I had a boatload of fun today at FedEx. I loved the way the course was set up. It was lots of fun. I also thought this event went A LOT smoother compared to about a month ago. What sucked was the fact that it rained in the afternoon session and there is probably a 5 second gap between FTD in the morning (dry) compared to the afternoon (wet).


I also witnessed a little accident today. It was a red Corvette Z06. I believe Jim Howard owns it. I witnessed his car go straight towards the curb right before the finish line. It was traveling at about 25 mph when it hit. It jumped the curb and hit a tree. Fortunately, it was a very small tree. After he jumped the curb, he popped it in reverse, got off the curb and drove through the finish line. Then he packed up disgustedly and left. I still have no idea why it happened in the first place. The car wasn't even in a skid when it occured. I also believe that I heard people say that he had gotten into an accident in the past with his Z06. I believe that he hit a dumpster in Virginia. Sheesh!

My best time was 68.6xx. ARG, I want my CRX! It should be ready for the next event though.

Well, enough of my rambling, here is the link:
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...886225&start=1

take care, and drive safe,

aj

 

Jim Howard did NOT crash his car again!!!! Oh my god.

 

Unfortunately it happened. There wasn't any serious damage though. It seems the splash guard under the front bumper was shredded up a little bit.

take care,

aj

 

Three dumpsters, to be exact. And a fence. Long story. I'm just glad I am not the one doing the paperwork on this one.... actually, come to think of it, since he was chief safety steward, Jim himself will be filling out the forms this time....
It was a very tough day, with all the rain. My best was a 67.8xx. Even though it was less wet at the top of the hill on my last run, it was just as wet coming down the hill, through all the off-camber stuff. I can only imagine what your car was like, with the turbo. I almost took Randall Fish up on an offer to drive his WRX wagon, but since I'd changed the tires on my car, I figured I may as well run it.

Evan, I'd be interested to know how your car felt on the course -- did you downshift at all?

Karen

[Modified by CamaroFS34, 8:38 PM 4/21/2002]


[Modified by CamaroFS34, 9:38 PM 4/21/2002]

 

THREE dumpsters, AND a fence!!

Oh My God, I better not ask.

sheesh,

please, drive safe,

aj

 

I was working the finish at station 5 when the corvette hit the curb. He came into the stop gate with the back end loose like most of the other high hp RWD cars in the afternoon C session. I don’t remember exactly but I believe he just never regained control, maybe over corrected once or twice. When he came out of the skid he was pointed towards the curb with too much speed to stop.

I’ve only been to a few events, but this was the first one where there wasn’t a cone at the end of the stop gate. Lots of cars came into the stop gate out of control. I was told by the person working the finish before me to stand at station 5 because of this.

Another point to note is that the corvette almost hit two people walking back from their work assignments. I noticed them walking back very close to the course with cars passing right by them. My station co-worker yelled at them but it didn’t do much. They were not even near the outside of the course area like they should have been. It was a minute or two later after they had walked by the stop gate when the corvette came thru. It was way to close for comfort.

I had a good time. It was the first event in my new ITR. I like rain events but it would have been nice to learn the car in the dry. I’ll be missing May 5th but hope to see you all next time.

Best time 68.xxx

Kevin

 

Woohoo! I beat Karen!

Al - who got to drive in the almost dry session and usually has his *** handed to him.

 

i was chillin in the timing van when jim attacked the tree. he locked his brakes in the stop box, got sideways and just kept 'em locked.

anyway, it was good to get out in the B16a CRX today. i ran a 66.3, pretty good in the rain. i believe i finished 4th in SM2. stupid vette's in the dry session.... anyway, some good showings today. i probobly lost about 4 seconds of wheel spin. i have all that power, and no way to put it to the ground when it's wet.. heheheee.

 

i wish i was there today. i do not have a car to drive yet. the M3 is not registered as of yet. soon!!

 

I thought the Z06 had ABS?? Weird....
So you are the one that I had to keep flagging for re-runs because you were catching the Miata that was ahead of you? Sorry!!

Karen

 

yeah, heheeee that's ok. that was a good thing, it think...

 

If he wants a 405hp Z06, all he needs to do is give me the keys to his old one... he doesn't have to keep throwing it into things! Yikes!

 

Ow, that was Jim? Was too busy freezing at #2 to just catch him roll up the bank into the sapling and see it Timber!

I had fun just wasting my time of 71.xx 4WDrifting it through the uphill and backside slaloms on the nonstick street Goodyears. Got some nice sideways slides (and 2 donuts).

Kevin, I think that was you I talked to. Glad you had fun!

