On carpet tracks, the owners are very particular about what traction compound you’re allowed to use. Rightly so as the tire rubber and compound ultimately work their way into the (expensive) carpet. On dirt and clay it’s not as regulated for club racing because it’s just dirt! This has unintended consequences… One popular “tire sauce” […]
On carpet tracks, the owners are very particular about what traction compound you’re allowed to use. Rightly so as the tire rubber and compound ultimately work their way into the (expensive) carpet.
On dirt and clay it’s not as regulated for club racing because it’s just dirt! This has unintended consequences… One popular “tire sauce” is liquid wrench. You can even find it listed on the pros setup sheets. While I admire the inventiveness, take a look at the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). With warnings like Use only outdoors or in a well-ventilated area and Causes skin irritation, it makes you wonder if there’s a better way.
When using liquid wrench I would wear nitrite gloves to make sure it’s not soaking into my skin. Wearing gloves for tire chemical treatment is generally a good idea, but if I can also avoid irritating fumes, even better.
I ordered some TDK Gen 2 Traction Compound to test at the trophy race. They publish their MSDS (some companies do not), and things look great on paper. No harmful fumes or skin irritation.
FYI – the TDK sauce “freezes” at lower temperatures, so don’t be surprised if your bottle arrives in the mail during winter looking thick.
When I’m at the track my tire treatment routine goes like this. I have a tire washing station that I made by silicone gluing a scrub brush (upside down) to the bottom of a small container. At the track, I fill the container about halfway up with a half water/half Simple Green solution.
When coming off the track I take the dirty wheels and tires off the car, get the tread wet with the Simple Green solution and scrub the tread surface on the scrub brush to get out any dirt. I use an old toothbrush to get any dirt off of the wheels. Then I use the towel I put underneath the washing station to wipe the tires and wheels dry. Then I put them back on the car.
After cleaning the tires, and before going (back) out on the track to practice or race, I’ll apply some traction compound. TDK comes in a bottle with a dauber so there’s no aerosols to worry about. I use a nut driver to spin the wheel nut (and wheel) while applying the sauce. I’ll cover the entire tread area from inside to outside.
I try to time it on race day so it soaks into the rubber for about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes I wipe the excess off with a rag I’ve dedicated to tire sauce. If I timed it right it will be right when my next heat is starting.
With only one qualifying opportunity, I wound up qualifying last. INSERT RACER EXCUSE HERE It wasn’t due to the traction compound, but because of my lack of consistency coupled with the fact that I should have had fully treaded tires on this new clay layout.
But by the time the main race was on, a nice groove of rubber was laid down. Finally, my partially treaded tires and TDK compound were able to audibly “bark” on the track as they gripped.
During the main I was able to drive by several pile-ups and move into second place.
I wasn’t able to hold second place, as it was nerve racking to even be there One thing I’ve discovered after returning to racing post-quarantine in 2020 is that I can turn fast laps – I had the 3rd fastest lap time. I attribute it to playing VRC a lot during quarantine (of all things). I watch the fast guys’ lines and follow their lead.
Ultimately, the TDK traction compound didn’t give me a distinct advantage. BUT, it also didn’t give me a disadvantage – which is exactly what I wanted. I’m looking forward to having it as my go-to traction compound on dirt from here on out.
Have you tried it? Let me know what you think. I’d especially like to hear if any carpet racers have tried it.
I’m liking the fact that TDK is clearly dedicated to improving their products as they’ve already released the 2nd generation of traction compound. I want to support them in their endeavor to get Liquid Wrench off of the RC racer’s workbench!
Unfortunately apple cider was very out of season at the time. As we get back into the height of cider season, I want to tell you how easy it is to make hard cider with three (3!) ingredients and have it ready to drink in about a month.
The Brooklyn BrewShop kit is an easy single fermentation kit that contains a gallon jug, airlock, siphon, sanitizer, and enough yeast to make three batches.
The only other thing you’ll need are bottles. I like the swing-top E-Z Cap bottles. You can get them at your local brew shop.
Ingredients
Like I said, this is super-simple, there are only three ingredients:
Apple Cider with no preservatives (no potassium sorbate or sodium benzoate)
Champagne Yeast – the kit includes 3 packets of Red Star Premier Cuvee yeast
Finding apple cider with no preservatives can be tricky. I’ve noticed that almost all ciders use it. Luckily, the SugarBee brand, which is available at my local grocery store, contains no preservatives. And it makes fantastic hard cider!
