Jan 27 - Revenge of Watercross

[Loren]

There are those days where you just know it's going to be cold and rainy, and it's a little hard to get motivated. And then you get to the airport and realize that they've dropped not one but TWO Boeing 767's right in the middle of where we normally grid cars!

Step 1. Throw away the course map.

Step 2. Hand Ben and Philip some cones and tell them to keep the course simple.

Step 3. Wait and see how many of the 42 entries (3 canceled yesterday, and one canceled this morning already) actually show up.

Step 4. Just add water!

Results are in! 29 of the most hardcore autocrossers in the state braved the Florida equivalent of blizzard conditions (45-50 degrees, rainy and windy) to have fun on an untimed autocross course. Average number of runs was probably somewhere between 6 and 8, I'm really not sure. There should have been time for an average closer to 9 runs... so, surely some people got a lot more than 6.

I only took two runs, myself.

Huge thanks to those who came out. We all had a good time, but when we were done... we enjoyed some good pizza... and we were DONE. Except for Philip, he wanted to keep going.

We actually wrapped up and were out the gate right about 1pm. As far as wet, miserable autocross events go... it wasn't so bad!

[Native]

No snowman. Too slushy.

Really happy to see folks come out and play in the rain! Thank you all.

I took 5 runs. Federals aren't bad in the wet. Some slippy-slidey is good practice.
See y'all in a couple weeks.

[AScoda]

Pretty sure I won.

[jbrannon7]

And then you get to the airport and realize that they've dropped not one but TWO Boeing 767's right in the middle of where we normally grid cars!

I guess this how we will lose Brooksville, a closed runway filled with scrap metal.

[Loren]

We're meeting with the airport manager soon to maybe get an answer to that question. I suspect that for a while, we'll be okay. Just have to shift back to issuing the far end of the runway. Long term? Yeah, it's just a matter of time until progress gets in our way.

[jev61]

Hey big Nate, I didn't see your Fox out hunting today. Are canines afraid of water like kitties?

[Loren]

[markzeronine]

And then you get to the airport and realize that they've dropped not one but TWO Boeing 767's right in the middle of where we normally grid cars!

I guess this how we will lose Brooksville, a closed runway filled with scrap metal.

When I pulled up and saw those two monsters (which I first referred to as pieces of s-, they dont even shelter you from the rain as big as they are haha) I too was thinking yep the end is coming even sooner that I was expecting... but there is still a lot of runway for the meantime. Well ar the pace they're stacking up I'm not so sure but I won't speculate. I'll have my fingers crossed we can at least get another season or two

[aw614]

Really sucks to see yet another plane on the runway and with more space inbetween the two 767s. I wonder how many more will show up

I really enjoyed the simplified course in the rain, and it was a really good event for practicing in the rain with the new sway bar. And thanks again to Ben for letting me try out the Fiesta, that was fun. It was very easy to push in the rain and I can see why its a successful car for H street. Its a fun car to drive, and the transition to it from my integra wasn't too bad as the steering rack was a lot like my GTI, nice and quick, vs the slow steering rack on my integra (and thats the best rack honda has from the factory for lhd double wishbone cars lol)

Here was a video of one of my runs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdkm5gV ... e=youtu.be

Kyle also took a run in my car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp82rSN ... e=youtu.be

[Native]

It's still raining.

And nice job Ben and crew for setting up a really fun course on the fly.

[AScoda]

I second that motion for Ben and crew. Ben thought it was going to suck, but it was exactly what was needed.
Kidding about the winning part, of course. I was tied for first with everyone else. 0.00 FTD.

There will be more planes, but there is also more runway.

[nathanwilliams617]

Hey big Nate, I didn't see your Fox out hunting today. Are canines afraid of water like kitties?

Hahaha... nah, just don't like soggy prey. "Catch" you next time

[Carracer]

My car completed an event!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMXgdrFUOi4
Unfortunately a noise coming from the engine has gotten louder after fixing the timing, sounds like it's in the head but I couldn't find anything. With my luck I'm a little worried to drive it.

Interesting event, it was fun setting up cones with Dan and Ben. I think our course wasn't terrible, almost good considering.

[Kshader]

In all my years I’ve been doing this, I think this is the first time I’ve actually autocrossed in the rain (although Andrew claims we did a PCA event together in the rain years ago, I’m pretty sure it was dry by the time my group ran). I think I’m fairly competent at this stuff in the dry, but man I feel I was slow at this one. Almost glad there wasn’t timining equipment out for everyone to see Realized a little slip wasn’t a bad thing after letting Aaron drive the car, my next run was over a second faster according to my stopwatch while I was reviewing the videos. Got a little too aggressive in the last slalom though and got my only cone of the day.

Here’s my best clean run, definitely wasn’t driving aggressive enough.
https://youtu.be/XApTdhQXYfw

And here’s Andrew taking my car for a spin (run starts at :40)
https://youtu.be/sr7jd-k5xDo

[SallyFinney]

I for one had a blast, despite the blizzard and having to give up on my fourth run due to that pesky vertigo

In light of the arrival of new planes and your pending meeting w the airport folks, can we have the portajohn moved downstream a bit? At least the plane mechanics could easily hop in their trucks to use them.




#autocrosschick

[Loren]

It's like Sally doesn't know us, or something.

[SallyFinney]

[emoji849]

#autocrosschick

[Jamie]

Y'know, it just occurred to me...this event is the first one I've seen Philip show up in something besides shorts and a T-shirt. We've finally found the limit of his tolerance.