May 4 FAST Open @ Dunnellon

[Loren]

What a great day! Just a little on the warm side, but with a delightful breeze... and not a hint of rain! We had course that was in the mid 30's and allowed for 6 runs, and just enough entries to make it all work smoothly. Thanks to all who were involved, y'all are awesome!

Results are up!

[kirkendsley]

Thanks for putting on a great event. I never thought I would find myself the slowest car of the day. I'm glad that no one ended up creaming the pink/red cones (not even me!) as I had expected. I'm looking forward to the next event I can attend. I'll have photos uploaded later but for now here is what it looks like to drive an unmodified and undermainteneced thirty year old GT? car.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8RCvQ22p2A

[Loren]

Cool video! For being the slowest time of the day, it still looked plenty fun!

The wall of red cones did not go unscathed. I know at least one car spun in that turn and took out most of them.

[aw614]

You guys really lucked out in the afternoon from the storm that I drove through on US41 from Inverness to Brooksville. I was wondering if it was going to come up to Dunnellon.

Took me until run 4 before I had a clean run. I liked the course, but I never feel like I have fun in the GTI, and instead it just feels frustrating to drive it. I guess torque is overrated?
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LnelVRrrNk

[kirkendsley]

Here are the rest of the photos that my buddies took at the event. (Late session only)

https://photos.app.goo.gl/EZzYS9bUVns9wEQx7

[Evil MS3]

This was my first time out to Dunnellon. The surface conditions of that place are.... different. Lol Had to figure out a whole different way to drive the car.

The drive home suuuuuucked.

Thanks all for putting on another good event.

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[Blue_Heron]

I had a great time at another well run FAST event. Unfortunately, my supercharger did not. Based on the noises it was making, it had been infested by angry birds. Well, somewhere south of Williston, the birds left, and they took the boost with them. I stopped in Williston and removed the belt to limp home without AC or power steering. At least that annoying noise is gone.

Looks like a new Rotrex C30-84 might be the fix. I don't know if I will be able to get it in time for Lakeland, so I may have to muddle through in my Corvette.
Dave

[Loren]

Funny, we were commenting on the noise your car was making when you pulled up for your very first run yesterday. Glad it didn't leave you stranded!

[Native]

Thanks for the pictures!
Sorry to "hear" about the stupid-charger, Dave.

What a fun day. I really appreciate the help we had all day long and how everyone was on-game! And the lunch Sally picked up was my favorite. Everything was just great!

Except my driving. I coned away 8th place overall, and then since that wasn't enough, I went back out and coned away 12th place overall.
That show had nothing to do with the car, though. Gene has done a terrific job fixing up his GTI - it's fast, and tossable! Very fun car! Thanks for the co-drive - I am definitely looking forward to another shot.

[mobilemike01]

Although I was super frustrated with how I drove, the course was great. This was my first time out at Dunnellon and the drive out wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought! Thanks for a great event!

[aw614]

I don't mind the drive of i75 in the morning (though yesterday there was a lot of traffic that I think was a bunch of snowbirds going home), but US 41 between brooksville and Dunnellon for the most part is a relaxing, Florida hilly, and somewhat scenic drive.

Much better than i75's hectic mess and construction.

That show had nothing to do with the car, though. Gene has done a terrific job fixing up his GTI - it's fast, and tossable! Very fun car! Thanks for the co-drive - I am definitely looking forward to another shot.

Might have to ask for a co-drive or ride, the open diff stock mk7 i drove at another event also felt a lot better than the mk6 did too

[Blue_Heron]

Funny, we were commenting on the noise your car was making when you pulled up for your very first run yesterday. Glad it didn't leave you stranded!

I knew it was on its way out, but Rotrex does not support rebuilding their superchargers, so no OEM parts are available. I decided to run it until the birds left. It was definitely noisier at the end of the day than it was at the beginning. Just glad it made it through six runs.

[Van48]

Thx Steve i really enjoyed the Co Drive- thanks for the tips! Andrew just let me know whenever you want to take a few runs.

[CaptainSquirts]

Man, getting mid 31's felt pretty damn hard to achieve, props to who did even better. I think the line of shame wasn't going to go easy on anyone that day.

p.s congrats on the first place Ron, enjoy the 4 points . If turnouts keep happening like that, then that'll screw me hard due to droppings.

Here's my 31.555 run.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BD5166 ... e=youtu.be

[markzeronine]

^ the understeer looked prevalent in that video. I know I'm pretty spoiled with the little rwd cars I drive but still

[Native]

Everybody was understeering. And oversteering. Not a traction-rich surface but still a ball to drive.

[Bigdog]

so my wife takes a look at the course layout from my last run on my GPS map. she asks me how they put the tight turn around toward the end.

I told her the tight turn around was in my car not on the course. Her thoughtful reply "OH"

[Jamie]

Everybody was understeering. And oversteering. Not a traction-rich surface....

Do you mean like this?

https://youtu.be/7ank7bvrPRw

Hitting cones so hard she made them smolder....
(Thanks for the pictures, Kirk!)

[Jamie]

Amidst the normal post-event love-fest, there is one issue that needs discussion, and it's not my co-driver making smoke by rubbing a car and two cones together.

Grid.

As a club, we brag about taking care of our newbies. And we make a point to tell novices to grid towards the back, so they can ride with someone experienced before they run. But for months -- lots of months -- when our best and fastest head for the grid, they make a point of bypassing lots of empty spaces at the front of the grid and stack up at the back. This past Saturday, the run group I worked had five empty spaces between the two-driver car and the first solo driver, and I had to chase a couple people out of the last two spaces in order to make room for two first-timers there.

Man up, small felines, and move up. If you don't want an extra 175 lbs of newbie on your first run, simply say so. But don't make it harder to help them.

[Loren]

Well said.