track last night - friggin clutch is so weird!!

[my_bd]

well, it was supposed to be pissin down rain all day so I wasn't getting my hopes up that the track would be open, and so I didn't book off early from work. just figures, somehow the rain avoided the track and it was a go. So i get there late and miss out on a few runs, some of the guys got a dozen runs last night, lucky buggers!

For my first run, I'm feeling stoked, the cars been running pretty good the last 2 track days, so I let her rip off the line, same techniques I've been using lately. but, the car barely goes anywhere in 1st, spinning or slipping I couldn't tell, and no clutch at all in 2nd.....
shit!
so I let off, wait a sec, and then mash it, hooks n goes. yay! 15.3 @ 96
stupid clutch.
sigh....totally smoked the clutch, I could smell it so vividly.

well that was a very discouraging start to the night, especially after the car has been doing quite well the last couple of events.

the 2nd run comes up quickly, i'm freaked cuz I still smell clutch, gonna have to go easy this time....pins n needles launch, hooks good and got a 2.0 60', 14.1 @ 98

3rd run 13.9 @ 100
4th run 13.7 @ 100

5th run back to no clutch again, 15.5 @ 91

6th run 14.2 @ 99
7th run 13.8 @ 100
8th run 14.0 @ 99

just all over the map as you can see.
and I could only muster up a single 1.9 60' last night, the rest were all 2.0's

this clutch is just so weird. one minute it's there. the next it's not. then its back again. screwy!!

anyhow, it was disappointing, cuz the car has been feeling strong lately, and then this little clutch shenanigan has to pop back out of the woodwork as a reminder. it's like it's screwin with my head. maybe it'll work. maybe it won't. tempermental.

oh, and I also wanted to determine if changing out my plugs to 1-step colder would have any noticeable effect, pro or con, but apparently it makes no difference on my car at this time. I'd say the car ran pretty much the same as it does with the stock plugs. as far as I could tell.

Well, The good news for the night belonged to my buddy Nate and his awesome s/c 2.4 cavy.
he recently installed poly control arm bushings and some adjustable shocks, eliminated his wheelhop problems altogether, the car is hooking really good now on street tires. hitting the 2.0 60's.
And....For the first time he has dipped into the 13's, he ran a 13.9 @ 99
all of his runs were amazingly consistent, ranging from 13.9 to 14.2
That there was one happy dude last night!

[superbird]

heheh 13.9 ur cool watch out 4 alpha he might kill u

[mgm1979]

I should have my hoosier's this week for a track appearance this weekend...we'll see how my stock clutch holds up. I'm planning on upgrading the clutch before mid-July's track event anyway.