Buttonwillow this weekend with Speed Ventures!... Can I be fast with a Honda?!...

[Nikeboy355]

Speed Ventures is hosting track days this weekend at Buttonwillow raceway...
I'll be running tomorrow (friday) but will also be there on Sunday with a bunch of friends...

http://www.speedventures.com/events/eventdetail.aspx?id=167

Friday I will be running configuration 1CCW(counter clockwise) but all of my experience has been in the clockwise configuration so this should be interesting...

Saturday and Sunday the course will be setup for 13CW... The time attack configuration that everyone loves...

Saturday and Sunday is sold out but there are still spots for friday...

I usually run with my S13 but that is being rebuilt so I'm borrowing a friend's S2000...

AP1 chassis
Carbotech race brake pads
Intake and exhaust
Bridgestone RE01-R tires
Tein SRC coilovers

So let's see what happens when an NA KA S13 guy gets to rev a couple thousand RPM higher with a very capable chassis...

I'll be documenting times and impressions during the day... If you are out there, please say "Hi"!...

http://nitinj.com/Images/Other/SalsS20001.JPG

[drift-it]

Do you know if Speed Ventures ever runs drift at button willow?

[Nikeboy355]

Do you know if Speed Ventures ever runs drift at button willow?
Not sure... I'll ask them tomorrow...

[Nikeboy355]

Here are more pics of the prep this week...

http://picasaweb.google.com/NitinJ355/SalSS2000

[ESCALVANTE]

Just for reference here are more pics and a complete mod list.
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=518628&md=1
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=518639&md=1
This is how my car ended up after 5 track sessions and two spins, one of which was really nasty and ended in the dirt. The other was a simple on-pavement 360. Pics:
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=518670&md=1
http://www.s2ki.com/forums/index.php?act=module&module=gallery&cmd=viewimage&img=518692&md=1


Engine:
Mugen Replica Intake
Berk Header
3" header-back exhaust mated to Apex'i N1 turbo muffler
SuperTech Titanium retainers and dual valvesprings
ASM Radiator plate cut for Mugen Intake
Redline 5W30 Engine Oil
Krank Vents
Homemade Catch Can

Suspension and Brakes:
Tein SRC coilovers
ST front and rear Sways
TC Design Rear AntiBumpsteer Kit
CarboTech brake pads: XP10s front, XP8s in rear
StopTech Slotted rotors front and rear
StopTech SS Brake Lines front and rear
Motul RBF 600 fluid for brakes and clutch
Enkei RPF1s 17x9 +45 front and rear (fenders rolled/pulled/lightly flared to fit these)
Bridgestone RE01R 245/4017 front and rear
Alignment and corner-balancing done by WestEnd
My Alignment settings are as follows:
Front Specs:
2.5 degrees camber
6.0 caster degrees on left/6.5 caster degrees on right
0 toe-in total in front
Rear Specs:
3.0 degrees camber
toe-in total 1/16

Misc:
Redline fluids in tranny and diff
Spoon shift titanium knob and reservoir tank covers
Bride Vios II and rails
MR Racing Carbon Mirrors

:bigok:

[ALEXTHESUS*PECT]

this car should be faster then your s13 depending on all your na mods!

[ESCALVANTE]

^^ I agree but Nikeboy355 and I are still working on the "Driver Mod." :naughty: It'll ultimately come down to driving skills.

[kognition]

Have fun out there. :rawk:
I have only done CCW once or twice, def a challenge. But that is what it's all about. Getting ready myself to trailer my car to St Louis for the next redline time attack. But this time, i have a new Kaaz 1.5 way, and spankin new R6 Hoosiers and a GT 300 wing. And finally a frackin dyno session over at JWT to dial in the new C1 cams. I have two friends flying out there also, but they are driving someone else's cars. An Evo and a G35.

[NismoB13]

How do you like the RE-01R tires? Do they provide good feedback?

[ESCALVANTE]

How do you like the RE-01R tires? Do they provide good feedback?

Yes. I really love these tires. I used to run Kumho MXs on my M Roadster and these tires are definitely better in every aspect.

