12/6/2008 - Last FAST of the Year

[snookwheel]

A handful of video's for your viewing pleasure!

Howard's CRX rocket:
http://blip.tv/file/1547812" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Kenny's reborn Subaru:
http://blip.tv/file/1547813" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Peter's Formula... as always very cool:
http://blip.tv/file/1547892" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Chucks Datsun 240Z. Original owner too!
http://blip.tv/file/1547934" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jeff's silver bullet:
http://blip.tv/file/1547957" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Aaron's Mazdaspeed 3 & the screaming tires:
http://blip.tv/file/1547996" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Elliott's Supercharged Mach 1:
http://blip.tv/file/1548008" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Jay's vintage Lotus putting down FTD!
http://blip.tv/file/1548047" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Scott's Solo Vee not sucking less:
http://blip.tv/file/1548066" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Howard taking a spinning class with his CRX!
waaaiiiiitttt for it!
http://blip.tv/file/1548093" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


What a course!

Scott

[Brownsound]

Thanks for the great event guys! What an awesome course, I usually am not one to hit many cones, but I made a HUGE exception for this event! Ron, as usual, I will get you next time. Jack, thanks for all the pointers!

I will have video of my mini-manji up shortly!
Edit: Here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBL2KPhQIo

[Alizarin]

Yeah it looks like the results by class file is pointing to May's results. I checked, and I sent the right file, so that one's all on Steve. :-p

I've got some in car video from the HarnessBarCam that I'll edit up and post later.

[Loren]

Hey, Howard, I think I see something that might have something to do with why you keep hitting so many cones. Look in the video and notice that your car's stance is visibly "nose-up". If your old car was more level, your perspective is off. Worth considering.

[Loren]

I will have video of my mini-manji up shortly!
Edit: Here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBL2KPhQIo

I know this goes against the S2000 code, but did you try staying in 2nd gear instead of all that shifting back and forth to first? Before you say anything about "no torque", you better look at the times I posted in my Yaris. I'd be willing to bet that you have more torque from 3-6k than I do... and WAY more beyond 6k (my engine doesn't even spin past 6500!).

Aside from that, it looks like you were "behind" a lot of the time. You were turning too late, reacting to the course instead of staying ahead of it. "Turn in earlier and less", and "late apex". I think you're late apexing, but you're turning too late, which makes your turns much more agressive than they need to be.

To summarize: Shift less, stay "ahead" of the course, and drive smoother. Oh, and use the Force.

PS: Is "brownsound" a reference to Ween?

[vertigyn]

Thanks for the video's Scott! Man...I got a lot of time to pick up just by getting closer to the cones! Thanks!!!

So much fun....

[Brownsound]

I will have video of my mini-manji up shortly!
Edit: Here it is!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXBL2KPhQIo

I know this goes against the S2000 code, but did you try staying in 2nd gear instead of all that shifting back and forth to first? Before you say anything about "no torque", you better look at the times I posted in my Yaris. I'd be willing to bet that you have more torque from 3-6k than I do... and WAY more beyond 6k (my engine doesn't even spin past 6500!).

Aside from that, it looks like you were "behind" a lot of the time. You were turning too late, reacting to the course instead of staying ahead of it. "Turn in earlier and less", and "late apex". I think you're late apexing, but you're turning too late, which makes your turns much more agressive than they need to be.

To summarize: Shift less, stay "ahead" of the course, and drive smoother. Oh, and use the Force.

PS: Is "brownsound" a reference to Ween?

I've tried staying in 2nd before, and I found that (for me) I post slower times. I was just using 1st gear for the turn-arounds. Also, I was not focusing yesterday.. the most obvious effect was I was not looking ahead nearly enough. I managed to reduce my runs by 2 more seconds than what's in the video by smoothing everything out.

Also, Brownsound isn't really a reference to anything, although I've never been asked that one before!

[Jamie]

Oh, and use the Force.

So that's Loren's secret...he's driving the course with his eyes closed....

[vertigyn]

I stay in 2nd gear the whole time But then again my torque is just a little different than most of the other cars out there... =)

[Charles]

laying down a 72.9 in a stock S2000 on street tires.

Never left 2nd gear........

[Brownsound]

Give me a couple of decades to catch up to you guys This was my 6th Autocross!

[Native]

I fixed the Results by Class file.

