Hello Ladies and Gentlemen:

Fort Wayne SCCA invites you to our season ender event "Kruse Krazy Solo" which is off Exit 126 of Interstate 69. It will be held at the Kruse International Auction Park.

Auburn, Indiana has Hotel/Motels close if you need to come down the day before.

Hope to see you out there!

Cheers,

Jason Massey

Fort Wayne SCCA Member

Link to Flyer: http://picasaweb.google.com/jasonpmassey/E...997159003987042

I figure with the official start of auto-x season (and spring too) it's time to start this back up. I guess we'll follow last years general setup?

4-6-08, Indy Region first event, Fun Run. 16th St location, old Busch Stadium lot. Sunny, high about 68. Overall gorgeous day. 105 entrants, 11 in STS.

Finished 2nd, co-driver finished 1st. That's correct folks, the Elantra took 1st AND second.

First run was a DNF +3 cones. . . 2nd run DNF +2, 3rd run was +1 and the last run was a clean run.

225/45R16 RS-2 kooks liked 38 psi front, 37 rear. Kept adjusting between runs and that was what worked best.

My Co-driver had driven the car with rear toe-in, 205/45 Sumitomo's and no negative camber in the front last year. He beat me by 2 full seconds. THis time around, he really liked the car and was "only" 1.5 ahead of me. Either I'm getting better, or he's getting slower. I doubt he's getting slower! As a side note, we were faster (raw times, not PAX) than all but one SM car, all SMS cars (regional SM street tire category) and almost all the prepared cars today.

Oh, and I had a blast!

Proof:

Sunday, I, Pumbaa and several WA members met at the Bremerton Speedway for a AM session on the BSCC autocross track runs.

I wanted to know how my car would do on the track. In a word, I had a TON of oversteer. Even with tire pressure up front at 38 and rear at 35 the back end still wanted to swing out. Although it is better since I modified the rear suspension so I could align the car, and with stock alignment there still was more oversteer than I really wanted. I had my 225/40/18 Kumho Ecsta's on, which is a decent tire, but is a little hard and traction is limited.

Usually, FWD cars are set up with at least some understeer..

My first run I slid out within 500 feet of starting. I wanted to go left, but the back went right and I had to try to correct that before ending up facing the opposite direction I wanted to go in.

My runs were:
43 - Colin Guthrie - 118 - 2007 Hyundai Elantra SE - 127.586 (1,4) 82.121 (0,0)112.445 (0,3) 87.908 (1,0) 70.536


I only have this one picture as of yet. More should be coming soon.

Pumbaa (Tim) faired well in the NF Sonata. The NF kept slowing him down because of the ESC. His last run, he turned it off, getting a better time.

35 - Timothy Zacher - 711 - 2007 Hyundai Sonata - 67.199 (0,0) 68.821 (1,0) 77.544 (1,1) 67.103 (1,0) - 80.694

A friend of mine is sponsoring a track day and someone canceled so he's offered me their spot. I've been to the track on a few occasions with my brother in his Miata but this will be my first time driving, I'm looking forward to the experience.
We have the track for 6 hours and are 3 run groups running 30 minutes each per session, so 2 hours of track time.... can you say fun?

Anyhow, this is the track http://www.mecaglisse.com/en/ it's fairly short at 2.2km but plenty of tight turns to test out my sloppy stock suspension.
Oh yeah, best of all is that I only have to pay for track insurance of 10$, the entry fee is covered, it's helps justify the 2.5 hour drive there but it's worth it.

That's all I got.

I was just notified that the Elantra will be in DSP not FSP due to 8 too many valves. I have not yet read the rules again but I do not doubt this. And, I do not know what cars are in DSP other than the Neons which creates the same damn problem I have now. Loosing by 3 seconds on a 50+ second course. I'm going to have to go back through results over the last few years to see if I can be more competetive.

After a lot of soul searching, I have decided that I am finished with autocross. There is only so much time and money in ones life, and I no longer have the room for both autocross and motorcycling, and I have found that I get much more enjoyment from motorcycling. I am glad that I raced the full season last year, and have been happy with the first couple of events this season. I have learned a lot about driving at the limits, and met a lot of nice people, but the amount of seat-time you get for being there all day isn't cutting it for me any more.

