01tl4tl

The safety factor of autoX is that you run 1 car at a time, no danger of finding a spun car in front of you blocking the track!
At roadrace track days- noobs groups run single file about 15 seconds apart- so no concerns for either driver- each can focus on learning the line and handling the car.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

As the Co-Chair for the Indy Region SCCA Autocross/Solo2 Program and a Board of Directors Member for the SCCA Indy Region as well, I highly recommend autocross. Its a great way to get started and fairly harmless to the vehicle! Note...I have to run in SM or Street Mod as my car is overly modded with the supercharger to stay in touring classes...doh!

I run Kumho V-710 R compound slicks when I autocross....here is a shot of me running on them....



Here is a vid from the beginning of last year on normal street tires...(note...the dude you hear talking in the passenger seat on the vid is NOT me...but some dude that was doing a ride along with me that day...

TylerT

iTrader: (1)

I love the guy's reaction in the passenger seat.

Nice driving.

Malayalee King

iTrader: (1)

slick +1 for rsb

Bearcat94

Nice Run MB.

That's what I was talking about. Even though you had TONS of power on Stock Tires, I didn't hear a squeal once - appropriate and smooth application of the throttle so you don't constantly lose traction.

I'll post my vid when it arrives and I think everyone will quickly see the difference.

enigmaos

iTrader: (4)

mmade22

Wow Bearcat, looking good I wish I could have been there. It looked like you were killing it. Drive it like you stole it!!!!!!!

godfather2

DAMN I WISH I COULD'VE MADE IT. BearCat, i'm jealous to another degree

Bearcat94

I debated to post just a little or the whole thing. So, what the heck, post it all.



Approximate Course Layout (NOT to scale :lol: )





Opening Sequence:






Run #1 In Car 36.071 sec (note the missed gate at ~30 seconds = DNF)





Run #2 33.654 sec




Run #3 32.046 sec - Best Run




Run #4 33.412 sec Plus 1 Cone (I figure if you're going to hit a cone, might as well take it home with you )






Vids by: RocStedy Production House

Host: Continental Tire, Charlotte, NC

Organizer: Central Carolina Region SCCA

tclavell

great videos!! Thanks for sharing!

a big to the editor of the videos as well!

godfather2

bearcat, without a doubt i'm riding alongside you to the next autocross EVEN IF I HAVE TO SHOW UP IN THE MITSU. thanks for taking the time to post everything. oh, you down for a meal/cigar with chill_dog and i, tentatively this sat afternoon?

TeknoKing

Awesome videos, thank you!

WDP

Ramrodthrusterpuppy

Great vids!

Was that an old school '70s Fiesta in the 1st vid? Man, I had one of those POS in high school in the day!

WRXtranceformed

Nice vids Jim! I'd love to get out there and show some support and possibly run an auto-X at some point. What's the deal with that primered-looking 350Z in the first vid?? Ghettooo, ha ha.

mmade22

Jim I loved the video with the cone. I now know why there were cone marks under your car last time it was in the garage. We have gotta get the cai in so you can really hear the car make some noise. It looks like you had the VSA off. Am I right?

ABP_04TL

iTrader: (2)

damn accuratein ur car is freakin fire!!!! i wish i could just see it one day so i could get stunned by lookin at it!!!.... Al AutoX is right around the corner from us at the Giant Stadium

ABP_04TL

iTrader: (2)

4got 2 mention bro u got balls playin around with that WDP at an autox.... good shyt tho!

Bearcat94

Just do it V. It's $35 and they run every 4 - 6 weeks, PLUS selected Thursday evenings at Knights Stadium. AWD Subi's and Mitsu's are taylor made for this stuff. Your TSX should do well, but AWD in these tight quarters is where it's at.



No sir. *Thank You* for helping me get them converted for posting.



Yeah. :lol: Lot's of beaters there, but they're built to run. Couple of Fiesta's, old Honda's, but the one that takes the cake is the Saturn Station Wagon .



I had a good run going until I over-cooked in that "Chicago Box". Even after slamming on the brakes and losing speed, it was my 2nd fastest time.

VSA DEFINETLY off. It takes FAR too long for the car to give the throttle back to you if VSA kicks in. Besides, this way *you* get to drive the car.



meh, what could go wrong? Cones don't hurt anything and 35 seconds of high RPM isn't likely to do any damage. Now, if that's how it got driven every day ....

You and Al should go. It's a blast and as safe as such a thing can be. Much better than fooling around in the streets (even if it's just one corner).

chill_dog

Awesome vids. It looks like the course was slightly different for the second day. The cone one was great. I was about to give you some serious credit for the intro video until I saw the credits at the end of your post.

WRXtranceformed - I saw that "ghetto" Z run the day before these vids were shot...trust me, you would not want any of that car.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Its about time somebody else joined in.

<----Co-Chair of the Indy SCCA Region Autocross Program

I run in Street Mod class though....much more competitive. That class is pretty much the "anything goes"class....which my supercharger install defaults me to that class anyway. I run on Kumho V-710 Autocross Slicks....highly recommend, for experienced drivers anyway. It makes most of that spin under WOT disappear...lol! Plus...removes most of the understeer issues the car has when coming into high speed corner approaches. Last autocross I got 2nd Place in my class...which was cool! We are running at a new venue this weekend an hour outside of Indy in Terre Haute at the airport there...so should be another good wide open track setup for the TL....which works very well for me.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Just watched your vids...the first two anyway. Will watch the others after I get into the office later today. Note....watching your first run when you missed the pointer.....walk the course several times before hand. Anticipate entry into these gates before and just where you want to positition your car for entry and what the best position will be on your exit for the next obsticle. When going through the slalom sections....do not pay any attention to the cones you are currently steering around....but you should be more paying attention one or two cones ahead. After perfecting this - you will find that you can about slice right next to the cone without even paying attention....it will come naturally.

