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2017 GTi PP at VIR

tripleS

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
15 GTI PP \ 16 GT4
Very nice! I've also done a couple weekends at VIR Full but with NASA last year. The uphill esses are a blast - it definitely looked like you were carrying good speed through them and using those curbs, stock suspension can absorb those like they're nothing :).
 

Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
Very nice! I've also done a couple weekends at VIR Full but with NASA last year. The uphill esses are a blast - it definitely looked like you were carrying good speed through them and using those curbs, stock suspension can absorb those like they're nothing :).

The uphill esses are a challenge but so much fun. For the most part I can close up on others cars through here. I’m going as fast as I dare. Got to feather the throttle some as the front washes out especially through turn 9 which makes it hard to stay track right to set up for turn 10. Stock suspension helps ride the curbs for sure. The car needs front camber to improve turn it and reduce understeer.

You are using the same pagid front pads as I am. How do you like them?
What are you using on the rear?
 

johnamcdonald

New member
Tracked my daily driver at VIR. My regular track car was undergoing some repairs. Car is stock other than Pagid track pads and performance friction brake fluid.

I’m really impressed with how the Mk7 performed on track.

Here are some YouTube links.

https://youtu.be/ZzKoiu7D3Ag

https://youtu.be/Gc0yLvf-elQ

https://youtu.be/zZXEbqYCxT4

Anyone else here run at VIR?

Thanks
Joe
Where did you source the R29 pads to fit stock calipers? On F & R or just front? Thanks.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
 

johnamcdonald

New member

Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
Where did you source the R29 pads to fit stock calipers? On F & R or just front? Thanks.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

I purchased my Pagids from OG Racing.
Front RSL29
P/N# S8201R29001
Rear RS19
P/N# E8046R1901 (Golf 5 R32 rear pad)



After doing some research on ECS website looking at R32 pads and rotors compared to PP Mk7 brake components I took a calculated risk and bought the rear RS19 Pagid rear pads for a Mk5 and they are the same pad shape as the PP rear brakes. Perfect fit. So even though the rear Pagids are not listed for the Mk7 PP GTi, the above pads will fit.

Hope this help folks looking for performance pads for PP rear calipers.

These Pagids have low wear rates. Are pretty kind on rotors. You are likely going to get heat cracking before you wear your rotors down. Pagids provide great brake performance and make for easy brake modulation which doesn’t overwhelm the ABS System like some aggressive race pads will. Weight transfer breaking is relatively easy with these pads. I highly recommend these for any track work.
3E3B46C4-9590-4683-9C9C-9D02124DA61B.jpeg
 
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Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
Very nice! I've also done a couple weekends at VIR Full but with NASA last year. The uphill esses are a blast - it definitely looked like you were carrying good speed through them and using those curbs, stock suspension can absorb those like they're nothing :).

Hey, I meant to ask what lap times you are running at VIR?

From your signature you have a few suspension mods but your motor appears stock. Just trying to figure out how much time the car has in it with the current setup if the driver can wheel it hard enough to extract the time from the equipment. I have a 2:20 virtual best on Harry’s laptimer, so I know that 2-seconds faster is my next goal. Breaking into the teens, is hauling butt around VIR. In any car. Again my opinion is all relative.
 

Chuckable

Ready to race!
What were the ambient temps like and how did the oil and coolant temps look on the track?
My HPDE experience is at PBIR in south Florida (not in a GTI) and coolant and oil temps get pretty hot. Would love to hear how your car held up.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
What were the ambient temps like and how did the oil and coolant temps look on the track?
My HPDE experience is at PBIR in south Florida (not in a GTI) and coolant and oil temps get pretty hot. Would love to hear how your car held up.

I will have to check my notes but from memory ambient temps were in the high 30’s to low 40’s peaking in the mid-50’s. 248F was the highest oil temp I saw. Water temp did not get over 200F. I would guess that ambients of 80F or more are going to result in marginal oil temps of 270-280F.
 

Chuckable

Ready to race!
Thanks for he feedback. Sounds like warm ambient temps likely mean a need for an oil cooler.


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jmason

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Frederick, MD
During mid-summer track days (80+ daytime temp), I saw oil temps approach 270 during 20-minute sessions. This on a stock engine. Definitely could use an oil cooler!

I also saw normal water temps (210-220), reading from a P3 Cars gauge, not the dashboard gauge, which is useless for presenting accurate readings. I was surprised by the low readings. I guess there is a lot of air being pushed through the radiator.
 

jmason

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Frederick, MD
I just rechecked. The Racing Line oil cooler they are developing is still not available for purchase.
 

Chuckable

Ready to race!
I just rechecked. The Racing Line oil cooler they are developing is still not available for purchase.



