Hi all
Your friendly Evotuners.net currently without an evo, here to report on his most recent auto-x.
6am Kyle Bowker in his red 90 Miata swings by to pick me up for the auto-x. My motor is back but just not up and running yet. Today we are racing at a new lot at Freedom HS, the lot has the largest dimensions of any lot we have ever raced at. Kyle and I are the first one's to show up. The lot is big but there is one problem, there is a curb that surrounds the parking lot. By SCCA rules we must remain 60' away from the curbing to insure vehicle safety. That takes off 120' in both directions, reducing the length and width of the parking lot by 120' both ways, we now have the SMALLEST lot we have ever raced on. As the course designers start making up the course, I head over to do tech with Pete . Pete drives an s2000 with suspension work and Toyo R compounds, Pete is regaurded as our best driver in the series.
After tech was complete I had the list of people do bring over to registratoin, no tech=no race= go home. I'm looking over the list and notice we have our fastest drivers out today. Gonzo in his WRX is always very fast, Pete, Brian in his Hoosier slicked k20 swapped hatch (I don't think brian is that good of a driver, I think the car is that good), the Moran Bros (not in their own cars, but Mike is driving the TR6 that I'll be running today), Francois in his WRX, Clayton in his MR and a few others. I'm sitting 18th in points heading into this auto-x. So I need to start posting some fast times.
The course today is a very tight technical course, the mean run time is about 28seconds. Brian in his Civic sets the FTD in the morning session with a 25.77, he is the only one all day to run a sub 26 run. Pete does pretty good in the morning, running a 26.7.
Mike Moran is the first of 4 drivers to take off in the TR6 in the morning runs. On his last mornign pass, he runs a 27.05, pretty darn quick around this quick and challenging course. Joe Seward, one of the owners of the car runs after Mike, he runs a low 28.
The 4th head comes up and I bring the car over to line up, its a blistering hot day, thank god for this car being a convertible!
In the morning I go easy to learn the course, I then start to pick up my pace the on the 3rd run. My first run I do alright running a high 28. My 2nd run I screw up and almost miss a gate. My third run I completely miss the gate that I almost missed before and blow my run. My best time in the morning is my first run at a 28.9. Eghhhh I'm disgusted with myself.
I don't remeber what Clayton did in the morning, but he was humming right along. His afternoon runs were his best. He ran a 26.99 but took down a cone. He ended up finishing the day with a 27.02. Not bad for a stock MR, hp mods don't count here at this course.
I watch the rest of the cars go and see who is quick, Pete drops his time, Francois drops his also. Pete ends up with a 26.35, while Francois hits a 26.46.
The time has come for me to run again. Before going out, I concentrate with myself to be smooth, go easy and remember that gate. I stuck the first run nicely, running a 27.2. Thats enough to put me ahead of Joe and Ed, the other owner of the car. Ed had a bad day and ran a 28.5. My 2nd afternoon run I got sideways too much coming out of the last hairpin heading to the stop gate and blew my run.
At this point Mike asked Pete if he thought I was going to Pete his time. Pete said I would because I had 2 more runs left. This was unknown to me. My 3rd run in the afternoon I do it again, I carry the rear end around too much and lose too much time running a 27.9. WTF!! I'm pissed I couldn't beat Mike. I KNOW I'm faster than him today. Kyle quickly runs over to me and tells me I have one more run. Because of the short course today we all get 4 afternoon runs. I guess I didn't pay attention earlier. Before I head over I have a talk with Pete. I can't seem to get my runs dialed in. He tells me to concentrate more before I take off. Collect my thoughts and already have my run planned out. So I head over to line up again. I sit and relax and think of my run and where I want the car to be. When told to go I nail the launch perfect, grab 2nd and keep my foot down. I'm really scared I'm gonn break something grabbing 2nd as hard as I do. I nail the gate I missed in the morning, I shoot out of it to head to decreasing then increasing radius left hand sweeper. I run the PERFECT line through it. A little tap of the brakes to transfer weight and tuck the nose, I turn the wheel a little more and get my car set up for the hairpin to then head towards the stop garage. I tap the brakes again, turn the wheel then feather the gas HWOOOO!!! The rear end is steppign around, I keep the wheel straight, lighten up on the gas letting the rear end rotate. The rear tires grab and I'm launched into the stop garage, I stab the brakes and stop 1ft short of the end cone. 26.87 YES!!!! I had done it, I beat Mike's time. I go and park the car, Pete, his wife Barrie, Ed, Joe, Charlie, Kyle, Charles and many other people come up and congratulate me. They all said I did some excellent driving out there and I put together the smoothest run with the best line all day. Too bad I couldn't have gone faster I tell them.
I go and work the course for the last run session. Gonzo ends up dipping to a 26.62 edging me out. I would finish 5th on the day. I was over a second slower than a highly prepped civic.
I didn't have a camera with me today, but I did grab one pic of me on the car in my first run of the day.
Results can be found here:
http://members.cox.net/capitaldrivingclub/06-11-05results.html
I moved up to 9th in points. But I'm missing the June 25th auto-x cause I have to work. So I'll fall down again.
