DerHase's 2019 GTI Rabbit Edition: HPDE shenanigans

[DerHase]

Just found your thread. I’m local over in Suffolk if you ever want a hand wrenching. also, would you mind sharing how much you paid for the detail and ceramic coating? If you prefer, please PM. Thanks in advance.

PM sent!


Anyway with Fastivus being cancelled I'm really itching to get back on track again before December... my son told me he's interested in going to the track some time so that opens up a few potential weekends.

On one hand VIR is amazing, but I'll have been there 4 times this year come December. I'd really like to go to Summit (on the main circuit) but it'll probably be a bit harder to manage him there if he gets bored (he's 10). Next weekend (Oct 15-16) is out due to a wedding + my wife's birthday... Considering Summit or VIR with a few different PCA groups, and also VIR with the Audi Club, then there's Summit with NASA in November as well.

 

[DerHase]

So unfortunately a PCA event I was trying to get into was waitlisted with it not looking like I'd make it... and changes in scheduling mean I can now make the new Fastivus date which is this coming Sunday (10/23) on the Summit Point Jefferson circuit. Never been there but definitely looking forward to it!

My dad is tagging along so it will be fun as this will be his first time on an actual racetrack - he's ridden along with me and others at a few autocross events though it's been a long time.

I've already got the car ready to go, but debating whether I want to trailer or drive the car there and back. Because of the amount of people there I'm leaning towards trailer simply because I can bring a bunch of fuel jugs with me and not worry about having to fill up on the overpriced track pumps. Conversely... towing with my Tundra will burn more than enough fuel to make up the difference in money saved. It's more for the convenience of having the car ready to go as soon as it's rolled off the trailer.

 

[19birel]

Loving your thread! Hoping to do a couple HPDEs in my car next year, looks like you're getting the car nicely dialed in!

 

[DerHase]

So I drove the car for the first time in about a month and of course I drove through a freak 3 second hail storm
(Pics attached)

Got about a dozen dents on the roof and 2-3 on the hood.

Could’ve been a lot worse, but still sucks. Probably will file a claim if I decide I can’t live with it. Or pay out of pocket if it’s not too terrible.

Guess it’s time to ruin it and build a track only car Kidding… for now.

Did (another) track inspection yesterday just because I like to not have foreseeable problems at 100mph.



Getting stuff together, borrowing a friends trailer and loading up to leave tomorrow afternoon. Looking forward to Sunday!

 

[DerHase]

Man Fastivus was friggin awesome! I was a bit sad that it got moved from Shenandoah to Jefferson circuits at Summit Point... but honestly I'm glad now because that track is a ton of fun as well. Not quite as technical so I was feeling really comfortable on it in my 3rd (last) session. Here's a video where I managed a 1:26.1 with my dad riding in the passenger seat.

As far as changes to the car go since last time on track:
- DO88 intercooler: Absolutely worth it. Notice the laptimes in the video? No real discernible difference even 4 laps in. Unfortunately I was an idiot and didn't have my Simos logger going... I was kind of focused on getting my dad sorted out to ride along and just focusing on learning a new track. I DID get temp data from session 2 but no video (well kind of... it's just my dad's reaction from the passenger seat).

- DS3.12 fronts now paired with DS1.11 rears (previously DS2500 rear): Way better. After a lap or two in and stuff gets up to temp they just plain work. My pedal did get a bit softer in the second session but never degraded further after that regardless of how hard I pushed the car. With my dad riding along in sessions 2 + 3 I was still giving ample room and braking early. I think next year at the advice of Don at TMI (the VIR race shop) I'm going to give AP Racing R4 fluid a try for next season.

It was my dad's first time on track (just as a passenger though) and loved it! Was great spending time with him and meeting a bunch of VW enthusiasts. Lots of cool and unique stuff... I was taking some detailed pics of the GTI TCR car... interesting things to note: DSG but no cooler required, has a factory radiator, obviously has the relocated intercooler, but the key takeaway is DUCTING to keep it cool. It has basically a loosely fitting fan with zero shrouding on the backside of the radiator. Eliminate all restrictions in the cooling path while it's moving at speed. Spoke with Dave at New German Performance quite a bit about it... very very cool car.

 

[scrllock]

I was taking some detailed pics of the GTI TCR car... interesting things to note: DSG but no cooler required, has a factory radiator, obviously has the relocated intercooler, but the key takeaway is DUCTING to keep it cool. It has basically a loosely fitting fan with zero shrouding on the backside of the radiator. Eliminate all restrictions in the cooling path while it's moving at speed. Spoke with Dave at New German Performance quite a bit about it... very very cool car

Would be cool to see the mk8 car up close. Have been able to get a lot of details on the mk7 since there are parts suppliers and guys with access to the catalog/diagrams.

Not too surprising about the DSG, stock torque isn't too bad and they might just run the larger heat exchanger from the DQ500, know of at least one endurance team doing that. Seems like the aux rad is sufficient on lower power.

