Sep. 3 autox w/video

[Zero Bar]

What a great day!!
First off, the car started this time!! So I was happy with that after the last event the car not starting(stupid ecu). I get out to the site and man it's chilly outside, I think it's hardly 60 degrees, rare for us in September. I go through the usual routine of changing tires and getting ready for the day. Next good thing to happen is my friend Mike shows up in his GVR4!! He blew his Shep tranny up 2 events ago and we didn't think he'd be back for the rest of the year!! Thanks to spare trannies!!
The course is simple and fast with only 2 really tight corners and 1 corner that is completely off camber and I drift around easily. From the start it's a soft left over the "whump"(as we call it) and straight across to a fast right, through a gate into a very tight right hand "V" shaped corner. There's a nice straight line to build speed into the long left off-camber sweeper, then another short straight before a tight near 270 degree right turn. Immediately you jump into a 4 cone slalom that exits hard right then a late apexing left into the finish.
My first lap I drift the off camber left sweeper and it just gets my blood flowing and I get way too hot coming out of the slalom and blow the sharp right taking 5 cones with me, 4 of which under my car. 1 cone will never survive the carnage as it's melted into almost nothing on my header!! The right sweeper is again my achilles heel in the rest of my laps, as I either understeer and go wide or I drift the corner( I prefer the oversteer myself). I improve from 41.9 down to a 41.0 over the day, though I don't count my first lap as all the cones make it something like a 56.4!!
I know I was capable of at least .5 better but with my camera on the outside I was fretting over it possibly falling off and I was taking friends for rides all day and just focusing on having fun. I got 2nd place in my class.
I'm still alive and well in the points race for now, but if the 1 civic that runs nationals keeps coming I have no chance, if he doesn't come to the last 2 points events I will win the class for the year, I'm crossing my fingers!!


Watch for the slide in the left sweeper and my passenger screaming her a$$ off!!

http://media.putfile.com/79-EP-Autox-lap-3

 

[Greg Collier]

How fun was that? Great video! The car sounds really good and yes, I especially liked the shrills from your female passenger. I know those Honda's can be a pain in the ass, they're so damn light...

Good job in the hunt for 1st place!

 

[KScivic]

Very nice, I'm looking forward to running at some local SCCA events next year...

 

[Zero Bar]

How fun was that? Great video! The car sounds really good and yes, I especially liked the shrills from your female passenger. I know those Honda's can be a pain in the ass, they're so damn light...

Good job in the hunt for 1st place!

She was having too much fun!! Yeah, I'll never compete with those cars in the weight department, but I know I can manage at least the same power to weight ratio as them!!

Here's the video of my first lap where I murdered turn 4!!

http://media.putfile.com/Stupid-cones

 

[asian312]

Bonus points for taking out more than three

Looked like an awesome day for you and a lot of fun. I think I'd get lost in that sea of cones though

 

[mavisky]

Looks like a fun course. If I can get this new head on by your last event in September I'll have to make it over. I'd bring it as is since it's just smoking and runs fine, but I don't want to risk further cracking my valve guides and having a valve hang or send part of a guide through the turbo.

I've got two events here in Auburn at the Kruse auction park that should be fun and fast as its one of the largest courses we run at, a little bumpy, but big.

 

[jtmcinder]

I'm still alive and well in the points race for now, but if the 1 civic that runs nationals keeps coming I have no chance, if he doesn't come to the last 2 points events I will win the class for the year, I'm crossing my fingers!!

I know how that feels. The Janusz duo are from my state and I only won SM by showing up more often. I can't come close to Chris and I barely manage to be faster than Kristell. But a series is a series and part of such is showing up.

- Jtoby

ps. get closer to the cones

 

[Zero Bar]

Don't risk damage to your car by driving all the way down here Kyle, no need for that. Get it running good first.

Jtoby, I honestly was paying more attention to the camera mount than anything else. It's all a brand new setup and I wasn't sure how solid this mount would be despite their claims. Also with that civic running I was just trying to have fun and taking passengers with me all day. Next event isn't until october but I will get video of a serious run from inside the car.

 

[jtmcinder]

Are you on slicks, Rs, or streets? If you're on slicks, what size did you go with (since our favorite diameter is not available from Hoosier)?

- Jtoby

 

[Zero Bar]

I have Kumho V710's size 215/40/16. It's not enough tire under the car for the weight, the tires overheat quickly on a warm sunny day. I plan on going to the 245/45/16 Hoosiers unless Kumho comes out with a more useable size. I'd prefer the Kumho's because their soooo much cheaper.

My main thing is I like a super quick turn-in. The low profile tires give me that, which is why I went with these over the 225/50/16. I like the lightning quick reflexes my car has but there aren't any good choices in tire sizes like you mentioned. I emailed Kumho and Hoosier to see if something like a 235 width would ever be offered but I have yet to get a response.

 

[jtmcinder]

Oh, my. 215/40/16 is tiny. Kumho and Hoosier both make 245/45/16, but the Kumho would be a Victoracer, not a V710. If you like the small diameters and low profile, the soft version of the Yoko A032R comes in 235/40/17.

- Jtoby

 

[Zero Bar]

Oh, my. 215/40/16 is tiny. Kumho and Hoosier both make 245/45/16, but the Kumho would be a Victoracer, not a V710. If you like the small diameters and low profile, the soft version of the Yoko A032R comes in 235/40/17.

- Jtoby

I drove a friends car on the Victoracers and they were easy to drive and seemed more forgiving but nowhere near the grip the V710 has. I like yokohama, except half of their street tires like the Neova cost as much as Hoosiers!!

Odds are I will be on the Hoosier A6 245/45/16 next year. Unless Kumho can come out with a good size, then I'm all over that because their so much cheaper!!

 

[jtmcinder]

If you like the gearing advantage of smaller tires and plan to stay in Prepared, why not just go whole hog? Something like a 22 x 10 - 16 slick. I'm looking at the 23.5 x 11.5 - 16s if I go to F/Prepared.

- Jtoby

 

[Zero Bar]

E prepared has a wheel width limit of 7 inches. My BBS's are 8" wide but I'm still carrying more than my weight penalty anyway. I figure gutting the car and reducing the weight will help more and be cheaper than big wide expensive a$$ tires.

 

[KScivic]

Video has been popular on my local board...

 

[jtmcinder]

Better to weigh 75# more and have 16x10s, but there's also the issue of money.

- Jtoby

 

[Zero Bar]

Video has been popular on my local board...

Cool, 3 more events to go and I'll be filming during all of them.

JToby, Exactly!!!

Here's the video from my second lap, got a slightly better line on this one and no slide in the left sweeper...

<a href="http://media.putfile.com/Lap-2" target="_blank">Click here to watch "Lap-2"</a>