More Gen3 experience

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PostPosted: Thu Sep 11, 2014 4:08 pm
Well, I got to head down to TWS for the tire testing a few days ago and as part of the deal, I got to drive three different Gen3's.
All I can say is wow.
After my first lengthy stint in the car (I was on a different set of tires from what we are running now, and they were ... challenging... to drive at the edge), I got out, debriefed with the tire guys and walked directly to Mike who, as always, had his head in the engine bay of another Gen3.
I said very simply "congratulations, sir... you have created one amazing beast".
I absolutely love everything about the Gen3. The sound, the feedback, the handling (which I expect will be much, much better once we settle on a tire and baseline set up)... all of it.
Times were *significantly* faster than the 1.9 car which just added to the excitement.
I am sore and have bruises all over me from ill-fitting seats and a lot of laps (at one point I ran 50 laps in about an hour and 15 minutes) but I have nothing but fond memories of the experience.

In one of the cars I ran I couldn't get the data system to show me RPM, only MPH. It had shift lights but seeing as it was someone else's car and I didn't know the shift light settings, I played it conservatively and shifted at the second green light. I ran gears through the corners that felt right for that shift point, and was disappointed in my times. After talking with Brian Schofield who was in a car with a numeric tach, I realized that maybe I was underutilizing the engine. I asked Mike and he informed me that I had been shifting between 5700 and 6000 RPM. D'oh.
So I went out and dropped a gear in three corners, ran the tach to the flashing lights (never hit the rev limiter at 6750) and was instantly 2 seconds a lap faster in two semi-hot laps. Wow.
I came in immediately after that to follow tire protocol and when I went back out I was prepared to gun for a quick time. Unfortunately on the first hot lap the LF wheel bearing decided it was done at that point and it ended my day in that car (and my testing as I had to head home).

I won't speak to any of the tire testing results (that's Enterprises' job :) ) other than to say that we have some excellent options for 2016 and beyond.

One other anecdotal note: Gary Glanger came down to run Kevin Ferguson's Gen3 for a few laps. Gary is crazy fast and is going to be a major factor at every race he enters. He came in after a few laps (I think he went pretty quickly as well) and was more animated than I have ever seen him. I could see his child-like grin through his helmet eyeport.
The one comment that stuck with me was "Oh man, I don't ever want to drive my 1.9 again!". Too funny.

So in summary, be excited. Be very excited. These couple of days also allowed the Enterprises team to gather a lot more data on the Gen3 as well as work on some of the small pre-release challenges/tweaks that remain (again, I'll leave that conversation to them).
The car I ran the most (Comprent-provided) was nigh on bulletproof other than the wheel bearing and one other minor issue that didn't effect my on-track sessions in any measurable way.

So again, be excited. Mikey and team have provided us with something to be stoked about.

Denny
____________
Bay 12, please.

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 9:12 am
A few more comments relative to 1.9/G3:
I ran my 1.9 all day on the "new" GY 2554 which will be the tire for 2015. There is a marked improvement in durability and consistency of lap times over many cycles; I'll let others make further comments.
Regarding the G3: I'd driven Mike's car last year at HPR, it was fun but my lack of familiarity with the track made my point of view less than complete.
On Tuesday after running my car for 7 sessions on both the 1.8 and 2.9 courses Nikki sorta pushed me to take a spin in the LaRue G3 (thanks!). Of course, it was the end of the day, a 95/95% TX day. The car was on Hoosiers and the difference from my 1.9 was incredible. My car felt like a bus in comparison. The G3 was so much more responsive to steering input and it was without that tail heavy feel of the 1.9. Where the 1.9 starts to rotate and gives (at least me) at times the feeling it won't stop rotating the G3 felt completely controllable. I came in and asked about the car weight - this particular G3 weighs approx. 180# less than my 1.9. The car had no timing equipment but someone was doing some timing and my lap times were about 5 seconds faster than times in the 1.9, and I was going easy so Larue's wouldn't have to do any cleaning like they did the last time I drove a G3. (Sorry)
Be excited about the G3! It feels far racier (is that a word?) than the 1.9 and is a big step up.

