March 26 Classic Post

[RedBRZ80]

Frustrating layout. Part of it was my weekend in the brz at a national scca event (crazy Fast elements everywhere) so I'll give it a partial pass because my point of view was different. But dang it, pull those final cones in the walls and i think you would have a great mix of tight and open.

[Carracer]

Not many pictures, even fewer good ones, couldn't find a spot I liked for getting the cars in action.
https://flic.kr/s/aHskUd4cFL
I had a blast on course. I started with Sophia's Fiesta. It was so much fun to drive. It felt like I was going WAY faster than I actually was. It had way more grip than I expected considering the tires. It definitely put the biggest smile on my face. Thanks again Sophia and happy birthday!

Then it was back to my car. At first I was a little disappointed then I realized I had 40~42 PSI in the tires. After fixing that, the car felt better with it's fresh alignment but my timing was off in all the transition.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7vjkc6_Q5s

I wasn't really feeling the course until I got to do an instructor run in Matt's car. It was definitely a course for a light car with good suspension.

[Loren]

Here's my best run...nothing really stands out, but the sharp wall just before the finish was generally HECK!

I feel like your inputs are just a little behind during most of the transitional stuff (you know... most of the course). Watch your video. Then watch Joe's video. Staying ahead of things makes those more severe elements more manageable.

[Evil MS3]

Had a blast at this event. Was my first Classic in a long time. Definitely plan to fit them in at least a couple times a season on top of the open events.

[Evil MS3]

Anytime! And thank you, it really helped me out seeing what someone else can do with it. Made me push harder and my final two runs showed it.

Possibly the most fun I've ever had driving, and riding passenger today.

Thanks to all for such an great day. The daily driver was only good enough for 14th overall, but I can't complain against all of the re71r/rival/rs3 etc cars. (Hey, it's my first time being able to use that excuse so I'm gonna make the most of it) The Hankook v12's far exceeded my expectations though, would highly recommend them to anyone who needs an all season (rain) tire to have some almost competitive fun on the weekends.

Thanks Mike for the rides in the cobra, that thing is a beast. Thanks to Taylor and Caleb for letting me take instructor runs in the mazdaspeed3 and s2000, really enjoyed that too.

Had fun showing everyone the new daily mx5 as well, no... the s2000 isn't going anywhere!

[bluesight]

I feel like your inputs are just a little behind during ...(... most of the course).

Definitely...good eye. I know the entry to the first slalom was notably messy...then behind for most of the rest...at least .1 to .2 sec. Only a couple of the slalom turns coming back were OK. I can see that the rest were late. Hard to tell what was happening at the turn around, but I usually have trouble there as well. This was a great course to see the issues! Live (and drive) and learn...

Tnx
B

PS...Philip...you definitely know how to work your Miata through a tight slalom...You're instructing next time...unfortunately not 'til December...

[Loren]

Frustrating layout. Part of it was my weekend in the brz at a national scca event (crazy Fast elements everywhere) so I'll give it a partial pass because my point of view was different. But dang it, pull those final cones in the walls and i think you would have a great mix of tight and open.

<rant>
It's not my fault that SCCA lets "speed creep" get out of hand and doesn't even follow their own rules for course design. "Generally, maximum speeds in the mid-50s to mid-60s (mph) are contemplated for Street and Street Touring® category vehicles". Some of those "street touring" vehicles are pretty damned fast! To keep them in the mid 60's means that lower powered stock vehicles should expect to be below 60.

SCCA rules aside (we don't have to follow them, anyway), we DO have a contract with the airport that specifically says we must stay under 70 mph, and we have an insurance policy that essentially says the same. We do our best to keep MOST cars within that limit. We normally test the course in a mid-range to fast-ish car and make sure that car is well within our parameters, that we feel the course is safe, easy enough to navigate, flows well and is fun. I'll give you an EXTREMELY weak apology for not allowing your stock BRZ to get much over 60 in my efforts to keep the guy who shows up in a ZR-1 from hitting the grass at 80+. That's the way it goes. Your car has brakes, use them. Get over it.

Here's what you need to remember. SCCA has a big corporation backing them up. They have more clout with their insurance company. They can afford lawyers. To put it quite bluntly, they have clearly demonstrated in recent years that especially at National Level events, they're NOT afraid to put your car into hard obstacle that could cause damage to your car or injury to yourself. (Two cars in the fence at Ft. Meyers in two different places on the same course? Seriously? That's not acceptable in my world.)

FAST doesn't have that kind of corporate power or attitude. FAST is just me and Steve. We have insurance, and it will probably cover us should something happen (and because neither of us have deep pockets, the lawyers would probably stop there). But, then we don't have any clout with the insurance company, and we lose our insurance, and thus we lose our club. We just might take these issues a little more seriously than the typical SCCA volunteer does. Our butt is on the line. Don't expect "national level SCCA" courses out of FAST.
</rant>

If you want to drive faster than 60-70 mph, go to a race track! Or apparently, a National Level SCCA autocross... or a Corvette Club autocross. You're not going to find it here.

[BrilloHeadBen]

After watching a few videos, I know where I messed up. Everywhere! Seriously, my lines were sloppy, over and under setting up for things, and took the turnaround too wide. Pretty much all I did right the first long slalom, except for the entry. Yep, even got that wrong too!

