Video from Sept 23 Autocross in Maywood, IL
 

Video from the autocross Sunday :

http://i146.photobucket.com/albums/r...uction_1-1.jpg

( Wish I could take credit for the awesome driving, but it is actually Sammy's first run ! )

Nick

Nick, do you have to rub it in any more that i missed registration and couldnt run that course? :D

But yeah, Pat sure can drive

How did the Boxster rank among other vehicles that day?

Wow, you looked good out there Sammy. Very smooth and fast...and I laughed when I heard Markski's "funky progressve beats" through the video. Lol, I have some of his stuff on my I-pod still...makes for good workout music and I can relive the good ole club days. ;)

That video is cool! :D It's hard to tell but I was all over the track on that run and really pushed hard through one of the corners.

That was my first run that I pulled a 51ish. I ended the day in the 47's. I made the mistake and let my friend drive my car and he pulled the FTD (for stock class) with a 46. ;) Boy, can my friend drive! It's ironic that I took FTD by edging out an EVO at the last event with this group. This time a S2000 and an EVO and my own buddy beat me. I thought I was driving pretty darn good. It goes to show there is always someone faster.

:cheers:

Results are in :

9/23/07

http://www.scscc.net/schedule.html

I came in 8th, Sammy in 4th, and his friend ( in Sammy's car ) in 1st. Some tough competition in A Stock ( at least I beat a S2000, an STI, and the other Boxster :D

Results from the prior autocross :

9/9/07

http://www.inr-scca.org/solo2/index.php

Closest I have ever come to Sammy ( < 2 sec ! )

Nick

Nice,
Nick notice the guy in that blue box got 49.. hes also driving that thing pretty hard, he was in stock prepared, with Ramsen in his elise and z06.

but damn, Pedro can sure drive

Would my car still be considered stock out there?

Blink,

The rules out here state that to run in AS your car has to pretty much be bone stock ( no headers, muffler, intake, chip, suspension work, etc. ) You can run R compound tires ( DOT approved ) and still stay in AS :

http://www.scca.com/documents/Solo%20Rules/2007SoloRules.pdf

( see page 62 )

Nick

Oh no.....that's a friend deal breaker. Even if he knows he's faster than you any real friend would sandbag the final gate. I doubt I would ever show my face at that course again. Its like when you fix the dishwasher in front of the repair man after he said it was toast. Don't ever loan your "friend" any money Sammy...

p.s.
Nick if you want to shave those two seconds off Sammy try this. On your next run drive as slow as you can, trust me. Only gun it when your steering is completely straight and brake a little earlier, Not 10 feet earlier but earlier then what you are used to. Study the video you posted and count the sections where you would be going flat out. It's probably only a small part. That' the whole point.
I'm 100% sure you are losing those two seconds in -1/8 second increments in the turns and slaloms. Remeber drive as slow as you can when you are turning the steering wheel and keep the RPMs steady, no jerky throttle and think of braking mid corner or within the slalom as an "in case of emergency only" action. Think "Fast Mode" then switch to "Slow Mode" back to "Fast Mode" etc. You will probably end up running overy every cone but you need to recalibrate if you are noticing a trend of at least 2 seconds.
I bet you cut it down to 1 second and Sammy will be scared and stay home.

Perfectlap,

Thanks for the advice. Sammy's "friend" went with me on my 4th run and said the same thing - "Slow in, fast out" - my 5th run felt SO slow, but I managed to shave 2 seconds off of my time ! This was my 6th autocross, and I am learning a bit every time...

Sammy's got a couple of advantages, he is running Victoracers, he has an additional 50 hp, and he is a much better driver. I am seriously considering picking up another set of wheels and race tires for next year, not much I can do about the 50 hp, and I can just keep practicing and honing my driving skills.

Nick

The problem I have with the "fast out" phrase is that it leads a newer driver to rush out of the corner before learning to properly set up the exit, track out, etc. Randy Probst who races privateer Porsches and began his carrer Autocrossing says you will never learn how to properly set up a corner exit unless you first drive as slow as you can in the turns for a certain amount of time. You have to be very naturaly gifted to avoid "target fixation" when trying to hit the apex marks.
Its like learning to juggle with a blind fold. There's too much whizzing by you. Those trophies are won and lost in the turns. Another thing that helps is to turn slightly left immediately before tackling a very slow right hander and vice versa.

As for those two seconds, 50hp difference in the same class? Ouch.
I figured you and Sammy were closer on power to weight ratios.
R-comps alone can be worth as much as two seconds, nevermind the 50 horses.
Sounds like you are catching up to Sammy quick!
Before investing in doo dads for the car in the past I would often find one of the really fast instructors and toward the end of the session I would ask them to do lap in my car and use that as a benchmark. Then I would do a lap as the passenger. Those two laps probably shed more light than any of my own.
His best and your best is a good spread on how much time you are losing due to driver errors. Once you've bridged that gap then maybe I would get the tires and wheels. Learning to shake loose of these errors often results in lock ups, drifts, and other mihaps that result in mangling your expensive competition tires.
In the begining I shreded my street tires to the point that I was oversteering like a mad man just to stay on the line. I think the very first lap on the Autocross tires (Azenis) I was within half a second of the quicker driver in my class (only one of which congratulated me!).

I believe there is......forced induction. :D

That is some great advice and I am starting to get worried! He's getting closer! ;)

Autocrossing and golf have a similarity in that on certain days and with certain courses you can exceed or fall far from your expetations. Consistency is tough to come by and is what I'm striving for. This is my second full season with this car and I'm still getting better.

As for loaning my car, my friend showed up with his shifter kart but they wouldn't let him run it. I have a tight group of friends that I've known for 12+ years and are pretty much family in my book so I let him run my car. It was an eye opening experience seeing how much faster my car could be as I had gotten to what I thought was the point of diminishing returns. By getting beat it simply reminded me that the limitation is not in the car, but in the driver. After looking at the video I realized how poor my line was and I didn't do much to improve my line throughout the day (my friend figured out the proper line during his last few runs). Who knows, if I go head to head with my friend again it may be MY course and not his and I'll reclaim my manhood. ;)