ATTS Autocross Event & my peeing dog

[bluedwardle]

Hey everyone,

Today was ATTS' first of 4 events this year (autocross, time attack, Touge and drag) which tests the drivers in all 4 areas on the same car, same tire, seeing which car/driver has the best setup for all.

I didn't place or anything, but I had a ton of fun. I was in the B group due to R comp tires, which includes anyone under 12lb/hp on street tires, or anyone over with R Comps

Here are the pictures of my dog





The cornering dog:





I'm researching right now on whether this is a good thing or not... any experts out there? I was posting decent times, especially for my first track day. I'm sure I'll figure out the corners a little better as I go (slow down a hair more before entry), it's all about learning.

Thanks for any comments. Tires are 225/45/17, old Hankook RSS R Comps

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[steve35svt]

Nice car! Having fun is what its all about. And my peeeing dog avatar will be below yours LOL!

[WUGcatsvt]

lifting the tire shouldnt hurt you.. Sure Looks cool.. Wish mine could do it. LOL.. You must be on stock suspension?

also not forget to hug the cones. Ive learned to slow down so I dont swing wide. Ive posted my best times when i take it slower.

[scrammer]

wow, lifting your rear only means you have too much sway and not enough sway bar. im sure you are getting tons of speed scrubbed off when you do that. i also think that upgrading your sways will put you in a different class.

looks cool nonetheless.

[jayel579]

Originally Posted by bluedwardle

Thanks for any comments. Tires are 225/45/17, old Hankook RSS R Comps

I was going to get the same size tires for my car, do you have any rubbing issues with the 225-45/17 size?

Originally Posted by scrammer

wow, lifting your rear only means you have too much sway and not enough sway bar. im sure you are getting tons of speed scrubbed off when you do that. i also think that upgrading your sways will put you in a different class.

looks cool nonetheless.

Depending on what class he is in, switching sway bars won't effect. No class says you can't change out any sway bars by the SCCA rule book. Stock class is the only class that you cannot touch the rear sway bar, front bar is free in every class. The slotted rotors put the car into some prepared class.

He is three-wheeling more because of the R-comps not all of the reason is from the sway bars. Very easy to do with a front drive hatchback car on stock suspension. In fact, in the Philly Region SCCA someone rolled there focus during an autocross event at Citizen Bank Park.

[bluedwardle]

I haven't had any rubbing issues, but I'm positive that if I was running something with less offset I would rub (using stock SVT wheels with +49 offset). My daily wheels are 42 offset and I can guaranty that with wider wheels it'd rub.

I found out why my front end is swaying so much more than the rear.... the sway bar end link bushings are completely apart. I'm replacing those as well as ball joints today and hopefully heading to another event this Saturday so I'll let you knwo if the wheel comes down any.

The Autocross event in the pictures was more of a small road course with pilons, most of the time I was doing 50+. It was very wide open and some of the turns were a lot faster going slightly wide. However you're right WUGcatsvt I was going a little wide due to speed :(

I'm hoping the front sway issue will a stop the front outside corner from dipping quite so much, but we'll see.

[bluedwardle]

Wow, finished the sway bar end links and ball joints, drives like a whole new car! The end links weren't even attached anymoe and the ball joints were floppier than a guy looking a Oprah

[illinipo]

couple of things -

we also had a focus roll a few years ago, but it was more driver error... ran into the grass sideways after going in too hot.

you're learning on r-comps!? not usually recommended. You will pick up a lot of bad habits (like going too fast...). Everyone always recommends learning on street tires and moving up later on.

why do people always point the finger at bars??? stiffer springs are much more effective at reducing roll. bars should be used to fine-tune under/oversteer characteristics...

[apex214]

Originally Posted by WUGcatsvt

lifting the tire shouldnt hurt you.. Sure Looks cool.. Wish mine could do it. LOL.. You must be on stock suspension?

also not forget to hug the cones. Ive learned to slow down so I dont swing wide. Ive posted my best times when i take it slower.

Slow in, fast out!

Take a less aggressive corner entry, don't waste your limited time and control on trying to dive banzai style into the braking zone for a corner, use your brakes efficiently rather than standing on them and upsetting the car at the entry, stay clean on entry, keep the line you think is best and motor out, using all the course width available, gaining time by being on the throttle longer. It's a bit of an oversimplification, but smoother IS faster, much of the time. It's possible that less doglegging will bring quicker times...

Any comments from the more successful AutoXers?

[bluedwardle]

Thanks Apex and illinipo.

I would have preferred to learn on some decent summer tires (and to put me in a lower class too) but these R comps were only $80. I didn't have any issues with losing control at all on this course, I definitely know the limits of the car. I took it easy for the first 3 laps, then started giving it more for the rest until I was comfortable and running consistent times. Now I just need to follow Apex' suggestion of slightly slower turn-in speeds. I'm always just a hair too hot in the beginning of the turn which of course makes it a slow exit.

Since it's my 2nd ever track day, first autocross I was happy. Ended up in 12th out of 25 in my group (mainly WRX's and S/C Miata's somehow, the classes are screwed up in the series) so I'm happy and hoping to do a little better at a short Solo I course at the end of the month.

Looking at going to an autocross again on the 17th, i'll post more pictures in this thread :)