Brewing
Brewing is as simple as pouring in room-temperature cider and adding yeast. You should follow the kit instructions to make sure your equipment is sanitized. But it’s really as easy as pouring in a gallon of cider and a packet of yeast.
Put the airlock on and set a reminder for two weeks later. Maybe give the bottle a light shake after a week to re-activate any live yeasts that have settled to the bottom.
Bottling
After two to three weeks of fermentation, we’re ready to bottle. During bottling, we want to make sure a majority of the yeast stays on the bottom and doesn’t get transferred during the bottling process. You should be carefully moving around your fermenter to keep things settled.
Before bottling, we need to decide how you’re going to add the priming sugar – are you using honey or fizz drops? If you’re using honey, follow the instructions and heat it with water. Then you need to combine it with the cider.
Since you don’t want to stir the cider in the fermenting vessel and get all the yeast off the bottom, you either have to:
Siphon the cider into a sanitized bucket or pot and combine with the priming sugar OR
Put equal amounts of priming sugar into your bottles.
If you’re using fizz drops, just add a drop to each bottle for 12-16oz bottles – the E-Z Cap bottles I like are 16oz, and a gallon of cider fills eight (8) of these.
Either way, watch this video on How to Bottle to get used to their simple (but effective) siphon:
I suggest following their instructions by trying out the siphon with some water first. It goes fast, so you’ll want to know how it works before spilling your precious cider (that you’ve waited weeks for) onto the floor, making a huge sticky mess.
Pro-tip: I like to keep the jug or bucket on the counter and put my bottles on the dishwasher door while it’s open. That gives me the elevation I need for the siphon to work, and if I spill it will stay in the door, and go down the drain once I close the door when I’m done.
Bottle Conditioning and… drinking!
Leave the bottles condition at room temperature for two weeks. I like to put my E-Z Cap bottles back in the box they came in. The box will make sure no UV light gets to our cider, which can impart off flavors.
After two weeks I put one bottle in the fridge to test drink. I’ve never had to condition longer than two weeks, but in the spirit of science we must test! Once I’ve verified that the carbonation is good, I put them all in the fridge to prevent further fermentation (which can lead to explosion).
When you pour, go slowly and use the shoulder of the bottle to trap sediment (excess yeast) before it goes into the glass. Alton Brown does a darn good pour here:
There it is, from the package to your glass in one month. It’s super-easy and has turned out great every time I’ve done it.
Have you found any other brands of no preservative cider you like? Let me know in the comments!
What’s a Backslash, besides this: “\”? It’s a nickname for a RC buggy made from the chassis of a Traxxas Slash. Some people call it a Backslash, some people call it a Sluggy (Slash + Buggy). Whatever you call it, the original 4WD variation is the most popular because it’s extremely simple to mount an […]
What’s a Backslash, besides this: “\”? It’s a nickname for a RC buggy made from the chassis of a Traxxas Slash. Some people call it a Backslash, some people call it a Sluggy (Slash + Buggy). Whatever you call it, the original 4WD variation is the most popular because it’s extremely simple to mount an 1/8 scale wing to the shock tower and change the body to a 1/8 scale buggy one.
I wanted to do one for my 2WD Slash. There are a couple of extra hurdles on the 2WD, like the gearbox being behind the shock tower, but it still seemed do-able. So here is what I did to mount an 1/8 scale wing to my 2WD Slash.
(2) 3x18mm button head screws (wing cross bar) – TRA2583
(2) 3x23mm button head screws (wing mount top) – TRA2591
(2) 3x16mm button head screws (wing mount bottom) – ASC89203
(2) 3x12mm button head screws (wing fasteners) – TRA2578
Tools
You’ll need your standard set of RC tools, plus a drill and these bits:
3mm drill bit
7mm drill bit – optional, only needed if you didn’t buy the HPI Trophy wing.
I’ve been able to find metric bits at my local hardware store, but if you can’t the standard equivalents should be fine – 1/8″ and 9/32″ respectively. You’ll also need a dremel or cutting device to trim some of the wing mount plastic where it interferes with the gear box.
