132 replies to this topic

[Danny Steyn]

And it had very little to do with me. After last year’s Labor Day weekend at Barber I wrote the following after setting the new lap record of 1:46.735

 

“With cold weather, a light tank, mid to low 1:45’s are very possible in Spec Miata trim on Hoosiers. Do not see this record lasting much longer.”

 

It seems that I was being rather prophetic as today in the nice cold air, I ran a new lap record of 1:45.719 at the NASA event. I also ran a qualifying time of 1:45.282 earlier in the morning. Of course with NASA, these runs were on Toyo RR’s, and I suspect would have been at least 0.5 seconds faster on Hoosiers. So expect to see a lap record in the 1:44’s at Barber sometime if the weather cooperates.

 

How great were the conditions??  Well Rick Maki's record had stood for several years, before I broke it. But today I was able to run 10 of the 11 laps under my previous record, and Ben Rooke also went under it too. Amazing what 40 degree weather and sun on the track will do for lap times! The data traces show that the time was all made on the straights, and I was giving up a few tenths in the corners.

 

How consistent are the Toyos? My fastest lap was lap 10 of 11!! First time I have been on these tires and learned so much about them. The do not have the outright speed or stick of the Hoosier SM6's, do not have that HERO lap on stickers off the bat. They are definitely are twitchy by comparison, and let you know you are close to the limit when the Hoosier would make you feel totally confident. But the consistency was amazing. Raced on 3 heat cycle tires, and they were much better at the 3rd HC than when they were stickers. 

[Ron Alan]

3 cycle shaved tires Danny?

[Danny Steyn]

no Ron - just plain on sticker RR's, practice and qualifying in the morning, and Race in the afternoon. Actually very impressed with the tire.

 

However not all the SCCA folks running with us liked them. To a driver everyone missed the confidence and sure footedness of the Hoosier, and some never quite got totally comfortable with them. As Drago said several years back he felt that the Hoosier was so good that it would bring the racing closer and IMO he was spot on. The nervousness of the Toyo rewards the ballsy driver, and those not happy with being a little crossed up at times will definitely not be as fast as they were on the Hoosiers.

 

And they are most definitely NOT fast on that first lap on stickers the way that the SM6 were.

[FTodaro]

I do not remember the numbers right now, but it is a heavy tire, heavier than a shaved RA-1 and also the SM6, if my memory is correct. Anyone have those numbers?

[JRHille]

Congrats on the record Danny! Also, good to hear some feedback on the RR from a guy running mostly SCCA.

At some tracks up here, those tires are consistent to over 10 heat cycles. Pretty amazing.

[Danny Steyn]

Me likey cold weather!!! 1:44.812!!!!!

[Keith Andrews]

Congrats on the record.  I thought survival would be an accomplishment with that field. 

[Johnny D]

Have you got all your Contingency paperwork?  And Congrats!!

 

Toyo

http://www.nasaprora..._Reg_Spec...pdf

 

Hoosiers for PTE

http://www.nasaprora...ngency_Info.pdf

 

J~

[pat slattery]

Congrats Danny,  I guess the wind tunnel work paid off  

[Ben Rooke]

[quote name="Danny Steyn" post="58146" timestamp="1392512025"]And it had very little to do with me. After last year’s Labor Day weekend at Barber I wrote the following after setting the new lap record of 1:46.735
 

“With cold weather, a light tank, mid to low 1:45’s are very possible in Spec Miata trim on Hoosiers. Do not see this record lasting much longer.”

 
It seems that I was being rather prophetic as today in the nice cold air, I ran a new lap record of 1:45.719 at the NASA event. I also ran a qualifying time of 1:45.282 earlier in the morning. Of course with NASA, these runs were on Toyo RR’s, and I suspect would have been at least 0.5 seconds faster on Hoosiers. So expect to see a lap record in the 1:44’s at Barber sometime if the weather cooperates.
 
How great were the conditions??  Well Rick Maki's record had stood for several years, before I broke it. But today I was able to run 10 of the 11 laps under my previous record, and Ben Rooke also went under it too. Amazing what 40 degree weather and sun on the track will do for lap times! The data traces show that the time was all made on the straights, and I was giving up a few tenths in the corners.
 
Thanks for the shout out Danny. Even though my new Ti-Speed motor had more than enough oomph to do so (thanks Dan Tiley!), I couldn't come close to keeping up with you. Crazy weekend running with all kinds of cars in the NASA format. I definitely agree with Keith's post above. Survival was a success.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Ernie is very proud of you!

