Points Event #1, NCCAR March 1!

Andrew Jonell · **Joined:** Mon Mar 23, 2009 6:43 pm **Posts:** 1350

Scott Johnson wrote:

Great event today, the weather was a little cold to start, but beautiful by the end. No precip at the event or in transit.

Here's a short video of my 3rd run. Not my best run. I'll try to put together a better video later.

http://youtu.be/nvX15qxVdj8

This is a good video.

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2014 8:59 pm

Great event! FYI in case anyone wonders, (yeah right :lol:

) A Mustang does not drive like a CM FF even though the grip may have been better with the Mustang than on COLD slicks this morning. I hope the course workers appreciated how I would practically stop rather than hit cones, especially on my first run. :oops:

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2014 9:04 pm

Andrew Jonell wrote:

Scott Johnson wrote:

Great event today, the weather was a little cold to start, but beautiful by the end. No precip at the event or in transit.

Here's a short video of my 3rd run. Not my best run. I'll try to put together a better video later.

http://youtu.be/nvX15qxVdj8

This is a good video.

Yeah, I should also add that I probably owe a course worker a beer or two, no damage done.

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Sat Mar 01, 2014 9:35 pm

So glad WRAL is so bad at forecasting the weather.

Really enjoyable event...thanks to everyon who got there early to setup and run the event so well. That was a tough course to drive correctly...very challenging final 1/3. I did hit 70-72 mph on the back straight slalom, which caused some big pucker factor going into the right-hand turn, so that was pretty cool. :lol:

Six 75+ second runs on a day like today? I will take that every time. Thanks again.

When's the next event?

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 6:44 am

FS Mustang video. 3rd run. Missed recording the slightly less slow 6th run. Lots to learn about FS.

http://youtu.be/AQM7mQQChfs

Need video from the quick Mustangs and BMWs.

BriceJohnson · **Joined:** Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:33 am **Posts:** 2230

I'm hardly in a position to coach, but I see two places where I think you gave up time. Granted I was in a mini, so this may not totally apply, but the open ended boxes at the end of the front straight, I was bumping off the rev limiter in 2nd, so considerably quicker than your speedo said. Also, the "wiggle slalom", I know myself, Matt, and quite a few of the STR guys were well into 3rd there. Not sure about Mustangs, since they are considerably wider than a Mini or an S2000 (and both of those were narrow elements).

The infield section looked pretty clean. You actually didn't overdrive it like I did on EVERY run. Oh well.

Jordan Normark · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 10:46 am

Looking at the cone stats on instant results yesterday toward the end of the day there were 18x cone calls for the day for an average of over .5 cones per run at that time. I feel obligated to apologize for this as I feel solely responsible :oops:

Scott Johnson · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:08 am

Jordan Normark wrote:

Looking at the cone stats on instant results yesterday toward the end of the day there were 18x cone calls for the day for an average of over .5 cones per run at that time. I feel obligated to apologize for this as I feel solely responsible :oops:

I contributed greatly to those stats. I didn't see any issues with the course while walking (or driving), but I think the higher speeds made the otherwise easy elements much more "thread the needle." It seemed that the first half of the course drove very clean, but if you were a little off on the 2nd half (high speed part) you could cone, or go out in a blaze of glory trying not to.

Steven Carter · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:28 am

Scott Johnson wrote:

I contributed greatly to those stats. I didn't see any issues with the course while walking (or driving), but I think the higher speeds made the otherwise easy elements much more "thread the needle." It seemed that the first half of the course drove very clean, but if you were a little off on the 2nd half (high speed part) you could cone, or go out in a blaze of glory trying not to.

This. Additionally, I noticed in the second half of the course that correct car position (setting up early for entry into the eyebrows after the slalom, or the slow slalom after the fast back straightish portion as examples) placed the front of the car facing the outside edge of the track, instead of along the expected "racing line" which was often in a turn going the opposite direction. It was very hard to fight the urge to continue on the autocross line at a high closing speed when my eyeballs (sensing the impending agricultural excursion) are telling my brain "brake...Brake...BRAKE!" even though there was plenty of room to make the entry angle correct and at the right speed. I know I still over-braked in 3-4 places that would have put the car in the low 75s. Sadly, James (Mr. "I'm too cool to wear a helmet") Short didn't prove my thesis correct on his last run. :stick:

Arthur McDonald · **Joined:** Fri Aug 29, 2003 1:54 am **Posts:** 2052

BriceJohnson wrote:

I'm hardly in a position to coach

Oh yes you are

Dick's run looked really smooth, maybe too smooth. All I can suggest is to be more aggressive, and use the ABS to let allow later braking. Not that I recommend standing the car on its front bumper

Now about Keith. He's always fast. But (I know, I know) if I'd just missed that cone at exit of the last Chicago box, and all else being equal, I would have lost to him by less than a tenth. So I have that going for me.

Fun event. Thanks guys!

DickRasmussen · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 12:59 pm

ZII drivers: Should they have been "singing" much more than mine were? I know that Rivals squeal a lot when they are near or at the limit but what about ZII's? It would be nice to have real time g meters on all four wheels. :lol:

I was purposely being careful to miss cones (hit one on run 4) since I've been autocrossing a single seat relatively narrow car since 1992 and figured if I tried getting close the workers would be even more overworked than they already were.

Any course worker comments on how far/close to cones I was would be appreciated.

I got more aggressive during the afternoon runs but got no video. Also barely improved.

FYI the run was all in second gear of the automatic including launch since I was traction limited anyway and the first turn was so close. Second gear rev limits at 6800 rpm which about 66 mph calculated and gps on the 265/35x18 ZII's. Hit the rev limiter hit near the finish on my dnf run (skipped the chicago box) :oops:

I don't know whether the manual trans Mustangs needed 3rd.

Thanks!

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 1:21 pm

Thanks to everyone who put yesterday's event together. Now I know not to put all my weather eggs in Greg Fishel's basket!

I admit I had concerns about employing serious farming techniques, so never was really brave yesterday. I didn't move the car around much and it showed in my times. But, all in all, it was a great way to get back in the car and start the 2014 season. I liked the course and think you guys did a great job of making it as safe as possible, considering how narrow the track is. I think our Rivals did pretty well, considering they have over 220 runs on them, about 6K road miles, and have been stored in the garage since last July.

Thanks again.

JamesShort · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 1:57 pm

My video of my fastest run....my last run video is on the way

:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1pLLZ_d5K8

I blame Dick for this:

http://youtu.be/ejPRHa53wkI

Cash Davidson · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 2:42 pm

JamesShort wrote:

My video of my fastest run....my last run video is on the way

:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1pLLZ_d5K8

VERY well done, James!

Karl Shultz · **Posted:** Sun Mar 02, 2014 3:42 pm

Dang, that looks like fun. I'm a bit less worried about buying a 6-speed versus 5-speed Miata now. On courses like that, I imagine I'd need 3rd gear one way or the other.

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