Da Groj

Dunnellon is lovingly (?) referred to by the locals as "the big D". Today, the big D stood for "Drizzle"! Not at all a miserable day as far as rainy autocrosses go. A little morning drizzle on top of an already wet site. And just enough early-afternoon drizzle to keep things from fully drying out. Wrapped up the day with a gentle "actual rain" as we were packing up. But, all of that combined with a very nice temperature, no wind, and no lightning... it was okay.

The course was pretty awesome, if I do say so, myself. In addition to the usual variables of dodging pavement blemishes, they painted new inactive runway X's right in the middle of the entry to our fast sweeper. And that paint was SLICK! You wanted to be flat out there, but doing so was a little sketchy... kinda had to temper the full throttle application until you were past that.

Results are up.

As expected, Philip put ME below the line of shame in my own car.

I got beat by my codriver too.

Huge thank you to all of you who came out today knowing fully it would be raining.

Pictures from the Dunnellon Championship part 2. Big thanks to my spotters, and special thanks to Sally Finney for providing the lens since my 70-300 is no longer working. Loved the course, wish we had a chance to see it in the dry but I think that actually gave my FWD ride an advantage. The Mirage is really coming along. For an econobox I still can't believe how good it can be.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmwP5umy

And... my video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YV-M-NdfBFk

What amazes me about that video is just how smooth your hand movements are. Quite different from the videos in your Miata.

I didn't video any of my runs, but I think the biggest difference is maybe a little more speed through the slaloms, but mostly on the return side. I think you got through there a lot quicker than I did.

What did you think of the new fat front tires?

Native wrote:I got beat by my codriver too.

Huge thank you to all of you who came out today knowing fully it would be raining.

Google said there'd be 80% chance of 0.01" - I was tricked! Still massively fun (as always) sliding around the course and that glorious turnaround made my day.

Loren wrote:What amazes me about that video is just how smooth your hand movements are. Quite different from the videos in your Miata.

That's because although the steering is slower in the Mirage, the car responds to steering inputs more rapidly and precisely. In Philip's car, there's a lag in response, and it never quite settles down before the next maneuver, unless you have a 150 feet or so with nothing going on, so you have to whip the wheel back and forth to get the car to move in time.

Not Philip's car:
https://youtu.be/wooHFXD8BNU

Native wrote:I got beat by my codriver too.

Huge thank you to all of you who came out today knowing fully it would be raining.

dude you coned a 37.5 with a passenger...so I'm not celebrating.

Dunnellon is fun once again! Thanks

Loren wrote:What amazes me about that video is just how smooth your hand movements are. Quite different from the videos in your Miata.

I didn't video any of my runs, but I think the biggest difference is maybe a little more speed through the slaloms, but mostly on the return side. I think you got through there a lot quicker than I did.

What did you think of the new fat front tires?

Thanks, never thought you would say my driving was smooth! I found if I tried to force it more on turn-in it would just wash out, then violently grip up after scrubbing too much speed. I think a lot of that was the surface, just no turn-in bite. Another interesting problem was that I could have entered the 2nd slalom faster but I was hitting the limiter and that made it very messy. No control on entry with that limiter on. Tired it on run 4 and almost looped it again. For the return side I was taking a tight line on exit of the turn around and giving up a bit on the first pointer after that, then it was flat to the finish.

mymomswagon wrote:

Native wrote:I got beat by my codriver too.

Huge thank you to all of you who came out today knowing fully it would be raining.

dude you coned a 37.5 with a passenger...so I'm not celebrating.

Dunnellon is fun once again! Thanks

That 37.5 looked fast! I took a picture of the clock to see what time you set. Really worried you had me.

Haha...if my last run was dry...

Jamie wrote:

Loren wrote:What amazes me about that video is just how smooth your hand movements are. Quite different from the videos in your Miata.

That's because although the steering is slower in the Mirage, the car responds to steering inputs more rapidly and precisely. In Philip's car, there's a lag in response, and it never quite settles down before the next maneuver, unless you have a 150 feet or so with nothing going on, so you have to whip the wheel back and forth to get the car to move in time.

Not Philip's car:
https://youtu.be/wooHFXD8BNU

This is the best explanation of my car I have seen in a bit!

Carracer wrote:Another interesting problem was that I could have entered the 2nd slalom faster but I was hitting the limiter and that made it very messy.

FML. I never hit the limiter. I really need to start practicing that "don't lift" thing more.

Native wrote:Haha...if my last run was dry...

Since I have a habit of blowing a second in the turnaround (as well as you having a passenger), a 37 flat or less might have been possible.

Would be fun to have Philip drive a couple wagon runs

I doubt you'd have to twist his arm.

If I ever say no to a run in a wagon please take me the nearest hospital, something would have to be very wrong.