There’s more than one way to win a race

Somehow, I managed to come in second place last weekend, in a field with some very competent stock SCT drivers. This is especially peculiar when you look at the results:

Position	Driver	Laps	Time	Fastest Lap	Behind
1	COLLINS, JOHN	19	6:14.647	18.543	None
2	ZACH MILLER	18	6:06.510	19.270	None
3	CARY CRONIN	18	6:08.978	18.437	2.468
4	MAGGIORE, MIKE	18	6:12.824	18.395	6.314
5	BRANDON DYCHE	17	6:03.586	18.632	None
6	FROST, ETHAN	17	6:15.874	18.961	12.288
7	DAVID WINKLER	16	6:09.866	19.951	None

What should really stand out there is that my fastest lap was the second slowest of all the drivers in that race. My fastest was 19.3 seconds and almost everyone else had fast laps in the 18s. How then did I come in second?

I never rolled over. Not even in the qualifiers! See for yourself:

Okay, I rolled a couple times, but I never required a marshal to get going again. By playing it safe on the corners and the jumps, I may have added a few tenths to my laps, but I saved all the time I would have lost by making a mistake. Something to think about next time you go for the triple.

Track Day Log: July 27th, 2013

Practice

Try out fresh tires, suspension changes, and motor fan for faster lap times.

Ambient temp: 71F, track temp: 66F

	No Fan	Fan	+Timing
@ Start	87 F	84 F	82 F
@ 5 min	134 F	118 F	118 F
@ 10 min	153 F	134 F	134 F

With this much extra cooling, I’m going to try upping the timing a bit to get some more speed. Changed endbell timing to 40 degrees, up from 35.  After timing change, no noticeable increase in temperature. Maybe even more timing, or another tooth on the pinion.

Race Results

Q1

Having trouble keeping the tail end in. Driving kinda twitchy from drinking a caffeinated beverage.

[Video|Stats]

Q2

Much more difficulty driving smoothly. had to stop mid-race and take a break to calm down. Tail end still swinging out all the time. I really want a front sway bar.

Threw away soda and chugged a bottle of water. Changed rear springs to blacks instead of whites (1.90 vs 2.10) and moved rear shocks to inner-most holes. Sauced the rear tires just a little bit, not enough time to soak in.

[Video|Stats]

Q3

Rear traction greatly improved. Peter and I had some good battles, especially near the end. Managed to qualify second.

[Video|Stats]

Main

Started second, managed to keep up with Jon Sterling for a few laps before he took off. Peter and I battled for a bit, but toward the end, I started making mistakes and got tangled up with the racers who were a lap behind me. I wasn’t able to close the gap, but Peter never actually lapped me. I think it went well.

[Video|Stats]

Takeaways

• No caffeine before a race.
• Rotate tires each morning to even out wear and performance. I’d rather have traction without asymmetric tire saucing if I can manage it.
• I feel like a front sway bar would be nice.

Setup Changes

• Black (1.90) springs on rear instead of White (2.10).
• Rear shocks mounted fully inward.
• Fresh JC Bar-codes all around.

Track Day Log: July 21st, 2013

Practice Goals

Improvement Focus

Racing stock buggy/switching between buggy and truck. Making setup changes to my truck now that I have time and shock oil.

Performance Outcome

Pretty poor. I showed up late to the track, and didn't have time to eat anything. Operating on caffeine alone, I drove very poorly and got angry. I missed the buggy main and quit halfway through the truck main because I was getting too angry.

What I learned: I need to manage my food intake before a race properly. Also, new tires would be a good idea.

Contributing Factors

Car Setup

22 Buggy:

• Replaced shock oil. Was extremely dirty. I need to replace this more frequently.

SC10.2:

• Replaced shock oil with Losi 40/30 F/R. Rear traction seemed to improve, truck seems more stable now.
• Tires need to be changed. Fresh tires should be better on wet stuff, maybe. Whatever it is, these bar-codes are worn out.

Track Conditions

Races were at 1PM, so the track was damper than Saturday. Cars weren't as stable and I flipped over way too much.

Race Results

Stock Buggy: Qualified last, DNS.

Stock Truck: Qualified 4th, DNF.

Track Day Log: July 20th, 2013

Practice Goals

Improvement Focus

• Learn to handle new truck. Make adjustments if necessary. Gather setup info from other racers.
• Average lap times in the 18s, record at least one 17 

Practice Outcome

• At the end of the day, my truck felt like it handled just like my old one. I don't think my racing line changed at all.  Gearing set properly at 25/76.
• In the morning, I was driving pretty poorly, with laps like 20 and 21 seconds happening frequently. In the afternoon, I got them down to 18s successfully. I don't remember if I got a 17 during practice, but during the qualifiers, I got a couple 17.9s, and during the main, I got a 17.7, with a top 10 average of 18.7

Contributing Factors

Car Setup

Changes to SC10.2:

• Ride height lowered slightly - No change
• Bald bar-codes instead of Rebars - Significant traction improvement
• 25T pinion, instead of 24 - Slightly quicker, could hit triple for longer.
• Diff loosened 1/8th turn - Reduced oversteer, but also reduced straight line speed.

Track Conditions

Track was very damp, and weather was humid, making it take longer for the track to dry out and improve traction.

Race Results

Qualified fourth, finished second.

RC-Stats 1st Qualifier 2nd Qualifier 3rd Qualifier