Buttonwillow Results + Prep, Tuning & Coaching

We had great results at the second Lotus Cup race weekend at Buttonwillow. We managed to secure two Open class victories and one overall win.  We also secured the fastest lap all weekend again - beating the entire field including the 211s that we're attempting to compete against.  Our driver Glen is doing a superb job along with the team in prepping the Art Car.  We also had help from our friend and driving coach Dave Thilenius.  

Challenges
The weekend did not run 'issue-free'.  We suffered from an electrical cut that killed the car on the first day during practice.  Patrick managed to figure out that one of the wires in our ignition was loose and secured it.  We have kept the stock key and start button on our car.  Glen's knees are quite close to these wires and he believed his knees were brushing the wires causing the cut out.  Unfortunately for us, the problem cropped back up on the second race - while we were in the lead, on the last lap!   Luckily Glen had a clear enough mind to wiggle the wires under the steering column and get the car started.  He managed to get in behind Andy and secure the Open Class victory and second place overall.  Eliminating this wire is now high on our list of reliability improvements.

AiM Data Coaching
We're big advocates of using data to lower lap times.  We also use it as an R&D tool as we develop our products.  At Buttonwillow we were graced with Dave T's presence and benefitted from his extensive expertise with coaching via data.  Reviewing the data allowed Glen to adjust his shifts, braking points and more in order to achieve the fastest lap of the weekend.  Our friend Andy has used data to secure LCU championships with his 211 and is one of the fastest drivers in our series.  We have a new AiM product that makes getting into data much more affordable and practical for track day enthusiast and racers alike.  See the new Solo DL.

Adjustments     
The guys were taking tire temps and pressures and adjusting pressures and camber.  Amazingly we are running less than -2deg of Camber with this kit and getting even tire temps.  Typically these Yokos require -3deg.  We also softened the High Speed Compression to improve our grip over the curbs.  In doing so, we stiffen the Low Speed Compression as well to quicken the turn-in.  Buttonwillow is a much bumpier track than Chuckwalla so a softer set-up is ideal.  Our new raceUPRIGHTs are running beautifully and allowing for an amazing low ride height.  We kept our ride height at 103mm/110mm to insure we did not bottom out.  These ride heights can not be achieved in an Elise or Exige with stock uprights.  We are now conducting our Set Down process to see how the raceUPRIGHTs are fairing.  I peeked at them and they remain in great shape after 5 track days.  Expect another Blog posting reviewing the condition in more detail.

Car Prep
A key tool that we use to prep and insure our car is running well are simple Checklists.  We use these lists to confirm that we checked critical areas on the car before it leaves for a practice session, qualifying or race.  Every time - not just at the beginning of the day.  It takes a bunch of time to run through these checklists but we've found it is a key way to ensure our car runs as well as it can.  Since we are running with the LCU leaders, we can't afford to make mistakes with the car prep.  If any of you would like copies of our Checklists, let us know.  They are an effective tool for the casual track day enthusiast to the hardcore racer.

What's Next?
We can't be happier with our results so far this season.  We have some work to do before the next race - including a Lexan Optic Armor windshield that should shave another 16lbs from our Art Car.    Infineon is the next race in mid May and we will be competing against a bunch of NorCal locals who know the track well.  We'll need to bring our 'A' game to keep our track record as it will be very competitive!

 Now watch Glen turn the record lap...

Continuous Improvement - Oil Control

Oil control on track is a weakness of a stock Toyota-powered Lotus. Our baffled oil pan, the gPAN has been a reliable solution that has kept many, many cars safe with good oil control when subjected to 1+g loads. We initiated a serious dry sump effort to develop the next level in oil control but continued to look at the gPAN to see if slight improvements could be made.  Both our dry & wet sump solutions are discussed in this post.

A wet sump solution like the gPAN is truly the best option for most owners as it remains street friendly. I cut my engineering teeth at Pontiac Fiero where continuous improvement was part of our daily mission and expectations. In the 90s, I worked with the Japanese OEMs, while working at 3M Automotive, and saw it applied at all areas of their business. From the Japanese I learned that small improvements, done continuously, can have a big impact over time.