 

Wow! Me too. I knew that rain dance would come in handy. Now what can I do next time? Inflate her tires with mercury?

 

I beat Karen, too, and I drove in the same heat! 64.5 or something like that.

Conversation of the day:

RacerMike: "Who is the guy in the Neon with the big wing?!" (Neon has stripes, a wing, altezzas and strobez.)
slowSER: "Hmmmm .... Oh, that's Courtney Cormier."
RacerMike: "So he knows what he's doing out there?"
slowSER: "Yeah, he autcrosses with VMSC. He's usually pretty close to Richard West."
RacerMike: "Oh, OK. He just turned a 63 (in the rain)."

 

Yeah, it was beat up on the overpowered RWD car day, that's for sure. And I beat Mike Geyer and Roger Garrett in the BP Corvettes!!!
Personally, I liked the one between me and Court which went something like this :

CamaroFS34 : "Hey, Court, Pat (slowSER) says that if we saw you on the highway, we'd have to rev on you!"
Courtney : "Yeah, well, get in line. Everybody revs on me -- Integras, Civics, Celicas, etc., -- and it doesn't matter if we have the tire trailer or not!"



And, yes, for those who've never seen Courtney drive before, he is a good driver. I've known him since he autocrossed a '72 Porsche 912 with the Blue Ridge Region SCCA about 7 years ago.

Karen



[Modified by CamaroFS34, 9:37 AM 4/22/2002]

 

Looks like Vince Bly was there in his Prelude

 

He was, and he kept getting re-runs for one reason or another. It was not his lucky day. The car ahead of him spun out once, so he got one for that. Then on his re-run some course workers went to reset the stop garage cones one of the vettes took out, and apparently they decided they liked the view there because they didn't go back to their station. (two cars got re runs for that). I got to work when Group B was driving and the rain picked up. Anybody who drove in Group B had the worst of the rain (good job AJ).

I was driving the silver 5th gen prelude, DS, #39 in the afternoon. My best time was a 70.035 I think. I got to try out my Azenis for the first time, but of course it had to be in the rain. I can't wait til I'm a better driver so I can modify my car and get the heck away from the Mini Cooper S (who the hell put that in DS?)

 

The car felt pretty good, being smooth was actually slower than getting the car a little loose to help it rotate.

No I didnt downshift, I really think it would have just been a waste of time. Im learning to better compensate for the boost lag (brake for turn, then immediately get back on the gas)
My first 2 runs I left it in first for the entire beginning twisty section (per Tims advice) but I think it ended up being slower.

I guess I should be happy that my newbie-*** got a 66.06 (IIRC)
(dont know about cones though I didnt hear the announcer)

 

The Z06 ABS doesnt work so hot in a spin, a friend of mine who instructs at summit point has told me a few bad stories about them. What happens is, if you get sideways and then lock them up, the car will keep rotating and shoot off in a tangent somewhere rather than continuing on whatever path it was on... something about the wheel speed sensors/abs sensors getting all confused.

Last year jim damn near stuffed his car into a concrete barrier at harry grove too. Maybe we should get him a hatchcrap?

RJ

 

At the Porsche autocross school (in early March) they told us that ABS is bad in a spin because you can't lock up the wheels and let the car continue on its path. The ABS keeps getting one or more tires to grip because it won't lock up and the car could end up going anywhere.
I don't know if they were right, but it makes sense.

 

Yep... this is the crux of the supposed "safer" ABS system. Most insurance companies now no longer offer a discount for having your car equipped with them. It gets ugly if your car is in a flat spin, without ABS you can lock them up and you'll keep going whichever driection you were going. With ABS, you may end up in a bad place (like up in the trees next to the bridge at Summit Point in the wet coming out of 8).

Ryan

 

Courtney is super fast. I think the stripes are standard. I didn't know his Neon had strobes, altezzas and a wing.

 

hey guys, I was there yesterday in my 86 Civic Si with the bronze wheels runnin in afternoon session B (#79).

I had a lot of fun (even w/sucky conditions). Was surprised to see several boosted Miatas there...couldn't talk to all of them tho cuz was stuck under umbrella most of time. I'm glad to have used the fwd instead of rwd yesterday.

Anyways, can someone help me get in touch with a guy named Pete with the long hair and mustache? I believe him or his son was the one driving the CRX wB16 and black hood....wanted to talk 3rd gen Civic suspension stuff....thanks.

 

Yeah we started getting rain around 1pm. Then it pour during our runs But we still pulled faster times than the group of cars there. It was held by the Corvette Club and in the wet we were still faster than them in the dry Ah the power of Honda