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225
177
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Thanks for the input. I’ll back off the front next time out. “Dip” is probably a misleading term. There is a downhill section followed by an uphill leading into a blind right hander. I slid off on the flat after the uphill just over cooking it on slippery tires. They were probably over inflated somewhat as well. It had been cold in the morning and by then was warming up fast. I had been letting pressure out all morning and was try to keep them around 35 hot. After the second session I started out at 35 and when I came in I had 45 front and 50 rear.
I’m blaming a lot on the tires so I don’t have to blame my otherwise spectacular driving.🤪


My first time at Pueblo on 4 tires, my buddy in a 911T went around me in my wife's A4 going into that right hander (T5). After 5 crests, is 6 a and b. He over cooked it and went off to the left. I got a front row seat and thought "OH, that might be expensive!" Lucky, just his pride. You are right, it's blind to the right, going up hill. You crest, and then have to get back for a L - R - L section. I really like the variation in the turns through there, it's fun. and a good run into 7 can really carry a long way.

How old are your tires? The weather and temps were funny last weekend. You ever hear about track temperature? Any plans on going out on March 13 or 20? Im trying to get back in it this year, but waiting for the FP Hubs to arrive before I go too crazy. Have a lot of wrenching to do.
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Front tires are unknown. Fairly new but they came with the car. Back are new.
I’ll probably be back in the next few weeks. My son and his friends are thinking of running their bikes soon. If they do come out I’ll probably bring my supermoto bike and not the mustang though.
The back twisties are my favorite part there. On a bike I would pull the front wheel coming down the hill and always struggle to keep on the gas over the blind crest. 7 is always a challenge too. I always have fun in Pueblo but I like high Plains better. I like the tighter track layout.
 
6,360
8,181
Thanks for the input. I’ll back off the front next time out. “Dip” is probably a misleading term. There is a downhill section followed by an uphill leading into a blind right hander. I slid off on the flat after the uphill just over cooking it on slippery tires. They were probably over inflated somewhat as well. It had been cold in the morning and by then was warming up fast. I had been letting pressure out all morning and was try to keep them around 35 hot. After the second session I started out at 35 and when I came in I had 45 front and 50 rear.
I’m blaming a lot on the tires so I don’t have to blame my otherwise spectacular driving.🤪
You have just (possibly inadvertently )touched on how to establish pressures and why hot always dictates cold.. soon young Jedi , your time will come.
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
“You have just (possibly inadvertently )touched on how to establish pressures and why hot always dictates cold.. soon young Jedi , your time will come.”
Splain please? I don’t understand what you are saying. (The force is not strong with this one.)
 
60
48
Exp. Type
W2W Racing
Reno, NV
Just picked up my first mustang. A pretty little 2012 Boss 302. I bought it because I wanted a car I could take to track days. Basically I’m a former motorcycle guy who got old and is switching to cars.
Same here, just picked up 2013 302. Raced bikes for 25 years and got too old for it, and burned out as well. This is my 3rd track car and looking forward to see how boss does at the track.
There are things that transfer from bikes to cars and things to forget and learn again. Cars are little more complicated when it gets to set up. One thing same is brakes and suspension are most important part.
Everything else I fix when problem shows up. My approach is same as with bikes, need to be one body with vehicle, everything has to be smooth and not fighting it. Learning dynamics and listening to bike/car what is telling me is big part of how I set it up or how I drive it.
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Ok so I’m learning. I’m over driving the car. I’m putting a lot of pressure on the rears/spinning even. So I’m building way to much pressure.
I’ve got to be smoother and far better throttle control. Next time out I back off the fun factor of letting her rip and work on getting the lines better.
It’s funny at High Plains I was much better and didn’t cause the heat in the tires like Pueblo. I had the lines better and was faster than my bike times by 6 seconds. Plus I was pretty consistent. Pueblo I’m 10 seconds slower than my bike best and I’m not consistent.
Damn driver. The guy (me) is useless!
 
6,360
8,181
“You have just (possibly inadvertently )touched on how to establish pressures and why hot always dictates cold.. soon young Jedi , your time will come.”
Splain please? I don’t understand what you are saying. (The force is not strong with this one.)
"search" on this sight
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
What a difference a day makes.

I made a few minor adjustments. I backed off the suspension settings to halfway between full stiff and full soft. I got the tire pressure dialed in better and probably most importantly I settled down my driving. Tire pressure only climbed 5-6 degrees in front and 6-8 in the rear. The car no longer felt loose and unsettled. We were hooked up and composed. I started the day thinking I’d run slower and just work on driving. First session I was just that, running 2.04-2.06s. Second and third sessions I was getting into a rhythm. Second session I was consistently in the 1.58-159 range. Third I was 158s with one 1.57. Last track day I was pushing and letting it all hang out to get a 1.59. This time I was smooth. I wasn’t braking as hard and I wasn’t driving on the edge to be faster. I was being more precise. Hitting the apexes. Using the track better and running the right line. I was shifting into 2nd on 7 where I was in 3rd before. Better drive out of the corners there and everywhere. It all adds up to faster times with less effort.
It was thrilling to be on it to that extent. Total focus. Ok turn in here, drift out there. Clip the apex here, positioning for the next and shifting down smoothly to not unsettle the suspension. Up shifting was crisp and consistent too. I came off after each session with my hands just shaking from the adrenaline.