[Loren]

I watched your outgoing slalom a couple times, Ben. Looked GOOD. Nice and tight.

[Z1NONLY]

Frustrating layout. Part of it was my weekend in the brz at a national scca event (crazy Fast elements everywhere) so I'll give it a partial pass because my point of view was different. But dang it, pull those final cones in the walls and i think you would have a great mix of tight and open.

Day one at Dixie had two crazy-tight turns...one of them was 17MPH in my CS car. I was actually happy that I had ran that Tampa dog track course with FAST where we had to go back to first gear.

[RedBRZ80]

Frustrating layout. Part of it was my weekend in the brz at a national scca event (crazy Fast elements everywhere) so I'll give it a partial pass because my point of view was different. But dang it, pull those final cones in the walls and i think you would have a great mix of tight and open.

Day one at Dixie had two crazy-tight turns...one of them was 17MPH in my CS car. I was actually happy that I had ran that Tampa dog track course with FAST where we had to go back to first gear.

Loren- I qualified my remarks with "I just got out of an ST car at a national event". So I knew jumping back in a stock class car into a local event my perspective would be off. And I totally get the "it's just us". Just providing feedback.

[Carracer]

I need to collect my Insight stats!

Thanks for the great FAST second (winter) season for a departing Snowbird. Back to the great white north (WI) on Sunday. FAST has been particularly fun since I've had some nice folks to compete with (in class). But then, everyone has been nice...and thanks for that as well. Plan to see you all in December.

Here's my best run...nothing really stands out, but the sharp wall just before the finish was generally HECK!

https://vimeo.com/210199112

B

Does the Hawaiian shirt work in Wisconsin? See you next winter.

Day one at Dixie had two crazy-tight turns...one of them was 17MPH in my CS car. I was actually happy that I had ran that Tampa dog track course with FAST where we had to go back to first gear.

That day 1 course is the first time I have ever seen a 1st gear shift and a 3rd gear shift needed at an autocross.

[BigBlue]

Thanks Ron, for picking up my slack while I was snoozing... Getting more than a couple hours of sleep paid off...

So now I know why I couldn't catch you or Joe. It wasn't my sloppy driving, it was my lack of rest. Good to know. And it was no problem covering your assignment Matt. (Just don't let it happen again.)

Thanks to everyone for another fun day! Well done, well done.

[jev61]

First time attempting to share a video, I hope this works. Here is my fastest and final run:
https://www.facebook.com/joseph.vance.7 ... 222168686/
I was tentative on the return, in and out of the throttle, should have committed.

[Loren]

Nice run, Joe! I think I drove pretty much the same line, but I was giving up speed in several places. I knew I was leaving speed at the entry to the slalom, probably in the turn-around, and in the "tight" bits of the return side. I was leaving a little in the slalom, probably not much in the turn-around... and a lot more than I thought on the return side. Not enough to catch your Miata... but, enough that I should have been well within a second rather than 1.6 seconds back.

Gotta learn to trust the RE-71.

[JasonS]

The more I watch Joe B's vid the more i notice his rhythm when looking ahead. Seems once he is about 1/3 of the way through the set up for one cone he is already looking at the next. I try to remember to look ahead and I thought i was doing ok. Guess not.

Also, his tires are so quiet. I need to calm it down and stop overdriving so much

[wlynchatusf]

LOST AND FOUND:

Another tire gauge left in grid. It's in the trailer.

regarding other lost and founds, has anyone found a mudflap in the last couple months?

missing one up front and coincidentally have cone marks on that side

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[Loren]

Bill, stuff like that usually ends up on the front shelf of the trailer. But, if it's unrecognizable as a part that someone might want (random bit of plastic, or BROKEN bit of plastic), it might not make it that far. And if it does make it that far, it might get pitched after a couple months when we get tired of looking at it.

So, check there.

Oh, and stop letting Steve hit cones with your car.

[twistedwankel]

Mike: You need to rebadge your car "Hindsight" since you're always second guessing yourself watching videos and data feeds
Have a great summer in Cheesehead Land learning to drive your Miata. Don't forget to add fuel.

Joe: That's a pretty sweet run there. (But don't ever call it your final run...yikes)

Matt: Amazing what you can do when you pretend you're riding your bike (and get sleep).

Randy: Way to hang in there with Elliot in your car. All of S1 was super tight on times. Guess those RS4's are just fine if the price improves!!

I was watching Sam Strano's runs at the Dixie tour he posted Corvette Forum from both days on Hoosiers. Interesting driving style. Two input steering. The old one/two?
http://www.corvetteforum.com/forums/aut ... -tour.html

Doug

[wlynchatusf]

Bill, stuff like that usually ends up on the front shelf of the trailer. But, if it's unrecognizable as a part that someone might want (random bit of plastic, or BROKEN bit of plastic), it might not make it that far. And if it does make it that far, it might get pitched after a couple months when we get tired of looking at it.

So, check there.

Oh, and stop letting Steve hit cones with your car.

thanks Loren. I'll take a look next event and I certainly understand if someone found it and pitched it. I can't pin this on Steve as I'm pretty sure it's been gone for awhile...dawned on me this weekend that a cone might dislodge one.

And...if it's not in the trailer I can "move on" and replace it as I'll need the paint protection before I go after those spacers you showed me on my "build thread"

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