

If you come out again? You should come out again. DO IT. the more the merrier. Wish I had more time to hang out with everybody.

What I learned racing is expensive even Time Attack!
Replaced just before I got to the track.
-Power steering pump
-Rear lateral link. (Those things are list $200 each. WTF mazda!)
-Starter
-Alignment

What happened.
-expensive tires wear out quicker
-front strut Bilstein puked oil out of camber.
-Brakes like to eat cheaper rear rotors

What I am going to do about it.
-Purchase new coilovers from JRP
-Sell left leg and beg for no divource
-Go out again and get beat by a miata.

 

No issues with the brakes at all. What people don't realize is that brake pads are designed to operate within a certain temperature operating window. Hawk Blues are good from about 400 degrees to 1200 degrees F. If you run them colder than that they chew up rotors (check the operating temps of your rear pads Ian), hotter than that and they fade. I have run the stock single piston calipers and rotors on the front of my car since new. For tracks like DDT and TMP, its easy to get them hot enough and you control the too much heat with more ducting to the calipers and rotors. At Mosport Grand Prix track, the brakes cool off a ton between applications and you need to mask off the ducts for that track to keep the pads and rotors in the correct operating temperature zone. At Shannonville, with its higher speeds and tighter corners, I have to run as much ducting as I can get and I still am very marginal on brakes at the end of a 1 Hour Race. You conciously have to start easing off the brakes about 45 minutes in. I have melted the seals out of the calipers at times, LOL.

Measure brake temps when you come in from a long lapping session, then buy pads that work in that range. Easy peasy......

My tires are another story. They look great after the lapping. I put 45 hard laps on them and they are hardly worn at all. Thats because the tires I used were 8 YEARS OLD and as hard as rock. I use them for lapping days and to store the car on. I really shouldn't try to go fast on them anymore. I will be using my Continental slicks when I am trying to go fast this year.

And will I come out again, I don't know. TMP is a bit tight and bumpy, DDT looks even worse. If Sigma ran at Shannonville Pro Track or the Mosport GP track, then I would be very interested. I really miss being able to pass people in the corners as its entirely a lot more fun.

Eric

 

Ian, I have a set of Bilsteins in the front of my car right now. If you can wait a few weeks, I will be taking them out to replace them with the Triple Adjustable Morris Dampers. I can give you a very good price on them and they are already set up for 8 x 2.5" coilover springs. I run adjustable Koni's set up for the same coilover springs on the rear as well and they will also be available.

Let me know if you are interested.

Eric

 

PM me price. Looking at options at the moment but truth be told I would rather go the cheaper route. Are these revalved bilsteins? Where did you get them? Mine are inserts. Mine are from ISC racing. (They don't sell the kit and anymore)