July 2023
30Jul
Replaced the front springs
I've fitted the shorter and lighter Eibach front springs on the Intrax dampers, applying the same 6.5mm preload that was on the heavier springs. By changing the springs, the weight saving alone is 0.5 Kg. I then spent a while cleaning and inspecting the front end, if you remember I fitted my own aluminium clevis joints which I designed in Fusion 360, after fracturing several of the OEM Mygale brackets. And I'm pleased to say none of them show any signs of moving or distorting, so thats reassuring. The steering column had a light surface coating of rust, which I cleaned off, and I also removed a few of the old scrutineering stickers from the chassis.I then cleaned the final four Avon tyres, and then started to look at making a few changes to the ECU. I've revised the dry traction control settings, allowing less wheelspin % against speed and yaw angle, after learning at Lydden it wasnt really controlling the rear axle under high load. So I'm basically ready for the trip now, I just need to collect the van and trailer from storage on Wednesday, and give the trailer a good wash. Then load up Thursday morning for the trip up to Scotland. The ferry is at 11.30am on Friday, so I've an overnight sleep to look forward to, in the van, on Thursday night, if I can get a spot in the usual layby along the A75.
26Jul
2023 Formula Student photos
Stephen Miles was at the Formula Student competition at Silverstone last week, in an official capacity, photographing the teams, and his flickr album link is below. Some really great pictures, and it really conveys the competiton between all the teams.Steve Miles' Formula Student 2023 Flickr album
23Jul
Isolator switch replaced
Following the issues that the sister car has had on recent events, with the ignition powering itself off, I've replaced the Cartek isolator switch that sits on the dash panel, with a fresh spare. I've never had issues, but dont want to risk it as both cars are the same age, and it was just a five minute job to swap them over. Both my external switches were replaced a long time ago, so they dont need to be changed.
Its just ten days before the journey to N.Ireland begins for the next rounds of the championship. I'm in the process of reviewing my video and data from my quickest run, and I'm also editing the dry traction control wheelspin% table, after some valuable data was captured at Lydden, from the long right hander at Chessons Drift, where I found the rear end was not fully under ECU control under hard throttle. There are some great corners at Kirkistown, where the changes should have a positive effect.
20Jul
M and H Photos
I really appreciate the photographers who turn up to take pictures of sprints, some events we get zero attendance, and have to rely on onlookers to take pictures, and on other events we get incredible pictures like this, taken by M and H Photography. Look at the heat haze coming off the exhaust :D
19Jul
Kirkistown entries
There are still only 30 entries for the Kirkistown sprint in August, and the minimum number of entries according to the regs is 40, so I'm really hoping there's going to be a last minute rush. I'm so looking forwards to the trip, it'd be a crime for it not to run.2023 Championship heat map
18Jul
Lydden notes
On the Friday when I was unloading the car, I was approached by a new driver, Scott Gibbons, and his father, asking for a track walk. Its his first visit to the venue, and he's only had a few hours experience driving his Jedi, so I agreed and we walked the track, trying to give him some advice on where to lift, and accelerate. I hope what I told him was of some use, and he subscribed to my Youtube channel, to study my FTD run from May. On Saturday, he had several aborted laps, where drivers ahead fell off, or broke down, and he had a really tough challenge trying to complete a lap and 3/4 without being forced to slow down and return to the paddock. Anyway, during the day he improved significantly and finished with a sub 80s time, which was very respectable for his first visit. And he won an award at the prize giving. Top driving Scott, and hope to see you out again soon in the Jedi.
At lunch time I was happy to sit in Steve Miles' championship winning Van Diemen, to help him bleed the clutch. Steve's had clutch issues for some time, and it drags when he's sat in first gear with the clutch pedal depressed. Must be something to do with the throw from the clutch pedal, or there's still air in the hydraulics. We bled the clutch and I started the engine and selected first gear and the car didnt move forwards, so he was at least able to continue in the afternoon.
Pete Goulding (Mygale EcoBoost) had more electrical issues, and ended up bypassing the internal kill switch for the Cartek isolator, which allowed him to complete two more runs in the afternoon without further interruption of power. (I have a new switch in my spares so should I get the same issue I'll know what to do).John Loudon (Force TA) had gear selection issues on the mornings one and only practice run, and only just repaired the car in time to complete his run before the first timed runs started. He then had further oil breather issues, with large quantities of oil deposited over the car's floor. No matter what he tries, at high rpm the engine ejects oil out of the breather hoses. He thinks its because the scavenge pump isnt removing oil from the sump rapidly enough, and has more homework to do to try and resolve the issue. Having just repaired the big end following a failure at Pembrey, presumably also caused by oil level issues, he'll need to find a proper solution, quickly.
Chris Jones (Force TA) had a spin on his first timed run, and was lucky to be given a qualifying time, having brought the red flags out for the cars following. But he did complete the course, and was given a time, so thats within the rules.
The changes I made to launch control made a very small difference to the time taken to reach 64 feet. As the car is running reduced throttle and boost during launch, to protect the gear box in 1st gear, any improvement is worth finding. I was reaching 128mph from a standing start in a little over 9 seconds, which is not bad considering we were launching in to a head wind. At Kirkistown we'll be reaching 140mph from the start, which I'm looking forward to :D
At Lydden the car used 5.9L of 102RON and covered 15.5km's and the engine ran for approx 41 minutes.
17Jul
Ray Heal Memorial Sprint Lydden FTD
With the forecast of storm force winds and rain, and the Goodwood Festival of Speed just down the coast having cancelled their Saturday, the Borough 19 event on Saturday was actually blessed with bouts of strong wind and sunshine, and after a damp first practice run, I was soon up to pace, winning the first run off, and being fastest in the first three timed runs. Annoyingly I was third in the second run off, after the wind had picked up, and I lost a lot of downforce around Chessons Drift due to the tail wind. I can see on the data that I was later on full throttle around that corner than the earlier run off run, and even backed out the throttle around the bend, as the backend of the car just didnt want to stick. First time I've really experienced a loss of downforce due to the strong winds, but the Lydden circuit sits in a bowl, and the wind that was finding its way down on to the track, was strong and very unpredictable.The car ran like clockwork, it started every time, no electrical issues or noise on any of the sensors, and went like a rocket when I pushed her. In practice and on the first timed run, the Avon tyres just didnt work at all, the track temperature was quite low, however the Pirellis did the job every time I bolted them on for the run offs.
I am still in second place overall in the championship, but with the 1st and 3rd places, and another 48 points, I am now just 2 points behind the leader :D
My video from the FTD run is below. Its almost a carbon copy of the run from May, just a fraction of a second slower.
The pair of FTD trophies for winning both B19 Lydden Sprints :D
05Jul
Kirkistown booked
I booked the ferry and my place at the Kirkistown sprint on August 5th and 6th. It'll be my third trip in three years. Last year I suffered rear push rod failure on the Sunday which severly hindered my attempts to win any run offs; this year with the uprated suspension and the heave spring, I'm hoping to have more success.Did you know there is an actual discount code for Ferry trips to N.Ireland. I was given the code yesterday, and the discount took the cost down from £360 to £304 which was a great saving and very welcomed :D
The next event is the Lydden Hill sprint on July 15th, and I've made a small tweak to the launch control parameters which should reduce the 0-64ft time even further.
