TKOGTO

What the hell happened to the paving in the brake zone of the main straight @ Lightning? I haven't been there in a year so was shocked to feel what seemed like a series of speed bumps, one large followed by several smaller ones. The rear end was dancing around like the mosh pitters @ Metallica and the ABS was screaming WTF? My ZR-1 type Katech splitter got slammed over the 1st of these bumps on every lap. The splitter was already damaged (thank you "newly paved" POS Thompson Speedway) and will be replaced after the end of the season so I just kept plowing through. However for future events, I refuse to have to treat it like a disposable item.

The car is not lowered and has the Pfadt JOC shocks and sways. T-bolt had no such issues.

Racingswh

I was there last in June and while it did have a washboard feel and was scraping the front I wasn't thinking it was all that bad. Maybe it has gotten worse from use over the Summer months? You are probably really flying into that section and have to smash the brakes and possibly going faster than you have ever gone before so it's more noticeable?

Sorry you had a bad time there and sorry for the splitter damage.

Dr.Ron

I experienced scraping on the front there in my 09C6Z braking from 135-140ish for turn 1. I thought it was the plastic air dam though, not the front splitter that was scraping on the road surface by those couple of dips...The air dam sits lower than the splitter.

I have a 2011 Carbon Z06 now and may be there Sunday, so we'll see how that car takes it. lol

Ron

RDnomorecobra

Hadn't heard that. Last time I was there was Oct '13 and it was fine. We had a brutal winter. Maybe some damage started from that and has just gotten worse from traffic all summer long. Maybe they need to do some repairs in the fall or spring. I know t-bolt has had maintenance, mainly in the "octopus" before the esses. Love the stuff they put down there - real grippy.

TKOGTO

You're right about getting on the brakes. I can't think of a brake zone at any track that I am harder on the brakes.


Same speed here but it is definitely the splitter because the air dam was removed, replaced by a Katech undertray. I watched / listened to a few laps on the GoPro last night and it was a good solid whack. I tape the front end with racers tape, a low adhesive but thick gaffe type tape. I didn't notice anything obvious on the leading edge but I didn't look underneath. Didn't want to know.

Good luck Sunday. Let us know how it works out.

I saw a similar wavy pattern to some of the roads here in CT after the winter. Water would get under the road, freeze, the road would be salted and it would melt only to freeze again. For whatever reason, the waves in the local roads have receded. Not so @ Lightning.

The entry to the octopus (turn 9) seemed quite good but the left hand carousel (turn 10) seemed a little gravelly (sp?) @ entry thru mid-corner. As you approach the very late apex, the pavement is beat up pretty good. On Super Sports, I needed to take it fairly late to keep the rear end planted. Guys on r-compounds could just point and shoot.

RDnomorecobra

hairy turn there if you ask me, very fast down front straight - I get into the mid 130's in my c5z - down hill, then you have to deal with that rise in the middle of turn 1. scares the hell out of me every time. And it looks like you'd launch right off that grass hill toward the fence if you lost brakes and had to go straight off at the end of the front straight ...

On the off chance that I get out of the lightbulb perfectly and am heading toward the 140's (doesn't happen often), I purposely lay off the gas before start/finish line. Just don't have the stones, or a cage.

RX-Ben

You are hard on the brakes, at high speed, so you are going to get a ton of front end loading. Bumps or not, you may need to increase your front spring rate (and proportionately increase the rear rate) to keep the splitter off the ground.

Hat_Trick_Hokie

I didn't notice any bumps when I was there earlier this Summer. That being said, I can see why you would scrape the pavement there: combination of the track transitioning to an uphill slope while starting your braking.

franman69

I was there in June making solid 140 down the front straight in a Z51 coupe with factory Z51 suspensions. I was braking hard but I did not notice any scraping or bumps.. Maybe it's gotten worse over the course of the season?? I do love that track!!

Btw, hard braking zones...: T1 at WGI, T1 at LRP and T1 at Lightning.. Honorable mention: T8 at WGI where I got really close to kissing the armco this year! (whew)...

