March Laurinburg Event - DONE

PhilFausz · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:01 am

I just wanted to thank all the folks in the club that keep it going. It takes a lot of effort to have an event, and that's only part of the effort to run the club. Thanks again for a great weekend.

Matt McGrain · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:15 am

The event was certainly a blast! I really enjoyed the course layout and felt it had a good flow, but really made you look ahead to not 'get behind' in any of the approaching slalom sections.

Who was the noob that spun in the very first turn in the first run? Someone tell that guy about cold tires... :oops:

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:27 am

Thanks to Charlie and Phil for another great event! Mo, thanks to you too. You guys did a fantastic job! :thumbsup:

Everyone should be reminded that you guys were out there Friday in pouring rain setting the course, and again until dark on Saturday in almost 50 mph winds resetting the course for Sunday. Thanks to Les too, as General Manager, for making sure we were all safe out there.

I loved the course! It was the long, “include the P” course I love for L’burg, but simple to remember, which was important when having so many novices. The slalom on the taxiway flowed much better in the car than it appeared on foot, and while there were no tricks, I thought there were a couple of spots where being patient made you faster. I felt pretty good about my times in my gerbil powered H stocker, after nearly 4 month layoff, but I know I left at least 2 seconds out there. I also left a couple of undamaged cones! :roll:

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:33 am

Good event!!! Not my absolute favorite L'burg course but I seem to drive courses I don't "love" much better for some reason.

Now for the shoulda, woulda, coulda portion of the program.

-Helpful hint #1, if you think you might need gas, take the gas that is offered to you. On my last run 63.001, on the last turn out of the Chicago box the car fuel starved and fell flat on its face :cry:

-Who went what way on the optional slalom on the runway? I went left all 4 runs, I think Mike Westerfield went right all 4 runs. I was always going too fast to make it to the right.

Nathan Raymond · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:41 am

I always went to the right on the optional. Slower in, meant faster out for me.

Mucho thanks to all the people that made it happen out there yesterday. Also an even MORE special thanks to those that stuck around and helped pick up the track (cones, etc)

I noticed, despite the announcements of keeping the area clean, there were still numerous drink cans, lids, bags, etc strewn about the site. We, and especially my kids, managed to grab what we saw but, as a group, we could still do better. (DNA testing anyone? :twisted:

)

At any rate, I had a blast even though I was driving my DD. Too bad I broke something on my last run which nixed my wife's last two runs.

Hopefully I'll have the clutch finished in the NX and I'll have it in Greenville. I dread dropping the transmission. It'll be the first time I've ever tackled a clutch job.

Gwen Habenicht · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 8:43 am

Ryan Holton wrote:

-Who went what way on the optional slalom on the runway? I went left all 4 runs, I think Mike Westerfield went right all 4 runs. I was always going too fast to make it to the right.

I entered from the right, taking the last cone out of play, and an easier angle to the right single cone. Using the reference of “slow in-out fast” in slaloms and the fact that when I walked it the paces went 21, 22, 20, it looked like the slalom was going to close down a bit right when you wanted to go faster. But remember, you actually have an engine in your car, and I have a furry mammal, I had all that pesky fuel in my tank to slow me down, and I’m a girl! :wink:

Eric Peterson · **Joined:** Mon Sep 01, 2003 10:24 am **Posts:** 494

FWIW, I went right on all four runs. The course definitely put a premium on "looking ahead" otherwise it was easy to get behind.

Eric

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:07 am

Great event Phil and Charlie!!! Nice job!!!

The scoring team did an awesome job as usual. We really have the best team in the country. Now if we can only talk the ECTA into letting us use their new timing tower next time... :wink:

Thanks to James Holley for the use of his printer cable. Without him, we wouldn't have had results to post.

As for the slolam, I went right on the first 3 runs, but had the car too far out of shape on my last run to make it so I went left. Going left was painful!!

All in all, I really liked the course and had a ton of fun.

Wes Eargle · **Joined:** Mon Oct 27, 2003 9:47 am **Posts:** 3683

Ryan Holton wrote:

-Who went what way on the optional slalom on the runway?

Me and the torqueless wonder went right. I actually got late in the slalom during both afternoon runs and wasn't on the limiter as long (going into the Chicago box) as I was in the morning. At least that's what my butt data acq tells me; one of these days I need to do it right.

shawnwhipple · **Joined:** Wed Aug 20, 2003 6:28 pm **Posts:** 603

It was the first event I've been too in awhile. I have to say everyone involved put on a quality show. I liked the course, even though it wasn't as open as some Laurinburg courses. It forced you to look ahead and be patient with the gas. Which I did ok in the morning heat and then got all impatient in the afternoon. :oops:

Also during the heat I worked it didn't seem to cause to many cone calls, which is always appreciated by the folks in the bus.

Thanks for the hard work.

Shawn

Michael Hankewycz · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:45 am

Thank you everyone that made the event happen - fighting through the elements and all. I really enjoyed the course layout and simply had an absolute blast.

As for the optional slalom, I went to the right for all four runs or atleast tried to. The key was making sure to look ahead and slow down enough to a proper speed to make it through well - which did not happen on my first run where I hit three cones in a row because I came in way too hot (ask Phil :lol:

). I cleaned up on my second and third run, but my fourth run was the best when I had a handle on the layout so I focused on keeping it as tight as possible. It worked by shaving like 2 seconds off of my previous time (resulting in a 71+), but I managed to hit the very last cone in the Chicago Box (:x).

Todd Breakey · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:47 am

Nice driving Shawn!!! Good to see you back out.

BTW - The Civic is still under warranty isn't it? You were treating it like a rented mule!!! Nice job!!!!

You are right about the cone calls. I think that is part of the reason that the first event went so smooth. It also helps that few people drove like drunken idiots on course. That usually creates alot of havoc!

Ryan Holton · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:53 am

Ok, I guess I am just a dummy, I should have tried right but left was working good, maybe right would have worked better.

Shoulda, coulda, woulda :oops:

+1 on Shawn's Civic warranty. You were really slapping the ole' gal around yesterday. It was very good to see the "svelt" Shawn yesterday.

David Teague · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:55 am

Great Event, I enjoyed the course and echo the comments that it forced you to look ahead. Which I did pretty well until the last run, which I was the behind in every element it seemed. I took the optional slalom with the first cone on the left of the are every time.

That was the first autocross that I have done in a car other than the Del Sol and first autocross in 3 years. There was not as much difference as far as front and rear wheel drive I did start to use the gas to rotate the car some more on my third run, and then combined with the not looking ahead went a little overboard with the throttle on the last run. I had more trouble getting used to the faster steering and torque of the BMW than I did the rear wheel drive.

RobLupella · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 9:58 am

Great course folks. For me it flowed well, the whole runway section was fun for me.

I went right every time.

I also learned that if I try to talk through my run as I am doing it eventually my lack of multi-tasking skills catch up with me and as a am saying "Watch how early I brake for the Chicago box", I watch the braking point go by and punt the cone with the middle of my car killing what would have been my best run :oops:

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