THSCC Forums

I think a big part of the "no grip" comments are because the first event or two were in cold and/or early wet conditions. Neither provide grip on smooth sealed asphalt. I took a quick look at my GEEZ data last night. From (shakey) memory I had transient cornering grip of 1.78 g with about 1.4 sustained (0.5 seconds on GEEZ) and 1.32 peak braking g's at the far end (1.11 sustained). Only about 1.1 g's around the pivot cone since it is really hard to get front tire grip at full lock due to steering angle and also being VERY careful not to let the car understeer off the ideal tight initial line.

In regard to "slow inputs" to the steering . . . unfortunately slow inputs in my car make for "slower than the car can do" times. Slow is relative.

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Great course. Great event. Hats off to Walter and Michael. And everyone else. Especially whoever had the "Take My Breath Away" ringtone. I don't think I've ever laughed so hard before an auto-x run.

By the afternoon, I knew the I had a 41.x out there somewhere.
Finaly got it with my last run.

X is going to be a lot of fun this year.

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Not spectacular just decent.
I'm not sure what I'm driving.
Maybe an ITR in DS.
Or half-assed STX prepped 330.

I just still cant even say how much fun I had on this course it was.

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[color=#FFFFFF][/color]http://www.usedmiatapartsonline.com for all your used miata parts needs
http://www.wagnersauto.com for your salvage needs
2000 miata se Estreet,going to rally
2004 mazdaspeed miata bsp #77
shifter kart also(someone buy this $1500)

Yeah, I concur with the "great event" sentiment. The course was amazing. My only complaint was in how slow things had to run because of the bigger overlap, but that was just not being used to having to wait that long between cars at events...when you figure in the fact that you just have to shorten the course to shorten the overlap, I'm fine with it. Getting five runs per car with that many cars and still getting a 40 second course on a lot that size with some decent speed is AWESOME.

It actually ended up being a *hair* too grippy or a hair too fast for my car. There just wasn't but one good place to use third and go back to second, but I ended up the day on limiter just about all over the course. So it probably wasn't an STi friendly course, but I still loved the heck out of the design. I can't imagine any Nationals course designer doing a better job visually...I never felt like there was any chance of getting lost or missing anything. I also felt like the flow was very good. I think the only change I would have liked, and this is only something that hit me after running it, would have been to have done that "overlap" section the other direction somehow instead of the same direction. The main reason isn't for variety (though that's a decent reason in itself), the main reason was I was cooking my right front tire. On a really hot day with two drivers that would have been an issue (especially since we tend to do the three run thing later rather than earlier, which means six runs together).

Oh, and the "not getting lost" thing certainly wasn't because there were too many cones, either. The amount of cones was "just right." As usual, the staff did a great job, too. Clockwork. I did post audit and there were less than a handful of corrections to be made. Unfortunately Adam didn't hit a cone on his fastest run or I would have been able to talk him into letting me "lose" my cone in audit.

It was two solid hours from my house to the site with zero traffic and me running about 77MPH in the 70 zone and 63MPH in the 65 zones. To me that's quite a bit for a "local" event, but I won't even think about it for this site and our club. As Aaron said, the food part is GOLD. The grip level was really good, I thought (better than HPT). THSCC's events run great. There's always good competition, too. What more can you ask for?


--Donnie

I know Donnie's not complaining about the distance, but I think it's great that us eastern folks get a break once in a while. Walter, Ryan and Cline are about 10 mins away and Sonya and I around 20 mins.

The course and weather were excellent and the event ran smooth as silk as 99.9% of all THSCC events do. This very well may be my one and only AX event this year and I couldn't have asked for better. Hats off to the old man Walter and Mike for a great course on a small lot. Also I'd like to thank Mike again for letting me have some fun his V-tak yo!

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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)

Funny you mention that. We actually had the same course everyone saw but, going back the opposite way after the pivot to give a left and right sweeper. Unfortunately that made the overlap really long, and the only solution short of starting over was what we ended up with.

I would like to thank everyone that made things happen this weekend. Walter designed a great course and I enjoyed chairing with him. The old man knows how to do it right. Also, Les who let us do what we wanted and help us keep it fast but safe.

Lets not also forget Dustin and Gary who had a tremendous time getting the bus to the event. We are all glad you guys made it safely after the trailer tire incident.

I had a great weekend, and it is a testament to what a fine oiled machine the THSCC is.

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2001 Honda S2000 - SOLD
2012 Boss 302
2003 BMW 330i

Was your skirt chafing your legs on the ride home? Two hours and you're complaining? If I drove straight through to Charlotte it was going to take 3.5 hours plus driving 82mph in 65 zones and 85 mph in 70 zones (thank you Valentine One). I know Rick Butters and few others saw me on 264 and thought I must be insane.

My trip took about 5 hours, because I had to drop off the rig at Bryan's, unloaded it, take off his race tires and re-mount his street tires. Although he lives next to Greensboro, it's still adds an extra half hour onto the trip to anywhere East.