 

[DerHase]

Would be cool to see the mk8 car up close. Have been able to get a lot of details on the mk7 since there are parts suppliers and guys with access to the catalog/diagrams.

Not too surprising about the DSG, stock torque isn't too bad and they might just run the larger heat exchanger from the DQ500, know of at least one endurance team doing that. Seems like the aux rad is sufficient on lower power.

No I mean no aux radiator… just the built in heat exchanger on top of the trans. (Though yes it may be a larger version from something else).

These run up to 350hp for reference per the owner.

 

[19birel]

That TCR is a neat bit of kit, would be so cool take something like that on track

 

[GTIfan99]

Man Fastivus was friggin awesome! I was a bit sad that it got moved from Shenandoah to Jefferson circuits at Summit Point... but honestly I'm glad now because that track is a ton of fun as well. Not quite as technical so I was feeling really comfortable on it in my 3rd (last) session. Here's a video where I managed a 1:26.1 with my dad riding in the passenger seat.

As far as changes to the car go since last time on track:
- DO88 intercooler: Absolutely worth it. Notice the laptimes in the video? No real discernible difference even 4 laps in. Unfortunately I was an idiot and didn't have my Simos logger going... I was kind of focused on getting my dad sorted out to ride along and just focusing on learning a new track. I DID get temp data from session 2 but no video (well kind of... it's just my dad's reaction from the passenger seat).

- DS3.12 fronts now paired with DS1.11 rears (previously DS2500 rear): Way better. After a lap or two in and stuff gets up to temp they just plain work. My pedal did get a bit softer in the second session but never degraded further after that regardless of how hard I pushed the car. With my dad riding along in sessions 2 + 3 I was still giving ample room and braking early. I think next year at the advice of Don at TMI (the VIR race shop) I'm going to give AP Racing R4 fluid a try for next season.

It was my dad's first time on track (just as a passenger though) and loved it! Was great spending time with him and meeting a bunch of VW enthusiasts. Lots of cool and unique stuff... I was taking some detailed pics of the GTI TCR car... interesting things to note: DSG but no cooler required, has a factory radiator, obviously has the relocated intercooler, but the key takeaway is DUCTING to keep it cool. It has basically a loosely fitting fan with zero shrouding on the backside of the radiator. Eliminate all restrictions in the cooling path while it's moving at speed. Spoke with Dave at New German Performance quite a bit about it... very very cool car.

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I want that TCR so badly. The FCP Euro sold their's some time ago for around $100k each.

 

[dood.]

Looks like a fun event! Especially with no traffic in that video you posted.

 

[Brian_]

Surprised they used a stock part for the v-mount intercooler.

 

[DerHase]

Looks like a fun event! Especially with no traffic in that video you posted.

Yeah I actually didn't point a single person by the entire day in the intermediate group. The last session I think there were only 5 of us? I was one of the first two or three cars out in the second and third sessions. Definitely need to sign up in advanced next year to play with some quicker cars in an attempt to study lines etc.

This was from session #2 when I took my dad out. This is just a couple minutes of his reactions riding along, and a bit of chatter back and forth.

And this is a long video, but it's the entire first session (I only uploaded this because it's the only one with any traffic... and also chasing the TCR car was fun. That thing sounded amazing running through the gears)...

Anyway yeah the event was a load of fun and will definitely be back next year. It was a very safe and well run event... no crashes or anything that I'm aware of... just a bunch of broken VWs misfiring, a broken splitter, maybe one 4-off. Almost everyone was good about point bys though I heard there was an issue in one of the run groups with a single car but that's just how it is sometimes.

 

[DerHase]

A few photos from the event

 

[DerHase]

Just dropped the car off at Euro Pros (local VW-Audi repair shop in Yorktown) for an APR trans tune to be done tomorrow.

 

[DerHase]

DSG tune definitely worth it for making it how it should be from the factory.

Put about 20mi on it just messing around driving it home from Euro Pros tonight. A bit under $650 out the door and very happy.

Main benefit on track is that the manual mode is considerably faster both up and especially downshifting. I have noticed it works much better downshifting while you're on the brakes.

I kept the auto upshift enabled since keeping it in manual mode and just letting it upshift on it's own, and slapping the paddles like an idiot going into every turn seemed to just work well. Make the trans logic do as little thinking as necessary so it doesn't do anything dumb and unexpected.

I drove it home and did perform the VCDS Trans Basic Settings to "reset" everything and will probably drive it a bit either tomorrow night or Wednesday.

Probably won't drive the car a whole lot before the TSCC December to VIRmember event mainly so I don't cause a ton of unnecessary wear on the rotors. Feeling too lazy to swap my pads out with only a month to wait. But we'll see.

Going to start dorking around with an OS tune for the ECU, but definitely not actually flashing it before the HPDE. I'll give myself some time to un-brick my ECU during the off-season just in case