5/13 Autocross Report

[towerymt]

First Mike was going to co-drive my car. Then he sabotaged his Internet and didn't sign up in time.

Then Ben couldn't bled his breaks (that's "bleed his brakes") and his other car has no engine, so he flaked out.

And finally, Greg (gdogg16039283) wimped out cause he didn't have a harness installed yet or couldn't figure out the Internet or some such weak excuse.

So I was on my own. Or not. After taking an event off to fix a massive fuel leak, Ray was back with his '83 242 in FSP.

On my first run I nearly got lost. Well, that's not quite true, but I had a big hesitation while I figured out where to go next. I wasn't the only one hesitating. My accel enrichments aren't perfect, so the car falls on its face when I'm flat out, lift totally off the gas, then quickly stomp the pedal to the floor again (dancing through a slalom at 45mph in 2nd does it for sure). But this wasn't what I remember from the previous event...it was getting worse.

Second run, I was faster, but the car was acting up. When it hesitated, it REALLY hesitated, to the point of not responding for what seemed like a full second or more. A sharp right curve preceeded the finish line, and the car just about went dead on this turn. Foot to the floor, nothing...lift, flat again, nothing, then it came back but I had already slowly rolled over the finish line. Shut it off and coasted back to grid.

The battery hold down was failing to do it's job....hold down the battery. The 15lb battery is narrower than the stock battery, so it had room to move in the box. It slid over and was arccing to the steel flat bar that was supposed to keep it from moving.

http://mason.gmu.edu/~mtowery/konica/PICT1222_batt.jpg

http://mason.gmu.edu/~mtowery/konica/PICT1223_batt.jpg

http://mason.gmu.edu/~mtowery/konica/PICT1229_batt.jpg

The car stayed running til I shut it off, but the radio presets were reset. Didn't blow any fuses, didn't short anything, didn't hurt the megasquirt (which is fused). Found the problem, fixed the problem, and all was well.

Run #3, the car felt MUCH better. Barely any hesitations, and I drove agressively on the fast parts and conservatively on the tighter downhill corners. Finally got in a run on warm tires, in the dry, with megasquirt working. It felt really good, and the car has a lot of speed over what I had last year. Was 2/10ths faster than the top driver in HS, my benchmark from last season.

Run #4, push as hard as possible and hope for no cones. Gained 7/10ths. I was pleased with the performance. The tires are not what they once were, but that's OK. Ready for the abuse of a second driver...any volunteers?

http://solo.wdcr-scca.org/results/20060513.php

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_007.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_008.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_026.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_030.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_031.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_005.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_013.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_016.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_017.sized.jpg

http://teamwtf.org/gallery/albums/album265/wdcr06_2_fsp_009.sized.jpg

[mikep]

First Mike was going to co-drive my car. Then he sabotaged his Internet and didn't sign up in time.

Ready for the abuse of a second driver...any volunteers?

See you at Carlisle. Sign me up if you get there first.

[towerymt]

See you at Carlisle. Sign me up if you get there first.
So you say I should bring my Hoosiers? Hopefully we can run the car with two drivers in the same session to get heat in the toyers. Shoulda mounted up my 205 v710s...ambient is overheating for those things...

[blkaplan]

There is an autox at carisle?

[towerymt]

There is an autox at carisle?
Yes, at carsaisle there is an autox. I did it '04 on street tires (it was OK) and '05 on Titans/R (it was still only OK). Philly SCCA event.

http://mason.gmu.edu/~mtowery/126.jpg

http://mason.gmu.edu/~mtowery/125.jpg

[blkaplan]

hmmmm, maybe i should bring my helmet

[SteveMD]

I would have been at the 5/13 event to defend my recently-acquired position as very last in HS but I went to Richmond to get the '90 240.

[kahlua240]

that last 240 with the quad squares blacked out... was tits

[towerymt]

hmmmm, maybe i should bring my helmet
Carlisle is a dangerous town...bring it anyway. Are you camping out?

[blkaplan]

Carlisle is a dangerous town...bring it anyway. Are you camping out?

not sure,,, most likely not.

I will have the wagon perhaps i should throw a sleeping bag in the trunk

[koenvbr]

I hate you guys :), plenty of space/autocrosses to have fun with the car. Me and my friend are looking for about 3 months now for a place to exercise a little bit...

[RayHennessy]

On my first run I nearly got lost....

i saved the getting lost part for my second run!! ha!

overall it was a fun course. not too technical, but not a snooze-fest either. the 242 did a bit better than i expected, given the amount of work that still needs to be done on it....

so who is going to be down for 6/11 at fedex???

[towerymt]

so who is going to be down for 6/11 at fedex???
If mike figures out the internet, we'll be there in my car to beat down on FSP again. Unless he brings out the crusty old corolla.

[SteveMD]

I will be there in whichever 244 is running/handling best at that time.

[mikep]

Well, Plow needs a good whupping from time to time, but then, so do I. So it's on. The 244 will get doubly thrashed.

[towerymt]

Well, Plow needs a good whupping from time to time, but then, so do I. So it's on. The 244 will get doubly thrashed.
Unless I drive like Ben, I just don't see how you could beat me in my own car. Since I NEVER cone away my best run, that's probably what will happen now.

[blkaplan]

Unless I drive like Ben, I just don't see how you could beat me in my own car. Since I NEVER cone away my best run, that's probably what will happen now.

angry because its true, stupid cones

[mikep]

I just don't see how you could beat me in my own car.
I've heard that somewhere before.
Dave road raced, hill climbed, and autocrossed his favorite Vee for 6 years before I even sat in it, and I beat him on my first run.
Drew put many a mile on his Miata and on his WRX before I drove either one. Yep, beat him in each one the first time I sat in them.

Etc.

Not to say Drew and Dave and others never beat me, I'm just saying don't count your chickens yet.

[towerymt]

...I'm just saying don't count your chickens yet.
I'm not counting. Just wondering how you'll beat me. I know it's possible, perhaps likely. We'll just have to see what happens and then it will happen and we'll have seen it all right.

I'm not packing the r-comps this weekend. I have good street tires on the car (225/50 up front and 205/50 on the rear). The course is pretty short and small, so the Hoosiers really wouldn't be seeing their optimal temp (or close to it). And I don't really feel like hauling them out to the car, changing tires, moving the adapters from the rear to the front, and then changing them after the event. So you'll have to co-drive in June to see the full potential of the car, but this will be a nice warmup. The Martinsville-like not-so-superspeedway on the Carlisle fairgrounds is very condusive to controlled drifting for show, so I expect we'll have fun nonetheless. The rear tires are bald MX that are ready to be abused.

[SteveMD]

Mike, did you graduate from GMU? If so, congrats. (going by your new avatar)

[mikep]

No, he's looking for an older woman. Or maybe a big church. Or an Alfa?