Streets of Willow 9/2/17 - VAB STI
The STI has already had some track time over the past couple years since I bought it. The car has remained extremely simple and basic over the course of my ownership, and that was the plan all along. I didn't want to do the typical garbage of buying the car, then immediately "get an accessport and go stage 2 bro". I hear complaints left and right about the "lack of" power in these cars, and how it needs more, or how Subaru has been left behind by the competition and all that nonsense.
I've felt no real need to increase the power though. The car is plenty quick and the power level is not holding me back by any means. My driving skills are definitely the limiting factor, as I know the car in its current configuration is damn quick. With the right driver, I'm sure it could put down respectable times on track.
Instead of focusing on power, I chose to stick with simple brake and suspension/chassis upgrades to improve the car just a little bit in each aspect. All the events I had done up to this point were done on the original OEM Dunlops. They honestly weren't anything special, but I figured it would be better to build a foundation and learn the car on less grippy tires. All in all, the tires lasted nearly 24k miles and a few track events. There was still enough tread on them to last maybe another couple thousand miles, but they were heat cycled to the point where there was just no point in even running them anymore.
It seems fate would have it that the stars would not align for this event. The track surface had been redone with a slurry coat. For those who don't know, it's basically a petroleum-based water sealant. Needless to say, track conditions were a bit slick. The track looked nice and was really smooth though. Add the fac that the weather was between 105-110 all day and it's pretty easy to see that the conditions weren't ideal.
It's also pretty well known that these cars run a bit hot, so the sessions were mostly a bust. I couldn't get more than one hot lap before my coolant temps were approaching the danger zone. I'd do one hot lap, then have to do like 3 cool down laps and gain some distance from the other cars to make another. First session, I got a best of 1:34.8. I had another lap that was on pace to be about a second faster, but I got stuck behind traffic towards the end of the lap and had to cruise for a bit.
Second session, I managed a best of 1:33.2 with another lap on pace for mid 1:32s, but my sloppy driving caused me to go drop a tire off course and I had to lift to get back on without spinning, since the drop offs are a bit steep.
I've felt no real need to increase the power though. The car is plenty quick and the power level is not holding me back by any means. My driving skills are definitely the limiting factor, as I know the car in its current configuration is damn quick. With the right driver, I'm sure it could put down respectable times on track.
Instead of focusing on power, I chose to stick with simple brake and suspension/chassis upgrades to improve the car just a little bit in each aspect. All the events I had done up to this point were done on the original OEM Dunlops. They honestly weren't anything special, but I figured it would be better to build a foundation and learn the car on less grippy tires. All in all, the tires lasted nearly 24k miles and a few track events. There was still enough tread on them to last maybe another couple thousand miles, but they were heat cycled to the point where there was just no point in even running them anymore.
So I spoke with an old drifting buddy back in Oklahoma and he sourced me a set of Gredge07RS tires from Zestino. I was originally going to go for the 07Rs, which were the 240tw tires, but said screw it and opted for the 140tw 07RS tires. They're extremely popular among the drift guys, but there seems to be very little info on them from guys who participate in grip/road course stuff. I know that I have multiple events happening over the next few months, and I have some lap time goals I'm determined to hit at these venues. That being said, it was time to get some real grip on this car.
Surprisingly enough, the tires are actually pretty good on the street. The sidewalls are much stiffer than the OEM Dunlops, but the road noise is much less. I imagine that has to do with the fact the old tires were pretty worn and heat cycled out. But still, the fact that these seemed dead quiet in comparison and yet supposedly offered grip similar to tires like the ZII and RE71 had such got me pretty excited.
First stop with the new setup was Streets of Willow at WSIR. We ran the CCW configuration and my goal at the start of the day was 1:30 or better. For a basically stock STI with some upgraded brakes and tires, I figured this would be a good goal to chase after. The only change I make to the car when running at the track is switch from PMU's HC800 pads to their CR pads. Aside from that, everything remains exactly the same as it is when driven on the street.
It seems fate would have it that the stars would not align for this event. The track surface had been redone with a slurry coat. For those who don't know, it's basically a petroleum-based water sealant. Needless to say, track conditions were a bit slick. The track looked nice and was really smooth though. Add the fac that the weather was between 105-110 all day and it's pretty easy to see that the conditions weren't ideal.
