2017 GTi PP at VIR

[tigeo]

Will be doing the Audi Club season finale at VIR in Nov...looking forward to my second event.

 

[Mini7]

I will be there. Audi puts on a great event.

 

[R Golf]

Also attending that event with my BMW running nephew. First time ever tracking at VIR.

Good mix of nervous/excited.

 

[Mini7]

It will be fun. VIR is a great track.

 

[Mini7]

Got the oil cooler installed. Going to the R-bumper creates more room for the larger cooler.
Running the lines is challenging. My choice of thermostat may need a radiator hose change. it’s pinched and even with abrasion resistance it’s marginal.

 

[Mini7]

I hate it for you! The main thing is that everyone is OK, I’m hoping?? Cars can be fixed.

I just got mine back from the body shop. Been busy wrenching on it to get it ready for my first event of the year.

 

[Mini7]

BTW- Thank you for the kind words.

Sharing my journey with other folks who may or may not be tracking. Trying to keep it real and un-biased. The stopwatch is my measure of success.

I missed the first sentence in your post. Happy that you are OK.

 

[Mini7]

I was surprised at how much my repair bill came up too. All cosmetic with no frame damage.
Your car looks a whole lot worse. If the mounts sheared the engine and trans should be OK. Looks like you hit square on which is good. The force would be distributed evenly into both side of the chassis.

All depends on your mods. Whether it is worth buying the car back. Transferring the good bits and parting out.

 

[Roadrunner_GTI]

If you are tuned and tracking then increasing cooling headroom is necessary. My initial plan was not to add the add Aux radiator. But after going IS38 and tuning it. I figured overheating would be worse than I had on a low torque IS20. VW engineers added the Aux radiator for a reason on the R’s. Also decided to go with the larger capacity CSF Aux cooler vs. the OEM unit. It’s more than double the cost of the stock unit with maybe 25-30% more cooling capacity. Not sure if the CSF option is absolutely necessary.

I’m adding a 19-row Setrab oil cooler with a 185 F Improved Racing thermostat. I’ll will post both installs and parts lists. I will using the VWR adapter and oil filter.

I‘m hoping a combination of the coolant and oil cooler upgrades will help keep oil in the 255-260 range and coolant below 220.
View attachment 225533View attachment 225534

Happy to report that between my Setrab 19 row oil cooler, aux coolant radiator, and Verus hood vents…both my oil and coolant temps are back under control. Hoping you get the same results.

 

[Mini7]

Hey Ronnie, Thanks!
Based on your testing, I’m confident that the cooling mods will be sufficient for a tuned IS38.

Really looking forward to VIR and getting the suspension dialed in. I hate that I changed so much all at once, but am excited at the same time. The car will be completely different with the additional power and LSD. Will need to back up my brake points and figure those all out again.
What Vmax are you getting on the back and front straight at VIR? Which brake markers are you using?

 

[Roadrunner_GTI]

Hey Ronnie, Thanks!
Based on your testing, I’m confident that the cooling mods will be sufficient for a tuned IS38.

Really looking forward to VIR and getting the suspension dialed in. I hate that I changed so much all at once, but am excited at the same time. The car will be completely different with the additional power and LSD. Will need to back up my brake points and figure those all out again.
What Vmax are you getting on the back and front straight at VIR? Which brake markers are you using?

The past two events my typical speeds on the back / front straights are 135 / 131. There’s more in the car, but we intentionally kept boost low on the top end because my injector times are too high. I usually brake at the 1.5-2 marker on the back straight, since the braking zone is uphill, then heavy trail brake into roller coaster. On the front straight, I’m usually a little more conservative and brake at the 3 marker, and light trail brake to a late apex at T1.

Just got back from Fastivus at Summit Point Shenandoah, and the car did well with no overheating like last time I was there. Getting started on installing an aux fuel system to help lower injector times and allow me to run full boost on the top end. I know the car is capable of 140ish on the back straight at VIR.

 

[Mini7]

Ok. Pretty much the same speeds as my low torque IS20 APR tune.
I’m guesstimating another 8-10mph with the IS38 which is significant at VIR. Most probably good for 1-2seconds.

We have the same brake points. The front straight is downhill at the brake zone and is more slick. The car is moving a lot under braking into T1.

 

[GTIfan99]

Mini, don't you already have a triple pass radiator?

 

[Mini7]

Yes. CSF radiator. It was not sufficient for my APR Stg1 on the IS20.
The IS38 will tax cooling even more.

With the ECU controlling target water temps with the electronic thermostat. I’m curious where that is set at factory and whether it can be adjusted a little lower for the track.

 

[Stinkycheezmonky]

I usually brake at the 1.5-2 marker on the back straight, since the braking zone is uphill, then heavy trail brake into roller coaster.

Ronnie, have you played with pushing that back past the 1 (there used to be a star marker or something) into rollercoaster? It's been a loooong time but I remember making up some decent time there doing that.