Autocross 4/3 in Aberdeen, MD (Ripken Stadium)
03-28-2005, 07:23 AM
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Autocross 4/3 in Aberdeen, MD (Ripken Stadium)
First summer series autoX of the year is this weekend at Ripken Stadium in Aberdeen, MD. The event is being put on by the Philly region SCCA, and I'll be there in my FSP black 98 accent trying to peel a tire off the rim and shaking down the car for its first National Tour appearance in Atlanta in 2 weeks. Anyone else coming out?
Directions:
http://phillyscca.com/directions.htm#ripke...dium_directions
PreRegister (not necessary, but a good idea)
http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEve...906051432825605
The form doesnt need to be completely filled out with classing info and stuff, just name and car and contact info really.
I'll be there with a digicam and getting some ideas for an upcoming article on this year's autoX season.
Directions:
http://phillyscca.com/directions.htm#ripke...dium_directions
PreRegister (not necessary, but a good idea)
http://www.myautoevents.com/pls/mae/frmEve...906051432825605
The form doesnt need to be completely filled out with classing info and stuff, just name and car and contact info really.
I'll be there with a digicam and getting some ideas for an upcoming article on this year's autoX season.
03-28-2005, 07:33 AM
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I was thinking of coming out. To watch not to race tho. I recently became an SCCA member but havent been to alot of these. You can count on me being there laugh.gif:
04-02-2005, 06:08 PM
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<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (UltraTibby @ Apr 2 2005, 10:29 PM)</div><div class='quotemain'>I will be there at about 9:30am. Are you racing?
<div align='right'><{POST_SNAPBACK}></div></div>
ultratibby: if you do decide to start autocrossing later on, you'll be mad you didnt start as soon as you could. practice > *
<div align='right'><{POST_SNAPBACK}></div></div>
ultratibby: if you do decide to start autocrossing later on, you'll be mad you didnt start as soon as you could. practice > *
04-04-2005, 08:50 AM
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Yep, I was racing in the black accent, #31 (my codriver was #132). Ended finally finding the course for my last 2 runs and placing third with a 42.xx run, and recieved my first trophy!
Was that your tib up on the hill overlooking the lot? Why didnt you come down and say hello?
Was that your tib up on the hill overlooking the lot? Why didnt you come down and say hello?
04-04-2005, 08:54 AM
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Yeah that was mine. I got there all sorts of late. I had planned on getting up and being there at 9:30 but I fogot to set my alarm ahead the night before 02.gif . That tan mini was tearing up the course. I have also never seem so many STI's even tho they didnt seem to be running all that great.
04-04-2005, 09:00 AM
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Yeah the Mini's are a big reason I didnt stay in HS, well that and the mods the car had when I bought it.
Event recap, at least for my class, for those who werent there:
the first event of the Philly region SCCA Solo2 Summer Series, held at Ripken Stadium. Speaking of summer, it was 35-40 degrees and windy as crap, so it felt more like February than April. Great day to be outside. smile.gif The course itself was a lot of fun and basically consisted of a lot of longish sweepers and 3 short slaloms, which kept speeds pretty high and course times in the 35-50 second range. The cold, rainy weather and damp sections made things interesting for the RWD cars...
In race trim:
mmm... hoosiers
The new 2.25" cat-back (big thanks to HP Racing in Glen Burnie for being able to get r' dun on saturday afternoon w/o an appointment) and more sticky indiana rubber
On course:
On to the event itself...
I was running in FSP (as I will be the rest of the season) against 3 other cars, a 78 VW Scirocco, a 90 Volkswagen Golf, and a 74 MB Midget. Chad (YodaGTS from ClubSI) came out and co-drove my car, so there were 5 drivers in the class). The Scirocco was pretty much built to the limit of the rules, was running semi-fresh Kuhmo V700's (215/50/13 I believe, on much wider rims than me), probably 200-300 pounds lighter than my car, and the driver has about 15years of experience on me. Needless to say, he won the class handily. Second went to the other VW, and I ended up third thanks to a (finally) clean 5th run as I finally started to learn the hoosiers and the course. So lucky me, I got to take home a trophy (which I'm drinking from right now, its a pint glass with the event name and series sponsors printed on it). Chad took 4th and the midget followed up in 5th.
The Scirocco
Chad in line:
First two runs were thrown away, and spun off course on #3 thanks to the rear sway bar and the hoosiers conspiring against me. Between my third and 5th (final) runs, I ended up shaving 7 seconds of my time. Ended up with tire pressures at 35psi front and 30psi rear, which left me with a fairly neutral car for a camber challenge fwd shitbox. Having a co-driver definitely helped with the RS303's too, as we were able to run enough to keep heat in the tires, and they were noticeably better in the later runs. The only problems I really had was getting lost at the end of the course at first, and my new found oil-burning problem. Turns out that Hyundai didnt put enough baffling in the PCV part of the valve cover, and under WOT and heavy cornering it would dump oil into the intake causing a nice smoke screen behind the car lol spyhunter. First time it happened (on the second run) I about had a baby when I glanced in my rear view and saw a cloud of blueish gray behind me, esp when the oil started to cause the motor to misfire a bit.
