THSCC Forums

Thanks to everyone involved with making the Greenville autocross happen! Great Site, Great Course (especially the sweeper leading on to a straight at the far end), Great Operation (as usual for THSCC).

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Given the space, I think the course(s) were challenging and fairly easy to follow, despite a DNF right out of the gate amidst the early morning gloomy weather. Anyhow, I think it was a great experience and the turnaround sections really taught me how to rotate my Hype R, something I've been striving for.

I really hope we can add Greenville to our list of future venues.

Lastly, thank you to whoever designed the finish section (the box). I got the opportunity to work and/or get a workout at station eight when most everyone coned before crossing the finish; myself not excluded .

Thanks to Miles, Patrice, and the others that made this event happen. I liked the course design. While I can't say that I particularly enjoyed the low grip surface, it does force you to improve car control and especially turning early. I drove poorly and couldn't seem to buy a clean run. I had reasonable speed, but couldn't stop picking up cones.

I didn't stick around for the fun runs as I was too cold. Special thanks to Simon for lending me a spare windbreaker. All-in-all another fun event.

Rick

I had *so* much fun during the Greenville event, and I wasn't even there :

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

I would like to thank everyone who did the setup, Miles for getting us the venue, and all the people who came.

It was a great event for Stacy and I, and I think we both had fun and continued learning a lot about or driving skills and the car. That, and the facty that a low grip surface + AWD == tire slippage!

The only thing I guess I would be bummed about (other than coning EVERYTHING on my 'fast runs) was that the surface was loose. It was DEFINITELY better than Rockingham, but I went there with a mission to kill my autoX tires. Unfortunately, I failed, but made them nice and smooth in the process.

Still, getting Kevin Allen to drive my car gave me a new light on driving and the different types of lines the 'real' drivers take. It was an enlightening experience, and something that taught me a lot.

I just wanted to also thank everyone for being so kind to Stacy and I this year. It has been our first full year autoXing, and we have had a better and better time at each successive event. Thanks to everyone for making us feel welcome.

One question:: The last 'fun run' of the night -- did we ever get the results posted anywhere a la the old Night Series style? I was interested to know how all that panned out.

Thanks to everyone, and I hope to start helping more next year with the club and pull more of my weight.

Thanks, and we had a great time!

- Brian

After the event, Miles confided to me that he should have made that last gate before the finish more difficult, as a lot of cars were carrying too much speed at the finish and a few slid in the direction of the building. Funny thing, on Friday, with 1/4" of water covering everything, it seemed too tight for Patrice's Miata.

If the position of the lane change had not been dictated by drain grate, we would have moved it farther down course and shortened the straight between the lane change exit and the gate before the finish.

I was lined up behind Brian on several runs and it seemed to me that he had plenty of grip at the start, at least, I don't think he had to back out of the throttle like I was forced to do most runs. Otherwise, I thought the grip was reasonable. As the day wore on some rubber was laid down on the far sweeper. My car turned in well there and I was able to roll on the throttle even before the apex cone.

I'd like to thank Ryan for driving the bus to Greenville, and Dustin for driving it back. It was fun working with Patrice, Miles and Ryan on the set-up, despite the rain.

Just FYI -- I launched at this event like I do at every event, and I was spinning all 4. That was with a realitvely LOW RPM launch.

Just FYI, but I had never experienced that before. Just ask Mr Allen. He was there with me when this happened.

- brian

What a great day! Seven runs in the regular event, four fun runs, and then I did another 10 or so fun runs in the dark with the small few that stayed to the very end!

Today, I have sore places on the inside of my fingers, and my right ankle really hurts. It's been a long time since I got sore from driving at an autocross! What an event to end the autocross season with! Wow!

Thanks to everyone that made it happen.

By the way, the night lighting is quite adequate on the course area. It's possible that the pits and grid areas would be a little on the dark side, but the course area was fine. I have a feeling we may be using that feature in the near future!

Miles

In regard to grip, or lack thereof : For me (old, cold slicks) the start grip was minimal but as I built a little heat into the tires during a run the grip, according to my GEEZ data, improved to where I could start to use some full throttle before the car was straight and could go through the sweeper at the far end with more lateral g's on the second lap than on the first. Keep in mind that for slicks, R tires, and Azensis the tire and pavement temp are important to grip. You don't even want to know what the g's are with my car on even old, cold slicks . . . think lateral g's typically in the 1.25 to over 1.5 g range and braking in the 1.0 to 1.25 g range when the tires were "sort of not cold". If anyone has the GEEZ software and dongle and wants a copy of my data, PM me. The driver did a poor job (rusty!!!) but the numbers may show why I always have a big grin after a good run.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

It was an awesome day - the site was good, the course was good, and I got 13 runs in my own car, 6 runs in other people's cars, and my car went for 20 runs between me, Christine, and other people. Including around 5 or 6 runs after dark. Whoo hoo!