The new gPAN2 is an example of a product that we have been able to improve through small design changes. Our latest improvements are horizontal ledges in the side of the pan. The chart above shows oil pressure data measured from two of our Elises(Nirvana & Blue Car). They were equipped with basically the same modifications: Nitron 46mm Triples, Hoosier A6s, SJ Racing wheels, RACEunderAero, titanQR and KATANA265. The Blue Car had our new ULTRAliteLINES vs. stock oil cooler lines in Nirvana, which may account for the slightly higher average oil pressure. The data is from the Lotus Cup events at Laguna Seca in 2010 & 2011, with yours truly doing the driving. We took laps that were close in time and also compared the g loads (over 1g) to insure we were loading the cars equally. The data is shifted a bit as our Start/Stop point were a bit different for each car so the peaks and valleys don't correspond perfectly.

The variation between the two pans is the most striking difference. Both gPANs do a good job with keeping the oil pressure in an acceptable range - the gPAN2 simply controls the variation better. Will this make any difference to wear and tear on the engine? Hard to say as we don't have the ability to test longevity. The engineer in me says that it must be better as it varies less. Though there would be added cost of material and labor for welding the ledges, I felt it would be an improvement worth incorporating.  It was also a big enough improvement that a new name was in order.  So we put on our creative hats and came up with... gPAN2...8^)

Dry sump development continues in earnest. We took Blue Car to Spring Mtn racetrack two weeks ago to test her.  We first ran her on a dyno to insure we had a working solution then made the trek out to SMMP. The oil tank in our solution is a modified tank from Peterson. Ryan spec'd a design and had it built. He wanted to see how well the solution would work so installed a temporary clear top on the tank so we could view the oil in action. The Dailey pump that we choose includes the air separation stage as external oil pumps can add a ton of air into the oil causing foaming. His separator works amazingly well as shown in our video: Tank in action

We recruited our friend Jack to drive the car at the track in 105deg F weather. He ran the car under specific directions from Ryan so we could check various issues. Oil pressure readings were excellent once we determined the correct oil level. The two issues that we experienced were our breather set-up and low hot idle oil pressure. The breather plumbing from our tank was not adequately shielded from the incoming oil under high revs, so too much oil was getting into our catch tank. You can see a bit of this in the video above. We're now making a change to the vent design. The hot idle pressure required that the pump be removed and tweaked by Dailey. The pump was adjusted after we returned and the tank is now getting modified. We should be ready for testing again soon.

Purple Elise Track Car Build

Two weeks ago, we received a commission to build a track-only Elise by a client in NJ. Jerry requested that we build him a fast, fun and reliable car. He gave us a good budget but a tight timeline, so we went to work without delay. Luckily we knew of a vendor who stocked Tasty Lotus Bits....

We found a partially built spec Elise and bought it for him. This car needed some TLC but had a straight chassis and a good engine. The car was originally used as a Lotus Driving Experience car at Spring Mtn. After taking delivery of the car, we fully inspected it and found that it needed most of the typical wear items replaced. We dug into her in earnest and developed our project plan - 78 hrs of work to get her right. I figured we'll spend at least double that as these projects tend to be motivated by passion...a Balanced Approach was our strategy.

During the tear down, one area that I noticed needed improvement was the steering arm bolts. They were the older Grade 8.8 spec that came on some of the early cars - Lotus uprated them to Grade 10.9 in later cars. By installing 10.9 bolts, this joint, which sees significant load, will be stronger. We have some friends who have installed even higher grade bolts than this. The Grade 10.9 is an excellent compromise with added strength over the 8.8 yet still ductile enough.

The existing cage in the car was not installed to our standard. Unfortunately it was too expensive to fix, so we decided to tear it out and replace it with our new R3cage. Welding can be a challenge but there are experts who can do it properly. We would encourage anyone who is getting a cage installed to first inspect the welding capability of the shop you are hiring. Check out this picture to see an example of a poorly welded cage (as originally found on the Purple Elise). We're very happy with our new cage and will be able to sleep at night knowing Jerry will be well protected.