[Craig Berry]

congrats on your track record Danny!

[Danny Steyn]

Yup this weekend was a real treat. Literally perfect conditions. To run 2 seconds under the new record gives you some idea just how perfect they were.

Final outcome

1:45.719 on lap 11 of race 1. 1999 Spec Miata Toyo RR, 3 HC
1:45.238 in qualifying 1.
1:44.812 on 6 heat cycle Hoosier SM7's in the TTE event in my 2002 SM (full spec trim)

If you study the data traces for both cars, you would swear I had a V8 under the hoods!

Thanks to Tom and the crew at OPM for rock steady cars, to Mike for the awesomely potent engines, Carbotech for the stopping power, and Traqmate for the data.

[Jim Drago]

Danny
Nice to see you are see as enthusiastic and passionate about all this now in year 5-6 of SM as you were race weekend one! Pretty cool..

I have a question. I have not been to Barber since they surface ground the track. Not sure it was done before the last years race?  How was track? Does it still eat tires? grip better now?
Jim

[Danny Steyn]

Jim

yes the track was ground prior to last year's August race, and from what I hear it might have been done again over the December break. As for the times this weekend, it had nothing to do with the track surface, as I was giving up quite a bit of speed in the turns compared to August where I was running sticker SM6's, and got my (then) track record on the typical Hoosier SM6 Hero lap, lap 2.

I think I could have gone faster with fresher SM7's on Sunday morning in the 2002 in TTE, but have no evidence to support that.

And no, the track is very easy on tires. I ran the entire weekend in the '99 (5 sessions) on one set of tires, and was able to run identical mid corner min speeds all the way to the last lap of the last race, but was unable to get the same lap times on Sunday as the temps had increased well in to the 60's by race time, whereas the 1:44.818 with the 2002 on Sunday was run in temps in the low 40's!

Still, to be able to run 2 seconds faster than my own 6month old lap record and 3.12 seconds faster than Rick Maki's record that had lasted for 5 years despite repeated attempts to break it, is still pretty damn amazing. All the elements have to align to make this work.

With the Hoosier SM6, the problem with setting a lap record is that you get your best lap early in the race with a heavy fuel load, and as the race wears on, the tires degrade, just as the fuel load is getting light, which is why there was so little progress with lap times, especially here in the SE, despite some very impressive gains by engine developers over the last few years.

With the Toyo RR (and possibly the new SM7) I think that we are going to see some serious movement in lap times, as the RR's at least (from my one use data point) allows you to run your fastest times at the end of a race, just like the old RA-1's (remember my post abput my fastest lap on lap 90 of a 3-hour enduro at Road Atlanta.)

It was also pretty liberating to run an entire race weekend on one set of tires, and see no loss in times. Of course if there was a really deep field applying pressure that might not have been the case, tough to say. But having a harder compound like the RR will definitely make for a much more affordable tire budget for the season.

[Jim Drago]

Thanks Danny!!!

[Topher]

 

I don't know anything about TTE, but I spoke with a gentleman Sunday morning at breakfast and the Hempton who said he was driving a bright orange/blue miata (as seen in the video) and his name was Danny. He said he broke the Spec Miata track record on Saturday. 

Putting the pieces together I figured this was him as the car was not slow at all, it fits the color description and the name on the final results is Danny.

That's all I got for you. You guys can figure it out from there.

He was gridding last for each session and hung way back on the out lap to make sure that he got in a clean lap. Hence the reason he was caught quickly by the leaders.

 

Wow, that's some inconsiderate..................


I vote to have his times DQ'd, or lap record voided, or something. He was a nice guy but that is bull crap!!!!!!! Ruins the whole system. And Barber is not a track for those kind of Shenanigans!!!! He did it on Saturday too!

And he set his best lap in session 4, the same one I did, getting in the way of myself, Reese, Scott kevin and who knows who else. On purpose. Sunday morning is one of the golden sessions too, the only morning session on Sunday.

 

You may have to defend your honor on the NASA forums......

[Ralph Dommes]

Great run Danny, and I congratulate you!  Your new handle is "Ice Man"

[suck fumes]

LOL I can't believe someone would get mad because someone wants to be last on track. That's strategy !!! Good job danny

[Ron Alan]

Lap records are only in races correct? Who cares what some other group dudes think about finding open track space...they are all just want to be drivers in some 6 car or less class