Wing Mount Holes
Assemble the wing mount. Unfortunately the HPI wing mount plastic comes with none of the needed fastening hardware. From the Trophy 3.5 Manual I was able to determine that it would need (4) 3x18mm button head screws to attach the crossbar, and (4) 3mm lock nuts pressed into the recesses.
I suggest buying a new rear shock tower because 1) it’s only $5 and 2) we’re going to drill some holes in it that will prevent you from being able to reattach the stock body mount.
The HPI wing mount is the exact width as the body post holes on the Traxxas rear shock tower. We’ll be able to use the top set of holes to fasten a wing mount.
Drill out the top body post fastener holes with a 3mm drill bit.
Temporarily fasten the wing mount to the shock tower using the 3x23mm button head screws and washers.
Turn the mount around and use the wing mount as a guide to drill two new holes through the lower wing mount and the shock tower.
Use the 3x16mm screws to come through the back of the wing mount and secure them to the shock tower with the remaining washers and lock nuts.
Gearbox Clearance
You won’t be able to fasten the shock tower and wing mount to the gear box yet, because the spur gear section of the gearbox hits the new wing mount.
While holding the shock tower with wing mount up to my gear box, I drew a cut line on the right-side wing mount.
I used a dremel to cut the plastic. I had to cut almost all the way down to the lower wing mount screw because of the part that sticks out from the gear cover. We’ll see if the strength of the mount is compromised to the point of failure.
Pro-tip: before attaching the shock tower to the gear box, attach the rear upper camber links as the screws go in from the back and cannot be reached once the shock tower has been attached to the gearbox.
Attach the wing
The Pro-Line wing has a handy grid on the bottom which will prevent your drill bit from wandering when you start to drill. I marked the alignment on the grid with a sharpie.
Once the holes are drilled, test fit the wing to the mount.
Use the 3x12mm screws and the included wing buttons to secure the wing in place.
I’ll post all of the parts that I used to complete the Backslash transformation in the next post!
I picked up a HobbyMate HB298T AIO FPV Camera for my Tiny Whoop. It’s discontinued, which is a shame, but you might be able to find them on eBay. I got it because of this very specific feature most micro-FPV cameras don’t have: Built-in Microphone. BUT… I haven’t installed the addition to my FPV goggles […]
I picked up a HobbyMate HB298T AIO FPV Camera for my Tiny Whoop. It’s discontinued, which is a shame, but you might be able to find them on eBay. I got it because of this very specific feature most micro-FPV cameras don’t have: Built-in Microphone.
Since this camera is somewhat unique (read: unpopular), I had to model a camera holder myself for 3D printing. Download it here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4590025
I modeled the holder separate from any mounts so this component could be added to other rigs: a Tiny Whoop, a glider or plane, maybe even an RC helicopter. I added pegs to the side so you can secure the camera in the mount with a small rubber band.
Platform
To attach the camera to the Prerunner body, I modeled a platform that uses a body clip underneath to secure it to the roof. Download it here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4590027
I used a body reamer to cut a small hole in the roof for the platform post to go through. I added some velcro to the back of the platform to secure a small FPV camera battery.
Combining Both
I used CA glue to permanently attach the mount to the platform and make them one piece. To speed the dry time I used some CA kicker.
Then I fastened the finished mount to the body with a body clip from the underneath. There’s some tape there to reinforce the back of the roof after it got ran over by an E-Maxx more than twice it’s size.
Here’s some footage of us tooling around in the neighborhood. The recording is made at the googles, so you see all of the interference from trees, cars, etc. At the end the signal cuts out because I forgot to fully charge the FPV camera battery
WordCamp US 2020 was canceled, citing online event fatigue. But the organizers of WordCamp Minneapolis / St. Paul did not. Would we just be another notch in the bedpost of 2020 online event fatigue?
To be honest, the organizing team did contemplate canceling WordCamp Minneapolis / St. Paul as the Coronavirus pandemic continued to linger. But everyone agreed that pivoting to a single-day virtual event was a better idea – and we stayed the course.
When we had a real-life venue selected, there was an excellent computer lab available with over twenty computers. Going virtual meant re-thinking the game-plan. With WordCamp US canceled, it looks like WordCamp MSP’s KidsCamp might wind up being the only virtual KidsCamp of 2020.
