Harris Hill RaceWay ( H2R )

[MonkeyMD]

Figured I'd start a track specific thread. I know GOAT started a specific one but this is more general and you can post your experiences, videos, PB etc

First of all the track.
It's an 11 turn 1.82-mile asphalt road course located in San Marcos, TX. The course is 36-feet wide with over 150 feet of elevation changes.

Turn 3 - big bump on the outside. If you're lowered, hard suspension, stay to the middle or inside. You will lose some speed.

Turn 6 & 7 - it's very bumpy. You're going fast through here, so be steady with steering & brake sooner than you think for turn 7 as it is bumpy. More people go off at turn 7 than any other.

 

[MonkeyMD]

My first time here. My goal was a 1:32 based on other cars I've seen. Ended up with a 1:33. I'm happy with that. Sure I can make up time in a few places but didn't want to risk the car as I had an OH SHIT moment going into turn 7 trying to slow on the super bumpy surface.

Also, here's my trying to keep up with a C5 Z06 & then an ACR flies by like we're going backwards.

 

[Brian_]

Need to check out one of the TNIA events down there some day, looks like a pretty fun track with decent run-off and few walls which is definitely my preference. Aside from the big bumps would you say overall surface smoothness is closer to Motorsport Ranch or ECR as far as smoothness/bumpiness?

 

[MonkeyMD]

Need to check out one of the TNIA events down there some day, looks like a pretty fun track with decent run-off and few walls which is definitely my preference. Aside from the big bumps would you say overall surface smoothness is closer to Motorsport Ranch or ECR as far as smoothness/bumpiness?

Haven't been to MSR. ECR is definitely smoother than H2R

Edit : I should've clarified. If you took out the bump on 3 & the bumpiness on turn 6 to 7, the rest is pretty smooth.

 

[MonkeyMD]

Second time out here. Was a blast. Got to meet up with @GoatAutomotive . That was pretty cool. We got to run in the same group so I have a ton of video of him too.

Managed to improve by 0.3s to a 1:33.249 Really wanted to get closer to a 1:30, but I don't think it's in the cards for the car as it sits with me as a driver. Maybe someone willing to be more aggressive can hit that. Also definitely need better suspension. Springs at 200F 280R are way too soft.

 

[GoatAutomotive]

^ me over here praying my sloppy driving yesterday wasn’t captured on the interwebs…

 

[MonkeyMD]

And here's Monkey chasing Goat

 

[MonkeyMD]

^ me over here praying my sloppy driving yesterday wasn’t captured on the interwebs…

View attachment 280601

JUST POSTED!!!!!!!!

 

[GoatAutomotive]

Just an unbiased member vouch:

Monkey really knows his stuff. He knows HHR, and he has done some very intelligent upgrades to his car.

There were many moments when I would check my mirror and see (what looked like) a gray Golf R coming hard and fast at my tail, and I thought it was just a 4-motion with a good driver.

Once again, I handed out Point-bys like Jell-O shots at a house party.


Anything close to or under 1:35 is PROPERLY quick at HHR.

Monkey’s breakdown in the first post is bang-on:

HHR is built on some very soft and shifty soil, so the track, much like my face, does not age well.

10+ years ago, most of the faster straights were choppier than a Louisiana highway.

HHR mgmt actually had a lot of it replaced and cleaned up some time later, but the back areas after turn 5 are rough and unpredictable, like dating a bipolar woman.

Even going slow through there during a cooldown lap, my eyes could not discern the surface variations that easily upset even the most confident car suspensions.

Because of how choppy and uneven the pavement is on that back stretch, your car and your underwear get very nervous trying to slow down from 90+ going into turn 7, which is an off-camber, hard right hander that puts most of the car’s weight on the 2 left tires.

So Monkey running under 1:34, with the inherent handicaps of a FWD car, is pretty freaking awesome!

I truly wish they would allow ride alongs @ TNIA.

Riding with somebody faster, who knows the track, would be a huge improvement for me in my learning curve/GTI journey.


PS: Monkey - I genuinely appreciate how much more concise and perfect your first HHR post was compared to mine…

 

[GoatAutomotive]

And here's Monkey chasing Goat

Samer - thank you for sharing this!!!!

It’s obvious you were being a total gentleman, keeping your lines and waiting for me to figure my s**t out while I drove like a confused Altima owner.

Just watching your footage and seeing the lines you take is extremely clarifying for me.

It also shows me all the areas where I went way too wide or got on the throttle too late.

Thank you, friend.

And that IS38 in your car RIPS to 7000!

 

[MonkeyMD]

Yeah. I'm more of a listener, so that reflects in my writing too. Very concise.

Thanks for kind words.

I can't wait to see your car with a proper alignment & some real tires. I think your eyeball alignment might've had some serious toe in.

Kind of sucks that I can barely keep up in the straights with a stage 2 GTI when I have an IS38 on flex fuel

 

[GoatAutomotive]

Yeah. I'm more of a listener, so that reflects in my writing too. Very concise.

Thanks for kind words.

I can't wait to see your car with a proper alignment & some real tires. I think your eyeball alignment might've had some serious toe in.

Kind of sucks that I can barely keep up in the straights with a stage 2 GTI when I have an IS38 on flex fuel

You nailed it, friend. My alignment was horrible and not reflective of the car’s true potential.

It was show up with the eyeball method or miss another race event.

I will post up the before and after alignment data next week.

Praying I didn’t destroy any tires!

 

[MonkeyMD]

I completely forgot about this. Maybe I should post in the 200TW thread, but it's kind of unrelated since it was a Focus.

This guy was on RE71RS. He was running 57psi hot. I told him that's waaaaaaay too high, but he insisted that since they were 19's, it was fine, since below that they rollover. This was full coilover,camber, etc

After I insisted they were too high, he lowered them 3psi

 

[GoatAutomotive]

I completely forgot about this. Maybe I should post in the 200TW thread, but it's kind of unrelated since it was a Focus.

This guy was on RE71RS. He was running 57psi hot. I told him that's waaaaaaay too high, but he insisted that since they were 19's, it was fine, since below that they rollover. This was full coilover,camber, etc

After I insisted they were too high, he lowered them 3psi

Was this the slender fella with the gray focus ST and the gigantic brakes?

I believe he is the one that went sliding off the track in turn 2 in the second session. (and that is not even a hard corner)

Running D-load range truck tire pressures in a compact hatch will definitely ruin your day!

It was the first Ford lawnmower product I’ve ever seen. He was way out there, too.

 

[MonkeyMD]

Was this the slender fella with the gray focus ST and the gigantic brakes?

I believe he is the one that went sliding off the track in turn 2 in the second session. (and that is not even a hard corner)

Running D-load range truck tire pressures in a compact hatch will definitely ruin your day!

It was the first Ford lawnmower product I’ve ever seen. He was way out there, too.

Yep. That's him