[Nikeboy355]

I had a great time... And learned a lot...

I'll update this thread in a day or two but here is a video of one of my laps...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LgiREbiBnc

[CityTireOnline.com]

How'd the Tires hold up?

[AutoKA24DE]

i heart buttonwillow

[bo2o]

dam that tc was fast!

[s14_legend]

good stuff...s2k is pretty impressive... i cant wait to go tracking

[slider2828]

I woudl just too scared to drive my friends car on the track. I mean wrecking on the track is really easy.....

[NismoB13]

dam that tc was fast!

That looked like Dan Gardner's Scion TC and yes, it's very fast.

[drift-it]

wait so what did you hear about drift?

[gotta240]

Where did you find that friend? Can i borrow him/her for a while?

[s14sx]

I just checked your video clip, and it's awesome.. I hope you had fun Nitin!

[tykon]

hey, i am gonna be exactly opposite of this. ive had a ap1 i have tracked several times and just recently got a s13 to track so i dont have to beat up the ap1 so much. what do you think of the s2 vs the s13?

[Nikeboy355]

I had a great time at the track and I have to thank Sal for letting me drive his S2000... Not many people will let you do that...

But I have been to track a couple of times now and feel pretty comfortable on the course...

I took off the night before (thursday night) and got a motel room so I could wake up early and be at the track on time...

After the drivers meeting, the runs began pretty quickly...
Since it was a friday there was barely anyone there... That's good and bad...

Good if you know the course and are comfortable but it's bad if you are beginner because there were very few cars to chase(and steal their lines... Or just to work off of their lines)...

The weather was perfect and the configuration we were running was 1 Counter Clockwise... My first time on this course in that direction...

http://buttonwillowraceway.com/images/race_01_config.gif

Most of my experience has been going clockwise with configuration 13 (the Time Attack config) which is similar in their mapping but a complete different course to drive backwards... It was like learning the course all over again...

On the first session I was learning everything about how the car acted... From accelerating, to turning, to braking... I went off the course pretty bad once at about 90 MPH while exiting the esses but the car just slid in the dirt and eventually came to a stop... One more offcourse excursion going over Lost Hill frustrated me as well...

The second session I slowed down about 10MPH and focused on lines... A much better run and I never went offcourse...

The third session I sped it up a little and went off course a couple of times... Once while chasing 2 silver Corvettes for a solid two laps... That was a lot of fun... That session ended up with me having to talk to the instructor because they felt that I wasn't understanding how to drive...

I explained to them that it was first time in the car and first time on this configuration but they asked me to talk to Aaron, the guy who runs Speed Ventures...

I spoke to Aaron, who knows me from my 240SX anyways, and explained to him that I'm going off course more than I should... He decided to go with me on my next session to see what I was doing...

The next session Aaron rode with me and critiqued my driving... He said I was doing about 10 things wrong and I recorded all of it on my camera... I'll post that up in a bit... It wasn't a fair analysis of my driving being in that car and especially after I had been put on "probation" for going off course so many times...

The less cars on the course, the faster the course is, and the more likely you are to go off course...

Then Aaron drove the car and after one lap he said that the alignment setting were completely "whacked out" and he told me I wouldn't get a fast time out of the car... He said to just have fun on the final run...

So on the final run, I pulled the top down and my chick joined me for the final session and that was fun... 80 MPH with the top down going through Riverside is a blast and you feel so open... But at the same time you feel like you could be ejected if I really messed up... But I didn't and was taking the course about 10 MPH slower like I did during the second session...

My impression of the S2000 is that it is an amazing car that challenges the drive to "squeeze" every little bit out of it... The motor has no torque but revving up to 9000 RPM really gets you pumped up/excited... The motor doesn't throw the balance of the car off at all and the transmission is one of the nicest shifting trannies I have ever been in... The seating position is low and far back and you can never forget that you are in a roadster. The car rotates very differently from my 240SX, It feels like you are sitting on top of the rear wheels and that's where the car pivots every time you turn... The brakes were OK but I wasn't impressed... I am used to non ABS S13 brakes where you have to find the right pedal pressure and just hold it there... I'm sure this car can brake better than my 240SX but I never got a hang of how to use the ABS correctly... The chassis is incredibly stiff and the steering response is instant...