I will be converting the car back to mostly stock trim, except for my short shifter, shifter bushings, filled motor mounts, and my black 16" Rota wheels. I can't even put the Tibby sway bar back on, 'cause I sold it when I got the Progress bar. I will be driving the Elantra year-round, and will no longer require a second car, so I will be selling the Lincoln too.

I will be parting out the rest of the after-market stuff on my car over the next few months as it goes back to stock trim, so keep you eyes open. Elentraclub.com members will get first dibbs. This will include the Evo-Fusion 4-2-1 header and exhaust system, the K-Sport coilovers, the Progress sway bar, the RRM strut tower braces, stainless brake lines, custom K&N Apollo CAI, and 15" 7" black Rota GT3's with the Falkens.

This is a sad decision, but on the up side, after all this is done, I will likely be getting a new motorcycle.

It's come to my attention recently that a certain Indiana member wants to go from his 225/40/17's to a 195/55/15 tire for auto-x'ing.

Just thought I'd see if anyone else thought this was a hair-brained idea too.

EDIT: He's jumpig from the 'kook RS-2's, the same ones I have, in 225/40's to the unproven Dunlop Z1 in 195/55R15. I understand going to 15" wheel for the lighter mass, but to lose 30mm in width is harsh.

Steve-o and I have talked about this in the past. . . but slaloms and quick direction changes and momentary loss of p/s. I fought it all last season from teh beginning of the season. This year, it's gone.

During the clutch fiasco this winter, I ended up flushing (mostly) the p/s fluid with Valvoline synthetic fluid. This weekend's auto-x between me and my co-driver we never experienced any loss of power steering.

So, if you are fighting the same thing, flush the fluid with some decent synthetic. It "appears" to be the fix.

The wife has finally put her foot down. I have been scouting around for a little lightweight car to be used as a dedicated racer. I have been a bit more secretive about this than Bob, but I believe that we are of similar thought. I spotted a Swift the other day and mentioned it to my wife. Well, she finally put an end to the idea. She said that I have spent enough money on the Elantra to turn it into a racecar, and that I should be able to race it for a good long time because I don't drive it in the winter. She told me that she doesn't see a dedicated (prepared) racecar in my immediate future, so no gutting the Elantra either. This means that the Elantra will be remaining in STS indefinitely, and I will just have to be thankful that she lets me race at all. So, the Elantra in STS is what I have to work with. I just have to try my best, and I will enjoy every minute of it.

I will be doing little things to the Elantra yet. This winter it gets a Tibby brake booster, and I am contemplating replacing the rubber bits on the K-sports with thrust bearings. I would like to get a set of 225's at least for the front. I wonder if I can run the 'kooks on the front and my 205 RT-615's on the rear. Anyway, I think that she will let me do the "little things" as long as I don't start talking about ESP mods.

Just like the title says. Who's ready for the season to start and who's running this year?

We have a local group putting an event on this Sat (24th) but I'm not going. . . would be fun to run the KH16's just one more time!

Anyone racing the DC autocross at Fed Ex field this year? I taking my 02 Elantra GT down and I am going with a friend of mine who has an RSX.

Since the Accent, which has been the wife's DD, has turned into an oil burner I've considered giving her the Elantra and Runnin the Accent as my Auto-X car until the engine blows.

Pro's of the Accent:
2200lbs
MAF car's respond to better breathing than the MAP based Elantra
Springs/swaybar are cheaper
2200lbs
Proper tire size for RE-01R's.

Con's:
82hp
ugly as sin
starting all over with a new car
82hp.

I don't know. . . thoughts? I wouldn't have to worry about the wife killing the Accent and beiong stranded as she's have the nicer car. I'd have a new "project" and when the engine took a dump I'd have the opion of a Beta Swap or even a 1.6L swap to stay in Stock Classes.

I just thought I'd give you guys the inside scoop. The reviews for this tire are great...

SCCAForums.com - Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1






MINI COOPER :: North American Motoring - Dunlop Direzza Z1


And in TireRack's testing, the tire placed second in NVH, first in wet traction, and second in dry traction:
Dunlop Direzza Sport Z1 Ride & Drive Review

There are a few conflicting reviews in there, but all in all it looks like a very promising tire sure to compete with the front-runners.

OK. . .was surfing the SCCAFORUMS and came across some S-dimes and rangers auto-x'ing in H-stock. Got me to thinking about a 4.8L V8/T-56/T-5 with a 4 link in the rear with coilvers replacing the leaf springs and front coilovers, sway bars and 275/45 race rubber. . . . where would that truck be placed?

