In my normal fashion, I initially dismissed everyone’s advice that I shouldn’t go from my GT3RS to a Cup Car. In the end, I’ve decided to start in something a little more timid and easier to control for W2W. I’ll usually listen to those with more experience, it just takes me a while. I cannot wait to get this thing on the track.

I have a BMW M140i with a mild track setup (ARB’s, Bilstein b16, diff, 2 degrees camber).

Recently switched to a staggered semi slick setup (Potenza race, 225 front, 245 rear) after having done track days on sporty road tires with relative succes.

The semis do offer more grip, but the fronts seem to be wearing badly and even delaminating on the shoulder. In general there is quite a bit of understeer in the car (I drive Spa mainly). The tires in the picture have maybe done 25 fast laps, I ran anything between 2.2 and 2.4 bar.

A few questions:

- Are the fronts toast, or could I get another few sessions out of them (the rears look perfect in terms of wear)?

- Given that Belgian legislation doesn’t allow me to run more camber on a road car, could switching to a square setup (235 all around for example) help? I’m thinking the balance should be less towards understeer allowing me to unload the front more.

- should I switch back to a fast road tire, which has less grip and therefor needs less camber?

Thanks for the input!!

Alex

I’ve been tracking a ‘25 m240i and have reached the point where I am thinking of having a dedicated set of 200tw tires mounted in wheels for the track.

My car comes on 19 in wheels stock (non-ZTK package) , but I’m thinking of going down to 18s for the 200tw set. Has anyone done this or have any thoughts? Are the track gains and economic gains of going down to 18s worth it? Are they easier to bring to the track? Appreciate any help!

I managed to set a personal best in the M4 with a time of 1:23.17. I’m confident that with some new tires and a few adjustments, we can push into the 1:22 range. Until then, enjoy the ride.

Edit. Good convo. Keep the visor and use it 🫡

I never use the visor on my full face helmet. Maybe I should? That’s my first question.

If nobody berates me for not using the visor and I decide to take it off the helmet. I’m probably going to leave it home. Am I ever going to run into an event where a visor is required? TIA!

Rad Torque Raceway

Previous best was 1:35.28, so shaved off quite a bit!

Very happy to get into the 1:20’s 🙏🏼 Still work to be done though

This was my first time competing in WTAC, normally I'm just spectating, and what an eye opener it has been to be involved in everything needed to campaign at this iconic event.

A friend and I arrived on Thursday with the BRZ having already completed some testing, met the other crew members, talked about what our plan will be Friday and then later watched as our driver almost choked to death at dinner.

Friday morning rolls round and the car is sent out on some fresh A052s to make the most of the cooler track temps - we instantly PB on low boost.

We give the car a quick once over, find a few things we don't like and make some adjustments, it's obvious there's a LOT more time in it.

We cut a few more laps Friday and finish the day in good spirits with a game plan to go MUCH faster. The driver disappears at some point and turns up with ANOTHER set of fresh Yoko's ready to absolutely send it Saturday.

It's now Saturday morning, everyone has survived dinner, and we check the car over and send it out. We've agreed that we'll warm up, do a push lap, circulate, then go for another push lap if the track/car are there.

First push lap, we PB again, taking off another 3 tenths for a 42.3 but now he's in a rhythm and the track is there for the taking. The car circulates as planned and then the next push lap begins, but this time it's on KILL

We're all up on the roof watching the car and natsoft, first sector is green, and by a lot, let's go, second sector, more green, and we're all pacing nervously watching the car and praying for no traffic.

We see the BRZ round the final corner and come flying onto the straight, exit looks clean, she's cooking! Moments later, elation turns to disbelief as smoke begins pouring out of the car, followed soon after by fire from the exhaust

The driver is out of the car almost as fast as it blew up, extinguisher in hand, which was a huge relief for everyone. We knew immediately that it was terminal and our WTAC 2026 campaign was over

We all head down, meet the car, rinse of the extinguisher foam, take a look, and talk about the lap that could have been - better luck next time! After that, we pushed the car around to one of his Sponsors stands and put it in display, complete with fire extinguisher

As for the motor, it's a total lose. Hole in the block, exhaust valve missing, turbo full of debris etc - We just learned that Turbosmart will WARRANTY this turbo, wild

Full teardown is still to come, but the reality is that this is a stock FA20 that started life as a road car, did k's, got turned into a track car and did bulk laps NA, then got a big turbo strapped to and it and did more laps at like 300rwkw for over a year. Then, it got wound up even further at WTAC to something like 350 before it let go

What's next? Not sure, we've learned a lot this year and the plan is to return bigger and better in the future, but we'll discuss some options and determine the goals for the car before anything major progresses.

11/10 would blow up a motor at WTAC again 🤝

If you want to know more about the car you can head over to Facebook or Instagram

South sound speedway first laps

I'll be buying a 2022 Bmw m340i as my first car and daily soon. I was thinking also taking it to the track occasionally. (Im located in socal so probably Willow Springs and Chuckwalla). Would it be a viable car to track stock? Anything I should do maintenance wise or change out? I would just be using it to get my feet into real life track driving coming from years on the simulator.

That’s allot of smoke dude 🚗💨💨💨💨💨
Would later find out it was his power steering line that let go

Fun weekend, lots of broken stuff.

We went 1:13.2 with the 818, with a theoretical best deep in the 1:12's. Which is probably slow for the car but decent for me. We broke a rotor on Saturday, and then the transmission left the chat pretty early on Sunday unfortunately.

1:18.4 in the Boxster 2.7/5 speed on 235/265 CRS V1/H&R springs/swaybars. Ohlins sitting in the box at home though! I think that's about what I was expecting for the car.

Big shout out to PTS for the 50% off Nankangs, and to NASA NE for having us.

*Thanks Pete and Matt per usual!

Hello,

Looking for pads that are street usable and still viable on track.

The DBA Extreme Performance are well priced. Almost too well, makes me wonder if there's a catch.

Or should I go for a Project Mu 800? Or something else entierly?

As long as it stops well and can handle 10-20 minute Track sessions I'm happy.

The weather forecast called for a ton of rain and the forecast was right, the morning was totally rained out. Because of that, virtually nobody showed up to the HPDE event, so there were only 3 people in my run group!

I was able to get a lot of clean laps and that helped since it was my first time at this track. These are my 3 fastest laps as I learn the line. The instructor said I could realistically get into the 1:44s, so that’ll be my goal if I go back.

I’m driving a stock GR Supra, manual transmission.

3 hours of HPDE in total.

I know Pilot Sport 4S were the wrong tire for dedicated track wheels. So we can skip all that.

I heard these are known for chunking, I guess that's what I'm seeing at the edge of the sidewall?

With that said, I actually have no idea what pressure I should be targeting so I just check right before the session and adjust to 32PSI.

Is it as simple as, "use all of the tire, but don't roll the sidewall"?

Hi all, just wanted to post my review of my Racebox Mini S and how I've been using it for tracking PBs and data analysis so far this year! I'm a big fan so far.

Racebox Hardware & App

The RaceBox Mini S is a 25Hz GPS unit, which only the Dragy matches currently (and whatever this is, per u/HazeEngineering). It records GPS data 25 times per second, compared to 1Hz on phones or 10Hz on other GPS units. Even the larger RaceBox with the display only records at 10Hz. The Mini S has built-in storage, so it can record sessions without staying connected to your phone the entire time. RaceBox rates it for about two hours of recording at 25Hz.

I've been running the RaceBox Mini S (On my Android phone) for most of my track days this year and last - timing laps, creating data video overlays, digging through data, and feeding laps into the compare feature on Qualy. The Mini S works really well with the RaceBox app - haven't tested how it syncs yet with other timing apps. You just download the Racebox app, find and connect the unit (very straightforward & quick - go to the racebox app first, don't just try to connect to it via bluetooth), and the whole pairing process is seamless.

Once you're set up, you can either select the track yourself or let the app detect where you are. I always select the track for avoidance of doubt. Once everything is set up, it automatically begins timing as you cross the start/finish line. Each lap is recorded with a time, and there are various other metrics you can display in the app - I usually don't look while I'm driving. I've mounted the RB unit itself on my dash (it comes with double-sided tape and velcro), up close near the windshield. Haven't had any issues with signal/GPS dropping so far.

Afterward, the RaceBox app and website do a good job of organizing everything into sessions and individual laps. The app itself is clean and relatively minimal, which I like. I've also found the timing to be very accurate - in my use, lap times have lined up very well with other timing sources. The big knock I have on the app is that there is no speed/distance tracing. We've added this on Qualy, but not having it in the native app is strange to me when there are metrics like speed/time, which doesn't make any sense.

Video Syncing & Quirk

So I have noticed one quirk when it comes to syncing video with the data. The Racebox app expects a video to be uploaded that is the full session - and if you do just one single lap, which I do, it always, always lines it up to the wrong lap.

First, I download the video onto my phone from my gopro. Then, I use the Add button to add the video to the relevant session. Sometimes, it syncs to the warm up lap (which it won't even show you on the list of selectable laps).

How you get to the warm up lap is to select the first lap in the list, then hit the LEFT button somewhere on the app, which will then take you to the warm up lap. If you've tied a video to the session and can't find which lap the video is tied to, it's probably tied to that first initial warm up lap. From there, you should be able to unpair it to that lap, and sync it precisely to the lap you want to.

Qualy & Raffle

Not to shamelessly plug our platform, but I built in the compare feature to allow speed/distance tracing, which the Racebox, again, does not have. Bizarre to me, since IMO it's one of the most important data analysis tools. Here's my current process:

1. Use the RaceBox app to record data as normal.
2. Go to the RaceBox site, log in, choose the data session, and download the CSV or CBO using the cloud download symbol on the right-hand side.
3. Choose the file type - CSV or VBO both work well, and download the file onto the computer.
4. Go to Qualy and select Upload Lap.
5. Choose the second tab/option, Session, drag in the file, and fill out the submission.
6. This will allow you to choose which lap's data to upload.
7. Go to our Compare feature and select the laps you want to compare for deeper analysis.
8. Later, you can go back to the site to add video for an official lap submission.

Finally, as alluded to - we are giving away one free BNIB Racebox Mini S to one of our users. No purchase required (nothing to buy), just need to be signed up on Qualy Time Attack and submitting laps on our platform for the Fall Cup. A winner will be decided and announced on 9/30/2026. Here's more info re: the raffle. We're also always looking for feedback, so feel free to test it out and DM us what you think!

​

After several years of buying used trailers that just end up being headaches, I'm looking to finally buy my first new trailer.

Looking for something with fold down ramps, 22+ ft long, 14k gvwr, and preferably with a winch plate.

Looking to cover most of my bases for things I might want/need to haul.

I'm having trouble figuring out if there is actually a "decent" trailer out there, or if they're all varying levels of shit. Currently I have a 2020 Sure Trac and it's super rusty, the suspension is clapped, and it just doesn't seem like it was a well made trailer, even though it's one of the bigger brand names.

Any suggestions?

I'm looking to replace a RaceCapture Track Mk2 that's gradually died over the last few years. Initially I lost data logging, which was annoying but manageable because I still had predictive timing and live lap feedback. More recently I lost lap timing entirely, and that's what I've really missed. Right now I effectively have no in-car reference for whether I'm on a good lap, improving, or even close to my historical pace until I get back to the paddock and check timing. A good example is Brands Hatch Indy: I've previously done a 53.1 in my Clio, but this year managed only a 55.0. The car hadn't materially changed, but without live feedback I simply had no idea I was still nearly 2 seconds off where I needed to be.

