Watkins Glen Pics & Videos! B5 S4

[bigdo26]

Back from my first event at the Glen - it was fantastic. Great track that flowed nicely and had some challenging but rewarding turns. Favorite part was the esses onto the back straight. Quite a rush going flat out 4th gear through turns 2, 3, and 4 (see the annotated video - first one). Had some great laps and learned a lot from my instructor on the first 2 sessions. Then solo'd for a couple sessions. Enjoy the videos

I ran the whole day with stock tuning thanks to some weird boost issues (not misfires for once). But had enough power everywhere except at the toe of the boot where almost every car feels underpowered

Pictures to come...

Session 4: Went out behind my friend Pete in his chipped Jetta which put down around 190whp, 225wtq. He has similar performance mods to me.
Highlights - passed the RS4 on first lap, then get taken by RS4 on 2nd lap




Session 3
Notes: Long warm up lap as my car had cooled for 3 hours - skip ahead to 2:30 or so
4:00 - passed by a new Mustang GT 5.0 - he had a huge power advantage and good driving!
4:45 - catch up to a TTRS and play for a bit
7:10 - catch up to Golf R
12:30 - catch up to B6 S4 and A6 2.7t and play



Session 2 - with Dennis riding shotty as my instructor

[bigdo26]

Couple pictures are attached here as well (still get some decent body roll, but MUCH better than stock suspension!)

[socfan12]

Oops, thought I replied before I went to Boston but I guess I didn't hit submit!

Thx for posting the photos & videos, bigdo. I love the annotations, very helpful! Wow, taking some of those turns in 4th and tracking out already in 5th! That is some fast track! Any areas you found particularly tricky to navigate? Turns 9 & 11 look tricky with minimal track out. Wish I could've been there.

[bigdo26]

Turn 7 (toe of the boot) was my challenging turn - and then turn 9 as well. I had understeer no matter what I did at turn 7, and since I was running stock, I had no power to pull out of the turn and go uphill there.

Turn 6 was challenging because it's downhill with zero runout, so if you come in too hot, it'll get your blood pumping.

Turns 2-3-4 I loved - very fast, very fun. Also liked turn 10 quite a bit. If you get the right line and have the balls to go flat out, it's very rewarding!

I can't wait to go back! I'm getting my valve cover gaskets done in a week so hopefully that will solve my misfire issues and I'll be able to run my track tune at LRP on Aug 27th... what's your next day?

[socfan12]

Haha, WG w NEQ based on your videos! Think you can make that?

[bigdo26]

Don't think I'll make WG II - probably have to be in San Diego that week unfortunately... but that is my new favorite track

[socfan12]

One day we gotta meet up! Don't think I can do LRP late Aug because I'll be in Hershey Park that time.

Still reviewing the videos. Seems like lots of blind turns too, so not knowing where to apex and track out for a smooth line could be tricky...

[bigdo26]

I know, I feel bad I never found you at the May LRP event... there will be more events - I would LOVE to get to the other NEQ WG event, just don't see a way to make that happen at the moment though.

Glad you like the videos - I've watched a few times myself to assess my line and look for spots to improve. There are some blind spots, but just have to trust the flaggers and that the track will be there ;)

Definitely need to get my car running right again with boost and misfire issues so I can put down some real power at the Glen next time I make it out. I'd like to grab 5th gear right before turn 4 going through the esses and onto the back straight - that should get me better speed out of them and probably touch 128-130 before the bus stop. Now that my brakes can handle the speed, I need my aggressive tuning back!! Hopefully the work my mechanic does next weekend will solve everything, otherwise I'll be even more stumped

[socfan12]

Good luck w the valve covers, hopefully that solves the misfires! There are some long straights on the Glen that could def'ly benefit from more power.

I'm surprised to hear the understeer, w a drop and extra camber. What tires are you running?

