THSCC Forums

right, but my other set of wheels is not OEM sized.

The thing about that statement is that if you are within 2 seconds of Mike, you'll be running right with Brian and me. Which means you'd be challenging for the win in STU - but only if you were running in STU. So rather than getting your ass beat in BS trying to run against guys with R tires, you could be winning trophies in STU (while still comparing your raw times to Mike's).

Hmmm...

Given the current crop of R's -vs- the best street tires (which haven't really changed in a couple of years), I'd put that gap at 2-2.5 seconds on a 60 second course. Maybe more depending on the course & conditions...

Jim

Step away from the crack.

BS 0.822
STU 0.820

If he is within 2 seconds of Mike and I, he will only be within 2 seconds of Brian and you. The .002 difference on a 60 second course is worth .12 seconds. - AB

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'14 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4WD
Super Westerfield Bros - '93 Integra - LeChump Du Jour
STX 93 - Scion FR-S

I have to agree with Jim on this subject. I have run both Azenis and V710s on my miata this season, so I have a baseline to go with.

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2010 Honda Fit Sport
Couple of bicycles

Ah, but you assume that Brian and I will be running the same times as Mike.

(not the case at the last event where I drove an STU STi )

But Aaron, you're obviously forgetting that we're both better than Kevin and Brian.

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

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Well thanks for stating the obvious Mike! I was trying to be coy and politically correct.

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Jim Pastorius
2008 Silverado VortecMax
1992 Camaro CMC#92
2002 BMW R1150R

2009 3rd Place CMC Mid-Atlantic Championship
2009 CMC Hyperfest Winner

FYI,

Unless and until a driver has top level driving skills it is impossible for him or her to "really" evaluate handling "upgrades" or "changes" to a car in regard to making the car faster. That fact, in my opinion, is why a new driver should start in a Stock class, or if starting in a more prepared class, use a car which has already been set up by a top level driver (or uses a PROVEN by top drivers setup).

Dick (whose rule of thumb is that when MY times are slow, the first, and frequently last, adjustment is the nut behind the wheel)

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

(Note I should have put lots of smilies on that post, just having fun here and trying to relieve stress on a particularly bad work week Of course Kevin and Brian are very talented hacks, er, drivers.)

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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

It doesn't bother me. I have 'accepted' my role within THSCC. I know the truth, and I have much respect for da' Whitney

Oh oh... yea, that Aaron guy too

- dow

Ps. Aaron -- told you STU PAX wasn't too weak. I just needed to drive faster.

Well, I have respect for Mike's abilities, but after consistently beating Aaron like a red-headed step-child for the past few years...

He is entertaining, though.

The way I look at car setup is this:

1. Drive it a couple of events & get used to it.
2. Start changing stuff to see what happens (not more than a couple of things at a time, though).
3. Adjust to the new setup in a couple of runs & then use the next couple to see how I like it.
4. Change it again before the next event.
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 until satisfied, or until I trade it for something else.

Yeah, maybe I could've been faster with the 2.5RS if I went ahead & set it up 100% for the class per Corey Ridgick's specs & then just drove it and drove it and drove it. But how much fun would that be?

Hmm... depends on what your goals are. I think someone who has won the Top Gun trophy too many times and has comments like "Man, I just pitched it in there, and drifted the whole turn" isnt someone dead-set on being uber competitve. I mean, *I* beat you, so you can't be trying that hard

Needless to say, I would like to add that changing your setup is something that WILL mess up your game unless you car was utterly horrid to start with. This is something I wanted to experiement with last season, and I did it all over the place. Every fairly major change I made resulted in a "1 step backwards, 2 forwards' sort of result. Change is not something for one who wants instant gratification. It took me about 1-2 events to 'relearn' what I had changed. I think the most evident point for me is Laurinburg to Sanford (last two events). Changing from a 'stockish' spring rate to coilovers was a major setup in readjusting the car setup (camber, bars, setting the dampening right [new thing for me], readjusting my driving timing, etc...).

I think, in all, going through those 'growing pains' is something you have to do so you can say for yourself that 'you did it -- I am never doing that again' . Just realize with any changes will come headaches... sometimes

Good luck on your decision. I would love to see you in STU as you are a great driver and personality to add to the STU pool.

- dow

in a dream last night i realized that i will be trying to do more HPDEs this year which would require street tires.. so id either have my set of Azenis for autox i could use or i would run on my daily street tires (HP all seasons) and keep the rcomps for autox..

im kinda thinking having azenis for do all track/autox tires makes sense.. so for that reason i'm now leaning toward TIRE class or STU.. hrm i really like the rules of STU so maybe i will do that. but i also like the philosophy of starting stock.. but damn rcomps are expensive.. $200 a tire x4 per year is pricey. i'm hoping w/ azenis itd be more like $150 a tie x 4 every other year.. even w/ track events.

thanks for all the input thus far, folks.

oh and would used race rcomps be a good idea? there are ppl on the bimmer forums that sell them pretty cheap.. but i wonder if theyre any good after a race stickiness wise