"The Blue Car" Build is Underway: Safety, Reliability & Performance.

Our Blue Elise came to us a few weeks ago in perfect running order. This car is special because it is actually one of the first US-spec Toyota-powered examples ever made. The build date was in 2003 and was classified as an engineering prototype car. This was one of the cars Lotus brought to the LA Auto Show for North American debut of the Elise.

Technically this car can not be driven on the street so we decided to make it into a race car. She came into our shop as a complete car but we changed that real quick. There was no time to waste as this car will serve as our track-only developmental test bed for some seriously tasty bits we're working on. Safety, reliability and performance are our key goals with product development. We plan to extend our knowledge and product offering through testing with this car.

To have the car ready for our May, 6th track day, we have a laundry list of various safety and performance bits that need to be installed. Here's some of what "Phase 1" includes:

• Roll cage




• Katana265
  



• Jubu Dog-box transmission*
  



• Sector111 Upgraded oil-cooler lines*




• Silicone engine pipes*




• FuelSafe Fuel cell




• Safecraft Fire surpression
  



• Schroth Harnesses & safety netting
  



• AiM MXL Pro Dash + array of data sensors
  



• Nitron 46mm Race Pro Triples




• 308BBK + front OE caliper relocation




• MONOballs
  



• titanQR




• SSC Shift Cable




• ProAlloy proRAD + fan relocation kit
  



• hubGTC - tilt-up steering kit




• CF Big-Bottom Seat & ReVerie XC seat
  



• Mulsanne C passenger seat
  



• subSTIFFY
  



• transCOOLER




• RTVbrace




• Nitron S99 Toe Pin Kit




• gPAN




• RACEmounts




• raceVIEW Mirrors




• ReVerie Canards




• ReVerie Arch Louvers




• RACEunderAERO




• RACEsills
  



• and, believe it or not, MORE!

*new parts to be tested

Skip Barber Formula School @ Laguna Seca

Driving on the race track takes skill, focus and determination. One of the best ways to reduce your lap times and insure you are employing smart/safe technique is to attend a driving school. Almost every track around the country offer some sort of school that is sure to make you a better driver. I recently attended one of the best schools at one of the best tracks in the country. The Skip Barber school offers several different programs from 1 day sessions to 3 day race schools in a variety of cars - from Mazda 3 to Formula Skip Barber. Lotus Evoras are also in the mix. They run schools at several tracks around the country. I chose the 3 day Race school with the Formula cars. This was the first such school I have attended - I really should have gone to this many, many year ago!

The 3 Day school alternates between class room instruction and track time. We started with class room instruction and then quickly progressed into the car. Our first driving exercise was in Turn 2. The instructors set up cones then had us enter into the corner with the aim of spinning the car - or controlling the car at the limit of grip. We then headed back to the classroom before returning to the track for some lead and follow to learn the line at Laguna. On the last day we also practised race starts and formation. All track time was conducted with safety as the formost objective. Passing was only allowed on certain straights with point bys.

The Formula Skip Barber cars feature a 2.0ltr engine with 5spd sequential gearbox. This was my first time using a sequential box and it was plenty of fun. Clutchless upshifts required a simple lift of the throttle and you were snatching the next gear. That was a hoot. The downshifts still need the clutch and a blip of the throttle for rev matching. This would be another exercise we would practise during the second day. Slipping into a Formula car takes some patience as it is a tight and confined space. Your legs and feet are in front of you at an angle that is far different than what most of us are used to. The brakes lack ABS or a servo assist so you modulate brake with pressure NOT travel.

My instructors were excellent, especially head instructor, Lonnie Pechnik. He's been teaching for ten years with Skip Barber and it shows with his informed approach to students with broad skill differences. He mixed humor with technical discussions to keep us engaged in a manner that was nicely balanced. Rene Villineuve and Ricky Schmidt were also our instructors during this school. Both of these guys were also excellent and provided us classroom instruction and track side critiques. Each instructor observed us at various corners throughout the weekend and would provide us with feedback after each session. I would be remiss if I failed to mention the mechanics. These guys were a helpful and cool crew. The cars ran without hick ups and they also made speedy wheel/tire changes when they were flat spotted - I won't mention how I know this.

