THSCC Forums

I sent an e-mail to all the above instructors. If you didn't get it...please drop me a line.

Thanks,
--Ashraf

So the bus and trailer are a little dirty, but there's half a tank of fuel and everything is ready to go. I'll bring it back from Sanford and fuel it up on the way back - the fuel is cheaper down there.

We're planning to set up for Sunday's event Saturday afternoon, so let me know what time we'll be able to start. I'd like to have at least a couple of hours to work on things before it gets dark, which means we'd need to start around 3pm.

Should be fine

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Just to clarify, those of us who are instructing on Saturday and not attending on Sunday will pretty much for sure be done by 3pm? I mean, I'd stick around and help if I were running on Sunday, but since I'm not...


--Donnie

Yeah, yeah, it's all about you isn't it.

Yeah, it most assuredly *is* all about me. Haven't you been following my camPAIN?

In this case it's about planning supper with my family, though. I honestly would help with setup if I were running the next day, but since I'll be watching UNC play basketball instead...


--Donnie

That's ok - we don't want your kind there anyway.

Yes and it has been very Painful. In case you missed it, I never spoke up for either of you, so I expect a drive in something in the near future.

As long as I can drive your hackmobile!

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02 Focus SVT
STF 9

Just stay away from the puddles! Unlike Shackleford, it ain't amphibious.

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Stephen Westerfield
2009 Infiniti M35 | 2007 Honda Fit Sport | 2005 Ford Mustang GT |2000 GMC Sierra |1992 Acura Integra LS | Super Westerfield Bros Acura Integra

My hackmobile will be there with the Advan Neovas on it and new Ohlins dampers. Woot!


--Donnie

Oooh - the Ohlins struts. I take back what I said - and I want a ride (or drive).

I just want to offer a huge thanks to THSCC for helping us put this event togther. It was quite a success despite a few issues that we chalk up as a learning experience with MSCCNC having never run one of these events before.

Thanks to Charlie Monroe for helping set up the course Friday, otherwise it might have been two blind men trying to lead each other.

Thanks to Charles Frank for coming up with the "course map" and being our chief instructor.

A big thanks to Ryan and Stephen running T&S and all of the above listed instructors who came out and imparted much wisdom to their students as well as offering advice throughout the day when we ran into those issues (I probably should have come to an autocross before putting one on given it's probably been three year since I've drove at one).

To sum it up:
THSCC is the best!

Best,
--Ashraf

I really didn't know I was course designer or chief instructor, or I would have worn my "I'm in charge here!" hat.
I just emailed about features that I thought would be good to include in a school, Y'all took the suggestions and ran with it, putting together an excellent course that was challenging and fun for the instructors and students alike (at least for everyone that I talked to.) I was ready to put the A6s on the Miata had we been able to make some afternoon runs.
For a first time independent event I thought it went exceptionally well, and we were pleased to be a part of it.
If you decide to do it again you can count us in.
PS will you be posting the results somewhere? I'd like to see how our students progressed.

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

I'd just like to chime in and say it was a very good event. The pros include lots of runs, good course, and good food. All very important things. I'd also say that the problems were probably pretty obvious...just delays getting started as well as some shakiness in the changeover between groups and such. But I'd agree that it was simply from not having done an event like this before, and I think those things are going to be easily corrected next time. I can't say I would have run it any *better* if it were my first time running a school like that. So to the organizers I say 'well done!" I think the students would agree...all the ones I talked to seemed to have a great time.

While I liked the course, I think next time I'd probably slow it down just a hair. Most autocrosses *don't* have a lot of 2-3 and 3-2 shifting, but this course required even cars with long gears to do it (and in my STi I think I shifted to third and back to second five times, and that's on street tires!). Newbies get a bit overwhelmed by that shift and I'm not sure it's worth the pain when they need to be focusing more on looking ahead and smoothness. I think for a more advanced school it would have definitely been fine. And I'm not knocking the fun factor of the course...it was a fun course, it flowed well, and it was visually easy to follow. I don't think there were any cones I wanted gone, which is rare for a local course setup (heck, it's been rare for national courses lately). It rewarded being smooth and those straights rewarded looking *far* ahead because you could really start to put power down LONG before you got out of several actual features.

Anyway, fun event. If I'm available I'd definitely instruct at one of these again. And I don't want anyone to think the course was *bad*. It wasn't. I'd instruct again if they used the same course and I'd enjoy it. I just think it could be tweaked a *little* better for novices. Although, if you drive a car that you probably *do* have to shift a lot (like an STi), it was probably a really good practice course for you. I feel like I do a good job of shifting on a road course, but I've never felt hugely comfortable with it at autocross. I'm a lot better at it now.


--Donnie