TKOGTO

Can this be done with stock leaf springs?


Hit to the bottom of the splitter would occur right after tower while you're stilling traveling a bit downhill. This is before the transition uphill. In fact I remember thinking how much more the car felt settled in the uphill once it got off the speed bumps.


Agreed on the track. Lightning is a blast. It can be driven so hard. The Bowl is 2nd only to the top of the esses @ the Glen IMHO.

Re: the armco, was it on the outside of T8 @ WGI or back to the inside?

Dr.Ron

I think this is accurate...It's not really bumps, but feels more like a dip..Could just be the transition from downhill to uphill, with a slight dip added in.

My 06Z and 09Z did it there. I forgot I was there last year with the 11 Carbon and she did it too while on 19/20's. now I'm on 18's all around. I hope it's not worse!

Ron

Dr.Ron

I hear that! That sweeping right hander heading to the bridge is a little nerve racking for me. I usually lay back at about 108-112...I can go more, and I'm sure the car will hold the road, but it's a little unnerving. Do you guys go full throttle there??

Racingswh

I do. For a decent lap time speeds there are nearing 130 mph. Smash the brakes, back end dancing around and roll into 7 as fast as possible. Should be in the high 50s to low 60s in 7. For super quick times the front stretch is over 150 mph and brake as the car passes the white line and 80 mph through 1.

RDnomorecobra

Those are some speeds at those sections. What is a good lap time to you, 1:10's? I've been into the 1:15's (stock c5z with Conti's) and I only get to high 11x's heading under the bridge (I'm sure I am feathering the throttle there), high 130's on the straight and probably under 70 in turn 1. Have you guys seen Andrew Aquilante's 1:06 lap? eye candy.

Dr.Ron

That's moving. What mods (if any) do you have done to your car? Any video from NJMP?

Do you have a link to his 1:06 Ray?
I've been 143-144 on the straight, but I don't have the ***** to go much faster with turn 1 approaching! lol That was on Sport Cup 2 tires. We'll see what happens on the Contis.

Ron

12zo

I found in my C6Z and my previous car, a GT3, I need to brake before the bumps to settle the car.

I don't think it's an issue for pro racers, they appear to brake so deep they are past the bumps.

I found a very progressive brake pedal just before the Lightning bumps would compress the front shocks and settle the whole car so that I could ride over the bumps with a more stable car, better braking effectiveness and no dip of the nose at the bumps.

You can modulate the brakes after the bump zone as needed.

If you hammer the brakes at the brake zone you drop the nose just when the bumps start and you have not only an unhappy splitter but unhappy grip for braking. Squeeze the brakes a tad early and you'll find it resolves itself.

That or brake really deep :-)

Racingswh

That's me. Different car. Speeds are there for you to see though. Laps were 1:11's which isn't quick. I don't have the stones yet to fly past the white line on the front stretch foot to the floor. I know I can find 3 seconds here for sure. Need to be sub 1:10 to be moving.


In my Wife's current car the previous owner, Mike Ellis would drive it 1:08's here although I can't find video of him. The car is very well set up and he ran the car I believe in NASA Northeast TTU. 2010 Z06. I do have video of him at Thunderbolt at a 1:25.9 which is pretty good. I haven't tried my Wife's car at Lightning yet. Next year after the heads and mods are complete I am excited to see how quick it is.

RX-Ben

Mike did a 1:09.5 in that car, with A6s and about 475hp or so.
Both NJMP tracks reward handling above all else - bumping up HP will (likely) not be as useful as mounting stickier rubber.

RDnomorecobra

here's that 1:06 ...

Racingswh

Agree. I appreciate the lap time info.

Heads will be for reliability. Mods are spherical bearings (he was selling it as a street car and switched back to new squishy factory bushings), springs, damper rebuild if needed and anti-sway bars.

Then I have to work on me as a driver. I have a lot to work on. Matter of fact going to do that right now here in the rain at Pocono.

My Wife's car makes 468 rwhp as of 1 month ago and is stock.

I look forward to going back to NJMP and should be there one more time this season.