Autocross is loads of fun. I recommend everybody try it at least once! I do it about every other weekend here in Indy and help organize and run the events.



BTW...that first vid is produced very well! I like that!

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

I dont have any recent vids as since I took over helping run and organize these things for the SCCA its gotten hard to do all I used to do taping-wise, ect AND make sure the event goes smoothly at the same time....but here is last years season opener...



Notice when running through the slalom sections how close I cut the cones - I am not paying a bit of attention to them....but the ones two or three out from where I currently am. And forgive my co-pilot on that run....he gets overly talkative IMO....lol. I hate that in a ride-with. Shut up....strap yourself in...and hang on! Actually...he isnt that bad! lol

Bearcat94

Thanks for the tips MB.

We did walk the course and I had a good understanding of it "directionally", but you know how is for noobs - I got lost in a sea of cones the first run.

At the exit of the turn/entrance of the slalom, I kept picking up the wrong cones - you can see the slowness/hesitation on the 2nd run also. However, by the 3rd and 4th runs, you can see I don't do any more than tap the brakes at the slalom entrance.

BTW MB - isn't that vid the same one you posted earlier in the thread?

I had to cut the opening vid a bit to fit on PhotoBucket; the intro and outro got cut, so the original is cleaner.

The 1st vid is the slowest; 2nd vid the "loudest"; 3rd a 4th vids the fastest.


Chill - they reversed the course on day 2; ran it backwards. Slight change in some cone positions.

DJSlim

Great videos guys! Watching this stuff has me amped! I have a quick question........how do I get involved with autoX? Are there any events down in Alabama?

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

The SCCA is one of the easiest ways to get involved. They run a full autocross program with instruction for newbies to boot, at least the expert drivers in our region are instructed to wear neon armbands so the newbies can ask them for help. We instituted a full notice program in our region to welcome all new people and help them out. They also do a school twice a year...but IMO...there is no substitute for seat time!

Check the national SCCA site to see what they have going on in your region.

DJSlim

^^^ Will do!!! Thanks!

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

I will try to get some new vids this weekend if I can remember to set up the incar cam. Dunno....it prob is the same one I posted earlier in this thread. I didnt read the whole thing to see I had already responded...lol.

Good vids you posted though....you also need to pay attention more to what you car is going to do AFTER the turn...ie....entering into turns shallow may not be the best approach as opposed to entering wide and cutting shallow when exiting....when you cut a turn sharp....the opposing force will toss you wide on the exit....which may or may not be the best positioning for the next obsticle. Thats something you can figure out on course walk. Some are going to be better to enter sharp...and some you want to enter a bit wider to exit the area closer or in the direction you are looking to get at for the next cones. Basically this will help you maintain speed and have to use the brakes less....saving you valuable seconds at the finish!

stillhere153

iTrader: (1)

yea I noticed you are into the similar things I am... but dude, I don't want to like just show up and be the only tl... so if you wanna do it, let me know, I saw the pics ray posted of giants stadium

ps. never post videos on photobucket they look like crap... I post vids on VEOH.COM... they remain untouched... and you can upload 500mb moves and it will load quick

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Your SCCA Region home page...I think

http://www.alscca.org/index.shtml

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Here is one of the most recent events I got a second place in Street Mod class in...missing first place by three tenths of a second too. Held first all day long until the very last run where a purpose built mustang inched me out.




You can see in comparison how WIDE OPEN the course design is in comparison to the smaller parking lot races....AIRPORTS ROCK!

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Kinda funny....but its been a long time since anybody has actually seen a picture of me on this web site to even know what I look like.....hmmmm

Am I in this picture anywhere?

chill_dog

I'd answer your question if you hosted the pic somewhere that's not blocked at work.

MichaelBenz

iTrader: (2)

Thats alright...cause you cant really even see me in that pic....lol. I have my back to the cam....I am the guy with all the wavy hair in the pic....and too much gray at that. I have since found a pair of scissors and had it cut...lol.

chill_dog

Well, you are old .

By the way, how's life been treating you these days?

Bearcat94

Fek that. Just go. Grow some hair Al; NOBODY cares if you're "the only TL" - everybody, always, is self absorbed with their own little problems in their own little world - they won't even notice that you're the only TL.

Trust me on this. These are car people and they will be freindly & helpful. There will also be first timers there, just like you. GO!!


Thanks for the hosting tip. I'll check it out.

Bearcat94

2008 Solo Calendar
2/10 Test & Tune - BRC
3/9 Points event 1 - BRC
4/6 Points event 2 - BRC
5/4 Points event 3 - BRC
6/8 Points event 4 - BRC
7/6 Points event 5 - BRC
8/3 Points event 6 - BRC
9/6 Axis vs. Allies
non-points
M.F.S.TVR portion
9/7 Points event 7
Allies vs. Axis
BRC AL portion
10/5 Points event 8 - BRC
10/26 Points event 9 - BRC
11/23 Points event 10 - BRC



Solo Event Schedule
We normally try to follow this schedule for our events. Local conditions may alter this schedule.
7:00 Gates Open
7:30-9:00 Registration
8:00 to 9:00 Tech Inspections
9:00 Registration Closes
9:00-9:15 Devotional
9:15 Driver’s Meeting
9:45 Workers on Course
10:00 Start Timed Runs
5:00 Trophy Presentation
5:30 Clean Up

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOLO events are held at the Birmingham Race Course
1000 John Rogers Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35210


http://www.alscca.org/solo2/index.shtml



I don't see registration info, but they do have a message board:

http://www.alscca.org/forum/


GO! It's a blast.

(BTW: "Solo" = AutoCross)

WRXtranceformed

I don't think he'd want any of me in my last project car