It would, in theory, be cheap enough to build. 4.8L from a junkyard/truck forum $200. If the truck came with a 5spd it's a direct swap. Add in a Cam, exhaust work for another $500. 4-link and coilover cost about $600. Steel wheels 17x9 $250 and tires for another $800. $2400. . . . very interesting.

i know the topic's closed now...


but i never would have wanted the club to sponsor or endorse such an event..

it was kind of a few people type of thing...

which now i realize is stupid for asking people to risk themselves and danger of
getting them fined just because i grew up on cannonball run...

and since i've just got out of court for reckless driving i'm pretty dumb if i still thought it was a good idea...


sorry guys.



i'm not into drag racing, since i beleive driving in a strait line doesn't prove much...

does any one know of any circuit type tracks that have an open class?

I am officially Tech Chief. And part time bus driver/fixer-upper.

Not much, but it's a start. It's a good wayfor me to get my feet wet with this whole SCCA thing. . .

Hello, everyone. I'm new to this forum but have been monitoring it quite closely over the past month. I previously owned a 2003 Elantra GLS, which in a strange twist of fate has come back into my possession.

Because I'm the type of person that just can't leave well enough alone, I've looked at the SCCA Solo rules and I think that (at least on paper) a FSP Elantra looks like it would do reasonably well. Has anyone competed in FSP with an Elantra? Has anyone thought about doing it?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. I shouldn't even be considering a new racing project, especially because I'm currently building a ITA car for road racing, but as I said I just can't leave well enough alone.

So, this morning I was lookingat this years Nationals results and noticed a 2.5 impreza that trophied. iirc, THE 2.5 Impreza weighs 3020lbs, has a machpherson strut suspension and 165hp. . . right? Torque curve that mimics the Elantra's, flat and broad. I believe he ended up 8th of 51.

So how can a car that weighs over 200lbs more than mine be that much "better"? My thoughts: Driver. THe car CAN compete, it just has to have the wheels literally driven off of it. . .

THoughts? Ideas?

OK, I was number SMS 26 and my bud co-driving was SMS 126. There is also some photos of me kicking a Subie around the course on Saturday's event.

Saturday's Event

Sunday's Event

Sneak peeks: (Can you tell me what I did different to the front of the car compared to other XD2? SHUT UP BOB, you know already!)













I NEED ONE OF THESE!!!


This was one hella ride, I am so glad he gave me the opportunity to drive it

Well, the course was nice and the surface was a little dirty like usual. You can see on my 5th run on the 13th that I got off line and did a nice drift. What was really weird is that I drove just as fast, so I must have fixed something else that time and messed up with my drift.

Well, no more talk, here are the links:

10-13-07 Event:

Saturdays event, check out 5th run for the drift

10-14-07 Event:

Sundays Event

See ya guys!

Sport Compact Car tested three Subaru WRX STIs on the same short track - one stock, one setup for road racing and one for drifting. They picked the course with some really tight turns to favor the drift car. Also, the drift car had some big engine upgrades to 460hp and 500lb-ft. Unfortunately other things were different too - suspensions, brakes, weight, track, etc.

Their results were that the RWD drift car was significantly slower than even the stock AWD car, despite a 160hp / 200lb-ft advantage. The roadracing car even lost to the stock car in a few sections, but overall the road racing setup was 2 seconds faster. 44 vs 46 seconds. The drift car was over 49 seconds.

I would actually prefer a comparison of the same car driven in different styles to see if drifting has any advantage. WRC drivers constantly slide the rear around corners in time-attack style racing, so I have to believe they're not doing it to look cool. There must be some critical point where oversteer goes from useful to hurtful, and drifting is beyond that, and rally racing should be right there, I'd think.

http://www.sportcompactcarweb.com/features..._sti/index.html

flickr


I know they have a watermark. they are $25/each from the pro photographer who was on-site... I don't want the copies, they aren't even that great (plus I was running stock)

but pretty cool regardless.

Hey, anybody in CA have a $500 car that runs ok? The spending cap is $500 for the whole "race" car, except wheels tires and safety equipment...
http://www.24hoursoflemons.com/
This is hilarious, just read the FAQ:

"WILL I DIE? Maybe. Safety equipment isn't included in the $500 car-purchase price, so you'll have kind of a fighting chance. But this isn't a brilliant thing to be doing. Get used to it.