My class was small so we received a ton of feedback/attention and plenty of track time. I was tired and sore by the end of Day 3! Prepare yourself for 1.2g+ with these sweet lil Formula cars. I highly recommend Skip Barber and will be pushing attendance to everyone I know involved in this sport/hobby. I want to thank Andrew Shoen, an instructor at Skip Barber, for encouraging me to attend. Thx Andrew! Needless to say, I've already signed up for the Advanced Race School...now I just need to find the time!

Sector111 Educational Video: PCV System

There are several key areas that we believe need to be better understood with the Lotus powertrain to insure safety and reliability. We’ve employed our in-house engineer, Ryan Kuhlenbeck, to educate the community on some of these important subjects.

1. Oiling/PCV
2. Fueling
3. Forced Induction
4. Cooling
5. Transmission

Ryan had worked within GM’s High Performance Vehicle Operations (HPVO) for 7+ years as a mechanical engineer. Check out the image below and get a feel for his qualifications. Ryan is a partner in Secant Vehicles and was responsible for the mechanical integration on the Lotus Type I Ecotec conversion. As a result, he has been working on the Lotus Exige/Elise for 4+ years. Our QWKcans were developed by Ryan and showcase his thorough approach when engineering solutions.

In the coming weeks, we will focus on these subjects, one at a time. We will cover everything from the basics, failure modes, safe modifications, unsafe modifications and more. We are digging deeper to improve our collective knowledge and to help dispel some of the misinformation that seems to be floating out there. Our goal is to educate the community with the help of a degreed and experienced automotive engineer.

There are a handful of products that Ryan is currently working with us to develop. These projects are in various states of completion and still have some engineering work that needs to be done. Here’s a peek at what to expect from Sector111 this year:

• Dry-sump oil system
• Sequential gearbox
• Dog-engagement gearbox
• Fuel Cell
• Fuel pumps
• Forced Induction: Turbo & TVS
• Gauge Package
• & much more!

Here is the first video: PCV System

Training at HMS Motorsport: Stilo, HANs & Schroth

Shinoo and I spent this past Saturday at HMS Motorsport in Boston, MA for training on various safety products including Schroth harnesses, Stilo helmets and HANS devices. HMS has been supplying us with our custom Schroth harnesses for the past 5+ years. We needed a refresher for the harness and initial training on the Stilo helmets and HANS devices.

Joe, the owner of HMS, led the training with a great PowerPoint including video demonstrations of some of the most important aspects of on-track safety. Some of you may recall that Joe was one of our first guest speakers at our popular Tech Seminars. You can watch his video here. Since we've been working with HMS, they've begun supplying almost every NASCAR team, half the Grand Am field and the IRL field with Schroth harnesses. This is truly a testament to the quality of these harnesses.

One of the biggest reasons we went to this training was to learn more about the Stilo helmets that we just began carrying. These are some of the highest quality helmets you'll find anywhere. Every driver in the World Rally Championship (WRC) runs a Stilo helmet and they are starting to catch on in NASCAR and various GT & formula series. Having seen these helmets taken apart, its easy to see why they are so loved in such high levels of motorsport. Safety, comfort, style, integration and customization is second to none.
We learned how everything is integrated into the helmet such as communication, water and air. These helmets are ordered and built to spec but we now have the ability to change and add options here at our shop. We also discussed some of the communication options that are available and currently in development. Car-to-car, driver-to-passenger and driver-to-pit options will all be possible and completely integrated in the helmet.

We are now proud to announce that we are a fully trained and certified seller of HANS devices. A part of the day was dedicated to proper sizing, usage and fitment of HANS. HANS are a very important safety device that is now mandated by pretty much ever major motorsport sanctioning body. We will have more info up on our side shortly.

Fuel Pump Removal Video

Fuel starvation is one of the three common problems with track driven Lotus. We describe all three in our (tongue-in-cheek) Track Trilogy of Terror. We've developed a safe solution, the V2 Fuel Tank, that keeps all of the stock safety & emissions plumbing intact. Ralph at V2 Motorsport modifies stock fuel tanks with ATL baffles to keep the fuel at the pick-up.