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 1:40 pm
Did every SRF guy in Texas go to the test?

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PostPosted: Fri Sep 12, 2014 7:04 pm
Nah, but some cars showed up without their drivers!

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 1:25 pm
Wow, a Road America weekend, what a blast. Hats off to Mike D., Enterprise guys and girl for letting the Gen3 happen. It was my first time out in my converted Gen3 , one that had been just completed the night before and it was great. The most interesting thing I found was that the car was quite a bit looser, with both understeer and oversteer ( it could be just me) but it just seemed way more predictable and easy to catch with the lighter rear end. One thing that probably contributed to the loose condition was my setup as well as the 14-16 heat cycle tires I had on. The noise and acceleration was very pleasant!! Every lap in qualifying was better than the last and I truly never had a lap where I put all of the corners together or got behind someone else at an inopportune time, otherwise I sure I could have gotten it down quit a bit lower with larger attachments. So everything was rosy for qualifying and then came the race where we had a dry track with off lines wet. Let’s just say I managed to find some of the wet which ruined the rest of the weekend, but it was way fun while it lasted.
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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 5:31 pm
Bill Parenteau wrote: The most interesting thing I found was that the car was quite a bit looser, with both understeer and oversteer ( it could be just me) but it just seemed way more predictable and easy to catch with the lighter rear end.


Wow -- sounds like the chassis is handling as it was originally designed by Roy Lunn: without the extra 85 pounds in the ass-end. Easy to catch? Just like a Sports Renault. Great stuff. Can't wait to try my GEN3 out next spring (January delivery).

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PostPosted: Mon Sep 22, 2014 6:13 pm
Bob - It seemed that it would turn to any spot I wanted to go which was handy with all the Gen2s around. I had more than one person comment on how I was able to sneak inside them to pass during qualifying when they were struggling to keep on the normal line. It's probably not the fastest way around the track when racing in a pack of Gen3ers though. That's what ultimately was my downfall, when in the race I tried to maneuver thru a wet patch no one else has used :cry:
One last thing, I came in a little more than 95 pounds lighter than my normal weight and I haven't been dieting. It probably has something to do with the fact that I didn't have the in tank fuel pump or new alternator before and had to start with a lot of gas to not starve for gas at the end of the race. I think I started with around 3 or 4 gallons this time and didn't have a problem.
P.S. For anyone interested I weighed in at 1564 with around 2 gal still in the tank, 225lb driver (excluding gear) and new spoke wheels with rear body 4 or 5 pound extra fiberglass.
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 5:32 pm
As far as weight is concerned, a 225 lb guy weighing in at 1560 with two gallons of gas would be the exception not the rule. My car weighed in at 1582 after the running over an hour on a tank of fuel in the enduro at Daytona last weekend, which means I was damn near empty. I personally weigh 210 lbs and have all the updates on my car with the exception of the plate below the fuel cell (which would add another 8 lbs). In the Gen 2 I would consistently come in around 1675 with a 10lb plate in the car and roughly 1 gallon of fuel. Now I am going to be coming in on empty, no weight plates, and 23 lbs over weight. Based on my before and after weights I think the minimum is off by about 20-30 lbs. I have been told that others have had similar results.
John Greene
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:45 pm
I get my Gen3 this weekend at Thompson - 290lb guy, so will provide mine as well. Time to raise that minimum weight.
Steve Introne
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 30, 2014 7:47 pm
John - Not sure where the discrepancy comes in , it might be the fuel I had to carry to keep the pickup wet. I would come in at around 1675 with 3 or 4 gallons in the tank with a 6 lb weight plate. I do believe that from what I have seen later chassis come in lighter, mine being #784.
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