THSCC Forums

So do you have to take a test in order to qualify to participate in this event? Because I wouldn't trust most of you autox hacks to set up a car properly - especially the two... oh, nevermind.

If and when this event comes together, if I'm putting it together, the entry fee will be per driver, and it will be just enough to cover costs and wear/tear.

That is all.

I'm shooting for the end of August if possible. If someone else trusted wants to do a weekend event, fine, but I still plan to do a weekday for the reasons I outlined above.

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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

This may sound crazy -- and I'm half joking -- but how about everyone is required to submit an entrance essay. A paragraph or two to the event chairs about what they plan to set up, test, and change. Everyone who wants to come is required to post their plans for the day

That would weed out the people who are just looking for seat time, (2) force everyone to plan far in advance about what they want to do, and (3) give everyone coming ideas.

So, Kevin, what would *you* be testing? I thought you and the car are both perfect? Why mess with perfection?

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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

If I still had an STi, I would be testing what DCCD setting provides the perfect drift angle for each type of corner. But I don't (currently) have one of those.

So I do all my testing on dirt now.

...interestingly, I started this discussion since I wanted a venue to get major seat time for Jackie, my daughter, to get more experience. I'm trying to bring her performance in higher speed sections up, and she just needs practice, practice, practice. Getting a few chances to learn such once a month is difficult to instruct as the course is different each time, etc. My hope was to have the opportunity to run different course segments many many times and just help develop her skill level. I would like to get her some seat time/instruction driving the M5 too, and that will be a big transition since the 330i has a stuck hard tail whereas the M5 has that easily-right-foot-steerable-tail -- a whole new set of skills and practice needed.

At the time I was thinking of maybe a small group of 10-15 drivers who would be interested in such. Perhaps we could have two days of 10 drivers and all needs could be met -- one day pure test and tune, second day more of an Evo school type plan.

Of course she's off to GA Tech on Aug 15th, so I guess time is going to squeeze my plan off unless anyone is interested in doing something like this in the first two weeks of August.

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

Chuck, for this type experience you really need to sign her up for an Evolution school for the best results. That is exactly what their schools are set up to teach, and have been fine tuned through the years to give maximum results. I know you started this thread, but evidently you called it the wrong name and that name took on a life of it's own. THSCC typically holds a Novice school in the spring, and an Intermediate school in the fall. If there is one this fall (haven't looked at the calendar for one) perhaps she could come home for the weekend?

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

never mind.

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SPIN or WIN!
there's no glory for going slow.

Chuck F., Jackie has taken an Evo School. Tim, Jonathan, and I instructed her in a Phase 1 at Danville, she did very well and is quite talented. I think Chuck B's assessment is correct, she has good skills but just needs more seat time to help her get more comfortable, consistent, and regularly keep the car closer to the limit. Getting lots of repetition is the easiest way to learn all of those things. She's well beyond a novice school at this point. Being able to have an inexpensive day with gobs of seat time would likely be more helpful and a lot less expensive than a $250 Evo School...I think that's what Chuck B is thinking. I'm sure an Evo School is likely in their future plans again.

There is not one (1) right format that is going to make everyone happy when it comes to schools, practice days, and test & tunes. Everyone agrees that having convenient inexpensive opportunities to learn, practice, and work on car setup are exceptionally helpful and hard to come by. Hence, when opportunities like these arrive I defer my preference on what, when, and how these events are run to those who are doing the actual hard work to make it happen. I'm too busy to coordinate anything myself now so, I'm exceptionally grateful to Mike Whitney for considering this putting on the weekday format, Art McDonald for the pre-NCAC event, and Stephen Westerfield (Autox VPs and others) who coordinated the Evo Schools. These events are huge assets for club members and over the long haul make all the drivers in the club faster (i.e., the rising skill/talent pool eventually makes everyone quicker). Just my 1.5 cents.

Eric

Chuck,

She did the Evo school we had earlier this year, but what I was hoping for was a venue where I could give her dedicated instruction with many repetitions. I was willing to front the cost for renting the course and just splitting the costs up among those who want to experience something similar. Again, I was hoping for a very small group similar to the one I'm putting together to rent the skidpad at VIR at some point soon. The key to doing to this (for me) was to have a very small group such that everyone gets maximum run time.

I have looked at additional Evo schools for her, but there is nothing on their schedule that makes sense for the rest of this year. However, even an Evo school doesn't get nearly the experience time I was looking for since I want to be able to instruct her myself as I know her weak points and can setup the course to create some higher speed sections, etc.

I'm still not giving up hope. Does anyone know how much it costs to rent Danville on a weekday? I think I can get insurance for a small event (10-15 drivers) for a reasonable fee too (i.e. the insurance at a club level for the VIR skidpad is $300/day).

EDIT: Eric, you've got my idea exactly -- was writing a reply while you posted. Also, I'll be glad to take some vacation time and help Mike put this together and run it if the timeframe works out.

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

For those that don't have DCCD's, tire pressure is an easy thing to be adjusting. Yep, I'd be playing with hot pressures.

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Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.

CMP track weekend with THSCC. 08/04 & 05. green group is light on attendance.

lol, yeah, she ran VIR full this spring, but track driving and 10.1/10ths autocross are a LOT different. I thought hard about the CMP event, but I guess I'm just too old to put up with the 95F humid summer events anymore.

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Current stable:
2019 BMW M2 Competition slicktop 6MT
2011 BMW M3 sedan slicktop 6MT
2007 BMW 328i wagon (slushbox for now)
1975 CanAm 125MX2

I dunno, that outer flat section of CMP *is* a lot like autocrossing at 10.1/10ths. Turns one, two, and three are, too.

Other than the heat and the fact that it's in the middle of BFE (way worse than VIR, IMHO, on the BFE part), I really like CMP. It's a much busier course than VIR. That outer flat section isn't wide enough for passing unless you don't mind a little, err, rubbin, but it's still fun. I'd say it's a much better place to train for autocross type stuff than VIR full, though I love that course, too. Just in a different way.

But yeah, I'm still up for a weekday thing sometime.


--Donnie

I'm definately interested. With the FSAE car, I can't jump out on the highway to "feel out" the car. I'm interested in a larger skid pad and an 8-10 cone slalom. The suspension on the car definately needs to be TUNED!

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Rob Harvey
919-697-5485
1997 BMW M3
1992 Acura Integra (Simon)

You need to give is a suspension first. I definitely felt like it just rode the rubber bump stops when I had it. Perhaps there's something you can do with those shocks, but I doubt they're ever going to be very useful. I'd suggest figuring out how to rework the thing a little to accept motorcycle shocks (the ones sport bikes use on the rear). Even then you won't get but an inch of travel, but that's probably enough for most places in that car.

Then you need to put one of these Quaife diffs with integrated reverse on it:

http://quaifeusa.com/Motorcycle/cycle.h ... lecars.htm



--Donnie