Since it was uncharted territory, we cut the attendance in half, to 10 available spots. We reserved them for locals only, as our regular in-person conference is truly supposed to highlight pillars of our local community. With 80% local speakers at the conference, I think our organizers nailed it.
Swag
SWAG – Stuff We All Get. Virtual swag? 🤔 That sound silly – kids like real stuff. So we mailed the attendees some stickers and a KidsCamp Activity Book. Michelle from Marktime Media made amazing coloring books as attendee swag for WordCamp Minneapolis 2015. She repurposed that book into an evergreen KidsCamp Activity Book:
Check out the inside pages – including the first page which has a place to write down all of your new hosting and WordPress site details.
Dry-Run
To make sure things would run smoothly, I went through the entire curriculum with my 11 year old son. We did it the same day the rest of the team was doing their streaming dry-run, two days before the live event. I even had my son go to his grandma’s and log in there via Zoom so we could simulate teaching remotely.
What did I learn from that experience? While I can power through a 3-hour zoom call with no issues, kids need to take a break. When my son asked to take a break I realized that I also was hungry, thirsty, or needed to use the restroom. So I added TAKE A BREAK in all-caps to my schedule notes in various places.
The Live Event
The day of the event went off without a hitch. We had 8 registrants and only 6 showed up. A 25% no-show rate is typical for WordCamp, so I didn’t sweat it.
Safety
We talked about online safety – I cited a lot of information from NetSmartzKids – which is what the Cub Scouts Cyber-Chip merit is based on (also it’s a WordPress site 😎).
Brainstorming
We did some self-reflection and brainstorming. We talked about people we follow on YouTube and social media and what we like about them. My son cited DanTDM who plays a variety of games, not just Minecraft. When it came to self-reflection, I was pleasantly surprised that my son listed gaming as one of his interests, not just Fortnite. He wound up setting up a site with the central ideal of helping people with their gaming strategies. I likened it to Chris Lema’s mantra of Be Helpful – it warmed my heart 😍
Other kids chose different central ideas based on their interests: Animals, Music, Gaming – it was good to see a variety from the group.
WP Setup
We went with GoDaddy as our KidsCamp hosting sponsor, and they provided slick managed WordPress sites that didn’t require us to FTP any zip files to get started. This was one of the most important pieces of doing the camp virtually. We literally had zero technical issues to troubleshoot. 💪
One of the first things we did once we were into the WordPress dashboard was to reset our account password (GoDaddy generates a random one). We talked about password security and choosing something long-ish to make it hard to guess. This is my favorite reference for increasing password strength with length.
Then we were off, publishing an about page and our first post. Then customizing our themes to reflect our tastes.
Lessons Learned
Besides taking breaks, doing the event virtually was challenging because I wanted all of the kids to stay in sync. When you’re in a lab, it’s easy to see what screen someone is on and help them move forward.
My approach to doing it virtually was to share my screen and have everyone let me know when they’re on the same screen so we can all move forward together. It was challenging at times because some kids would give a thumbs-up on their camera, some would type “done” in chat, some would confirm aloud, and others wouldn’t respond. I left plenty of breathing room and we managed to stay together.
I’m glad we were able to put this event on, and I’m hoping dearly that we can do KidsCamp again in person at Metro State in 2021 🤞
Looking at it made me think that a similar, but more useful application of vertical bike rack storage, would be for fishing rods. Moore Lake is just down the hill from where I live, and it’s stocked with Bluegills and Bass 🎣
I made this fishing rod holder that attaches to my bike rack for less than $20, mostly from scraps I had in the garage. It holds four rods, but you could adjust it for as many as you’d like, as long as your bike rack setup will accommodate them.
I chose 1-1/4″ PVC because all of our rod handles will fit into that size pipe – you should test fit your thickest fishing rod before you buy.
I attached a PVC coupling to the pipe and then cut the pipe (with the coupling attached) using a hacksaw to 9 inches. This was both the size of my scrap wood and the size of the longest rod handle. You should go longer if your handles are longer than 9 inches.
To make a permanent connection, I used PVC primer and cement to bond the couplers to the pipes.
The couplers are there to serve as stops for the tubing straps – so they don’t fall through them.
To fasten the tube straps to the board I used #10 x 1/2″ sheet metal screws. I pre-drilled holes in the wood with a 1/8″ drill bit, then used a screwdriver on the screws.