I'm not a morning person...

[aparke]

Hey, thanks for the videos, Scott!

Very cool course and lot of fun. The longer course was a bit different than what we're used to.

Post-event trash talk?

How's this - I'm gonna get you yet, Aaron Parke, and your silly station wagon, too! Yellow_Colorz_PDT_29

I can tote some new tires the back for you if you want Yellow_Colorz_PDT_04

[Solar]

laying down a 72.9 in a stock S2000 on street tires.

Never left 2nd gear........

Me either, never came close to the limiter, except when I decided to bail some hay. :shock:

[meicalnissyen]

Hey all, sorry I missed the event, I just don't have the motivation to cruise all the way to Bville these days.
Hung with the BMW ?Poorsche crowd, and Zephrillis was SLICK more than usual, by alot

I'd heard stories about the berm but had never actually seen someone attack it until today.......
and I had a VERY front row seat for the show
I had just gotten into third and turned in to the second cone of the slalom a bit to firmly. WOW
I now have even more bodywork to redo

Fortunately some clown in a beemer actually took it over the top and into the pond later in the day so my show has been forgotten

See ya'll in January

Me either, never came close to the limiter, except when I decided to bail some hay. :shock:[/quote]

[Jack]

sorry loran to dissapoint you, it was my first time on r comps. 8)
i was just trying to get a feel of my car, having no no idea of what pressure to run or how my car would react, totally diffrent set up than i was running, gindrine swaybar, hankook r comps, my own spiecal alignment, other than that my car is bone stock.
i am pleased with first in c class and 4th over all for the day
as for the 2nd gear thing. i tryed both, i was slower staying in second and not down shifting,
you really need the rpm to come out of the corners, other wise you are waiting for the v-tec to kick. :shock:
maybe in an ap2 , 2004 or newer you would be in second. the gearing is shorter.

[Loren]

Y'all feel free to disagree, and don't take this personally, but many of you rely too much on power to "bail you out". I started autocrossing in a Saturn (not much power), progressed to a Miata (similar power) and now a Yaris (almost no power). Driving cars like this, you learn to conserve your momentum and not rely on the power (that you don't have).

You S2000 guys... look at Jeremy. 72.9 seconds on street tires... in 2nd gear. What did he do differently than those of you who were being shifty? He DIDN'T SLOW DOWN as much as you did. Simple as that. Maintain your speed and you don't have to downshift to get it back!

I suspect that a lot of the other "fast car" guys are falling victim to the same problem. This ain't drag racing, folks. More power is not always the answer. Imagine if you were given the option to start a drag race at 20 mph instead of zero mph? You're given the option to start every straight on an autocross course at a higher speed, all you have to do is carry more speed through the turn that leads into it. Driving the proper line, smooth inputs and trusting your tires are the answer.

It's not how fast you go, it's how little you slow down.

(btw, I heard that Mr. Stannard had a radar gun on the turn-around at the far end of the course during the first run group... from what I heard, the results support what I'm saying here)

[snookwheel]

Jay was sharing the radar results as we were packing up. His radar showed the two most powerful were rounding at 21 to 22 mph. One of the fastest was a red Yaris. It was clocked at 27 to 28 mph at the apex of the turnaround.

I know I was blowing it at the turnaround pretty badly. A couple times I came out with tires spinning and he rear end swinging way out. Pretty fun, but not so fast.

[Jack]

loran his car is totally diffrent he has an ap2 it is a 2.2 motor, it also has totally diffrent transmission, the gearing is much lower, so yes he is in second gear.
his car does not have a 9000 rpm limit, it was design to make more torqe not rpm.
all the rest of the s2000 at brooksville were all pre 2004 know as ap1 they have 2.0 motor it has a much taller first and second gears . most of the time i race i am in first and second where jeremy has to shift to 3rd or he is on the limiter. the rpm is lower at the limiter in ap2
i know you heard his car bouncing of the rev limiter . none of us ap1 guys had that problem.
i understand what you were trying to point out!
seat time helps!
both of you have lots more than myself.
i will push harder and suck less next time, i promise!

[impalanut]

mid twenties at the apex is fine, I would like to see the speeds at the end of the long slalom. By my calculation with the gears in my car I was probably around 67 mph. If we had the original slalom, probably would have been around 72.