Your friendly Evotuners.net currently without an evo, here to report on his most recent auto-x.
6am Kyle Bowker in his red 90 Miata swings by to pick me up for the auto-x. My motor is back but just not up and running yet. Today we are racing at a new lot at Freedom HS, the lot has the largest dimensions of any lot we have ever raced at. Kyle and I are the first one's to show up. The lot is big but there is one problem, there is a curb that surrounds the parking lot. By SCCA rules we must remain 60' away from the curbing to insure vehicle safety. That takes off 120' in both directions, reducing the length and width of the parking lot by 120' both ways, we now have the SMALLEST lot we have ever raced on. As the course designers start making up the course, I head over to do tech with Pete . Pete drives an s2000 with suspension work and Toyo R compounds, Pete is regaurded as our best driver in the series.
After tech was complete I had the list of people do bring over to registratoin, no tech=no race= go home. I'm looking over the list and notice we have our fastest drivers out today. Gonzo in his WRX is always very fast, Pete, Brian in his Hoosier slicked k20 swapped hatch (I don't think brian is that good of a driver, I think the car is that good), the Moran Bros (not in their own cars, but Mike is driving the TR6 that I'll be running today), Francois in his WRX, Clayton in his MR and a few others. I'm sitting 18th in points heading into this auto-x. So I need to start posting some fast times.
The course today is a very tight technical course, the mean run time is about 28seconds. Brian in his Civic sets the FTD in the morning session with a 25.77, he is the only one all day to run a sub 26 run. Pete does pretty good in the morning, running a 26.7.
Mike Moran is the first of 4 drivers to take off in the TR6 in the morning runs. On his last mornign pass, he runs a 27.05, pretty darn quick around this quick and challenging course. Joe Seward, one of the owners of the car runs after Mike, he runs a low 28.
The 4th head comes up and I bring the car over to line up, its a blistering hot day, thank god for this car being a convertible!
In the morning I go easy to learn the course, I then start to pick up my pace the on the 3rd run. My first run I do alright running a high 28. My 2nd run I screw up and almost miss a gate. My third run I completely miss the gate that I almost missed before and blow my run. My best time in the morning is my first run at a 28.9. Eghhhh I'm disgusted with myself.
I don't remeber what Clayton did in the morning, but he was humming right along. His afternoon runs were his best. He ran a 26.99 but took down a cone. He ended up finishing the day with a 27.02. Not bad for a stock MR, hp mods don't count here at this course.
I watch the rest of the cars go and see who is quick, Pete drops his time, Francois drops his also. Pete ends up with a 26.35, while Francois hits a 26.46.
The time has come for me to run again. Before going out, I concentrate with myself to be smooth, go easy and remember that gate. I stuck the first run nicely, running a 27.2. Thats enough to put me ahead of Joe and Ed, the other owner of the car. Ed had a bad day and ran a 28.5. My 2nd afternoon run I got sideways too much coming out of the last hairpin heading to the stop gate and blew my run.
At this point Mike asked Pete if he thought I was going to Pete his time. Pete said I would because I had 2 more runs left. This was unknown to me. My 3rd run in the afternoon I do it again, I carry the rear end around too much and lose too much time running a 27.9. WTF!! I'm pissed I couldn't beat Mike. I KNOW I'm faster than him today. Kyle quickly runs over to me and tells me I have one more run. Because of the short course today we all get 4 afternoon runs. I guess I didn't pay attention earlier. Before I head over I have a talk with Pete. I can't seem to get my runs dialed in. He tells me to concentrate more before I take off. Collect my thoughts and already have my run planned out. So I head over to line up again. I sit and relax and think of my run and where I want the car to be. When told to go I nail the launch perfect, grab 2nd and keep my foot down. I'm really scared I'm gonn break something grabbing 2nd as hard as I do. I nail the gate I missed in the morning, I shoot out of it to head to decreasing then increasing radius left hand sweeper. I run the PERFECT line through it. A little tap of the brakes to transfer weight and tuck the nose, I turn the wheel a little more and get my car set up for the hairpin to then head towards the stop garage. I tap the brakes again, turn the wheel then feather the gas HWOOOO!!! The rear end is steppign around, I keep the wheel straight, lighten up on the gas letting the rear end rotate. The rear tires grab and I'm launched into the stop garage, I stab the brakes and stop 1ft short of the end cone. 26.87 YES!!!! I had done it, I beat Mike's time. I go and park the car, Pete, his wife Barrie, Ed, Joe, Charlie, Kyle, Charles and many other people come up and congratulate me. They all said I did some excellent driving out there and I put together the smoothest run with the best line all day. Too bad I couldn't have gone faster I tell them.
I go and work the course for the last run session. Gonzo ends up dipping to a 26.62 edging me out. I would finish 5th on the day. I was over a second slower than a highly prepped civic.
I didn't have a camera with me today, but I did grab one pic of me on the car in my first run of the day.
Results can be found here:
http://members.cox.net/capitaldrivingclub/06-11-05results.html
I moved up to 9th in points. But I'm missing the June 25th auto-x cause I have to work. So I'll fall down again.