WHAT IF I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING? Ah, we don't either. This whole "expert" schtick is just pathetic male compensation. Don't sweat it.

HAVE I GOT TO RUN THE WHOLE STUPID 24 HOURS? It ain't like we're going to drag you out of bed Sunday morning. You can run as much or as little of it as you want. A lot of people just show up to eat the nachos."

September 29-30 : Flat Rock, MI
October 20-21: Atlamont, CA
December 29-30: Thunderhill, CA

UPDATED POST # 16

Tomorrow (Wednesday) will be my first day ever hitting the drag strip. im not really a 1/4 mile guy (because we drive slow cars) i would much rather try autocross. but all my friends are going to race and talked me into going, plus i get to cut out of work early to go. (my manager drives a 465whp WRX and is going). wish me luck! i'll be back tomorrow night with pics and a timeslip.


btw im going to EnglishTown, NJ for anyone in the area.

I bought a Cruise Cam camera mount for taking race footage, and used it for the first time at my last 2-day event.

Comments and critique are welcome, as this is the first video that I have ever posted on the internet.

Here it is: http://vimeo.com/264717

- Sunday September 9th - Event 7 – Scotiabank Place



Location: Scotiabank Place (Corel Center) in the North East lot (#9).

Schedule:
-----
7:30am - Registration and Tech open
9:30am - Registration and Tech close
9:30am – Novice Course walk
9:45am - Driver's Meeting
10:00am - First car on course
5:00pm - Awards Presentation (Tommy's in Kanata see below)

Competitors are advised to arrive early as registration will take some time to complete.Registration will close at 9:30am sharp!

Entry Fees:
-----
$30 Members (Any ASN Canada FIA affiliated club)
$40 Non-members
*Loaner helmets are available for $5



after the event.. everyone is invited for eats at Tommy's
www.restaurantica.com/maps/4930/

Yesterday was the Winged Warrior III event at ORP (formerly known as IRP). All the procededs (including our $100! admission fee) was donated to the Riley's Children Hospital Cheer Guild. GREAT cause. GReat fun!!!

So the 100-ish cars were seperated into 6 classes loosely based on NASA rules (not space). I and Jason were the two Hyundais slugging it out in the lowest class, F. It was a Domestic vs Import with 4 Auto-x runs on a HUGE course and 5 dragstrip runs down IRP's infamous 1/4-mile. It was hot. Very hot on track.

F class was paired with A-class for all the events. We auto-x'd first, then hit the dragstrip with the cars really warm! The 5 drag runs were like hot laps. No more than 5 minutes between finish and line-up. Track temp was pushing 90. HOT I tell you. When my CAI is hot to the touch, it's definately warm!

so results, then pictures. Best dragstrip run was with AMy Lee singing in my ears LOUD while lined up against Jasons GT. I ran a 16.6 @83mph. Our class was dominated by the domestics there. THe SSR and Ion Redline ran 14's, theCTS a 15.4. Slowest was an 86 Fiero with an 18.01!

The auto-x was dominated by the Imports. The two Lancers ran 1:05.xx's, a Neon from the FW region ran a 1:06.xx. Haven't gotten official results yest but I was about midpack from there. I ran a 1:07.995. THere were a ton of poorly driven A-class cars running 1:15's to 1:20's! Best A class run was 58.xx.

Now to the Pics:

Like the title says, autox double header on the 25-26th August at Scotibank place. I will be participating but only on Sunday; if you're in the area come check it out and come for a ride........ better yet, come and participate. Here are the rough details.

Location: Scotiabank Place (Corel Center) in the North East lot (#9).

Schedule:
-----
7:30am - Registration and Tech open
9:30am - Registration and Tech close
9:30am – Novice Course walk
9:45am - Driver's Meeting
10:00am - First car on course
5:00pm - Awards Presentation (Tommy;s iirc)

Competitors are advised to arrive early as registration will take some time to complete.Registration will close at 9:30am sharp!

Entry Fees:
-----
$30 Members (Any ASN Canada FIA affiliated club)
$40 Non-members
*Loaner helmets are available for $5

The trophies will look like this!!! My wonderful photoshop skills to the test!!! WOOT WOOT!!!


I am the Event Master to this event, so yes Bob, I will be there

This Sunday, near west side at the old Busch Stadium. This is our annual "Aussie Pursuit" were it's a heads up car to car race. No timing, just winner takes all, doubleelimination.

Jason is planning on being down for this. Anyone else?