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Interview: eSports Commentator and GT3 Racer Matt 'Sadokist' Trivett

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If you aren't at all into gaming and online championships - eSports - you may not know who Sadokist is. In fact, I had no idea who he was when I met him either.  I just saw a "new" E46 M3 GT3 race car at the track that I had never seen before. I'm not exactly a "veteran" of our track - I had only been frequenting the track for about 5 years at the time - but it had been long enough that I recognized most of the regulars and the race cars. It looked like a proper build and the trailer was parked next to the other two local M3 race cars running whose owners I knew very well, so I went to chat and ask about the car.


I learned later that Matt is a bit of an eSports celebrity. You can't argue with Twitter. But you wouldn't know this just talking to him. He's very down to earth, so much so that he simply thanked me when I "welcomed" him to the track... even though he went to his race school as a wee lad 4 years before I even first stepped f…
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How Limited Slip Diffs Make You Faster on Track

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Over the years, I've found that limited slip diffs (LSD's) are some of the least appreciated performance parts you could get (or upgrade) for a car. LSD's make a big difference, though, because they can vastly improve how early you can get back on the power and, therefore, how good your corner exit is.

That last bit is very important if you're driving on track and want to get a good lap. You don't have to just take my word for it, though. F1 royalty Sir Jackie Stewart puts an emphasis on the importance of corner exit. When Captain Slow was sent to him to cut 20 seconds off his lap time (Top Gear Season 8 - Episode 5), Sir Jackie told him: "the exit of the corner is FAR more important than the entry of the corner, with regards to smoothness."


You really need to nail the exit. And to get a better appreciation for and understanding of LSD's, you first need to know how open diffs work and where they fall short. If you're not sure, brush up on Differe…
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Why an Open Differential Doesn't Work on Track

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I wrote a tech post comparing various open and limited slip diffs for a comparison and I found that a lot of people were asking questions. To simplify and make it easier to read, I decide to break them up for a future tech article about handling. Make sure to stay tuned for two posts on limited slip diffs this week!.

WHY DO YOU EVEN NEED A DIFFERENTIAL?

 A differential's job is to allow two wheels on the same axle (or two axles in a 4WD drivetrain) to spin at different speeds so a car could smoothly go around a corner. Why do the wheels need to spin at different speeds? Each wheel on a car has to travel a different path to reach the end of the turn. You can see that for yourself every time you drive on snow covered roads or muddy trails.


If you take a turn, you'll see that each wheel/tire leaves a separate track (arc) on the road, which means they all have to travel different distances. And since they also have to travel different distances in the same period of time - the time…
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Ford Finally Announces HP figure for 2020 GT500

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Ford has been teasing the new GT500 for months now and many details are already known about it like specs and even top speed and downforce figures. But the one thing that remained a mystery is the exact horsepower figure. We knew it was going to be over 700 hp, but exactly how much wasn't known. But we FINALLY have an answer now in the form of a video. And what more appropriate way to announce a mad 700+ horsepower figure than a burnout video?


This figure puts it WELL above its primary rivals, namely the Challenger Hellcat with 707 hp and the Camaro ZL1 with 650 hp, but it is still shy of the new Hellcat Redeye with 797 hp, but it should be much lighter, to the tune of 200-300 lb. And while the Challenger Hellcat is a massively capable grand tourer for its size and weight, the GT500 should be in a different league on track, especially with the Track Pack.

Getting that much horsepower makes it the most powerful production Ford ever and the most power and torque dense V8 in the wor…
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Does An Aftermarket Grille Really Increase Airflow?
I put a Saleen S281 grille to the test to answer that question.

Stock Suspension S197 Mustang With Square 305/30/19's
What you need to fit a proper size square tire setup.

How Limited Slip Diffs Make You Faster on Track
What you need to know about how they put power down and pros and cons.

Can Telemetry Explain Schumacher's Talent?
A comparison between Schumacher's and then team mate Herbert's data.





Cayman GT4 Track Review
The first Cayman with proper (911-challenging) power.

Is an EcoBoost Mustang any good on Track?
Two days at the track in a Mustang short 4 cylinders.

2016 BMW M4 DCT Track Review
It's quick (properly quick). But is it fun?

Can a stock Golf Diesel handle a Track Day?
Not your every day track beater.



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GTR vs Evo X vs STI: which has the best AWD system?

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A few weeks ago, I made a post explaining mainstream AWD system types and how they compare, pros and cons, etc. including some simple diagrams to show where the power goes and how much. As promised, this post will focus on specific cars and what AWD systems they use, especially ones that that have more or less been defined by their AWD systems, and the best place to start may be with a bombshell; the Nissan GT-R.


Nissan GT-R (R35)

 The GT-R has built a reputation around having monster traction and very approachable performance, thanks to its AWD system - Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All-Terrain (ATTESA) - and what it can do for you. But the GT-R doesn't actually use the most mechanically sophisticated type of AWD systems discussed in the previous article, namely a "true" AWD with a centre differential. Instead, it uses a clutch pack to transfer power.


The R32, R33, and R34 Skyline GT-R's used a system that looked basically identical to the traditiona…
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Stock Suspension S197 Mustang With Square 305/30/19's

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If you've had any doubts about whether or not they will fit, fear not! You absolutely can run square 305/30/19's. I had a lot of doubts before pulling the trigger, even more so when the wheels where on the car. The tires do poke out a bit and I figured rubbing is all but guaranteed at full compression but I couldn't be happier I trusted APEX and those on here who have run it.

Here's what you need:

1. Camber plates: I have MM C/C plates and they are maxed out at -2.3 deg with the stock struts. I have been running them for years with many track days without issue.

2. 1"/25 mm spacer: I have Motorsport-tech 1" spacers and they look like high quality units. There is maybe a 1/4 inch clearance in the back so you can't go any narrower than 25 mm. http://www.motorsport-tech.com/adaptec/car/ford_s and you want Design 2.


3. Elongated studs: your best bet is to get the FPP hubs with elongated studs instead of reusing the old one. Bearings are consumables anyway so…
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This Lanzante Porsche 930 is powered by a GP-winning F1 Engine

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Whenever I hear of an outlandish 911 build, I always wonder what hardcore 911 would think. In my experience, they tend to love tradition and preserving the 911 legacy. This car breaks two of the holy trinity of classic 911's; rear engined, flat-six, and air-cooled. It is still rear engined but it uses a V6, water-cooled engine. But I can't imagine a single 911 fan being upset about this.

You see, this isn't just any water-cooled V6 engine. It is a Formula 1 twin-turbocharged 1.5 litre V6 out of a McLaren MP4/3 F1 car. Further preserving the Porsche-ness of this build, the engine was built by a partnership formed between Porsche and TAG to provide engines for McLaren F1 team. Porsche was responsible for the technical burden of design and engineering and TAG financed the effort and stuck its name on the engine as "TAG turbo" since McLaren didn't want Porsche's name on their F1 car.

Lanzante first revealed the car in October last year shortly after the annu…
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Watch The Best Valentine's Day Inspiration: Wife & Husband Track Battle

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Wife (R32) vs husband (Mk1 Golf) playing a bit of tag at Atlantic Motorsport Park in Shubie, NS. Both cars are turbocharged, both built by them for them to enjoy on a track. Oh, and the R32 shoots flames on the overrun. Every. Single. Time. This is the best couples bonding activity I've ever seen.



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A post shared by Mike R (@ramseyethetrackguy) on Oct 18, 2018 at 5:03pm PDT
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