One of the typical wear points on the Lotus is the a-arm (wishbone) bushings. Under heavy braking, especially with track use and/or sticky tires, these bushes tend to wander. Eventually the wishbone will come in contact with the chassis - as shown below.

Most of the top bushes suffered from this on the Purple Elise so we decided to replace them, with MONOballs along with the ball joints - that we now get from our partner Seriously Lotus. We took the opportunity to get the wishbones powder coated as they were quite oxidized and nasty looking. The corners of the car will be sexy with newly finished wishbones, Nitrons, brake rotors and pads.

The rear subframe was another component that suffered some cosmetic damage. A battery had clearly come loose at some point in this car. The acid made a mess in the trunk and the leaked onto the subframe. This caused the steel to rust. My buddy, Ducati John, lent us an experienced hand over the weekend as he was quite interested in this build. We Scotchbrited the rust off and scuffed up the rest of the subframe. We primered it with Rust-Oleum high temp primer and then painted it as well. The cage was painted with the 'Hammered' finish Rust-Oleum. The subframe was reattached to the chassis and looks ten-fold betta.

Most of the work is being executed by Chris. His race experience clearly helps, as he is cranking through this car at a great clip. He installed a gPAN in the time it takes most people to read the install instructions. More blog entries are coming as we have alot more work to do....anyone note the Larini header peeking out the back? KATANA265 is getting installed....

Blue Car Testing @ Laguna Seca

The next round of Lotus Cup took place at Laguna Seca. We brought our Elise out for additional testing:

1. Oil Cooler lines
2. KATANA265
3. Brake Relocation: Carbotech pad test
4. Larini 8" (ultra quiet)
5. FuelSafe Fuel cell
   

The boys had to swap out the trans after our last trackday and refitted the conventional gearbox with the Jubu 3rd,4th & Final Drive with the OS Giken LSD.

Oil Cooler Lines: We ran these lines again this weekend and had no problems. Our kit uses Aeroquip's Startlite hose with BSP fittings and a novel clamping system. Our clamp is very clean and compact which will make installation much easier. Our independent lab testing and the 6 trackdays has made us confident that our solution is ready for sale. We should have them available within a week or two.

KATANA265: Another three days of full throttle track use has us pleased with this solution. The AFRs & EGTs are looking safe and we believe we are ready to release the kit.

We believe that Hp north of the KATANA265 will result in problems with a stock transmission. We've witnessed another racer's 300+hp Exige lose 3rd gear at Laguna. We recognize that the allure of big Hp is hard to resist but we hope that folks will recognize what they are getting into. We are still waiting for a reply from Jubu/Drexler on the status of our Dogbox failure from the Fontana event. I think trans failures will become more common as the cars get more power and run slicks on the track.

Front Brake Caliper Relocation: I ran the car with the Carbotech pads and was very pleased with the XP12 & XP8 in the rear. The car did not have any of the nervousness that I had experienced at Willow Springs during our initial test. The pads work well and can be trail braked easily. They are not very grabby and allow a smoother release. I think that a more aggressive pad can be tried on the rear for sure. We'll get to that next time!

Larini 8" ULTRA Quiet: We ran a stock Exige S muffler to start our weekend to make sure the car was very quiet. Laguna has a very strict noise limit which has resulted in many racers trying different muffler contraptions: see previous post. Our car has several upgrades that would add to the noise like the HKS intake, Larini header/straight pipe and Jubu Final Drive. But with the stock Exige S muffler we blew a 88dB - so were well under the limit. The car felt a bit slower possibly because of the added restriction. We brought a new Larini 8" ULTRA Quiet with a special wrap that quiets the system over a standard Larini8"by an additional 2-3 dB. I wanted to test this system to see if it might be close. We installed it before the last session and went out for a sound check. The car sounds much better but I also knew right away that it was too loud! The car felt much faster going up the hills than before but ultimately blew a 98dB!!! Well, they black flagged me pretty quickly and I returned to the pits. Sound can be a difficult thing to measure properly in track conditions but we are so far over the limit that this muffler will not likely work for other heavily modified cars. This muffler will work perfectly with a NA car and possibly with an Exige S with stock intake/header/cat.