But the rear of the car was twitchy... It didn't slide progressively like my S13 does... When the rear slides it just kinda snaps left and right when you try and save it... I didn't like that and my other S2000 friends said it had to do more with alignment and setup than the car...

S2000 forces you to be a good driver... The motor has no torque so you have to rev it... The rear is twitchy so you need to find it's sweet spot but not much more than that... And the chassis is so rigid that you feel like you are in a big go cart... Especially with the top down...

I really believe that if you learn how to drive an S2000, you can drive anything... It's just a really "intense" car to drive...

Majority of the people with S2000s and other $30K ish cars were running times in the 2:25 range with a range of setups and different tires... Everything from R comp tires to stock suspension...

I ran 2:33 and was pretty consistent during the day... Not a spectacular time but I had fun... I run much better times with my 240SX...

Sal ran a 2:31 in the same car...

The Radicals were running in the 2:10 range so I felt like the course was about 10 seconds slower than the 13 clockwise configuration...

I went for a ride in a new Z06 that was running 2:15s and that was a blast... On Hoosiers he ran 2:06 earlier in the day... My first time in an American car at the track and I was impressed... But I'm not converting any time soon...

I enjoyed driving the S2000 and would love to do it again... But I'm really craving my 240SX again...

I've got some videos being edited but here are some pictures...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2083.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2083.JPG

Clean S2000... At least before the first session...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2089.JPG

Our little pitting area...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2105.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2106.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2107.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2109.JPG

These guys all ran between 2:22 and 2:25...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2118.JPG

I had a fun time chasing these Corvettes...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2124.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2141.JPG

The Z06 I went for a ride in... Amazing...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2158.JPG

Known for going off course as well... Haha...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2237.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2159.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2160.JPG

Plenty of Radicals buzzing around...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2162.JPG

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2163.JPG

Where we check our times...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2231.JPG

Scion factory race car... Was running 2:06...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2235.JPG

Race car interior setup...

http://nitinj.com/Images/240SX2/Buttonwillow%20041108/IMG_2236.JPG

They are required to run a "Toyota" factory setup so the supercharger was the only choice... About 250WHP if I remember correctly...

[NismoB13]

Yeah that's Dan Gardner. He has tons of track experience so he's a very good driver.

Reading this makes me want to go to another track event soon. Maybe I'll do a NASA or speed ventures event in the beginning of June.

[s14_legend]

sounds like you had a blast

[murda-c]

I always thought that scion supercharger setup with the driveshaft going across was neat.

I can't wait to get my s14 on track this season.

[s14_legend]

yeah the trd supercharger is pretty sweet...street legal also

[Nikeboy355]

I went for a ride with an instructor and this is what he had to say about my driving...

Next time I want him to evaluate me in my S13... This was after only a couple of laps of ever being in this car...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgMdOOMxjQ0

[frankist]

are you making may 11 or 12 at streets? sundays running till 7pm =)

[ronmcdon]

was the instructor in the video aaron bitterman? It was amusing to hear the comments. seems like you were having too much fun.

dammit 8am-7pm that's a lot of track time. will see if I can join. damn s14 is still in the shop. btw - if any of you autoX, do the Speedventures autoX event!!! You get maybe a whole yrs worth of scca seats time in 1 day for $80! They did a 2 day event this weekend. On the first day, i wore out a set of Dunlop Z1's and there was still about another 20 runs of so left. Had to bring another car in for sunday and wore out a set of advan a13's. absolute best deal in autoX ever!

[Nikeboy355]

was the instructor in the video aaron bitterman? It was amusing to hear the comments. seems like you were having too much fun.

Yeah... That's Aaron... He's a great S2000 driver and others say he can be a tough critic...

I was having a blast though... S2000 is great!...

I'm going to ask him to go for a ride or drive my S13 once it's ready and then we'll see what his commentary is...