One of the challenges of our fuel tank swap is removing the fuel pump housing. It is very easy to do on '06+ cars but can be a bit trickier on the '05. We've come up with a simple process to make this job much easier. In fact Steve and Bill made a little video to show how easy it can be.




We are not supporters of cutting or modifying the stock fuel lines or systems as it creates a failure point in the system that is too risky for us. Most cars that we've seen with fuel related fires had modified fuel systems. We believe in sticking with the systems that have been tested by the factory - particularily on street driven cars.

If track days are in your plans, please either keep your tank more than 50% full or consider running our baffled stock fuel tank from our partners at V2 Motorsports. If you are dedicating your car to track only use and you are looking for added capacity in your track-only car, our ProAlloy RACEtank is perfect. If race compliance is your need, then hold tight as we are finishing up a proper Fuel Cell for maximum race safety.

Correct Brake Rotor Venting

We often get asked what is the correct orientation when installing directional brake rotors. The correct orientation of the vanes is a subject often debated. I wanted to take this opportunity to clarify it with help from my buddy Martin from Girodisc.

From Girodisc's website: For maximum airflow and superior cooling, the Girodisc system uses curved vanes. For a curved vane internally vented disc, the geometry of the vanes dictates the direction of rotation. A curved vane disc must be installed with the vanes running back from the inside to outside diameters in the direction of rotation. Your discs will come with labels indicating their correct placement on the vehicle. Orienting the disc in this manner creates a centrifugal pump. The rotation of the disc causes air to be pumped from the center of the disc, through the vanes, and out through the outside diameter of the disc. This greatly enhances the disc’s ability to dissipate heat. Discs installed backwards have very limited cooling.

Many clients wonder if their brakes are good enough. The truth is that most stock Lotus will run fine on track with the stock brakes. The advantage of our lightweight cars is that we don't actually generate that much heat when braking properly. We've tested brakes temps and posted about it last year: see brake temp post. Of course as drivers get faster they realize that the stock pads lack the initial bite they need to be confident when out braking those pesky GT3s. Or when they have burned through their original rotors they start looking for alternatives.

Our discNOIRs, ULTRAdiscs & CUPdiscs all come from Girodisc and therefore use curved vanes to maximize the cooling potential. Now that cars are running higher levels of power, with slicks and serious downforce, we are starting to see more heat in the brakes. Running properly vented rotors, better pads and fresh brake fluid usually is enough to keep a modified Lotus stopping on a dime - repeatedly. We use our AP Rotor paint to see how hot they are really getting - before jumping to conclusions.

But for those who need more, we have more BBK solutions coming.....we are now testing a bracket that relocates a stock front caliper to the rear - especially tasty for clients running our 308BBK or a Lotus Sport upgrade. Stay tuned as we are still mental as ever...

Elise & Exige Racecar Ignition Modification

For more information on Ryan Kuhlenbeck, click HERE.

Safety Gear for Track Days

Far too often we focus on performance improvements for our cars and overlook key areas like coaching and even more importantly safety gear that we wear while driving on track. Our Balanced Approach lays out a simple upgrade path for you and your Lotus that helps rectify our often slanted view on faster lap times. This post will be focused on things that you should consider wearing before venturing out on track. Dave Thilenius - 2010 Continental Tire Champion - preaches that you should prepare yourself as though you will crash. He sagely reminds us that cars break and drivers make mistakes - so be ready!

What are the basics that you should consider? Here are the items that I feel should be a requisite for all:

1. Closed faced Helmet
2. Racing Suit
3. Racing Shoes
4. HANs device or similar
5. Racing gloves
6. Optional: Fireproof undergarments & earplugs

I am guilty as most, when I started doing track days with the BMWCCA

in the mid 90s, I simply followed the club's requirements which were a Helmet (Snell rated) and long sleeved shirt and pants made out of cotton. Over the years I added driving shoes and gloves to my attire. But not much more.

