Track report - I need a bigger battery, cooling and brakes were fine

[brianman]

Haven't been able to get out much in the COVID era, but I managed to make it to The Ridge Motorsports Park (Shelton, WA) yesterday. Open lapping combined with a new-to-me supercharger location (Tumwater) was a big improvement. My 100% rated is 288 mi.

Weather report was 55-60 F cloudy in the morning and 60-65 with sunbreaks in the afternoon.

Rough timeline of the day (from memory + texts):

1. 3:30a - Wake up, shower, load car
2. 4:00a - Wheels rolling
3. 5:30a - Supercharging at Tumwater, WA
4. 7:00a - Arrive at paddock, prep car, take brief nap
5. 8:15a - Driver's meeting (I was listening from my car with windows open) then brief nap
6. 9:00a - Red group on track
7. 9:20a - Turn on track mode
8. 9:25a - Grid up
9. 9:30a - On track, very slippery, couple laps of yellow
10. 9:50a - Off track, thought I missed checkers because I saw 4 exit in front of me.
11. 10:00a - On track, still slippery
12. ~10:40a - Off track
13. 11:15a - Supercharging at Tumwater, WA
14. 1:19p - On track, dry
15. 1:49p - Off track [30min on track, 60% battery used ~ 173 rated miles; track mode compressor setting disabled]
16. 2:29p - Supercharging at Tumwater, WA; pining for 700rmi Model 3
17. 4:01p - On track, dry
18. 4:28p - Off track [27min on track, 66% battery used ~ 190 rated miles; track mode compressor setting enabled]
19. 4:54p - Car loaded, heading to Tumwater, WA before heading home
20. 7:00p - Home

Track time between charges:

1. 20min + 40min = ~60min
2. 30min
3. 27min

Haven't had much track (autocross or lapping) in 2020 and it shows. Especially in the first session; my inputs were not smooth. Even so, I really miss it. :|

Some car specs:

• suspension -- MCS 2WNR (set at 9 rebound 3 compression), 800lb front / 1000lb rear Eibach 6in
• Unpugged Performance SS brake line kit with ATE Type 200 DOT4 fluid
• "gently used" Cobalt pads cut down from a subaru (IIRC) shape
• TSportLine 18" wheels
• all season tires

 

[Dangerous Fish]

Well I find it difficult getting up at 6am to go to my local track, so hats off to you!

 

[Discoducky]

How do you do this without eating or using the bathroom?

and I sense someone wants some 4680 goodness

 

[brianman]

tires = Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 (a bit beat up already)

 

[brianman]

How do you do this without eating or using the bathroom?

and I sense someone wants some 4680 goodness

The woods.

Yes, where do I sign up. "@Elon"?

 

[brianman]

Tires (after a few events actually) have fared much better with the suspension + lowering. (That was the original motivator for doing any suspension work at all.)

And the brake lines definitely have helped the brake fluid issue. No in-car messages about brake heat all weekend.

 

[brianman]

Details...

Did some adjustments today* for street driving comfort (hopefully). Turns out the "9r3c all around" wasn't strictly true; some of the Rs were 8 or 10 and one of the Cs was 2.

* Eddie @ AR recommended R5C0 front and R3C0 rear. Adjustments completed, drive pending.

 

[Dangerous Fish]

@brianman Your spring rates are pretty high compared to other kits on the market. How do you find them (on street and on track) and did you work up to those rates from a softer setup initially?

 

[JulienW]

...Yes, where do I sign up. "@Elon"?

Design Your Model S | Tesla

 

[brianman]

Design Your Model S | Tesla

I don't see how to order a Model 3 with newer battery tech there. (Or S for that matter.)

 

[Discoducky]

I don't see how to order a Model 3 with newer battery tech there. (Or S for that matter.)

It is assumed, but I know you know that

 

[brianman]

@brianman Your spring rates are pretty high compared to other kits on the market. How do you find them (on street and on track) and did you work up to those rates from a softer setup initially?

I went with the recommendations from AR Motorports (AR Motorsports).

Did some brief street driving last night. The r5c0 front r3c0 rear felt much better on street than 9r3c did. Wife hasn't ridden and commented yet.

 

[JulienW]

I don't see how to order a Model 3 with newer battery tech there. (Or S for that matter.)

The Plaid S is going to be the first consumer car to have the 4680 cells, unless Elon doesn't know what he is talking about. In all likelihood the Semi, Cyber Truck and Roadster and would follow with the Long Range S and probably X getting them. The 3/Y will likely be YEARS before production could get high enough to replace the 2170s

EDIT: Here is proof they won't be coming to the 3/Y anytime soon. Musk says only High Nickel 4680's to start with.

 

[JulienW]

How about this for new News. Elon just confirmed the Model Y built in Berlin will get the 4870's. Fancy paint booth with lots of color/finish options and German build quality. Sucks to be American.

Elon Musk confirms Tesla's new structural battery and cells are first going to Model Y at Giga Berlin - Electrek

 

[brianman]

How about this for new News. Elon just confirmed the Model Y built in Berlin will get the 4870's

4680

 

[brianman]

(attachment)

Thanks! Hadn't seen that.

Transcription:

will plaid s have a structural pack? I assume the extra power of the
4680 cells helps?

Yeah

 

[JulienW]

Tesla Daily Podcast, which does an analytical (not flashy) analysts of Tesla just put out a good video using the latest info to create a hypothetical roadmap to the 4680's use.

 

[ahhlun]

Nice write up!

That roundtrip 80 min between the ridge and tumwater is awful!

 

[brianman]

Nice write up!

That roundtrip 80 min between the ridge and tumwater is awful!

Not compared to the quite a bit longer round-trip to Centralia that I took previously.

 

[Drivesolo]

Nice write-up. I was just curious if you happened to know or ask anyone at the Ridge if they would be reinstalling their Destination Chargers that they had before the new construction. I recalled they were setup for 12kW before they took them down.