I designed 3D printed hangers because I couldn’t find any readily available hooks that I liked at the hardware store. I like Topeak racks because of how their bag systems attach. I designed the hangars to conform to the Topeak’s 10mm rod construction – which I believe is a standard size for many bike racks.
To fasten the hangers to the board, I used #10 x 3/4″ sheet metal screws.
Backing and Hangars
The board I used was some leftover 1/2″ plywood. Mine was 9″ wide so I went with that – luckily that’s how long our rod handles are. You can cut the width to however many rods you want to hold. For my 4 rod holders it wound up being 15″x9″.
To make sure everything lines up well on the back, I used my Thule panniers as an example. The metal plate that sticks to the magnet is approximately 9″x4″ – so I cut a piece of sheet metal that size. You can use a hacksaw to (slowly) cut it. I used a cutting wheel to make quick work.
I also used the Thule pannier as a reference to gauge the placement of the metal backing position relative to the hangers so they’d be generally in the right place. It will ensure the steel plate is the right place so it will line up with the rack magnet without having to move it around on the rack.
I used 3/4″ screws to fasten the hangers, and 1/2″ screws to hold the steel plate. I pre-drilled the steel with a 3/16″ drill bit, and the wood with a 1/8″ one.
There’s no provisions on this rack for bait and tackle, but you can use the opposite side of the rack for a pannier, or just put your bait and tackle in a backpack.
When I’m fishing while paddling, I keep a very small tackle box on the boat with me, and that is also perfect for local fishing by bike.
Usability tips
Riding around with 6-foot fishing poles is like riding around with a whip antenna – it’s real tall. Just beware of any low tunnels or doorways, tree branches, etc.
Also, you’re not going to be able to put a leg over the back like you normally would. A pole (and hooks) will prevent you from doing that. Be mindful while you’re getting on and off.
I (perhaps stupidly) tried out the purple worm seen in my tackle box above – set up as a Texas Rig. I felt some serious bites, but I didn’t land anything. In the end I’m lucky because I didn’t bring a net if I actually had caught a tenacious bass.
While I didn’t bring one, you could certainly put a net in one of the holders. This is more of a catch-and-release type of rig, and I wasn’t planning on any big bites my first time out, just a couple of sunfish 🐟
Disclaimer: I am not left handed, but this is a great transmitter whether you’re left or right handed… During quarantine I played VRC at least once a week to get my racing fix since all of the tracks were closed. My daughter would often ask if she could try racing as she watched me play. […]
Disclaimer: I am not left handed, but this is a great transmitter whether you’re left or right handed…
During quarantine I played VRC at least once a week to get my racing fix since all of the tracks were closed. My daughter would often ask if she could try racing as she watched me play. But converting my Spektrum DX3R to left handed operation meant taking it apart to move all the components to the left.
I’d been eyeing a Flysky Noble NB4 because it’s a pro-level low latency transmitter, and it’s killer feature is that it can instantly switch from right to left-handed operation.
Since I wasn’t getting to the track anytime soon, I sold my DX3R and ordered a Noble NB4 with some extra receivers. This write-up will go through some of the features and how I set it up because there are a few things you’ll want to consider.
The servo response rate can be set up to 400Hz. From the main menu select the gear icon, go to RX Set and then Servos Frequency. Choose Custom and increase the frequency to 400Hz – but only if you have digital servos. Analog servos can overheat and will fail from this setting.
At 400Hz my SkyRC program box measured 387Hz. Either the advertised or measured rate would still put the response at 2.5 or 2.6 milliseconds (respectively).
Whether or not 2-way or one-way communication affects the response time is unclear. Without clear information, I went for a one-way setup… Hoping for the fastest feeling.
To set up one-way communication, touch the gear icon from the main menu and then select System and then Radio Frequency Setup. Change the RF Std. setting to AFHDS3 1 Way.
Any receivers bound in 2-way mode will need to be rebound with the one-way setting.
Binding to a receiver in one-way mode is not as clear because there’s no confirmation on the transmitter. Follow the instructions and it will work, there’s just no confirmation on the transmitter side.
Pro-tip: a quick press of the power button will bring you back one screen, the same way the < does on-screen. The touchscreen back can be finicky because it’s at the edge of the screen.
