fatherpain
Senior Member
- First Name
- Tom
- Joined
- Dec 22, 2018
- Threads
- 27
- Messages
- 2,205
- Reaction score
- 3,799
- Location
- SoCal
- Website
- www.civicx.com
- Vehicle(s)
- 2018 CTR - CW, 1996 Honda Accord EX coupe
- Build Thread
- Link
- Vehicle Showcase
- 1
- Thread starter
- #496
**Long post alert**
Returned to Willow Springs in Rosamond CA for a 2nd go at Streets of Willow.. Track is 115 miles North from my house, so knew it would push me past the 36k mike warranty cutoff. The service advisor originally said they’d only cover my (2) remaining issues if the car stayed under 36k miles, so was prepared to tow the car home from the track. However she called back and said they had some way to honor the repairs, which saved a hassle
This was definitely the funnest of the (5) events I’ve done. The Los Angeles Shelby Club run an absolutely tremendous event focused on Driver’s education. Pre-track meeting was very well organized and they offered free driving instruction.
Though their focus is Shelby Cobras and American muscle, they encourage owners of all types of cars and welcomed our Type R’s.
The club has been around for 28 years and they host one event each year, which has been renamed after their founder and pioneer Dave Dralle sadly passed away in 2017. Wish I had taken up this hobby sooner to have met the man, who genuinely sounds like he was a super cool person.
Besides the $15 track entry fee, The event cost just $135 for non-members or $115 for members. Will be joinIng the club for $30. Then can recoup $20 by attending the next annual track day + Receive a T-shirt. Can’t beat that deal
Since this was a driver education event, orange cones were placed on the track to mark apex’s and where your car should turn in...
Attended the event with (2) track buddies and (2) Type R owners from the SoCal FB pages, who I also count as friends
My pal Steve brought his beautiful yellow 2019 Corvette Z06 but ran into cooling issues so had to shut down early. However he is super smart and left with ideas how to fix. Felt bad for him, but kinda nice to know ours isn’t the only platform that needs help
Ran in the advanced group. There were only (5) cars including me, so track was wide open, no traffic.
Was able to stay on the tail of my other buddy Roy’s 450HP Cadillac and he is a beast in that car. He was clocking 1:30 laps, so I figure that was my time also.
Was driving fast and feeling good, but later found that doesn’t necessarily equate to good track driving.
Towards the end of the day, at my request, an instructor rode shotgun. Figured he might be somewhat impressed and offer a tip here or there....however it went something like this ?
Me: Hello sir, this is my 2nd time at SOW, 5th track day overall. I’ve been doing 1:30’s.
Instructor (Bruce): Don’t care what your times are. Let’s see how you drive!!
Me:
After about a half lap, Bruce said: “Ok, I’ve seen enough let’s take it back in and talk.”
In the pits he told me “you are driving fast, because the car is amazing. But you’re doing it wrong. Dial it back 20% and focus on the hitting the cones!
Me: Got it boss!
Back out we went. After another half lap, I was appalled when Bruce said “Cut! Let’s take it back in again!” Doh!!
Bruce: You’re missing every cone by 3 feet or more! The cones are there for a reason! They are marking the apex’s and turn-ins. You are supposed to be within (1) foot or less of each cone!!!
Me: (in my head) I am? Haha, shoot didn’t know that! I was just out there to rip
Bruce: Don’t worry about going fast. Focus on the cones. Begin turns at the right spot and hit the apex. Take turns wider to begin accelerating halfway through and be able to exit the curve at the proper angle to achieve maximum speed. Dial it back 20% and do it again!
He also explained the strategy of the SOW track on a map.
Was humbling, but appreciated him setting me straight so I can work to become a better track driver.
With that, went back out solo for the final session, followed his advice and kept within (1) foot of each cone.
Wow, what a difference! Car felt much more natural and didn’t have to work nearly as hard. So much better. Found Bruce afterwards and thanked him. Was my 2nd time receiving track instruction and was a big help. With Covid, most track organizers haven’t offered any, so I’ve been reinforcing bad habits of the unlearned.
Guess the best analogy might be driving a high HP car and getting decent times due to the power it has on the straights, but doing the rest of the track all wrong.
The Type R similarly made me look better than I was, driving “bad”. But instead of power, it was the RE71R’s insane grip and the car’s agility and quickness. A true track tire would probably be nuts. Also impressive is it’s still on the stock suspension in R mode, rev match and VSA traction OFF.
Always a good idea to check everything between track sessions. Noticed a little brake fluid leaking by the bleeder vents. Tightened what I was able to reach and got about a 1/8” turn to seal them.
With the hood open between sessions, noticed one of the CCV catch can hose fittings had worked itself loose, resulting in a small amount of oil splatter, which could have created a problem. Must have not tightened it fully after the last round of mods ?
Ambient temperature was 100-101F. Pushed the car hard and Streets of Willow is low speed with lots of turns and just (2) short straights to cool down, so was a real good test of the cooling upgrades.
Temperature gauge consistently hovered around 60-70%. Which was a little concerning, but never went limp. Kept the heater on full blast. Completed each session without a cooling lap, outside of the final lap before returning to the pits.
Overall pleased not to have issues on a really hot day. For my skill level, it seems the platform’s cooling issue has been resolved. That said, will be doing a C&R Racing core swap with the HKS oil cooler for good measure and may try a different radiator fluid mixture next time. Currently on OEM Honda coolant.
My buddy Tim has the C&R street radiator and came away with a good experience also. He was able to complete most of the sessions, though reported his temperature gauge maxed out once. Didn’t go limp but ended the session, as a precaution. Has a 2020 grill, but not a vented hood.
Contemplating Buttonwillow September 11th and maybe joining the SoCal CTR group at Fontana
Good luck at your event!
I'm really curious with all the cooling mods you have added to see the end results!
Last edited: