Anyone participate in Time Trial/Time Attack?

[c_reber]

I was curious about this part...do they have a rolling dyno at tech inspection or do they just have you dyno your car at a shop prior to TT event?


For those that went NASA TT route, how many events do you have to do at one HPDE level before moving to the next one? I'm not super familiar with their format, I've only done SCCA events. In SCCA as a Beginner you have to do at least 4 events before being moved to Intermediate, then another 5 events (i think) at intermediate before going Advanced.

They've had a dyno at all the NASA events I've been to! I don't know if they randomly check or if it's top 3 or top 5 that get checked, but you definetly hear them dynoing a bunch of cars.

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[Grintch]

That's a pretty good rule of thumb. Sometimes TT is 15 minute sessions. Sometimes you get 5 sessions, sometimes 4 sessions. This is done for several reasons. Generally speaking, you grid by fastest to slowest cars. Within 2-3 laps, the fast cars have caught the slow cars(low hp cars, not necessarily slow) and give up as they won't have an optimal/fastest lap(and are respectful to not mess up the low hp car laps). Most are also running Hoosier A7's. You'll generally have your fastest lap within the first few laps.

I enjoy time trials. I enjoy chasing times, competing against similarly prepped cars, and having the opportunity to win contingenies to make to make this sport a little more affordable. I don't get the same enjoyment out of HPDE generally, but you can certainly chase lap times doing that as well. If I ever get tired of time trials, I'll go back into w2w racing probably. I just don't have the time to ever really pursue either as far as I'd like to. That's life and a good problem to have. That's another reason I like time trials though, it's lower risk than w2w racing.

I think the S550 GT, with a stock engine, would make a great TT4 car. It also limits you to 275 tires and take a point hit for A7/AutoX super sticky tires and aero... so you can have a pretty competitive car without dropping too much in mods.

How are you meeting the TT4 hp/weight? Even with a completely stock car, it looks to me like you would have to add 200lbs or more of ballast to make 12:1.

 

[Brent Dalton]

It's actually easy in a stock car. They now use a hp to weight equation.

Horsepower: While my stock rwhp level was 370rwhp, my adjusted rwhp through the equation is 340 or 345(don't remember off the top of my head).

Weight: Weights are taken with driver in the car. For light cars, you lose power if you are under 3000 lbs. Inversely, if you are over 3300lbs, you gain power(through points). The lightest stock S550 is around 3800 stock. So depending on how much you weigh and what you have removed from the car, you are looking at adding .5 or .6 to your 12:1.

June 2016, I was actually TT4 legal(even though it wasn't a class) as I came across the scales at impound at 3905. I've thought about reverting back.

I think a stock engined car without aero, and on continental or pirelli slicks could be a real competitor.

Hopefully, that makes sense. I'm doing multiple things at once so let me know if you need any clarification.

 

[Grintch]

Yes, 11.5 was as close as I could get without ballast. But that was based on 375 average whp. Which is what I came up with from a supposedly stock s550 dyno curve.

 

[sonicc]

For those that went NASA TT route, how many events do you have to do at one HPDE level before moving to the next one? I'm not super familiar with their format, I've only done SCCA events. In SCCA as a Beginner you have to do at least 4 events before being moved to Intermediate, then another 5 events (i think) at intermediate before going Advanced.

Thanks guys. Does anyone know this part?

 

[wildcatgoal]

I was told 3 events at HPDE 1 and have your instructor petition for you to go to HPDE 2. 3-4 events there and same deal, petition to move up. Then up to 5 events at HPDE 3, petition to move up. Then you're HPDE 4 and I believe you can then go through the motions to be approved for Time Trials. I may have been told wrong, but... this was from a person who is presently HPDE 3 with NASA.

 

[Brent Dalton]

So It doesn't go off of events. It is a checklist of skills and knowledge that your in-car instructor evaluates you on. Once you meet those gates, you can move to the next group. Every region is a little different and every in-car instructor is as well. What Nick posted are probably pretty good guidelines, but everyone learns a little differently and progresses at different rates (no shit, right?), but its worth mentioning for expectation management. You will build your foundation of performance driving during DE1 and 2. It is worth spending some extra time with an instructor in 1, IMO, to make you faster in the long run.

 

[sonicc]

Thanks guys!

 

[wmfateam]

This thread made me re-read the TT rules and made me want to shoot for TT4 when I get mine. I ran TTB in my 96 Cobra before. Looking at stock dynos and using the HP calculator and the +1.2 for being +3750lbs, OEM Aero and 275 wide tires, I believe I have a shot at a consistent 3rd place in my region since I have the west coast National Champion (Several years in a row and he also is the East coast champ) and a kid that has beat him several times this year. Have you made any steps towards doing TT sonicc?

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