[bigdo26]

I have Goodyear Eagle F1 asymmetric tires - 225/40/18. Treadwear is about 240 I believe. Car is just nose heavy and always pushes. I can get some rotation with lift throttle, but if I try to trail brake, the traction control kicks in regardless of whether I turn it off or not. And the corner where I was getting understeer the worst was an uphill corner that lift throttle to rotate would end up kiling all speed, so I just worked as best I could with the understeer.

Rear sway would help, as would the 4:1 differential, but I think I'm just going to deal with the handling. I can get the car to be semi-neutral in some corners, just need to drive it better :)

I'm more concerned with my dented wheel at the moment though - damn railroad tracks

[socfan12]

Rear sway bar would help. I haven't experienced understeer since I dropped by car. The CO kit came with a heavier 28mm rear sway bar, and now I get rotation upon throttle lift. It's awesome. Now I just have to learn how to use it while driving...

[bigdo26]

Very nice that you get rotation - if I see a rear sway with subframe supports go up for sale on the forums, I'll probably pick it up. Otherwise, I'll work with the car as is.

Found myself a new set of 18" wheels for $100 (full set) so going to mount up my track tires on those and bring them to the track with me from now on as to avoid denting more wheels!!!

[socfan12]

I actually have the Hotchkis sways I took off when I put the suspension on. They fit a B8, bt if you find they'll fit your B6(?) they're yours for cheap.

[bigdo26]

I actually have the Hotchkis sways I took off when I put the suspension on. They fit a B8, bt if you find they'll fit your B6(?) they're yours for cheap.

I'll check it out - doubt they will fit (that would be too easy!) but never know! Thanks for the offer!! Will let you know

[ryanmaccy]

I have read a nice and very interesting article about the car maintenance and found it really interesting..Go through it...the article here

[bigdo26]

Link appears to be a car insurance quote... guessing the above post can be removed

[socfan12]

At the Glen now. Ok first session, but got smoother rest of day. Awesome track! Turns 7 & 9 are tricky! I'm frequently apexing early on turn 9:(. But one more day day tomorrow for me to conquer that corner. Easily my favorite track, too! :-). More when I get back home the next few days.

[bigdo26]

Nice! Glad you made it to the Glen... wish I could have come to this event too

Agree on turns 7 & 9... 7 was my most challenging, especially since I ran stock tuning all day - had no power coming out of that turn going uphill!! I kept hitting an early turn 9 apex too... similar driving style it seems!

How fun are turns 2-3-4 though onto the back straight? Taking video? Hope to see some pics/videos later this week!

Next week's LRP day might be my last outing on the year... got the car running perfect it seems though, so very excited to use my aggressive tune finally!!!

Enjoy day 2 tomorrow!

[socfan12]

2-3-4 aren't turns,they're just a crooked straight! Gonna try flooring it today at those corners.

Will have vids. Bought the data acquisition package too, so you will see some telemetry data as well.:-)

[bigdo26]

haha yes, 'crooked straights' is right! I was running stock programming, so only ~275 chp that day, but by the end of the event I was going into turn 2 with just a 1 second throttle lift, then WOT all the way to the end of the straight. It was a little nerve racking, but once you're through turn 2 you should be able to keep full throttle and just fly out of "crooked straight 4" onto the back straight. Guessing you're touching 135 before slowing for the bus stop?

Enjoy day 2!

[socfan12]

Haha, if I really pushed it, I reached 133.:-)

Wow, what a great track! Everything they say about the Glen is all true - fast, technical, fun, challenging, and almost everyone I talked to who has been there, their favorite track. Now I know why!

I'll work on the videos asap. I purchased the data acquisition w video package from Skyline Video, so that should be posted in a few days as well.

Going to decompress from the day and the long drive home. bigdo, ok if I post to your thread?

[bigdo26]

Yeah no problem to post here

Glad you enjoyed the Glen - it is a fantastic track. I can't wait to get back there and run my car with more than 8psi of boost!! I was only touching about 120-121, but going through the esses at 100+ sure was exhilerating!