Fuel Safe Fuel Cell: We continued to run the car with the cell. Everything worked fine with the exception of one discovery. The system baffles the fuel in the fuel pump cavity too well. This results in the fuel gauge reading a higher amount than what is contained in the whole tank. Essentially the car can be down to a couple of gallons of fuel and system will trap it in this cavity that holds the pump and the fuel level float. The float will assume that the tank is higher than it actually is. The stock fuel tank has a bleed so that the fuel can slowly level itself when the car is sitting. We've contacted Fuel Safe to see if there is a good solution or drivers will need to monitor their fuel consumption.

Overall the weekend was a great success. We supported two Spec Elise clients along with Blue. None of the cars broke down and I was able to get my times down to 1min43s. I made one shock change that felt like an improvement but did not have much time to tinker with settings. With some coaching (and some new tires)I think I can carve another couple of seconds - maybe even break 1min40. That 'll have to wait till next year or my dreams! Our AiM data collected plenty of great info including the fact that car pulled 1.5gs - so I know we continue to stress the various products well. We have many more items in our pipe so this arduous testing must continue....8^)

Track Testing The Blue Car: Dogbox, Oil Lines, Fuelcell, AiM...

Mario, Ryan and I spent Friday at Willow Springs raceway conducting our initial shakedown testing of The Blue Car. We had installed several new serious bits on her. The key items we wanted to test were the Jubu Dogbox transmission, our new Oil Cooler lines, FuelSafe Fuelcell, proRAD with relocated Fans, Silicone hoses, Brake caliper relocation and an extensive AiM data system. Performance, Safety and Reliability are our key goals with this car. We believe a car that runs properly and is not broken is a car that delivers the most smiles.

Since the car had been stripped down with all the major mechanical systems removed and then reinstalled, we wanted to do this testing before running her at any serious event. We completed most of the major work on Wed and started her up that afternoon. After fixing a couple of leaks, we let her sit until Thurs.

On Thursday we took her to the dyno to run through all the gears of the new Jubu Dogbox. We figured this would be the best way to see if any other issues may pop up before we got to the track. Sure enough, a couple of items surfaced which we sorted.

This gave us the confidence to head to Willow so we loaded up the trailer and drove up early Friday morn. Overall we had good results and the car ran well with only the brakes being the lone issue that we need to rethink. My comments for each item is listed below:

AiM System: We've run a removable AiM Race system in our previous cars for data logging. We decided to step up to an MXL Pro dash this time and wire in even more sensors to log more critical data. The following data is now being monitored with our AiM system: Oil temp & Pressure, Fuel Pressure, Water Temp, Exhaust Gas Temp, Air Fuel Ratio, Trans Fluid temp In & Out, and more. We logged this data during our test session at the dyno and more importantly at the track. The dash allowed us to program warning lights for several critical areas like Oil & Fuel Pressure. With all the new items we were testing, this became a nice feature to have. The shift lights are another sweet feature that I appreciated.

Jubu Dogbox: The stock trans on our cars is a weak link in track driven cars -especially those with 250+hp. We've been running the Jubu gears for some time with good luck so decided that the Dogbox was worth testing as it does away with the weak syncros of the stock box. Our engine builder, Bruce Nogrady was given the gear stack and he assembled it along with our OS Giken LSD into a stock trans housing. This means it bolts right up to the engine and also uses the stock shifter mechanism. Care must be taken in the assembly of the Dogbox as it is not a job for the average trans shop. We used the OS Giken TR1A clutch/flywheel as the system requires a strong clutch.

Trans fluid temps were monitored but we had no issues. In fact the temps were a bit on the cool side so we pulled the fuse for the transCOOLER pump. A Dogbox can run much cooler than a traditional gearbox and our data hinted this was the case. More testing will be required to determine this with any certainty.