I was out classed by most of the field and was nearly the slowest car out there but damn I was having fun. Didn’t care who else was on the track. (I did get a compliment from the guy running the event for my traffic awareness. As focused as I was, I still knew who was around me and where they were.) I was only competing with myself and focused on being one with the machine.
The little red Boss and I had one heck of a great day.

308232A5-DA74-4E67-B57E-7E8DED3569E9.jpeg
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Third track day.


A good mixture of cars today. Porches, Camaro, MGs, BMWs and a few exotics. My plan was to work on smooth driving and increased corner speeds. The first session we won’t even talk about because neither of those two things happened. The second was better where I settled down and wasn’t tossing the car around as badly. Best lap was only a 1:56. The third I was on it. I was pushing harder and carrying more speed through the corners. I was getting on the brakes later and on the gas sooner. With the not so great street tires I was drifting around a bit and looking like the Trans AM cars of the sixties. I was totally loving it and having a ball. Yes we were sliding a little but we were comfortably in control. The hairpin turn 7 I was intentionally trying to break the back end loose and drift it which i managed to do several times and not loop it. I was really really having fun. Best lap was a personal best of 1:54.078. I know I can still shave off more as is, but a few upgrades would help. A 3 or 4 point harness to hold me in place better would let me concentrate on driving without me flopping around. Fixing the MT82 so it would shift better at higher rpm’s would help and with better tires the Boss and me definitely have sub 1:50s in us.
I’ll probably take a little while off and not do another track day for a bit but who knows another day might pop up and we’ll go again and see if we can be just a little bit faster.
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Should my rear sway bar move around like the picture? I noticed a clean spot on the bar that makes it look like it’s sliding sideways in the vertical mount by a couple inches. The arrow in the pic points to the extent of it’s travel.

499B550C-7B83-47E5-A8B1-698BEB43D4D7.jpeg
 
6,360
8,181
Pretty normal for stock rubber bushings, sway bars get a good workout on a road course.
Oh, and BTW, in case you didn't use the "search" button.
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Pretty normal for stock rubber bushings, sway bars get a good workout on a road course.
Oh, and BTW, in case you didn't use the "search" button.
I wrongly assumed that only the ends went up and down and wondered that if it was going sideways then is the rear axle moving sideways as well.
I did search for tire pressure and never found that post. Thank you for linking it! Incredible information!
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Friday 23 Sept 2022 a day that will go down in history!,,,, Well maybe not, but we ran a 1:52.63 at PMI Pueblo. Personal best. Also a couple of 1:53s. I’m thinking it will take a perfect day with a few perfect laps for me to beat that.
What got me the extra couple seconds off my former 1:54 best was a change in the way I came off the front straight. Previously I was dropping into 3rd and upsetting the car to much. I figured I wasn’t accelerating through turn 1 so 4th would be better. Carry a little more speed, a lot more smoothly and then shift into 3rd after the turn and before turn 2. That worked. My goal is still 1:50 but I’m not sure how or if I can get those last 2-3 seconds. I’ll review the video some more and see if I can find them somewhere.
Slicks or stickier tires would probably make it easier but where’s the fun in that?
 
225
177
Exp. Type
Autocross
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
Friday 23 Sept 2022 a day that will go down in history!,,,, Well maybe not, but we ran a 1:52.63 at PMI Pueblo. Personal best. Also a couple of 1:53s. I’m thinking it will take a perfect day with a few perfect laps for me to beat that.
What got me the extra couple seconds off my former 1:54 best was a change in the way I came off the front straight. Previously I was dropping into 3rd and upsetting the car to much. I figured I wasn’t accelerating through turn 1 so 4th would be better. Carry a little more speed, a lot more smoothly and then shift into 3rd after the turn and before turn 2. That worked. My goal is still 1:50 but I’m not sure how or if I can get those last 2-3 seconds. I’ll review the video some more and see if I can find them somewhere.
Slicks or stickier tires would probably make it easier but where’s the fun in that?


When are you going to Pueblo next (or other local)? I haven't been able to get out much this year but have had able to put time into the car. Need to get my truck WIN module fixed so I can get my new wheels mounted and installed. It's fun to just do laps, but last couple of times I went to Pueblo there was only 10-20 folks total. Open track is fun, having a couple people around is better IMO.
 
56
88
Exp. Type
HPDE
Exp. Level
Under 3 Years
Colorado Springs
You are getting much quicker.

I race W2W in Colorado, if you have any questions about any of the tracks, feel free to reach out.
My goal for Pueblo is 1:50. I need to figure out how to shave 2-3 more seconds off. I’m not sure I can do that with the equipment I’ve got but I also don’t plan on upgrading anything else either.
 

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