Looking forward to seeing the data aquisition footage - they didn't have Skyline video in July... I would have loved to have one of their videos as they do a good job!

I'm considering maybe trying to get to Summit Point later this fall for a day or two. Can't seem to find any other track days that fit in my fall schedule at the moment...

[socfan12]

Well, here are my videos, the last 2 sessions of the last day. But before I post, wanted to give a big thanks for posting your vids bigdo. The videos, the annotations, and the comments from this thread really helped guide how I approached the track, from start to finish.

Here's the third session where I was feeling pretty comfortable with the track and getting a bit aggressive. I think I held back on turn 6 as I agree with you bigdo, one slip going down that downhill and you will need to find another way to get home. Had some fun chasing some very fast cars around the 7-14 minute marks, hitting 135 at the esses for one of the laps. Got sloppy the last 10 minutes as I was probably getting tired.



Here's the last session of the day. Pretty similar to the previous session. At the 3:30 mark, I was picking up speed around turn 5 and tracked out quite far. I hit the cone there. I later got blacked flagged because they said I had two wheels off. I think I just used all of the track out but did not hit the runoff area. Turned it down a notch or two after that.


I'll post the data acquisition video as soon as I get it. Unfortunately it's of the last session, definitely not my best.

This is definitely a high HP track. You'll need it for all the elevation changes and the 'straights': front straight, the esses, the back straight, and the stretch between 7&8. (Hope you get your boost back, bigdo!) And you definitely need good tires and brakes here. My tires were fairly quiet at LRP, but were squealing like a banshee here. And you can smell my brakes throughout the session. Luckily I put new pads on for this event.

In summary, add me as yet another person who's favorite track is the Glen!

Aaron, you there? When's your turn?!

bigdo, Summit Point is a fun track. I've driven the main circuit: very fast and smooth flowing. They have a really long front straight. where you can pick up tremendous speed. But a friend I see at the track is trying to get me to go to the Glen with a few of his buddies, third week of Sep. Interested? Right now I've signed up, but work schedule may not work out, but I hope it does. LMK!

[bigdo26]

Nice driving! What kind of camera do you use again? Quality is fantastic...

Does look like your tuned up, supercharged V6 was making the most of every bit of power blasting down the straights & out of tough corners. Any idea how much fuel you went through each day? I used about 20 gallons during my day there back in July... have to imagine I would have used even more if I ran a more aggressive tune, would have used even more. I think the Esses were a big part of that, basically WOT for 30 seconds each lap, which of course was a blast!

What group are you going with in Sept? I head out for Vacation on the 22, so I think the best I could pull off would 1 day of driving at the Glen... work will be chaos that week since I'll be away for 16 days. We'll see...

Might get to Limerock on Oct 27th after vacation & my sister-in-law's wedding, if I don't have to travel for work. Need a new job with less travel. It's interfering with track time ;)

[socfan12]

I now have the GoPro2. Agree, it's a great camera and very versatile.

I was monitoring fuel as I was using lots of it. One session (1/2 hour) would use about 3/8ths of the tank, or around 6-8 gallons per session. I needed to fill the tank every 2 sessions because that would mean I would go pretty low after the 3rd, which I don't like to do. And I was definitely grateful for the tune. There are so many spots where it's needed or useful. I wish I had better tires, though (but having said that, the RE-11s held up like a champ for a street tire). Pilot Sport Cups would have helped going up turn 7 or taking turn 6 a little faster.

The Group is the Genesee Valley Chapter of BMW. Here's the link. Heard they are a good group to run with. It's the same weekend as your vacation start. If you could pull it off, that would be a lot of fun! My track friend drives an Evo and he is super smooth behind the wheel. He'll be passing me easily.

Obtw, someone with I think an A6 had a contest with the tire wall after the bus stop: tire wall won. Not sure how they swung out so wide to the left to hit the wall there, but that's what happened. Sucks when I see sh*t like that.