The straight gears found in this kit are strong but are loud. This is a track

solution for all but the absolutely mental. Upshifts can be executed without the clutch. Downshifts need proper rev matching. It was an easy and quick adjustment for me. I've driven manual car since I was 16 and this was my first time with a Dogbox but it was fairly intuitive. Getting into gear when stopped can require a couple of attempts - you also need to shift with some authority and can't be too gentle. Driving this gearbox was simply a blast. The speed of upshifts was startling! Jubu have run this kit all of last year and had great success. I will anticipate that this will be a great upgrade for many track enthusiasts - with deep pockets as it is expensive!

Oil Cooler Lines: The stock oil cooler lines are failing on cars so we decided to sort a fix. Ryan found the correct BSP fittings that attach directly to the factory oil coolers. The innovation in our kit revolves around the weight savings we've found by using lightweight line and a new clamping method. We wanted to run the car on track at elevated oil temps and pressures to see how they would hold up. Our AiM system logged oil pressure between 50-60psi on track with oil temps in 180-200degF range. We suffered no leaks or issues so feel confident to run the car even harder. Additionally we are sending out our fittings/clamp/lines to an independent test lab that conducts testing for the auto industry. I think our kit holds plenty of promise.

FuelSafe Fuelcell: We decided to develop an FIA-spec fuelcell for clients looking for a bag based fuel tank solution. More and more clients are taking street based Lotus and converting them to track only race cars. We still feel our V2 Fuel Tank remains the best solution for those clients who drive their cars on the street as it retains all the factory safety & emissions components. We began working with FuelSafe and after a couple of months of development we landed on a solution that has more capacity than stock AND uses the factory filler system safely. Having proper roll-over protection with the factory filler system is not an easy proposition but we've done it with this tank.

We installed the larger Denso fuel pump that plugs directly into the factory housing since this car features the KATANA265. The factory fuel housing drops in with ease. It requires no modification so is a neat, safe and reliable solution. We measured fuel pressures of 45-55 psi even through fast, 1+g turns like turns 8 & 9. We were very happy with the results.

Front Brake Caliper Relocation: We tested the OE front caliper onto the rear rotor along with our 308BBK. We'd run this on the street and in the canyons with good success. We knew this bias change was dramatic so felt we needed to test it on track as well. Willow Springs is not a hard braking track but there are a couple of corners that require some good braking. Additionally I overslowed the car many times to test the brakes and found that the car's handling became slightly darty and pulled. We started with the same race pads on all four corners and then tried different compounds. None that we tried, worked to my satisfaction. We need to go back to the drawing board on this effort to make it commercially viable.

Silicone Hoses: Our partner Dr. Bruce Lee, in Singapore, commissioned silicone hoses for our cars. We became the lucky guinea pigs to test them out. Since we yanked out the heater core from our car, his system (lacks heater lines) was perfect. Though the stock hoses are not a problem yet, we know that as cars age, it will be a good upgrade. This kit worked fine with no problems.

proRAD with Top Mounted Fans: Water temps are a problem in the hot climate in the southwest. Especially track driven cars that are cranking up power over stock. We found this out, first hand, a couple of years ago and blogged about it briefly here. Our goal, by the end of this summer, will be to offer a well tested solution for clients who need added water cooling capacity. Temps at the track were in the 70sdegF so we did not experience difficult conditions. We'll get a better test later this Spring.

Other: EGTs on the car remained in a very safe zone - between 1000-1400degF. We tested an even quieter Larini8" exhaust. Frankly with the Dogbox whine, it was hard to hear this exhaust. But from the outside, it sounds superb with the Larini header , straight pipe and HKS Intake. This combination sounds fantastic to my jaded ears. Our new cage was a welcome addition as well. We've not added door bars so ingress/egress issues were improved - dare I say even over stock since you can grab the bars for assistance?! The Magnetic Blue paint is striking in the sun and will be enhanced further with a distinctive paint scheme that we are now scheming....We are now ready to push the car very hard with our test driver to see if these bits can hold up to 10/10s driving at the hands of a professional. Stay tuned....