THSCC Forums

As I mentioned in another thread, I found an old copy of the Heel & Toe recently in my decades long collection of car magazines, catalogs, etc. Here are the results from an autocross at the old Rocky Mount Airport from March 20, 1983. FWIW, I remember driving home from that event and listening to NC State beat Virgina in the NCAA basketball tourney to get a spot in the Final Four. I was in grad school (mechanical engineering) at NC State at the time. I was fortunate to get the street prepared fastest time that day on a very fast and fun course, and some things never change I guess (i.e. BMW -- it was a 1972 Bavaria back then).

Comparing past events from back then to today is amazing. Today's events are EXTREMELY well run and organized. My hat is off to all who dedicate their time and effort to making today's THSCC autocross events some of the best I've ever been to. The THSCC simply does a professional job at running auto-x events today. Perhaps the best part about it is that most all who are involved are humble, , not to mention funny as h**l. Good job guys. BTW, the same goes for the THSCC HPDE events at VIR -- I've been doing BMWCCA track events since 1981, and when I attended the THSCC HPDE events in the past couple of years I was blown away at how well they are run (very similar to the CCA events which are usually excellent).

Chuck

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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

And you beat the Kurt Bishop too. But does your Bavarian still show up to events like the Manta does? (Is it even the same Manta?)

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Wes,

That is a sad story. Here's a pic of the Bavaria circa ~1989: http://www.tradebotics.com/Bavaria/Left-Front-small.jpg. I sold the car in 1994, and it was in 9/10ths perfect original condition (well, heavily modified), original paint, etc. I should never have sold the car, and I wish I could have a do-over on that deal. Here's a pic circa 1986 at an auto-x in the DC area with the CCA chapter up there: http://www.tradebotics.com/Bavaria/Autocross-small.jpg, and entering turn 3 at Summit Point: http://www.tradebotics.com/Bavaria/Bavaria-Summit-Point-1.jpg.

Last December I got a call from the guy who had just bought my old car from the person I sold it to (who claimed to be a fanatic BMW enthusiast, etc.). The car had been sitting outside in a field for many years. This is what it looks like now: http://www.tradebotics.com/Bavaria/sad/Bavaria%20old%201.jpg The interior looks even worse since water had been freely getting inside for many years. The Recaros are totally junked and rotted out.

Chuck

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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

Show of hands, is there anyone in the club who wasn't even born yet in 1983. PJ? Keith Vail?

Other than Kurt Bishop, the only other name I recognize is George Bright in the 510. Anyone else on there who is still involved with the THSCC. I have to assume the M. Cooper is not our current Mark Cooper. I was really surprised *not* to see A. McDonald in a Mustang in E Street Prepared.

Could you imagine going to a THSCC event where the primary car is a corvette and not a miata?

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In need of car.

No one even knew how to pronounce subaru.

Were is TIR class?

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

That event is blissfully free of chick's cars, except for the VWs.

(ducks and runs...)

Thanks for posting that Chuck - it's a neat blast from the past (my elementary school days).

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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

I recognize a few other names, although my first autocross would have been in '85. Roger Stam moved to Detroit several years later, John Denman would later work on a winter rebuild of my Formula Vee, Carl Cason I assume was running his SCCA roadrace Sprite, I should remember H. Sauls' first name (Harvin?), Sam Fouse I heard of but I'm not sure if I ever met, and there might be others who were still there a couple of years later who I met but remember no names.

Note the non-PAX raw time Novice class.

Even back in '85 THSCC was recognized as the Premier Autocross Club and put on the best run and most fun events. There's no question that THSCC did a professional job at running autocrosses back then too, by back then's standards. I do kind of miss the mass descent on some unsuspecting local restaurant for beer and pizza, but that faded anyway as the 90's approached.

Ah, the memories come flooding back... and trust me, modern course bitching is nothing compared with one I designed at the Fairgrounds Midway for the NCR SCCA autocross, dodging drains and molding the course around the weird drainage slopes. Everyone at that time was moaning about narrow gates, so I set up one with nice extra wide gates... and made it the tightest course of the year.

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Martyn Wheeler
AXing Kit's '05 Mazda 3, #29 HStock
(when The Gonzo Symphonic allows)

I'd rather not have known about this: http://www.tradebotics.com/Bavaria/sad/ ... ld%202.bmp.

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Absolutely!




LOL, back then there was one tire that was the "must have" for auto-x: the Phoenix Stahlflex 3011. The Yokohama A-001R was about to make its debut, and it was probably the first R-compound tire. It was followed by the Goodyear Gatorback "S" compound tires of which I later had a set on the Bavaria (~1985) which Goodyear made special for showroom stock racing -- they came with a sticky compound and 5/32 of tread as I recall. Shortly thereafter, "the" R-compound tire made its debut -- the Yokohama A-008R which was the beginning of the smooth outer tread face from what I recall: http://www.tradebotics.com/Bavaria/LF-Wheel-small.jpg.

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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

In 1983 I was being born!!

btw, Jackie looks great out there! I wish my dad had gotten me involved in something like this when I was her age. We were in the chick school together and I got a chance to talk with her. I'm 22 and I think we have about the same amount of experience.

No, see at that time I was an expert on Subarus. All you had to do was watch the 1981 movie "Cannonball Run" in which Jackie Chan was driving the high tech Subaru! If I remember it was fast, turbo and they drove around with their lights off.

Oh, in 1983 I was a junior in High School. I had watched my first autocross by then and was already lusting after a Porsche 914. It is nice to see at least three 914s in that event.

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Richard Casto
1972 Porsche 914
2013 Honda Fit Sport
2015 Honda Fit EX
http://motorsport.zyyz.com
Money can't buy happiness, but somehow it's more comfortable to cry in a Porsche than a Kia.

Um, I believe Jackie Chan was driving a Isuzu in that movie, An Isuzu Impulse? Subaru didn't know how to spell "fast" in the 80s.

I was wondering why there were 914s in two stock classes (AS and CS).

Whatever it is it's a POS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWwLzVkW ... kie%20chan

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Has no responsibility whatsoever.

Jackie enjoyed meeting you and enjoyed the chick school very much. She is the one who got me back into auto-x btw. She loves it and is on a vertical learning curve like I'm sure you are too. She's going to miss the next event though (NC State engineering camp).



My dad bought one of the first 914 2.0's back in late 1972 (1973 model), and I autocrossed that car some in the mid-70's. Another car from the past that I wish I had bought from him and preserved.




The AS 914s were the 914-6 while the CS cars were 4-cylinder ones. From what I recall, it didn't matter whether you had the 1.7 (later 1point8 liter) or 2.0 liter engine -- both were in the same class.

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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