May 19 - The Royal Autocross

[Jamie]

We like an easy finish. That was the intent. Keeps people out of the timers.

So back the timers up! 3-4 feet would have been plenty. And this was a Classic...good for demanding a little extra skill, yes?

[Native]

That was another awesome course and event. Pictures! Thanks for spotting me Dan!

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmieyCPV

Thanks Philip (and Dan)!
Nice work.

[Bigdog]

so we have one of the best drivers in one of the fastest cars complaining that who could not go faster. go figure

Fun course, enjoyed the cross over with turns, the cone walls kept me on the straight and narrow.

still need much practice on my slalom. think i am apexing late, but not swinging wide enough. think being my own cheerleader helps.

https://youtu.be/H9hswfcr-3w

[dbeng]

Another fun course and I always enjoy the extra runs and more laid back nature of classic events. Thanks to everyone for making these events happen.

Of course, the biggest thing for me was finally diagnosing my swaybar issue and getting a new one installed for this event. Wow it was good to run an event with front end grip again I could really lean on the car for the first time in a couple of months and it was FUN!

Philip - feel free to borrow cars and run in a different class as often as you like My first class win for a while and in a class with 9 cars - eight Miatas and my Mazda 3! I'm super happy with the result. A few of the quick regulars weren't there but I'll take it...

Here's run six, my fastest run of the day:


https://youtu.be/HvSxjx_O-Qo

No more crazy wheelspin on every turn - Yay!

[Loren]

think being my own cheerleader helps.

Love it!

One of the best autocross instructors I know was famous for yelling at his students throughout a run. "GAS, GAS, GAS!" "BRAKE, BRAKE, BRAKE!" "TURN!" And you could hear him doing the same thing when he was driving, even when nobody was with him!

My observation from your video is that you could stand to try to carry a little more speed in the turns. Slow down a little less, get back on the gas a little earlier. It's mostly a matter of learning to trust your tires.

[Jamie]

Definitely better throttle modulation than the early days.

My observation from your video is that you could stand to try to carry a little more speed in the turns. Slow down a little less, get back on the gas a little earlier. It's mostly a matter of learning to trust your tires.

^ That -- make the tires sing a bit. Still more work on looking ahead -- you're still not quite looking (and thinking) far enough ahead of the car. That was part of the problem with the slalom, and so every cone, you're a bit later.

[Bigdog]

thanks guys, need all the help that I can get!

[SlowMiataDrew]

Had a lot of fun with this event but I still need some fine tuning with my techniques. I guess I'm still not used to the changes yet. More seat time to come! I'll try and get a video up today when I get home. Also anyone got any tips as far as not having my action camera die after 2 runs on a blistering hot day? I try and keep the camera cool between runs but the batteries can't handle it. Do I just have crappy batteries?

[Bigdog]

Still new with my Garmin Virb, but the battery will last over an hour.
If you are not using the OBD port, make sure that only the GPS is activated. turn off the other wireless features.
have purchased a wasabi power charger stand (plug into a cell phone charger) and two batteries from amazon for reasonable $$$. works well

[jbrannon7]

I am getting some push back on my post about the finish, so I will explain more. Yes, I like courses that suit my car more. No that is not why I brought this up before and after the event.
I have been to a hundred or more FAST drivers meetings, and in every single one I have heard it said "If you see something you think is unsafe speak up".
When I walked the course I thought the exit from the slalom to the finish was too tight and aimed people directly at the finish cones and timing lights. I spoke to Loren, Drew and then Steve about my concerns, they looked at me skeptically. Maybe for 2 reasons, 1 they assumed I was just trying to make the course easier for me, and 2 they assumed the course had been laid out as designed, wrong on both points.
For those that don't know when Loren gets a course design he uses a drawing app that you can see on the map to represent the line, If it draws well then the line is good, if there are issues the map is altered, after that it its sent out to several people for approval, maybe tweaked and then published. So the course as laid out was not an approved course.
I have volunteered to arrive early and do setup on several occasions, I know it is difficult to read a tiny map in the dark holding a map that is being blown by the wind in one hand, a flashlight in the other all while trying to place cones.
I will continue to speak up if I see something that I consider unsafe, for cars, drivers, timing equipment and workers. Assume what you will.

[Loren]

I don't know who's pushing back, but, we appreciated your concern.

I thought it came from watching Steve's test run, and we eased the offset of the last three cones after the last test run. Not because Steve has a problem with it, but because I thought it looked like he was cornering too hard through the lights.

It was never a safety issue. It just put our timing lights at more risk than I like for them to be at.

Bottom line is: Good eye, Joe! No wonder you're so fast. Keep on questioning anything you think needs questioning.

[Rpwolf]

Another course where gearing was my enemy. Thanks again Dan E for letting take a couple runs in your car, wish my car handled like yours... Although it might of been more fun sliding my car through the esses.

[Spin Out]

Loren,Thanks for taking a ride in my Boxster. I was feeling a little off, plus it takes me time to get used to a "new" car, so I thought I'd have you put down a number I could aim for. (for which I could aim?) I never matched your number, but I liked having some type of goal.
I mentioned the old mismatched tires on the front because it seemed like something a driver should know about. I do have to hunt down that suspension noise. It might have to do with over-sized tires on the front. (Or using 911 rims on a Boxster.) It was too rainy this past weekend for me to get under and look.

[twistedwankel]

For those that don't know when Loren gets a course design he uses a drawing app that you can see on the map to represent the line, If it draws well then the line is good, if there are issues the map is altered, after that it its sent out to several people for approval, maybe tweaked and then published. So the course as laid out was not an approved course.
I have volunteered to arrive early and do setup on several occasions, I know it is difficult to read a tiny map in the dark holding a map that is being blown by the wind in one hand, a flashlight in the other all while trying to place cones.
I will continue to speak up if I see something that I consider unsafe, for cars, drivers, timing equipment and workers. Assume what you will.

Actually I didn't know there is an app for that. Pretty amazing.

For those that don't know Joe B he is very competitive, helpful and methodical person. Sounds a bit like Loren and Steve I used to be just as competitive when I traveled state to state but anymore am happy to achieve an 8/10's run most of the time and beat 50% of the people overall. Hopefully end up with a tshirt and old number in the end. Even with fat 10"sq 100u tires I still run a couple or 3 seconds behind Joe on my basically pre-Z06 convertible with Z51 underpinnings/coolers only missing a couple brake cooling ducts and maybe 55HP due to a cam. At the Duel you may have seen Joe run my car against Ken Marion's GT3 heads up and only lose by a car length which is amazing to me. I'm pretty sure Ken's car has launch control? Most do. I like to take course walks with Joe as he brings up really clever observations I never notice.
I got thru the finish fine with nearly WOT so I probably wouldn't have been any faster with a wider opening but it got a little "iffy" on my last run. I do like it better when the spin is towards the center of the track rather than into the dirt which this finish was. Been there done that in the rain.