Button Assignment
The NB4 has plenty of buttons and it’s very flexible and easy to assign channels/functions to the various knobs and buttons.
Here are all of the assignable buttons as seen from the Assign menu:
The thing you may want to keep in mind is the round VR1 knobs on either side of the transmitter. You can see one in the upper left here:
The VR1 knobs are “absolute” meaning they have a definitive start (0%) and stop (100%) points. This is important if you use the NB4 to control multiple models.
For instance, if you assign steering dual rate (D/R) to a VR1 knob, the setting will be retained between models. This might not be desirable, so just be aware.
I mostly race, so my common assignments for VRC, RC10 and Slash are as follows.
I keep the steering related controls that I might want to adjust while racing on the switches closest to the steering wheel:
TR1 Steering Trim
TR2 Steering EXP
For the “paddles” by the wheel, I use them for the timer. I have a 5 minute timer set that I use during open practice to simulate a normal qualifier. This helps me make sure motor temperature is OK and helps me change gearing accordingly.
SW2 Timer reset
SW3 Timer start/stop
For the wheels on the top of the hand grip, I use those for dual rate:
TR3 Steering D/R
TR4 Brake D/R
Lastly, I use the left VR1 knob for throttle dual rate. It allows me to turn down the maximum speed on any model, in case my son or daughter want to drive. Just remember to turn it back up before you go racing!
Killer Feature
The best feature for me is being able to switch it from right handed to left in a matter of seconds.
If my left handed daughter wants to play VRC or drive my Slash, I just flip the wheel around and turn down the throttle.
Before you install Duplicati, there’s one question you need to ask:
Does this computer have multiple user logins (that you want to back-up), or is it primarily used by one user?
This is important because you can install Duplicati in one of two ways: to run as a single-user, or to run as a system service that is available to all users. By default Duplicati is installed for a single user, but if there is more than one user on the computer you want to be able to back-up, you’ll want to install it as a service.
If you don’t install it as a service, when Duplicati tries to read files that belong to the other users, it will get a permission denied error and won’t be able to back those files up. You don’t want to find out that your files weren’t backed up when it’s too late.
I’ve provided some MacOS specific configurations in that section for setting it up as a service.
RaspberryPi
Install Duplicati on a RasperryPi
To get Duplicati successfully installed on a RaspberryPi running Raspbian, you’ll likely have to also install some of the mono dependencies to avoid installation errors.
Once that’s done you can (re)install Duplicati, hopefully without errors.
MacOS
For my MacOS installation I needed to install it as a service. It’s my wife’s Macbook. I also use it for Fusion360, and I like my scroll settings different than she does. So it has two user accounts, both with files we want to back-up. Installing Duplicati as a service in this case is a must.
Both of the plist configuration files can be installed as any user as they’ll be going in a system-wide location which will run Duplicati as a system service.
Service LaunchDaemon
$ sudo vi /Library/LaunchDaemons/com.duplicati.server.plist
Once those two files are in place, the next time you reboot and log in, any and all users should have a Duplicati icon in the system tray. You can then configure a backup job to read all users’ files without issue.
Useful Duplicati Options (all platforms)
There are two settings to reduce Duplicati’s resource usage:
use-background-io-priority
thread-priority
On my brand-new 2019 XPS13 developer system Duplicati was using 280% CPU.
In other words, three of the 8 available cores were dedicated to Duplicati, plus disk I/O. I recommend setting use-background-io-priority to true and thread-priority to something below “normal” to adjust the CPU usage to an acceptable level. You can find these under “Advanced options” on the last page of the Add/Edit Configuration page of a backup.
Test
As always, test your configuration. I like to do a daily backup with “Smart backup retention” so my backup cloud disk usage doesn’t grow indeterminately.
Make sure your RaspberryPi backups are completing. It will take a while if you have a lot of data. For a 1TB backup from my RaspberryPi, it took a full week to complete because it is s-l-o-w. Once a full backup is made, the incremental updates shouldn’t take as long, but they may still take longer than a day to complete.
It wasn’t due to the traction compound, but because of my lack of consistency coupled with the fact that I should have had fully treaded tires on this new clay layout.
One thing I’ve discovered after returning to racing post-quarantine in 2020 is that I can turn fast laps – I had the 3rd fastest lap time. I attribute it to 
