I haven’t got around to writing up the last round of SWORD yet. Suffice it to say that I’d kind of lost my way with the b6.4d. I’d been playing around with some settings and confusing myself a bit. Not to mention, Driving the b74.2d, or the “Turbo Nutter Bastard” as I’m beginning to call it, allows you to drive it so aggressively that going back to a 2wd is a harsh contrast.
Anyway, I went closer to a kit setup when I prepped it yesterday. But with 400wt front and 375wt shock oil in the rear. 12mm ride height all round, Yellow Springs, and 1.6 & 1.7 Two Hole Pistons in front and rear respectively. There were some hardly used Proline Prisms in the Hauler, and these seem to work quite well with the Fuzz Bites on the front. So stiffer, more pack, low and high roll centers.
The Mid didn’t need much fuss, lowered the ride height, put the transponder in. Jubbly!
Optima Mid
Practice was pretty predictable, I seem to have mislaid the fittings for the rear roll bar, so I had to stand on the brakes at the end of the straight, or it rolled too much. Aside from that, it just needed pointing at the apexes and it did it’s thing.
Fast Lap:
21.292
Avg. Lap:
23.680
Avg. Top 5:
21.931
Avg. Top 10:
22.648
Avg. Top 15:
Top 2 Consec.:
65.243
Top 3 Consec.:
65.243
Std. Deviation:
2.154
Consistency:
90.905%
Lap Times
| # | Time | Pace | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22.845 | 14/5:19.830 | 4th |
| 2 | 24.223 | 13/5:05.942 | 6th |
| 3 | 28.246 | 12/5:01.256 | 7th |
| 4 | 23.207 | 13/5:20.193 | 6th |
| 5 | 28.038 | 12/5:03.742 | 7th |
| 6 | 25.074 | 12/5:03.266 | 7th |
| 7 | 22.662 | 13/5:23.691 | 6th |
| 8 | 22.724 | 13/5:20.156 | 6th |
| 9 | 22.187 | 13/5:16.631 | 6th |
| 10 | 21.764 | 13/5:13.261 | 6th |
| 11 | 21.292 | 13/5:09.946 | 6th |
| 12 | 23.829 | 13/5:09.932 | 6th |
| 13 | 21.751 | 13/5:07.842 | 6th |
The First Round had two rather obvious cock ups, but still managed >90% consistency. Good enough as I’d never driven the thing on Carpet before.
Round 2 started well, the timing said I went from 6th to 2nd. But…
Fast Lap:
21.083
Avg. Lap:
21.083
Avg. Top 5:
Avg. Top 10:
Avg. Top 15:
Top 2 Consec.:
Top 3 Consec.:
Std. Deviation:
Consistency:
100.000%
Lap Times
| # | Time | Pace | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21.083 | 15/5:16.245 | 2nd |
Oops.
Ah well, not an expensive breakage, and I proved there is potential there.
Associated B6.4d
Practice was a relief. It seems like I’ve got back on track (pun sort of intended, soz) with the config. As I found in Round 1, Something needed warming up. Not much, I don’t know whether it was tyres, diff, slipper, shocks, motor or a combination of these. But it just got better throughout the race, more consistent and predictable as the laps clocked up. I dropped a couple of places and ended up with a 14 that felt like it should have been quicker. But the consistency was >90% so I’ll take that.
Lap Times
| # | Time | Pace | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23.831 | 13/5:09.803 | 7th |
| 2 | 20.547 | 14/5:10.646 | 6th |
| 3 | 26.079 | 13/5:05.314 | 6th |
| 4 | 24.318 | 13/5:08.019 | 6th |
| 5 | 20.15 | 14/5:21.790 | 5th |
| 6 | 20.833 | 14/5:16.769 | 5th |
| 7 | 21.912 | 14/5:15.340 | 5th |
| 8 | 21.741 | 14/5:13.969 | 4th |
| 9 | 22.606 | 14/5:14.249 | 6th |
| 10 | 19.777 | 14/5:10.512 | 4th |
| 11 | 19.693 | 14/5:07.347 | 4th |
| 12 | 23.182 | 14/5:08.781 | 5th |
| 13 | 20.153 | 14/5:06.731 | 5th |
| 14 | 22.299 | 14/5:07.121 | 5th |
Round 2 was a case of finding the pace but lost the consistency on two dumbass arguments with corner markers. But a 15 was as faster than I’ve gone all winter by some margin, so chuffed. Without the mistakes on lap 6 and 12, I’d be in the 16s. Exactly the reason i set my consistency target at 90% or higher.
Lap Times
| # | Time | Pace | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 21.505 | 14/5:01.070 | 4th |
| 2 | 20.353 | 15/5:13.935 | 4th |
| 3 | 20.278 | 15/5:10.680 | 4th |
| 4 | 22.39 | 15/5:16.973 | 4th |
| 5 | 19.057 | 15/5:10.749 | 4th |
| 6 | 25.058 | 15/5:21.603 | 5th |
| 7 | 19.531 | 15/5:17.511 | 5th |
| 8 | 19.54 | 15/5:14.460 | 4th |
| 9 | 18.774 | 15/5:10.810 | 4th |
| 10 | 19.939 | 15/5:09.638 | 4th |
| 11 | 19.39 | 15/5:07.930 | 4th |
| 12 | 27.706 | 15/5:16.901 | 4th |
| 13 | 20.646 | 15/5:16.347 | 5th |
| 14 | 18.935 | 15/5:14.038 | 5th |
| 15 | 19.134 | 15/5:12.236 | 4th |
The Third Round was slightly less pacy but the consistency was back over 92% again, a nice neat drive.
Lap Times
| # | Time | Pace | Pos |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20.916 | 15/5:13.740 | 4th |
| 2 | 20.058 | 15/5:07.305 | 4th |
| 3 | 19.999 | 15/5:04.865 | 4th |
| 4 | 21.38 | 15/5:08.824 | 5th |
| 5 | 19.258 | 15/5:04.833 | 2nd |
| 6 | 20.138 | 15/5:04.373 | 2nd |
| 7 | 20.254 | 15/5:04.292 | 2nd |
| 8 | 25.443 | 15/5:13.961 | 2nd |
| 9 | 23.506 | 15/5:18.253 | 4th |
| 10 | 20.421 | 15/5:17.060 | 3rd |
| 11 | 20.915 | 15/5:16.756 | 4th |
| 12 | 19.722 | 15/5:15.013 | 4th |
| 13 | 22.029 | 15/5:16.199 | 4th |
| 14 | 19.508 | 15/5:14.515 | 4th |
| 15 | 21.846 | 15/5:15.393 | 4th |
Round 4 and I’d done my quali work. Slipped back down to a 14 because of scrapping and steering round trouble.
Made the C Final Mid Pack, which is much more like it. Thankfully, there were two rounds of finals. I say thankfully because I drove like an incompetent tit in the first final. Best to skip forward to the second final.
Very chuffed indeed with the Second final. Didn’t pussy out on the start, 6th to 3rd on the first lap and settled into a nice groove as the car warmed up. Clipped a Corner Marker out of a switchback on Lap 5 which opened the door for Fran Bravery to pass. James Harris Spent the next 8 or 9 laps trying to give me heart failure, but eventually both he and Fran made mistakes that cost them both, and rewarded my re found consistency with a 3rd place. Only 6 seconds off a 16, >95% consistency, little fist pump as I stepped off the rostrum.
The rear wear pattern on the Prisms tells the story of my day, it looks like I’ve found the rear config I’ve been looking for with the B6. Much more wear on the inside to center line without the car diffing out or oversteering under braking. Looks like 2 Deg of camber is about right.
