Hey, I've got a pic like that too! Pretty obvious that sometimes RWD and FWD need different lines, isn't it?

Glad to hear that you guys are running again. I guess that's one of the few drawbacks to living in HI.

Scott
90SM

 

Updated results in Post #2 again.

Scott
90SM

 

I had my first class win this past weekend. It was an awesome course for the Turbokompressor. It was at the local airport and had 2 areas with long 3rd-gear pulls. Now if I could only do it with some regularity.

http://www.nhscc.com/2006/20060827/2...7/20060827.htm

 

Congrats on the win!

Scott
90SM

 

Updated post #2 again. 7 events to go this season. I'm running out of tires, but don't want to buy some just before the off-season and let them harden over the winter again.

Scott
90SM

 

How many total drivers at each event?
Got any events about Oct 27 to 31st?

 

Anywhere from a shocking low of 22 (What the he11 happened then? It was a beautiful weekend) to 110. It isn't like running in San Francisco with 300+ cars and an entry cap.

I'd have to go back to double check, but I think that there were only two events this season where I was beaten by a street driven (or remotely legal to drive on the street) car. Both of those were due to coneing every run. Everything else showed up on a trailer with no license plate. Still, those are regional (and one divisional) events. Nationally, there are plenty of cars and drivers that would beat me.

We have events on Sept 17, Sept 23, Oct 8, Oct 15, Oct 22, Nov 5, and Nov 12. Gonna be visiting the mainland? We're about as far from an ocean as you can get.

Scott
90SM

 

300 is alot of cars. How can they all compete in a single day event?
We are usually limited to about 130 for an all day event.

I guess it depends on the time for each run and how many volunteers there are.

If you don't really break for lunch then you can have more drivers. If you have no fun runs at the end of the day you can do more runs as well.

On the other hand 22 is not many. Then you could finish in half a day and do fun runs until your tires are shot.

I might be in Indiana about the end of October but none of the dates fit for this trip. That's OK, I did check out your autocross websites.

How many seasons have your autocrossed?

 

I've been to some 300+ car events. Many of the CenDiv series events and the Divisional Championship used to draw those kind of numbers. The drill would be 3 runs, 4 run groups and two grid areas so that Heat 2 drivers could be getting their cars to grid while Heat 1 was still going on. Transition time between heats was minimal. It also helped that the vast majority of the competitors had been doing it for quite a while and new the drill. There were typically 3-4 cars on course at any given time, and run times were still close to 60 seconds.

22 drivers was challenging for different reasons, but was done with 2 heats, 6 runs, course about 1 mile in length, but BIG gaps between cars so that we didn't run any course workers to death or overheat any cars. Runs started at 11:00 and were finished by 2:30. Pretty nice day from that standpoint.


I started autocrossing in 2000. I've only missed one CSCC event since August of 2000, and made probably 95% of the Indy Region events since March of 2001. In 2001 I also hit some other regions and ran several divisional events. The divisional stuff has been off and on since then, as they typically consume 3 days. With two small kids, I've got limited vacations days available to use for autocrossing. CSCC normally has 12 events a season, sometimes one or two more, and two of those are two-day events with different courses each day. Indy normally has 10 events. The divisional events are all two competition days with different courses each day. I attended two autocross schools in 2001 as a student, but was drafted into instructor duties for school every year since.

I was Solo Chair for a couple years, RE a year, and a board member several years in each region. I've been a Solo Safety Steward since 2001. I've designed and set up in excess of 30 courses and been called in to assist in layout or revision of almost that many.

"Hi, my name is Scott and I'm addicted to autocrossing."

There, that was probably way more information than you were looking for!

Scott
90SM

 

Oh yeah, if you'll be in Indianapolis on your trip (especially on the weekend) and want to meet somewhere to say "Hi" and put a face with the name then send me a PM and I'll give you our phone number.

If you're going to be busy, then no worries and you can just wave towards the south side of Indy and post about it later!

Scott
90SM

 

Our format for events with 130 drivers is quite similar to what you described. Partly because we have some drivers that have gone to Nationals and we adopted some of the same time saving techniques.

We have two grids operating with diagonal parking. After each run of 40-50 seconds each car returns to it's spot. After all heat one drivers are done they replace course workers on the fly so that Heat 2 drivers start very close to the end of Heat 1. We break for lunch, a short walking of the course and drivers meeting before the afternoon heats.

Only 2 cars on the short track at a time vs 3 on the track with 60 second runs at our former venue Hawaii raceway Park (now closed). I figure our course now is only about 0.4 miles long vs 0.8 miles or longer at HRP.

You have lots of events. We have good weather so we are generally active every month or about 11 events and one test and tune per year. I started in 2004 using my 03 MCS. I've done track set up and served as Safety Steward for 2 years and more recently as Safety Instructor and SSS for Solo events. Currently due to lack of venue Solo is the only SCCA event.

I'm going to visit my daughter in Richmond, IN and likely to have limited free time but there will be more visits later. Thanks for the info.

 

This last weekend I took the win for the day and the 2006 championship points for TVR which is a local club in North Alabama.

 

Veni,

How come we didn't see you at the NHSCC-hosted MINI autoX this past weekend? It was a great day on a fun course with LOTS of runs. Do you typically run at North Park?

