Polo 9n3 Performance Tracking Thread #2

[simon k]

Traction Tyres, talk to Andrew, tell him Gary Cook said to call.

Cheers
Gary

Thanks Gary

[simon k]

I'm comfortably in to the 59's at my local track now but I wasn't happy today..

Natsoft race results
Track: Logic Centre Wodonga
Date: 15/5/2021
Event: 1
Entry number: 85 - Simon Kerr
Best Time: 59.6075

[kaanage]

Sorry for the delay, Simon (although your 2019 time was a touch faster).

[Sprinterboy]

long time lurker, first time poster.

2008 Polo GTi - SDMA Hillclimb 16 Oct 2022 - My fastest time of the day was a 52.23 on my last run.
Car has much more in it, I just couldn't get fully into groove.

[sambb]

well done mate. I've been there a fair few times in my various 9N3 Polo's and absolutely love that track. Its very very hard to put together a perfect lap on cold tyres there thats for sure.

[Sprinterboy]

Cheers mate. I noticed your time on the first page. What was your setup for a 47?

[sambb]

Hmm thats a while ago. mechanically stg2 Ko3s (3 inch dump to 2.5 rear, SEAT IC, custom tuned as 7psi wastegate spring and bigger injectors), wavetrac diff, A050 semis (215 medium fronts, 195 soft rears), lots of work getting hillclimb cold tyre handling right eg MCA purple coilovers 7kg front springs, 8kg rear springs, whiteline rear bar on stiff, stock front bar, bit of rear toe out 2mm total, bit of front toe out 2mm total, stock front ride height, as low as possible rear ride height, front adjustable tops set to max pos caster and some moderate neg camber. + full send! Down the bottom you need to be jumping the kerbs. Use the white post as your turn in markers for the chicane because you cant see the chicane over the crest after you've first come out onto the main track. That way you have the car moving the right way before you can even see the chicane. After that its late turn in everywhere so you can be back to full throttle the moment you have the car rotated. Really important to do that on the bottom corner before the run up the hill because if you get that wrong you'll be paying for it with a lack of horsepower the whole way up.
Thats the only time I've won a state round of the hillclimbs (road reg 2WD over 2.5L class) so I was elated after that. Thats a pretty darty setup though that needed my full attention at faster tracks. For any non hillclimb stuff like Wakefield etc I had mediums for the rear. I'd love to go back there again now that I have much more power and its even more dialled in.

[Sprinterboy]

Hmm thats a while ago. mechanically stg2 Ko3s (3 inch dump to 2.5 rear, SEAT IC, custom tuned as 7psi wastegate spring and bigger injectors), wavetrac diff, A050 semis (215 medium fronts, 195 soft rears), lots of work getting hillclimb cold tyre handling right eg MCA purple coilovers 7kg front springs, 8kg rear springs, whiteline rear bar on stiff, stock front bar, bit of rear toe out 2mm total, bit of front toe out 2mm total, stock front ride height, as low as possible rear ride height, front adjustable tops set to max pos caster and some moderate neg camber. + full send! Down the bottom you need to be jumping the kerbs. Use the white post as your turn in markers for the chicane because you cant see the chicane over the crest after you've first come out onto the main track. That way you have the car moving the right way before you can even see the chicane. After that its late turn in everywhere so you can be back to full throttle the moment you have the car rotated. Really important to do that on the bottom corner before the run up the hill because if you get that wrong you'll be paying for it with a lack of horsepower the whole way up.
Thats the only time I've won a state round of the hillclimbs (road reg 2WD over 2.5L class) so I was elated after that. Thats a pretty darty setup though that needed my full attention at faster tracks. For any non hillclimb stuff like Wakefield etc I had mediums for the rear. I'd love to go back there again now that I have much more power and its even more dialled in.

AWESOME info! cheers mate.
I do feel like I was hitting my markers pretty well but probably a little too cautious on the brakes (and that darn soft pedal)
I'm planning on doing the full season this year (SDMA). Next event is 5th Feb. be great if you could make it along to one. Happy to help with accommodation if you're travelling in from a distance.

[sambb]

I'll check the state hillclimb calender. If Fairbairn is on towards the end of the year there's a good chance i'll go actually. My first hillclimb of the year will be Bathurst. Myself and a couple of mates are aiming for that weekend. Usually its the first weekend of March, I think 4th and 5th this year. Saturday you start on Conrod Straight and run UP the Esses and on Sunday you start on top of the hump on Mountain Straight and run up to McPhillamy. You definitely should come for that. You can camp with us or motel it in town and leave your gear at our site if you want so your not carting everything around. We normally get up there on the friday afternoon. I always like to have a go over the next days layout as a sighter for the next morning. If you're there at that point we can get you out on the track in one of our cars and show you the lines etc. Its always a really fun weekend with everything from ex-F1 engineers cars right down to absolute bangers. When the dates go out i'll forward them to you.

[Sprinterboy]

I'll check the state hillclimb calender. If Fairbairn is on towards the end of the year there's a good chance i'll go actually. My first hillclimb of the year will be Bathurst. Myself and a couple of mates are aiming for that weekend. Usually its the first weekend of March, I think 4th and 5th this year. Saturday you start on Conrod Straight and run UP the Esses and on Sunday you start on top of the hump on Mountain Straight and run up to McPhillamy. You definitely should come for that. You can camp with us or motel it in town and leave your gear at our site if you want so your not carting everything around. We normally get up there on the friday afternoon. I always like to have a go over the next days layout as a sighter for the next morning. If you're there at that point we can get you out on the track in one of our cars and show you the lines etc. Its always a really fun weekend with everything from ex-F1 engineers cars right down to absolute bangers. When the dates go out i'll forward them to you.

Cheers mate! keep me in the loop

[Sprinterboy]

How'd you go at Bathrust mate?
SDMA was good for me. Consistently within 3 tenths every run now. Quickest this past weekend was a 51.82

05 Feb 2023: SDMA Hillclimb - 9N3 Polo GTi - YouTube -
Quick video from the 5th Feb event if anybody is interested.
Had some camera issues at the latest event , will cut together what I've got in the next day or so.

[sambb]

Hi mate. No Bathurst didnt happen. We heard that the same timing issues they've always had have persisted and that they don't seem motivated to fix. Especially at a hillclimb where it comes down to tenths, pushing hard and taking pretty big risks between those walls, when the timing is literally seconds out - you get pretty pissed. Personally I'd have gone anyway but my mates decided we'd pledge to ourselves to a few other events instead. regretting it now because it always gives you the best memories to hang onto until the next year comes around. Typical though, now I've got a weird knock in the front end somewhere and I'm not really keen to track it until I find what it is, so havent done any racing.
I have a vid of the last round I went there when I won the class. Thought it was on youtube but maybe I didnt upload it. I'll scour my cards and see if I can dig it out. Might be good as an apples to apples reference, compare lines etc. You're going well. funnest hillclimb track with all the undulations.

[sambb]

an sdma canberra vid, that is

[pogopins]

Typical though, now I've got a weird knock in the front end somewhere

not broken ecu brackets => flappy flappy ecu is it

that happened to me and caused all kinds of havoc. Got it bodged in place at the moment but do need a better fix

[sambb]

no feels more like a subframe shifting around (though they can't now that they have eccentric bolts in them) or a flogging dogbone big end. That deep gutteral clunking.I've ruled them out though but its that kind of sound/feeling. Its most probably like a bearing in the steering rack or something. Could be a strut. Its a big bit of hardware under the footwell whatever it is.