Four years ago I began upgrading my gear significantly after attending a Safety Seminar put on by Stand21 and CORE. Stand21 is a 40 year old company that focuses on driver safety gear from head to toe. They work with safety experts in the industry and academia to develop some of the best products. At this seminar, they brought in a professor from Wayne State Univ. to discuss various aspects of safety. I soaked up the info from this seminar like a sponge. Many of you have likely watched our safety seminar video and know that we take track safety very seriously.

I was thoroughly impressed with Stand21's approach and their service focus and decide to upgrade my gear. Their products are approved to the highest standards, FIA, SFI & SNELL. I also learned that they are one of the only companies licensed to produce HANs devices. Their focus on issues like Heat Stress was also important to me as we have serious heat in the summer here in Southern California that makes driving on track a true test of endurance!

From Stand21's Website:

Inside a racing car:
- Temperature can exceed 70°C (158°F)
- Humidity often reaches 60%
- Air flows are very limited
- A driver can expend as much as 400 calories per
hour

I made a decision to begin buying their products, one by one, as my budget allowed. So each year, for the last 3, I have purchased their products. Another key reason I chose them is their custom sizing for their gear. I am short so usually have a hard time finding clothes that fit off the rack. They measured me and built gear that fit perfect - now I just need to stop indulging myself with too much of my lovely wife's cooking!

Here is the Stand21 gear I now own and use:

1. IVOS Helmet
2. HANs device 20deg Med - a good compromise for both Elise & Atom
3. ST3000 suit - custom for my non-average build!
4. Outside Seam gloves - an Ayrton Senna innovation
5. HSC Fireproof Underwear - top, bottom, socks & balaclava
6. Le Mans II Boots

The LeMans II boots are my latest addition. They offer a very narrow toe and a thin - yet stiff - sole. These are key features as the Lotus & Ariel pedal boxes are very tight! The stiff sole is something many driving shoes lack and it is an important feature to reduce foot fatigue. They will customize the boots to your needs as well.

Fire safety is a key area that many trackday enthusiasts overlook. Race cars are required to have plumbed in fire suppression systems for a reason - cars catch fire when run on track! Sometimes they can also explode, as one Exige S did at a Lotus Challenge event last year. The explosion shattered the rear glass as it engulfed the driver. He had an open face helmet and luckily only suffered some singed facial hair. I prefer full faced helmets for this reason (among others). He was wearing a fireproof suit as well. So please make sure you are clothed from head to toe with gear that will protect you!

I watched Boris Said extract himself from his race car at an ALMS race as shown in this picture - he was glad to be wearing a Stand21 suit. It takes more time to extricate yourself from a caged car with racing seat and harness than you may imagine. Our cars are especially small so it makes this a serious challenge. A fire can spread very quickly. Wear fireproof clothing to buy you extra time for these critical moments!

I list earplugs in my required list for a reason. I suffer from tinnitus - which is constant ringing in my ears. Loud cars, motorcycles and music have done me in, so don't suffer the same fate. Use ear plugs to muffle the sound while on track - especially if you have one of those loud pipes! There are some very good ear plugs that still allow you to hear the important noises while reducing dB levels. So don't forget ear safety!

There are many companies that produce good safety gear for all budgets. I chose Stand21 because of their focus, quality and approach with custom fitments. I would like to admonish each of you to invest in the proper gear so that you are fully prepared. Yes, buy safety gear for yourself BEFORE you spend money on Sector111 parts. Driving cars on track is a true joy - just be ready in case it breaks or you make a mistake.

Type 49 Evora at the Dyno

We visited K&N, the world-renown high-flow air filter & intake company, with our Lotus Evora to see where we are at with our current exhaust setup.

Our car, the "Sector111 Type 49 Evora," has a Larini Sport Evora cat-back exhaust (you can hear the difference between this setup vs stock HERE). This exhaust has been installed and run for a few thousand miles. If the ECU was going to dial back power, it would have done it by now. Here's what we learned...

...Our Evora dyno'd at 253 rear-wheel HP & 240 lb-ft of torque. Compared with the stock Evora's 244 rear-wheel HP (based on the standard 12.5% drivetrain loss), thats an increase of just over 8HP. When you couple that with the 20 lbs of weight savings, this is a nice upgrade.