And I drove Brian's STi, which means I'm probably going to be buying one soon - somebody buy my car(s)! If you like your car & you want to keep it for a while (and be happy with it), DON'T DRIVE AN STi!!! I did two runs in it, and after the second one I thought I was going to hyperventilate.

To Matthew Roush - great driving! I looked back at some previous results (to see who the Hell this "new guy" is ) & the past few events you were around 4 seconds slower than me. Who lit a fire under your ass at this event?

I have the results from fun runs (in the form of photos), and will be posting them shortly.

ok, here are the fun runs...

http://home.att.net/~kevinmallen/gville ... sults1.jpg

http://home.att.net/~kevinmallen/gville ... sults2.jpg

http://home.att.net/~kevinmallen/gville ... sults3.jpg

I think it would be excellent to run a Saturday evening points event there next summer. Sometime in August maybe, when it will be nice to run without the sun! Maybe run from 4pm until Midnight...

(Potential 2005 autocross VPs please keep this idea in mind when you're setting up the schedule!)

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Mike Whitney
whit32@gmail.com, 919-454-5445
V10, V8, V8t, I6, I6, V6, F4t, I4, I4, I4, I4, I2, 1, 1

Despite the bone chilling wind on Saturday I had a great time. The new site was nice (not to mention close...20mins from my house) and we all got a ton of runs. I had nine in my Miata, one in Matt's ITR, and one in a S/C Mini. Thanks for letting me drive guys.

I was worried initially about the multi-lap format, but I walked the course about 5 times and never got lost. I didn't see every run, but of the ones I did see only one guy got "lost" earning a DNF. Apparently Rice can't find a course when it's not defined by grass on either side. The other DNF's I witnessed were due to drivers going too fast to make a gate, not because they couldn't remember the course. So I'd say great job on the course design guys.

Also thanks to Brenda and Christine again for providing a hot lunch and warm refreshments in the AM. I hope you two continue this at every event next year.

Some highlights or just things I thought worth mentioning in no particular order:

1) Whitney can drive any car fast...I hate him.
2) If we gave a trophy for the most tire screeching, Brian Herring would have won hands down.
3) Chris Brown has the best insulation of any human I've seen. He was out there in shorts!
4) Redneck muffler...Walter in the Camaro SS...steel wool stuffed in the tailpipes. It worked great!
5) Jason turned the 2nd fastest time RAW...good job man!
6) Ryan beat me by a second in my own car. I guess he owes me though.
7) Simon's English accent impersonating Patrices French-Canadian one...that was hilarious!
Art is a master of locking up his RF tire and having it work to his advantage almost every run.

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Vincent Keene
'06 Ford Mustang GT (track rat)
'15 Dodge Charger R/T (yeah, it's got a HEMI!)
'07 Ford Fusion SE (205,000 miles and counting)
'98 Chevy Z-24 (retired)
'93 Acura Integra (Team SWB 24HOL Car)

Thanks to everyone for their hard work. I think that the event went off without a hitch!

I was a bit worried setting up on Friday that the grip would be extremely low but as the rubber was laid down, it was pretty good!! I know I picked up 2 seconds from morning to afternoon. The grip should only get better with warmer temps.

I didnt stick around for the night action but as a potential AX VP for 2005, I think a night AX there would ROCK!!! Big surprise ehh?

I dont know what the deal is with my driving, I guess I just need to rent a ride with someone instead of running a car of my own! Im getting REALLY hooked on driving RWD cars, so much so that I am a bit nervous about the CRX being as fun. I can see a 240sx/Miata in my driveway if the CRX turns out to be a dud. Definitely not a 400 hp Camaro SS that was an interesting drive to say the least.

Ohhh and I owe some cash to the bus fund, Chris Brown beat me like a rented mule in his car. Here is the conversation at the start line:

Chris: "This car has 180 hp/ 190 ftlbs of torque"
Ryan: "Ok"
Chris "It also has an OPEN diff"
Ryan: "Ok"
Starter: "Go!"

SCREEEEEEEEEECHHHHHHHHH, as I burn down 1 wheel at the start.

Ryan: "Hey, this thing does have 190 ftlbs of torque and an open diff"

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

No way in Hell. The Mini (can't remember which one) with the most annoying sound EVER coming from its tires EVERY TIME THE FRONT TIRES WEREN'T COMPLETELY STRAIGHT would've won that one. I actually thought about paying him to stop running! Somebody said it was because he was driving on the stock run-flats.