It's also pretty well known that these cars run a bit hot, so the sessions were mostly a bust. I couldn't get more than one hot lap before my coolant temps were approaching the danger zone. I'd do one hot lap, then have to do like 3 cool down laps and gain some distance from the other cars to make another. First session, I got a best of 1:34.8. I had another lap that was on pace to be about a second faster, but I got stuck behind traffic towards the end of the lap and had to cruise for a bit.
I decided to call it a day after two sessions. I couldn't get more than two laps per session without risking overheating and causing damage. My GoPro couldn't last more than 5 minutes before shutting down from overheating. I couldn't even aim for times because the track surface was less than ideal. So I figured I'd just cut my losses and leave.
Had to get in one more upset on the way home though, since a rogue rock from a car in front of me busted the hell out of my windshield. So all in all, not the best of days. Definitely sucks, but considering the fact that I've gotten some great track time with this car, I'm not too bummed. If the only negative to come from my ownership with this car after 25k miles and about 200 track laps is a hot track day and a busted windshield, I consider it to be a win.
Also, after talking to a couple friends who frequently go to that track, they said that the track surface and weather alone was worth a solid 3-4 seconds. So if the conditions were more favorable, I should've definitely hit 1:29s out there, which is nice to know.
Even with the terrible track surface, I could tell the difference in grip from the new Zestino Gredge 07RS tires. The turn in was sharp and immediate. Not to mention the level of grip through corners and on corner exit. I could get on the throttle much sooner and the front end would stick and pull me out without pushing wide like it used to. Anybody who has driven an STI at an aggressive pace knows that these cars quickly resort to understeer. An alignment change helped combat that, but these tires really made all the difference in the world.
Now, you can get the car to rotate just enough to dart in corner entry with a good bit of trail braking. No countersteering required, because the car stays planted. Just a slight hint of rotation and makes the car feel much more neutral through the corner. If you overcook it, the car will resort to understeer again, but if you get it right, it feels awesome.
I have to change out the brake fluid and get the windshield fixed before I go back to Autoclub on the 22nd. I'm really aiming for that 1:55 lap time mark. That'd put me right there with the stock GTR guys on a track that heavily favors high horsepower. My last time out, I got a 2:00.39, and the car was on stock tires and suspension. Hopefully things align more in my favor and I can make a serious run for some good times. With the addition of the new tires and suspension changes, plus the additional seat time I've had since last time, I think I've got a good chance. I know ACS really well having driven it multiple times, and I have a suspicion that these tires will make a dramatic improvement to my time there. These Zestinos brought my faith back in this car haha!
Fingers crossed.
Had to get in one more upset on the way home though, since a rogue rock from a car in front of me busted the hell out of my windshield. So all in all, not the best of days. Definitely sucks, but considering the fact that I've gotten some great track time with this car, I'm not too bummed. If the only negative to come from my ownership with this car after 25k miles and about 200 track laps is a hot track day and a busted windshield, I consider it to be a win.
Also, after talking to a couple friends who frequently go to that track, they said that the track surface and weather alone was worth a solid 3-4 seconds. So if the conditions were more favorable, I should've definitely hit 1:29s out there, which is nice to know.
Even with the terrible track surface, I could tell the difference in grip from the new Zestino Gredge 07RS tires. The turn in was sharp and immediate. Not to mention the level of grip through corners and on corner exit. I could get on the throttle much sooner and the front end would stick and pull me out without pushing wide like it used to. Anybody who has driven an STI at an aggressive pace knows that these cars quickly resort to understeer. An alignment change helped combat that, but these tires really made all the difference in the world.
Now, you can get the car to rotate just enough to dart in corner entry with a good bit of trail braking. No countersteering required, because the car stays planted. Just a slight hint of rotation and makes the car feel much more neutral through the corner. If you overcook it, the car will resort to understeer again, but if you get it right, it feels awesome.
I have to change out the brake fluid and get the windshield fixed before I go back to Autoclub on the 22nd. I'm really aiming for that 1:55 lap time mark. That'd put me right there with the stock GTR guys on a track that heavily favors high horsepower. My last time out, I got a 2:00.39, and the car was on stock tires and suspension. Hopefully things align more in my favor and I can make a serious run for some good times. With the addition of the new tires and suspension changes, plus the additional seat time I've had since last time, I think I've got a good chance. I know ACS really well having driven it multiple times, and I have a suspicion that these tires will make a dramatic improvement to my time there. These Zestinos brought my faith back in this car haha!
Fingers crossed.
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