Haha, hear you on work. It interferes with anything fun I'd like to do. I need a good stock tip!:-)

[bigdo26]

I must have the older version of the GoPro - still impressive, but seems to be a notch behind yours. I'm very impressed...

That's too bad about the A6... was it a 4.2 S-line? There was an A6 driving at the event I was at, he was in the yellow group...

I'm headed out of the country that Saturday, so definitely won't be able to do the event... I can't complain about going to Italy for 2 weeks, it's a perfectly reasonable trade off for missing a track day or two! But have fun if you go. I'm bummed I miss the Mont Tremblant event for the 3rd year in a row. I have something come up every year in Sept... next year I will make it!

If I end up going to Summit Point I'll let you know - I have friends in DC, so I'd probably stay with them for a day, drive @ Summit Point for a day or two, and catch my friends on the way home again. Make a long weekend. We'll see, it's a lot of driving and I have a lot of engines at test right now that limit my "fun travel"

In agreement on tires too - I figure I'll get about 4-5 more track days out of my Goodyears, then the next round of tires will be Nitto NT01's I think. Dennis Cohan had them on his GT3 that I went out in and that thing stuck like glue. OK yes it was a GT3, but the tires were also incredible

[socfan12]

I'm not sure if it was a 4.2 S-Line or not, did not get a close enough look. Yeah, it was real unfortunate. Everyone was driving pretty well, not sure what happened there: maybe a mechanical failure?

I would love to do Mont Tremblant. That is easier for me to do in the summer than the fall, when things begin to buckle down at work. I hope to make it myself one year...

Have fun at Summit if you go. The main circuit is kinda hard on brakes (Turn 1 from the front straight you go from 135+ to a turn at 45, multiple places where you'll brake from 100+, etc) so bring good pads! :-)

Have fun at Italy, too! Fair trade off! I've never been but definitely one of the countries my family and I want to visit.

[bigdo26]

Sounds like he must have had a failure of some sort - wonder if his brakes cooked? Was probably braking from 120+ there, if the brakes weren't up to the job... I've become religious about bleeding before every event, bedding race only pads in right before event, and inspecting the rotors a couple times during each event to watch for crack indications. I've got 2 sets of track only pads at the moment that travel around to all my events with me, need to try out the Pagid Orange ones at some point, as I've only used PFC-01's thus far (and have loved them might I add). But they are starting to wear after several outings.

Looking forward to my LRP day on Monday. Car feels fantastic now that the leaky VCG's are replaced... I think it's driving better now than it has in the past 2 years, so I have high expectations for lower lap times on Monday :) I'd be happy if I could get the S4 into the 1.07.xx range at LRP with my current tires & suspension.

Wish there was a Glen event in late October (after 22nd). I would love to drive that track with weather in the 50's...

Looking forward to the telemetry video of your last session though - hopefully you can post it here in the forums!

[socfan12]

I haven't received it yet, but will post once I get it. It'll first be private for me, but I'll see if I can flip it over to public, or at least grant those who want to see it. Keep in mind it's the last session, where I got black flagged and took it down a notch for a good portion of the session.

Just talked to my other buddy - he needs to work on his car so is bagging from the WG trip, so I guess I will cancel too. I think it would've been tough for me anyway.

Have fun at LRP! Glad to hear the valve covers are working and no misfires! You should get good times at LRP then!

[bigdo26]

Too bad about the Glen in Sept... interested in LRP on Oct 27? Have you driven with them before?

[socfan12]

Woke up this AM and got my video in the email from Skyline! Here it is. LMK if you can't see it, but supposedly you should be able to with the link:



As mentioned earlier, definitely not my best driving: hit a cone and supposedly two wheels off around 3:20 (wide angle adaptor flies off Skyline's camera and goes blurry for a sec), black flagged at 5:30, and then took next few laps two notches down (about +10sec diff with my best lap time). Started to pick it up again for a few laps but it ended before I could get my rhythm back.

Great quality video and data. Throttle doesn't show because he said his obdii reader did not pick it up for whatever reason. Hopefully you can view it.

cheers