Danville "Chicks Rule" Autocross

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 12:57 pm

Keith Quistorff wrote:

Did the gate immediately after the Chicago box terrorize anyone besides me all day yesterday? No matter how hard I tried to locate that gate before exiting the box, my eyes consistently locked onto the gate following the one I was looking for, causing me to completely botch the rest of each run. Had me feeling like such a noob.

No it didn't terrorize me (this is not the same as actually driving it well) I just couldn't come to grips (pun intended) with street tires and my crappy driving. What did terrorize me was the offset right before the turnaround that I couldn't get right (neither speed nor angle) which just hosed me in the turnaround. :banghead:

I also wimped out in the lane change and should have been able to breath, then keep my foot in it.

Judi Westerfield · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:09 pm

I was frustrated with my driving as well. :banghead:

It was great to watch plenty of other drivers do really well though. And the close competition in so many classes was awesome!

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:18 pm

Judi Westerfield wrote:

I was frustrated with my driving as well. :banghead:

It was great to watch plenty of other drivers do really well though. And the close competition in so many classes was awesome!

You sure had us after the morning runs. You are a driving force for me and Martyn. I see that when you're having a good day, I'm in trouble.

Keith Vail · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:37 pm

JamesShort wrote:

Keith Vail wrote:

I had a ton of fun today and wish that I could have stayed off the cones but huge thanks to all who put the event together and designed the course.

Here is my fastest scratch time of 40.5 seconds. I clipped 2 cones in there somewhere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slHd2F2QZg0

Did you downshift into 1st just before entering the c-box?

No I was downshifting from 3rd back to 2nd for the box.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 1:57 pm

Keith Vail wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

Keith Vail wrote:

I had a ton of fun today and wish that I could have stayed off the cones but huge thanks to all who put the event together and designed the course.

Here is my fastest scratch time of 40.5 seconds. I clipped 2 cones in there somewhere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slHd2F2QZg0

Did you downshift into 1st just before entering the c-box?

No I was downshifting from 3rd back to 2nd for the box.

Oh got it...I heard this really loud buzz sound and I was wondering if that was 'whizzing' 1st gear synchros, but I didn't hear you shift at the end so I thought there was no way you were in 1st.....I needed to be in 1st though

.

Maria Winslow · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:05 pm

RobLupella wrote:

... I especially liked the lane change into the "Thread the Needle"

I LOVED this element, and I'm ready to sign up to chair an event so I can see it again soon. A great test of nerve (a bit easier with the turbo broken, but I'm working on it).

And I think Jennifer is getting used to her tires

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:08 pm

Maria Winslow wrote:

RobLupella wrote:

... I especially liked the lane change into the "Thread the Needle"

I LOVED this element, and I'm ready to sign up to chair an event so I can see it again soon. A great test of nerve (a bit easier with the turbo broken, but I'm working on it).

And I think Jennifer is getting used to her tires

So your turbo was 'broken' in the morning.......how did it fix itself? Wastegate arm seized or tight or something leaving it permanently open? CEL that you were able to clear with a scanner?

Maria Winslow · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 3:15 pm

JamesShort wrote:

So your turbo was 'broken' in the morning.......how did it fix itself? Wastegate arm seized or tight or something leaving it permanently open? CEL that you were able to clear with a scanner?

The hose to the intercooler came off. In retrospect, I think it's been working its way loose for a while, but I suddenly had no turbo at all on my second run. I put it back on, and got some better times in the afternoon

MartynWheeler · **Joined:** Mon Jan 02, 2006 9:30 pm **Posts:** 303

I did the opposite of Brice -- I tried to take the lane change flat on the first run. At least I got that out of the way quickly, although I'm surprised I only took out one cone. I was sure I had at least 3 on that run. Had I known last year's tyres were so rock-hard that they looked exactly the same after 5 runs as before the first, I might not have tried it... I kept expecting them to warm up and start to grip on the next run, but they never did.

Gwen -- after her first run where I was sure she'd converted that Mini to RWD from the way she spun in the first sweeper -- did a great job, buckling down and pulling out two blistering runs at the end of the day.

HS is going to be a lot of fun this year. Judi is a lot better driver than she gives herself credit for, and with her in the class I'm sure we'll have three different winners at some point in the season. I do think it's great fun that all three of us are in quite different cars, adds another element to the competition.

In HS on Sunday, Chicks Ruled.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 4:51 pm

Maria Winslow wrote:

JamesShort wrote:

So your turbo was 'broken' in the morning.......how did it fix itself? Wastegate arm seized or tight or something leaving it permanently open? CEL that you were able to clear with a scanner?

The hose to the intercooler came off. In retrospect, I think it's been working its way loose for a while, but I suddenly had no turbo at all on my second run. I put it back on, and got some better times in the afternoon

I sure am glad you squeezed off the 3rd place in DS form and not "HS" form then

.

JohnByers · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 6:24 pm

For me the entire day it was the sweeper at the end, the breaking up of run groups actually helped me watch the third run group figure out what I needed to do. I was on the gas too long rather than driving smooth and letting the car go through the sweeper easily without pushing. This season my brother and I are battling in DSP and thus far I won Laurinburg and he did yesterday, should make for a great season! :lol:

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 7:49 pm

great course, beautiful weather! Thanks for all the hard work to those in charge! My friend Claire was totally converted by the Chick School and has already registered for her Atlanta region club...

After self-destructing by overdriving the first round (throttle off oversteer into a spin--wheee!) I once again "almost" got in the money. I drove the C box as I always did except I shouted out loud "no gas!" on the exit in order not to understeer and miss the left gate... I had boost coming out of it, James, so I'm not sure what speed you carried through there. Maybe you need that boost gauge after all!

Totally like the "thread the needle" and am trying to figure out how to work it into the Greenville site...

BTW, less than one second separated the top 7 spots in TIR class...PAX rules! (ducks to avoid flying objects--dons firesuit) :lol:

JamesShort · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 8:29 pm

With two different people doing a ride along, my and their consensus was that I broke too deep into the c box, and then I was on throttle for a split second before needing to lift for the hard left. I think a better and more 'drive with long gearing and turbo in mind' approach would have been to broke earlier to a speed such that I could have been at part throttle through the c box and hope for a bit of throttle lift rotation to make the hard left.

And as we discussed, my cold tire pressure differential from the old tires is not applicable on the new tires given the front tires are getting warmer since they are holding more lateral g's (even though I didn't think they are)....need more bias towards the rear so she'll rotate again.

RodneyWright · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:11 pm

and now for something completely different.....

This shot has the camera attached to inside of the passenger side window. I was always curious about my hand work. You never really have a chance to see it while you're on course. I thought it was interesting to watch the shuffling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJRDay-h1gs

any comments? Not sure what I should change if anything.

Carlton Whitehead · **Posted:** Mon Apr 12, 2010 10:34 pm

This was a really awesome and well-run event! Thanks to everyone involved for making it happen!

I especially enjoyed the masochistic lane change transition into the thread the needle followed by the C box with the totally unconventional exit. That was an extremely tricky group of elements to string together. Since the element after the C box was almost a straight shot as the crow flies from the entry line into the C box, it blended in visually with the back wall of the C box. "Look ahead" couldn't even begin to cover it. You just had to memorize the layout. I think that's why so many people were getting lost there.

Anyway, here's a video of my fastest run yesterday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XEcLYOlDtI

Rodney, I'm going to send your hand-shuffling video to my dad. He could never manage to keep both hands on the wheel during the novice school. One was always drifting down to the shifter. I don't think I have any suggestions though. Not that you want to hear any from me anyway... helloooo conflict of interest

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