Laguna - 12 Feb 09.

Dodge Magnum - 2009 Track Schedule

This day was the first of a 2-part effort on my part to break the 1:50 lap time barrier; a long-time goal of mine on this track. This day, which was run by Hooked On Driving, was the prep day for the actual timed attempt. It was the first day on-track with my new 18" wheels shod with Hoosier R6 competition slicks.

Due to early morning rain and cold temps, the track stayed wet throughout the morning and I kept my wet-weather track wheels/tires on the car for an uneventful morning. The usual car-control exercise that is the typical fallback on a wet weather track day.

As the morning turned to afternoon, the track dried out and the slicks went on. Traction was nothing short of phenomenal, and the rest of the day went as expected as the new limits of adhesion were realized, explored and two years of experience on this track went out the window. It was time to learn all new gearing and cornering rules. It was also a time to explore tire pressures and, luckily, while I did scrub off more rubber than I could have if I got inflation right the first time, I figured out where that sweet spot was.

The loss of the morning runs meant I had to learn fast, and move some of my exploration to the next day on this track, less than two weeks in the future. However even at this tentative phase I managed to take nearly two full seconds off my personal best lap time.