Even with that level of a trip, I'll be back. - AB

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

I wasn't complaining. Just pointing out it was a lot for a "local" event. It's not my fault *you* are insane.

And to Vincent's point, yeah, it is great for the down east crowd. Again, not complaining at all...I just happen to be on the western side. I can sleep in my own bed for Danville and Sanford.


--Donnie

Donnie's comment about cooking his right front tire is interesting:

The right front on my car was also looking a little overworked even though I didn't think I spent much time in making left turns and some of those where in "oversteer mode". Maybe it was during trail braking into the far end sweeper followed by the full throttle left turn. Then there was the left turn into the pivot followed by trail braking. Then more trail braking (combined with oversteer) into the sweeper again. Followed by full throttle for the left. Hmm. Maybe I just answered my question.

Did I say somewhere that I loved the course?

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Dick Rasmussen

FS 50 2018 Mustang GT

Well, going into this I was pretty apprehensive as this was my first time being a GM and "in charge". But this weekend just proved to me how great the THSCC really is, I didn't have to work very hard at all, most everything just "happened" and I really wasn't given an opportunity to screw things up.

I'd like to take credit for yesterday's "autocross nirvana" but I feel like it happened more in spite of me than because of. Walter put a lot of thought into his course design, and it really showed. It really truly was the best use of that space that I've seen and we've had some very good ones in the past. Dustin and I "evolved" it but in retrospect, alot of the changes we made were really making it just more true to his original design. It was unfortunate that we had to change the overlap part, but seeing 40+ second launch interval just couldn't work logisitically unfortunatley as it would have been an even better course. Luckily Mike was able to come up with the idea that required nearly zero change to the course layout and take 10 seconds off the launch interval time.

Someone already mentioned this, but we really owe it to Gary Hill for driving the bus through the tire trailer blowout. I should have mentioned this at the driver meeting yesterday and showed the tire, but it slipped my mind. All those who saw the blown out tire, were pretty shocked. That must have been a pretty hair raising experience for Gary, I'm very glad he was able to get the rig stopped in a safe manner. Hopefully we'll be able to talk him into driving it again.

As for my driving yesterday, well that was a different story, but I can only blame that on myself. Suffice to say, I will not be forgetting my tire sprayer next time though. (yes I'm making excuses) The "bananna boat" is just currently more car than I am a driver. Hopefully I'll be able to catch up to it at some point. It is certainly a hoot.

Going into this event, I had minimal hopes, Greenville is not usually one of my favorite sites, but this course was a blast. Walter and Michael did an excellent job of using the site to its full potential, keeping cone carnage at a minimum, and giving drivers the chance to drive the course with differing lines. Even the grip wasn't bad and yet not hard on tyres (evidenced by my still round rubber)

Thanks guys - Great work

Rob

Whew, what a weekend!!!

For those that want to know, that was a damn fine course on Sunday. The best use of that lot EVAR!!!! Much kudos to Walter, Mike, Dustin and Les.

For the remainder of the year event chairs repeat after me. A course does not have to be difficult to drive, just difficult to drive fast.

I stunk it up yesterday. I just think I hit the wall around lunch. I was just not mentally sharp as I needed to be in the afternoon. Moving takes the life right out of ya!!!!

I heard several folks question why we dont run Greenville twice. I think we just may have to do that in 08.

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

It was also nice to run in Greenville when it wasn't "hotter than two rats effing in a wool sock with the end tied-up".

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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)

THSCC is a great club and a lot of people work hard behind the scenes to make events run like they do. All I did was come up with a general design for a course.

I am very appreciative of a co-chair like Mike, a general manager like Les and a VP like Dustin. I had 4 goals in mind: not a sea of cones, the line is not dictated by numerous tight sections, safe, and flowing/fast/open.

Dustin and Les fine tuned the course and kept the goals intact. Their changes actually opened the course up some. Mike's idea saved the whole concept. Like he said, originally it had the left hand sweeper and then a return to it making it a right hand sweeper. BUT, that gave us an unacceptable 47 second overlap. While a better course, it wouldn't work. Given the site, a 33 second overlap is OK. I'll take 110 drivers, 5 runs and done by 4:00.

The only negative was everybody didn't get Mike's very funny dash plaque. I'm sure all of you want a dash plaque of a Camaro hitting cones!

Gwen has an idea for G'ville next year and I'll co-chair.

Thanks to the others who drove the bus and did the grunt work of setting up the course. We did it in just over 3 hours!

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Rubbin' is Racin'

amen to that!!!! i was thinking that when i was working first shift and not about to die!

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[color=#FFFFFF][/color]http://www.usedmiatapartsonline.com for all your used miata parts needs
http://www.wagnersauto.com for your salvage needs
2000 miata se Estreet,going to rally
2004 mazdaspeed miata bsp #77
shifter kart also(someone buy this $1500)