Finally was able to attend a track weekend at Putnam Park Road Course over the past two days. Planned on getting several weekends in this year, but 'Rona ruined that... So instead, I used most of the year to make a variety of improvements to my car, and I'm thankful to have tested them out on the track.
Overall the weekend was a great success and a hell of a lot of fun. Weather was a bit cool each morning at around 45 degrees, but warmed up to a comfy low 60s by the second sessions, which proved to be excellent for driving.
I spent most of the weekend focused on fine tuning my line and trying out some different turn-in points, and managed to knock more than 5 seconds off of my previous best lap time by the final session yesterday! Ended with a 1:25.71 which is by no means flying, but I'm happy with the improvement. Now that I've found the line that works well for me, on my next time out I'll focus on just trying to brake later/less and carry more speed with me through the turns.
Some impressions regarding the upgrades I've done since my last track session:
Power Mods - The increased hp/tq was nice, especially when getting back on throttle after slower turns (especially #5 and #8) and when getting point-bys. My top speeds in the main straight increased by an average of 6 mph, which while enjoyable, probably didn't contribute overly much the reduction in lap times compared to some other factors.
Suspension - The car feels much more balanced and planted with being lowered on coilovers, and much more predictable throughout the higher g-force turns.
Braking - Stainless-steel brake lines combined with PFC08 pads made for a VASTLY improved braking experience; it took some getting used to the increased braking force, but once I adapted to it I fell in love with how precisely they allowed me to modulate and control braking force, to the point where I was able to safely introduce trail-braking into my routine in certain turns. Plus being able to just absolutely stand on the pedal and bring the car to what feels like an immediate stop when necessary was very nice. Better brake setup definitely allowed me to feel more comfortable increasing the speed that I brought into many turns.
Alignment - I didn't go for a purely track-oriented setup, since this is my daily and I'm not trying to destroy my tires on the street, but compared to the stock alignment specs, it was a world of improvement. Camber Front/Rear -2.7/-1.8 and Total Toe In Front/Rear -1/64" / -1/32" made the car far more compliant with significantly reduced understeer in all but the most demanding turns.
Tires: Switched from PSS to PS4S and they performed very well for my purposes. They warmed up quickly enough and once at track temp they provided a very confidence-inspiring amount of grip. They were rather noisy, but I enjoy a tire that talks to me to let me know where things stand. Started with cold pressures of 31 square, which would usually end up around 37 front/36 rear hot. Until I get to the point where my lap times are being limited by my tires, I'll keep running with these.
So, for those of you who have bothered to read this far, here's the reward! Quick little video of my favorite traffic-free lap from the final session.