Hello all, so it has been a long time since i've posted here but I have not forgotten about you guys!

On Sat Sept 12, I finally made it out to the track for an HPDE event. I wish I could have made it out in June but I lost my job a week before I was suppose to go. Well...after some perseverance I was able to rebound and get back out to the track!!

The event is hosted by a Local Shop here in MN called Modern Automotive Performance. The event they host twice a year is called Proving Grounds. This event features drag, drift, auto x, and road course.

The track is Brainerd International Raceway (short course 2.5mi)




The Car:
My 2006 Lexus Is350

Mods
ISF suspension, EBC yellowstuff pads, Stainless Steel Lines, F-sport Intake, F-sport axle back, F-sport rear sway bar.

Tires/Wheels
F and R 18x9.5 Rota Grids front and rear

F: Pirelli P6 four seasons 245 40 18
R: Kumho ?? 255 40 18










Notes

First off, this being my first track event in the IS I have to say this was a fun platform, The car (to me) was very balanced. Body roll wasn't absent in the IS with the ISF suspension but it wasn't unbearable, in this case the body roll actually made the car very predictable. Understeer was not a problem for me what so ever. I can't say how the IS would have performed with its stock suspension but I can say I was satisfied with the performance of the ISF suspension. As you can see I ran on All Season tires (its what I had laying around, couldn't afford track tires) and It still performed exceptionally well. Racing this course before in my 92 civic I did see some places the IS could have shaved lots of time off, had I had the dough for some R compounds. there were sections I could have used the brakes less if tires were better. Oh and tire rub was a minor issue also. Looking to also add a front sway bar to improve turn in response.

recap

 

Nice vid!
That spoiler, on the bmw, looks ridiculous.

 

I agree that spoiler looks goofy

 

Great to see others out there showing what the 2IS is capable of. Bet you had a blast!

 

Thanks for posting, its always nice to see track videos... Looks like a nice track layout, with good areas to pass... What was the wear on the tires like? I think a nice set of matched summer performance tires would make a nice improvement in lap times.

 

you are welcome sir! I would have loved summer performance tires but they werent in the cards this time around, I can agree that that would have made a significant difference!

The tires did phenominal in terms of wear, it was crazy considering how heavy our cars are. To put it into perspective, I drove 6 20min sessions at 100% and they squealed and talked all day long, I thought they'd be roasted, chunked etc, but by the end of the day this didnt have any abnormal wear or any noticiable wear to say the least.. I drove home the same day and I live 130 miles from that track.

 

being the only Lexus out there I had a chio on my shoulder hahaha

 

being the only Lexus out there I had a chip on my shoulder hahaha

 

niceee its all about having fun and you clearly had i want to track my mt250 too once i get fsport bars and some good tires on oem wheels

 

I have Stoptech drilled and slotted rotors for the front when you decide you need em 120 shipped lol I bought last winter to use for the track to find out they are for an IS250

 

Really like what you did with the video. Got the whole feel of the day lol. Any plans to get coilovers in the future?

 

thank you I'm glad to be able to share it! I haven't really outdrove the suspension yet, like I said before, my tires were my limiting factor I'm going to go for a better wheel and tire setup first and if I reach the suspensions limit with better tires and a front swaybar, I'll consider the need for coilovers, I would love coilovers, but I think my driver skill hasn't progressed beyond the setup I have....yet!

 

In addition to beefing up your front sway bar, another inexpensive upgrade is swapping out your front LCA #2 OEM bushings to a higher durometer version (like the ones offered by FIGS or RRRacing). You'll immediately notice improved turn-in response and braking stability on the track.

 

Winnar! Most people won't admit that the biggest performance detriment is the driver, and even more don't understand that the biggest performance increase to the car comes through tires.

 

^100% accurate! Practice, practice, practice! Then spend some dough on good tires. Helps having them mounted on lightweight wheels; but obviously not necessary for those on a budget.