Yup, still not available. Thanks for checking anyway. My car is new to me so I’m going to do some autocross to get a feel for the handling before pursuing HPDE. Seems likes front negative camber is a good idea too, in addition to an oil cooler.


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tripleS

Go Kart Newbie
Location
Las Vegas
Car(s)
15 GTI PP \ 16 GT4
Mini7 said:
The uphill esses are a challenge but so much fun. For the most part I can close up on others cars through here. I’m going as fast as I dare. Got to feather the throttle some as the front washes out especially through turn 9 which makes it hard to stay track right to set up for turn 10. Stock suspension helps ride the curbs for sure. The car needs front camber to improve turn it and reduce understeer.

You are using the same pagid front pads as I am. How do you like them?
What are you using on the rear?


Yeah they are! The esses are definitely my favorite section probably followed by T16/17 hogpen, whenever I can manage to get that just perfect. I also love the Pagid RSL29s, and got mine from OGRacing too. My impressions are mostly the same as your later response; good progressive bite, very controllable, no fade experienced, and excellent wear. I have some mild front rotor crazing going on in the front after ~9 trackdays, but the wear itself if minimal and the pads have been great. Rear has been OEM pads and rotors, but they have taken a beating and will be replaced this season.

Mini7 said:
I meant to ask what lap times you are running at VIR?
From your signature you have a few suspension mods but your motor appears stock...


Yep, stock motor here, but TBH I have no real idea as I'm out having fun with no data acquisition and don't bother (ie remember to) use the built-in laptimer most of the time. You look to be more consistent than I am though :p
 

Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
During mid-summer track days (80+ daytime temp), I saw oil temps approach 270 during 20-minute sessions. This on a stock engine. Definitely could use an oil cooler!

I also saw normal water temps (210-220), reading from a P3 Cars gauge, not the dashboard gauge, which is useless for presenting accurate readings. I was surprised by the low readings. I guess there is a lot of air being pushed through the radiator.

The temps I quoted were off the dash gauges? From your response I’m assuming that these are not accurate.....?? That sucks. I found out that my chrono pack gauges on my Mini “calculated oil temp and pressure” based on rpm and engine load. Absolutely useless for running on track especially when they under read. I ended up installing autometer guages for oil temp and pressure to keep an eye on things down the straights. That really sucks if the GTI dash instruments aren’t accurate.

I meant to say that the motor is stock. Tuned is going to generate more heat and will tax the cooling system, driving up oil temps. Running stock has made me reluctant to tune after I learned the clutch won’t hold the extra power. Sucks when marketing forces engineers to design down to a price.

VIR has 3 long straights if you count the uphill esses. Not sure if that hurts or helps temps as you are on the power hard for a large part of the track.

I added a cooler to my supercharged Mini. A smart move for a car seeing track work. Heat is the enemy.
 
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Mini7

Autocross Champion
Location
Charlotte, NC
Car(s)
2017 GTi Sport PP
Yeah they are! The esses are definitely my favorite section probably followed by T16/17 hogpen, whenever I can manage to get that just perfect. I also love the Pagid RSL29s, and got mine from OGRacing too. My impressions are mostly the same as your later response; good progressive bite, very controllable, no fade experienced, and excellent wear. I have some mild front rotor crazing going on in the front after ~9 trackdays, but the wear itself if minimal and the pads have been great. Rear has been OEM pads and rotors, but they have taken a beating and will be replaced this season.

My rear rotors are still in good shape. No heat fatigue cracking. Front rotors have heat cracking but none extend to the edges of the rotor. I may be able to squeeze days 7&8 out of them but will install new rotors. It’s not worth the risk. Are you sticking with stock rear pads?


Yep, stock motor here, but TBH I have no real idea as I'm out having fun with no data acquisition and don't bother (ie remember to) use the built-in laptimer most of the time. You look to be more consistent than I am though :p

The more I track, the more I look at data. Lol.
I’m more consistent driving my regular track day Mini. Still learning the GTi. I use Harry’s Laptimer on my iPhone and it’s a great tool to improve as a driver. I want something more accurate but that means some serious $$$$$$ investment. That being said my best laptimes are almost identical between the Mini and GTi.

For the most part I can gain on cars going up the uphill esses, from T-15 onto the front straight and T-3. I could hold my own running in Blue with mixed driver experience. Running White solo is much tougher. Most of the guys and gals know how to wheel a car, which makes it tough running against Porsches and M3’s with a stock GTi. I still enjoy the challenge. The GTI can hold its own through high speed corners. It’s all about maintaining momentum and corner speed. The low speed corners is our weakness against Porsche’s and M3’s.

Thank you for sharing.
 
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