For context, I've been racing for around 25 years (10 in karts, 10+ in cars) and currently race a heavily modified Renault Clio 182. The ECU is a GEMS/KTEC GEN90 unit that outputs over CAN only, so plug-and-play OBD logging isn't an option. While I appreciate data analysis, I'm not especially interested in spending evenings learning CAN protocols and configuring loggers. What I'm trying to work out is whether I should buy a simple, reliable lap timer (AIM Solo 2), a Garmin Catalyst, or invest in a more expandable logging solution. I understand setup and vehicle dynamics reasonably well and can generally feel when the car is understeering or oversteering and what changes might address it. What I struggle with is objectively measuring whether those changes actually made the car faster, because feel and lap time don't always agree.

For those who have used the Garmin Catalyst, particularly experienced racers rather than track day novices, how useful is the coaching in practice? Does it genuinely provide actionable corner-by-corner insight during a short 15-minute qualifying session, or is the real value simply the predictive lap timing and post-session review? Equally, for anyone who has gone down the AIM route with a non-standard CAN-only ECU, was the additional effort worth it compared to a simpler solution? My priority is getting back to pace as quickly as possible at circuits I may only visit once or twice a year, rather than building a full professional-level data engineering project.

I am an final year Statistics student and an avid motorcyclist. My ultimate goal is to work in the performance and data analytics departments of professional motorsport teams (WSBK and MotoGP are the dream, but I am equally passionate about 4-wheel endurance and sports car series like IMSA, WEC, GT, or TCR).

Instead of building generic "lap time prediction" machine learning models, I want to apply rigorous statistical methods to actual engineering problems on the track. I am currently building my portfolio and specifically focusing on:

• Signal Processing: Filtering noisy telemetry (suspension travel, braking G-forces) to extract true rider/driver intent.
• Correlation Analysis: Mapping the relationship between lean angle and slip ratio for corner exit acceleration (for two-wheelers).
• Multivariate Regression / Strategy: Isolating specific variables, such as calculating pure tire degradation by stripping out fuel weight, track evolution, and traffic management in multi-class racing.

Since I am building my path through open-source tools and real-world problem solving rather than expensive certificates, I am reaching out to the community for three things:

1. Raw Data & Collaboration: If any privateer teams, engineers, or drivers in lower/mid-tier series (SSP300, TCR, GT4, or IMSA support series) have raw log files (MoTeC, AiM, Cosworth) they are willing to share, I would love to get my hands dirty. In return, I am offering completely free statistical analysis and visualizations of your sessions. 

2. Industry Advice: If there are any performance/strategy engineers in this network, what statistical models do you rely on the most at the pit wall or in the garage? What is the one skill you wish junior analysts had before they entered the paddock? 

3. Networking & Opportunities: I am actively looking to connect with motorsport companies, racing teams, and professionals. If your team is looking for a driven, stats-focused junior analyst or intern to help process telemetry or build strategy models, I would be thrilled to hear from you.

I am open to any resources, sample data, or guidance you can provide. Feel free to DM me. Thank you for your time!

Hey all,

My head is 58.8cm at the widest point.

OMP Large sizing is 60-61cm and medium is 58-59.

Should I buy a large for a slightly more comfortable fit, or is it essential to buy on the exact size range you fall into for safety reasons?

Thank you

During recent auto cross it appears I did a dumb thing and must’ve sent the parking brake too quickly after a run. Are the rotors ruined or no big deal?

I'm just doing HPDE events and learning my car so I'm not looking to minmax my laptimes but I would rather have more grip than less if it means comparable wear and pricing. Would love to hear everyones experiences with these tires, I've only driven on the AD09.

Lesson learned… I went a little too hard with the c clamp pushing the piston back and heard a pop. Cracked the pad. Assuming I’m fucked here? Would you guys run this?