Infineon A/X video Options

[DanT]

In PCA GGR we have car fields that run anywhere from 100 to 120 cars. We allow any make of car as long as it is owned by or brought to the event by a PCA member. This year we have had Ferrari's, Z06 Vettes, BMW M3s and various other cars.
We have several former SCCA champions in our midst. Larry Sharp, Jeff and Stacy Reitmier. and of few others that come to mind. I don't know about up in WA but down in Sunny CA (65 degrees today) many of our PCA members do not take back seats to SCCA or other sanctioning body members. We used to run events with the Corvette club but they got tired of getting beat by 4 banger Porsches, not to mention the 6 pot variety.
In the past GGR AXs were run very differently than they are now and you would only get 3-4 runs at any given configuration. The way we run our events was changed to accomodate newbies and to foster their desires to return for more fun.
Not to cause any major discussions but the course that I saw on the video is not typical of GGR courses in its length or width. (GGR rules require all straights to be minimum 20feet wide and turn radiuses to be a min of 25feet.) That course was not to those specs. from what was visible on the video.
It is amazing to me that GGR takes such grief about our AXs but at every Porsche Parade folks like Tom Provasi and Terry Zaccone and others always take TTOD in their respective classes year after year.
Just my perspective after 15 years of AXing in GGR. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Dave_Darling]

Hey, Provasi is LPR--not GGR! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

BTW, JP was not specifically raggin' on GGR, but on PCA in general. So Tom's accomplishments don't mean as much in that context, because he's "only" running against PCA'ers.

I run PCA, because I like the atmosphere better. Also, when I was getting started at least, you got many more runs with PCA. LPR in particular!

--DD
(can ya tell I'm an LPR member?? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) )

[Steve_7x]

A bit of nostalgia from the 'old days'

When I started autocrossing (with GGR) in 1980, we had around 150 entrants. You were assigned a driver number based on the order that you registered (you wanted a very low number!). You lined your car up in lines broken down by car numbers. You signed up for 1 or 2 one hour shifts to work. The typical run was 1 practice and 2 timed laps, and participants had 2 to 3 runs (max) in a DAY. These runs were spread evenly throughout the day.. in other words you could easily have a 2+ hour wait between runs. We ran until 5:00pm - the last 15 minutes was in strict numerical order. There was no such thing as fun runs. Bottom line if you slept in you had a high number and were almsot guaranteed to get one less run then an early bird.

Autocrossing across Zone 7 has changed a lot over the years.

Infineon event

I saw the original plans for the Infineon event - and the course would have been more open and a lot different - but the Michael Andretti Trailer forced Kern and Matt to change about half the course and tighten things up significantly.

Other series'
As for SCCA events... I encourage folks to try them - the ones here in Nor Cal are very competitive. I ran a couple of SCCA and American Auto-X events in 2002 when I first got my car re-assembled and was trying to learn it. I did fairly well - but it also is a very humbling experience. There are excellent drivers and some very wild machines. Also in the events I ran, the structure of the courses appeared more wide open then what we have in GGR or Zone 7.

Going Faster
As for driving styles... one should not drive conservatively, however just being agressive can at times be counter productive. Remember the adage of 'slow down to go faster'. The comment I made to Trekkor about the one corner before the trailer demonstrates that. Going slower - would have made a better exit and a faster run.

just my $0.10

Steve

[Part Pricer]

Trekkor,

I've got to agree with J P. If anything, you were too smooth. You should have attacked that course more aggresively.

From what Icould see from the video, there were a couple of locations where sliding the car could have shaved some time. Personally, I only started winning trophys after I learned to slide and rotate the car. Depending on the course, it can be amazing the time that can be saved, and it can be a lot of fun.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/MDB2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/MDB2.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/MDB2.gif)

Great video. Keep em coming.

[SirAndy]

I've got to agree with J P. If anything, you were too smooth.

i disagree ...

schmooth is gud! he needs to be more agressive AND smoother at the same time. i can drift my car through a corner and make you feel like your're still in bed at the same time.

don't mistake being agressive with jerking the car around. that is not fast.
smooth but yet agressive and driving to the limits is the way to go.

now i just need to get back to the shop and finish my car so i can back up what i just said next AX season ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) Andy

[Trekkor]

Randal, where are you ?! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)

I've been working very hard all season with my instructor, Randal, to be as smooth as possible.

This idea of agressive, violent, sliding goes contrary to what I've been taught.

Give examples from the video where this could be put in place.

In my car, if you don't drive smooth through the turns, you spin or get sideways.

Keep the instruction coming.

Steve, I should have let you drive my car in place of yours since you lost a run due to the breakdown.
I wonder if you could of got TTOD from my car? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

KT

[J P Stein]

I admit that my perceptions may be a bit skewed, as all our AX venues are rough as a cob....there's a lot of crashing & banging going on. A good AX car can generate around 1 g of grip and our courses are fairly tight due to the area constraints. They are also often "tricked up" to slow the speeds down. It is a challenge to a course designer to keep entrances & exits as free as possible while avoiding the worst of the bumps & dips. Even then, there have been reports of the ulf in full flight.

For instance, this last one had 3 Chicago boxes. Hoofin' it thru one of them goodies is a violent maneuver even when you get it right. Typically, one will arrive at one of these things at 50-60 mph. Maybe 25-30 mph is needed in order to pass thru clean......these are an area to make time over the more timid souls ... heavy brakes and a left, right, left....more than a "flick". Get it right and you're a hero.
I've had some of my best(?) "big moments" at these suckers....blowing out the backside going backwards will ruin a good run, but that's how you learn "that was too fast".

A typical pass will leave me breathing hard (dunno if I'm holding my breath (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)) & sweating.

Aggression: More properly controlled aggression.
Learning where to "just get thru" and where to attack. I agree totaly with Steve's statment about giving up speed on an enterance to set up for an exit at a given section....controling the "red mist" is a bitch.

I love to watch Jim Daniels & his Miata. My usual reaction is
"my gawd, how does he do that?". ...and he was "only" 4th
in CSP at Topeka this year. Watch (& listen) to him once and one knows how to drive a course.....doing it yourself is another matter. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[Trekkor]

I was very happy with my outcome throught the start/finish.
All of the drivers were hitting these cones all day long.

KT