Last year, on relatively short notice, I decided to do a HPDE at Portland International Raceway (PIR).
I did a few very minor modifications to my stock, 25,000 mile, 2016 Golf R manual. Flushed the brake fluid and installed Ferodo 2500 pads and, put a set of 235/45/17 Toyo Proxes Sport (240) tires on a set of 8"Audi wheels. My plan was to run just one HPDE for fun and call it good. Had a good time, the car ran well and did ok for a stock R. We ran the straight track on PIR and the weather was perfect - overcast and mid 60s.
After that one event, I wondered what a few changes would do to the car. So I decided to do a second HPDE in 2023 which occurred last Friday. For 2023 I added a Neuspeed 25 mm rear bar, Moog end links all around, Eurosport Sport Street Camber Kit, zeroed out toe front and rear, had 2 deg neg front camber and 1.75 deg neg rear camber. Added a set of Konig Heliogram 8.5 x 17 wheels (stayed with the same tires). The wheels were 11 lb lighter per wheel than the Audi wheels, so a big change. Again I changed the oil and filter, did a brake fluid flush and went to Red Line gear lube in the trans.
The weather last Friday could not have been more different. 92 degrees and sunny. The car felt much better, less understeer and more balanced. Lap times were reduced by 2 seconds and top speed increased by 6 mph (131 mph). I may have gone a bit faster, but was following a Porsche which went for the downshift at the end of the main straight and got a lower gear than planned. The explosion and oil dump was spectacular. That session was called early to retrieve the Porsche and thereafter the grip on that corner and the subsequent two corners was not great - and the heat did not help.
The other notable thing was physical. Last year my upper arms and shoulders ached for several days following the HPDE. This year, not a problem.
I did a few very minor modifications to my stock, 25,000 mile, 2016 Golf R manual. Flushed the brake fluid and installed Ferodo 2500 pads and, put a set of 235/45/17 Toyo Proxes Sport (240) tires on a set of 8"Audi wheels. My plan was to run just one HPDE for fun and call it good. Had a good time, the car ran well and did ok for a stock R. We ran the straight track on PIR and the weather was perfect - overcast and mid 60s.
After that one event, I wondered what a few changes would do to the car. So I decided to do a second HPDE in 2023 which occurred last Friday. For 2023 I added a Neuspeed 25 mm rear bar, Moog end links all around, Eurosport Sport Street Camber Kit, zeroed out toe front and rear, had 2 deg neg front camber and 1.75 deg neg rear camber. Added a set of Konig Heliogram 8.5 x 17 wheels (stayed with the same tires). The wheels were 11 lb lighter per wheel than the Audi wheels, so a big change. Again I changed the oil and filter, did a brake fluid flush and went to Red Line gear lube in the trans.
The weather last Friday could not have been more different. 92 degrees and sunny. The car felt much better, less understeer and more balanced. Lap times were reduced by 2 seconds and top speed increased by 6 mph (131 mph). I may have gone a bit faster, but was following a Porsche which went for the downshift at the end of the main straight and got a lower gear than planned. The explosion and oil dump was spectacular. That session was called early to retrieve the Porsche and thereafter the grip on that corner and the subsequent two corners was not great - and the heat did not help.
The other notable thing was physical. Last year my upper arms and shoulders ached for several days following the HPDE. This year, not a problem.
