GLU goes to autocross!

[WD40]

Originally Posted by GodLovesUgly

where do you guys normally PAX in your region?

Just outside the top 10 (out of 50-70 cars) most of the time.
I used to always manage to be in the top 5, but that was 2 years ago when STS (now ST) had a better mulitiplication factor.

Originally Posted by GodLovesUgly

ohhhh yeah! i'm going to be at miller motorsports park tomorrow on the west track!! svt should do pretty well there!

Sweet!!!!
Dangit, I wish I had some video ready so you could watch it and "practice" tonight before you hit the track.
I've got a bunch of video of the west/east and full track.

Hey...I may be down there for the PCA (Porsche Club of America) event on August 16th.
You have any other dates planned for MMP?
It'd be fun to hook up and draft each other around the track.

[steve35svt]

Got my first top 10 a couple weeks ago, 10th. I think I like H-stock. That was out of 76 entries.

[GodLovesUgly]

wow, good to know i'm getting advice from some pretty good drivers!!

Doug, that video would have been pretty sweet! i've got a map here of the track & i've been checking it out it looks like a blast.
this isn't an actuall scca event, it's just on open track day for ford employees.
but if i'm able to race in the PCA event in august i'll do it for sure!! two svts drafting!!
oh, and i have some questions about autocrossing the svt, if you don't mind answering them..
if not, do you prefer PMs, or in here?
same goes with you steve^^

[WD40]

Might as well keep the questions public.
I'm sure everyone could benefit from the discussion.

Originally Posted by GodLovesUgly

but if i'm able to race in the PCA event in august i'll do it for sure!! two svts drafting!!

It's not a race...it's HPDE...High Performance Drivers Education..."learn it...live it...know it"...wooooooo.

[Juantron]

I'm looking forward to benefiting!!!!
Thanks for sharing your knowledge guys!

[GodLovesUgly]

well then!
how the heck are you guys autocrossing the SVT??
like i mentioned before, i can't get the gearing down.. 1st is soooo long. then second feels slow as crap.. are you shifting a lot?

[WD40]

^^^16" wheels with 215/45/16 tires.
That 1" less diameter makes a huge difference in the bottom end performance.

I still use 2nd gear more often than not though, as 1st will spin the piss out of the inside tire coming out of a tight turn.
^^^Versus 2nd gear which pulls hard without any spin.

Course design plays a huge roll in gear selection as well.
I'm thinking our courses are a little more open than yours?

BTW, I still need to get video up from last weekend...haven't had the time.
I've got some great shots of the "shuffle steering" technique that I'm sure you'd love to check out.
Just to refresh your memory:
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...8&postcount=52

[Juantron]

Wow, that studydriving site has lots of good reading material.

I just recently completed an autocross school, and my instructor was trying to teach me the benefits of shuffle steering. And while I was able to make myself do it, I really don't see the advantage of it. To me, it is awkward and every second I am trying to remember to shuffle steer, I'm not focusing on the course. I'm normally a hand-over-hand steerer, but at pivot cones, I've been known to go under-handed. Is there any time to be made up using shuffle steering or is it purely a safety thing?

[WD40]

There's always time to be made up.
The thing I like most about shuffle steering, is my hands are always in a position to react to the situation at hand (pun intended)
IOW, with the hands at 10-2/9-3, you can either add or reduce steering input as required.
I've seen far too many people get their hands locked all the way over in one position, and they can't turn any tighter if they needed to.

As with any thing else...practice, practice, practice...it'll eventually be second nature to you before you know it.

Originally Posted by Juantron

but at pivot cones, I've been known to go under-handed.

That's a quick way to break a hand if things go south in the middle of a turn.
There's no way you can pull your hand out fast enough before the spokes hit it if something goes wrong.
You also can't turn very fast or react quick enough if you need to turn in the opposite direction mid-turn (I.E. oversteering, and need to unwind the wheel).

[GodLovesUgly]

Originally Posted by WD40

^^^16" wheels with 215/45/16 tires.
That 1" less diameter makes a huge difference in the bottom end performance.

I still use 2nd gear more often than not though, as 1st will spin the piss out of the inside tire coming out of a tight turn.
^^^Versus 2nd gear which pulls hard without any spin.

Course design plays a huge roll in gear selection as well.
I'm thinking our courses are a little more open than yours?

BTW, I still need to get video up from last weekend...haven't had the time.
I've got some great shots of the "shuffle steering" technique that I'm sure you'd love to check out.
Just to refresh your memory:
http://www.focusfanatics.com/forum/s...8&postcount=52

good to know. i'll be getting that tire and wheel set up soon enough.

our sourses are pretty open, normally 65-75 seconds.

i'm working on the shuffle steering technique daily actually, i think i'm getting better at it. it's not second nature yet, cause i still go back to my bad habbits while on the course.

how high are you letting the RPMs go in first? 7k?