I'll have pics of some of the other cars later, along with the official results when they're released.
Event recap, at least for my class, for those who werent there:
the first event of the Philly region SCCA Solo2 Summer Series, held at Ripken Stadium. Speaking of summer, it was 35-40 degrees and windy as crap, so it felt more like February than April. Great day to be outside. smile.gif The course itself was a lot of fun and basically consisted of a lot of longish sweepers and 3 short slaloms, which kept speeds pretty high and course times in the 35-50 second range. The cold, rainy weather and damp sections made things interesting for the RWD cars...
In race trim:
mmm... hoosiers
The new 2.25" cat-back (big thanks to HP Racing in Glen Burnie for being able to get r' dun on saturday afternoon w/o an appointment) and more sticky indiana rubber
On course:
On to the event itself...
I was running in FSP (as I will be the rest of the season) against 3 other cars, a 78 VW Scirocco, a 90 Volkswagen Golf, and a 74 MB Midget. Chad (YodaGTS from ClubSI) came out and co-drove my car, so there were 5 drivers in the class). The Scirocco was pretty much built to the limit of the rules, was running semi-fresh Kuhmo V700's (215/50/13 I believe, on much wider rims than me), probably 200-300 pounds lighter than my car, and the driver has about 15years of experience on me. Needless to say, he won the class handily. Second went to the other VW, and I ended up third thanks to a (finally) clean 5th run as I finally started to learn the hoosiers and the course. So lucky me, I got to take home a trophy (which I'm drinking from right now, its a pint glass with the event name and series sponsors printed on it). Chad took 4th and the midget followed up in 5th.
The Scirocco
Chad in line:
First two runs were thrown away, and spun off course on #3 thanks to the rear sway bar and the hoosiers conspiring against me. Between my third and 5th (final) runs, I ended up shaving 7 seconds of my time. Ended up with tire pressures at 35psi front and 30psi rear, which left me with a fairly neutral car for a camber challenge fwd shitbox. Having a co-driver definitely helped with the RS303's too, as we were able to run enough to keep heat in the tires, and they were noticeably better in the later runs. The only problems I really had was getting lost at the end of the course at first, and my new found oil-burning problem. Turns out that Hyundai didnt put enough baffling in the PCV part of the valve cover, and under WOT and heavy cornering it would dump oil into the intake causing a nice smoke screen behind the car lol spyhunter. First time it happened (on the second run) I about had a baby when I glanced in my rear view and saw a cloud of blueish gray behind me, esp when the oil started to cause the motor to misfire a bit.
I'll have pics of some of the other cars later, along with the official results when they're released.
04-04-2005, 03:57 PM
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If you get lost on a course, it is because you didn't walk the course enough. in solo2, it is crucial that you know where to go without having to look at the pylons. Walking the course 3-4 times makes a HUGE difference.
04-04-2005, 06:43 PM
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<_< Thanks for the advice(?) but I'm well aware of where and why I was getting lost.
Before the last slalom there was a right handed sweeper that starts as a 90* and slowly opens up into the right handed slalom entrance. When walking the course I determined to take the 90* late to get a better run (and higher speed) into the slalom. Turns out I was taking it a bit too late at first (and my marker cone was obscured by both the helmet and the A pillar), but fixed it in the end after I started looking MUCH further ahead on the course.
Not trying to diminish the importance of the course walk, but there are things you see (or rather dont see) at speed that you cant see when walking.
*EDIT* - Larry, did you ever autoX or HPDE the accent when it had the alpha? Just curious if you're had the same smoking problem mine did... Also does the beta do it? My old 1.6L AlphaIII never did it, but it had plenty of baffling around the PCV and I've never been able to race (or watch race) a betaI.
Before the last slalom there was a right handed sweeper that starts as a 90* and slowly opens up into the right handed slalom entrance. When walking the course I determined to take the 90* late to get a better run (and higher speed) into the slalom. Turns out I was taking it a bit too late at first (and my marker cone was obscured by both the helmet and the A pillar), but fixed it in the end after I started looking MUCH further ahead on the course.
Not trying to diminish the importance of the course walk, but there are things you see (or rather dont see) at speed that you cant see when walking.
*EDIT* - Larry, did you ever autoX or HPDE the accent when it had the alpha? Just curious if you're had the same smoking problem mine did... Also does the beta do it? My old 1.6L AlphaIII never did it, but it had plenty of baffling around the PCV and I've never been able to race (or watch race) a betaI.