If I can get my career back on track over the next few months, I'm seriously considering joing the NHSCC next season. All things considered, I'm still just a newb but I've thoroughly enjoyed each autoX I've done!

Oh, so as not to completely threadjack, I was 3rd overall at our event. ...1 and 2 were veteran autoXers with R compounds...

 

Unfortunately, I have to make choices. Wife + kids + working 1 in 4 weekends + SCCA events = limited free time. It really sounds like it would have been fun. All the really good SCCA drivers do NHSCC, as well so I may have to consider doing more events for seat time, if for no other reason.

Will I see you at the last SCCA event Oct 8?

 

Update to Post #25.

We had a good turnout despite-

Flash Flood warning
Heavy Rain
6.7 earthquake
Statewide power outage

I guess it takes alot to stop an SCCA autocross when you've got determination on your side.

 

Update to post #25.

After an extra month off due to our venue not allowing more dates for us, we are back for another three dates.

So we get to autocross through the winter- Ha, no snow but sometimes rainy.

In fact it gusted and rained quite a bit this week but was sunny and perfectly clear for sunday. 110 drivers enjoyed the day of autocrossing in Hawaii.

 

Bastard!

 

I don't imagine your weather is quite as nice this time of year and headed into Jan and Feb the outlook isn't quite as sunny.

It's a pleasure to be able to autocross year round that is for sure. I imagine that in the south and west the same can be done but when temperatures dip rubber can get hard. In Feb we might reach a low very early in the morning of about 60 degrees. We run autocross from 10am so there is plenty of time to let things warm up in the sun. It's ideal except for the cooperation of site management. They used to let us autocross up until 911 then shut it all down until very recently when we lost our one and only track site. No one else will allow us to use their flat lots for autocross. Seems kinda dumb but that is how it is. No word about any definite plans to make a new motorsports complex here- not enough private support and little or no government interest or incentives.

While winter is the rainy season it really does rain on and off all year round. Sometimes just briefly then it clears up so there is always hope for some dry pavement. Drainage is good where we are now compared to our old site.

Why don't you come to Hawaii and join us during the offseason? Don't forget to bring your car or a rental.

 

I've been to Hawaii several times. I loved the mellow weather and beauty. I could never live there, though, due to geographic claustrophobia and prices. I love knowing that if I chose to I can drive for 5 days in a straight line before I hit the ocean. I also have a ranch house and the better part of an acre. It didn't cost the equivalent of a B-2 bomber. I also live in an area that has more hardwood trees per square mile than any other area on earth.

Believe it or not, the Southern West Virginia region of the SCCA runs monthly except January. If I really get the itch it's a short 4 hour drive to stand in freezing rain while ******** cones.

 

Final update to Post #2. Minihune, I'm jealous of your weather and year-round season but my tire budget needs the 3 month break it's getting now.

I've got three sets of summer wheels currently mounted with totally worn out tires.

Heck, I'm driving around on stock wheels and snowtires that are going into their 4th winter and really ought to be replaced soon too.

Scott
90SM

 

Gratefully I have been running on the same V710s since March at the end of last season then drove on them all this season's 5 events so far. They are still good and we did have many months off trying for find a new location to autocross.

Runs are really short compared to last year with the usual course completed in about 30 to 40 seconds compared to as much as 60 seconds last year. This also means the tires don't get to heat up as much and the gap between drivers has shrunk to less than one second compared to gaps of 3 seconds (from the fastest group to the next group).

Weather in the summer or winter isn't much different enough to require any big change on the tires. No real change in psi or need to cool the tires with water spray although some drivers have tried.

Since we are on an island I tend not to wear out tires. My street Potenza S-03 tires are going on three years now- only my second set of street tires since my MCS was new 33,000 miles ago but the S-03 are only one of about 4 sets of tires being used, one being conti tires on holey rims (I have them on now and they do pretty well- nice and lightweight but narrow). All my tires have plenty of tread except Pilot sport cups on Holey rims driven on the road for a few months and the rest on the track for lapping events.

 

Update to post #25.

I ran in the first of four heats. Made alot of mistakes overdriving the course in the tight sections. Just too fast for a given series of turns- ended up driving too wide and lost time.

Didn't feel that good for the day- kinda tired (had a DIY upgrade session with the local MINI club the day before).

A stock MCS using SSR comps and Hooisers did very well about 1/2 second slower than I and snagging #2 overall in PAX. Great job. I needed to drive about a full second faster. Oh well, another event in 3 weeks.

 

Hey, maybe it's time for a new thread. After all, it's not "this year" anymore.

 

I've certainly had days like that - where you just can't seem to find your "groove," "motoring mojo," or whatever you want to call it. I guess it is comforting to know I'm not the only one!

 

Another thing that happens in my area is since the event can take literally all day. It's important to keep out of the sun and drink lots of fluids. Once you're dehydrated and running in the last heat about 2pm (arrived at 6am) then it's sometimes hard to drive well.

Most of the year we have a good amount of sunny weather and temperatures are warm to hot with a little wind to help out but not all the time.

This season is still in progress until March so I will keep posting but if you all want to start something new this thread has had results over the last two seasons. New season is roughly April 2007 for 12 months. We do a championship in March.