Pictures from the El Toro Autocross Options

[alexx19]

Did you know there is a night AX in Riverside on August 12th? Click Here for the info.

Darn. I'm taking my car all apart today to switch over FI and I'm also waiting on a new flywheel which should be here by the end of the week. If by some miracle that I get my car running...

My SCCA club is running a night event the same night at California Speedway. They call it "The Night of the Living Dead." see http://www.solo2.com/eventpage.asp?eid={E9...6-24970539B5D4}

But you guys have fun laying down some "4 cylinder smack down." (IMG:style_emoticons/default/aktion035.gif)

I'll keep my eyes opened for the next event and hope to see you all again soon (if I can keep my Fiat running).

I may have to buy a 914 if I keep getting beat by you guys. JUST KIDDING! Like that will continue to keep happening. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/drunk.gif)


PEACE OUT.

--> Alex

[hmeeder]

Hell yes Alex, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I enjoyed our good natured smack talk. (He made some statement that he used to own a 914 but preferred Italian cars. Not sure what that was all about. Didn't make much sense to me.)

IIRC the only truly valuable piece of advice I gave him was to drive without regard to his own personal safety. He promptly shaved 1 1/2 seconds, but killed a cone in the process! I had to amend my comment to include some regard for the cone's safety.

I found my carb problem this morning. Pulled one of the idle jets out and there was a bug (kind of gnat thing) jammed in the idle jet port, WTF? Must have crawled in there when I had my back turned.

I fuchin hate carbs. Running good now, but I'm sure that'll change by tomorrow.

I really liked the event, but it was obvious that the organizers never expected that many drivers (to fill events, they have traditionally invited SCCA to run. As you can see by the photos, a pantload of SCCA did show, as well as a full contingent of PCA.) This put the organizers a bit out of their element and they couldn't execute as efficiently as I'm sure they hoped. Long day and a loss of some practice runs were the result. It's just growing pains and I'm sure they learned a lot and the next event will be that much better.

My only other issue was with the track design. They had a ton of room and could do so much more than they did. I think their past experience was at smaller venues and while this was a long course (about 1.25 miles) it was primarily point and shoot (4 slaloms!) I would have liked to see some higher speed sections followed by deep braking zones and tighter corners (great for heel and toe and double down shifting) and long sweepers decreasing in radius (throttle steering and trail braking.) After the first turn I put the car in third, left it there and never touched the brakes until after the lights. It was a fun course, but only a 'medium' for technical driving. Just my $.02.

All in all, I would gladly go again and I'm looking forward to the next time I can make it.

[Brad Roberts]

I had a friggin blast.

Fun group. The atmosphere is pretty relaxed. I would like to see the results. They should do something about POSTING the times during the day (like every other region I have run with)

I was running 84's (barely) in the 993. Amazing how much of a handful driving a 911 is. It felt like a full time job. I had to think 5 minutes ahead to go where I wanted to go. Note to self: dont bring serious road racing material to an autoX event. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Bottom line: I had fun. Got to see Matt/Albert/Tony/Thomas/ I saw Joe Sharps car, but didnt see Joe.

B

[Trekkor]

Was that you, Brad, in the first pic with the blue tank top?

KT

[Brad Roberts]

yeah.. no shit.. talking to Herb.

I ran the MOM 993 you helped me fuel!!!


B

[Brad Roberts]

We need more 914 people running down here. The courses are tad more friendly for 914's with the OCR region. They build true SCCA AutoX courses. SDR is semi tough on the 914's (unless you have 300hp)



B

[MattR]

Tony, did you get any pictures of the Mind Over 993? (with the stars and bars)

[kdfoust]

I wondered who the 9sshole with the road race car was...knife to a gunfight there my friend. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

I enjoyed the day although I completely lost the handle in the timed runs. I spun 40ft from the start on one pass and on the next pass 1/3 of the way into the course. I once said that I've never learned anything from a spin but I was wrong. I learned that finding yourself parked, pointing the wrong direction on course will definately cost some time. After the two spins I switched back to finding the car mode.

Things did finish pretty interesting. The SCCA big guns in the Vettes and AWD Subies were really laying down some quick times moving through the 82s, 81s, and into the 80... Alas that wasn't quite fast enough to conquer a '69 911 (FI class) with a 2.2 (IMG:style_emoticons/default/burnout.gif)

Yeah, TTOD went to an extremely well driven 2.2L 911. I forget the exact time but it was like 80.1xx. I'm sure that the fact that the same driver designed the course had nothing to do with it... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/happy11.gif)

Later,
Kevin

[TonyAKAVW]

I'll check to see what other pictures I have. my camera battery died pretty early on so I didn't get as much as I had hoped for.

-Tony

[MattR]

I wondered who the 9sshole with the road race car was...knife to a gunfight there my friend. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Well, Geoff brought his GS car (prepared for Grand American). I dont think he is an asshole. He is my previous employer.

The other road race car was a 993 built by Brad and another friend of mine (also a coworker at Porsche). Brad is an asshole, but Betim isnt... yet.

[BenT]

I really like the fiat.

Me too. Nice Dallara bodywork. IIRC Bayless Racing is still selling that kit. I'll probably get flamed for this but I wish the 914 looked more like the X1/9. Love the angle of the rear pillar.

Fix It Again Tony. I tried to buy a black version of the is car on Ebay. I like the way it looks but not enough to buy a very nice well sorted black Dallara bodied X1/9 for the price of a ratty 914-6.

BenT
Serial 914 Owner

[ConeDodger]

Hell yes Alex, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welcome.png)

I enjoyed our good natured smack talk. (He made some statement that he used to own a 914 but preferred Italian cars. Not sure what that was all about. Didn't make much sense to me.)

Herb,

Prefering Italian cars is a psychological disorder. You can read about it in the DSM IV R. I have known several people with the disorder and it is quite sad to watch. When the car breaks it costs an arm and a leg to fix. Often they put children up for adoption just to keep the car running. Sad too is the fact that they always break.
Be kind to Alex. He needs your support. Invite him to all the events you can and eventually when he is receptive you can have an intervention. He may break down and cry at first. But it is all for the better.
Alex welcome... My tongue is of course firmly in cheek when I write this.
By the way, if you get rid of the X1-9 and get a 914 you can still use the most important tool for your X1-9 as it fits the 914 perfectly. Jackstands!

[alexx19]

You guys are hilarious!

Italian cars -- sure, it's a disorder and one that I'm proud to admit. That's probably a disorder too. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/piratenanner.gif)

After my first 914 threw a rod while racing a friend in a Mustang I got another X1/9. In fact, I bought the X1/9 because of the price. The first one was $387 and the second was $325 while I paid $1600 for the 914. All of these numbers were huge for a 16 or 17 year old.

And I also forgot to mention that I drove an '87 911 for 4 years before going back to Italian cars. Now that was on reliable car, indestructable actually. So I do have a dark P-Car past before admitting and embracing my F-Car afflication.

Parts are easier to get for the 914 but I've never had to pay more than $500 for an X1/9. The last 3 that I got were between free and $500. The $500 one was perfect with ZERO rust and not even a door ding. It didn't run but all I had to do was throw on a timing belt and I've been driving it ever since.


There are only 2 X1/9s that I know about who run autocross in SoCal (a few more that road race) while you have almost a dozen 914 guys who autocross. Now that's pretty lame and I'll have to work on propping up my numbers.

PEACE

--> Alex


PS Here's the other X1/9 from SoCal... I guess it would take some pretty big balls to show up at a Porsche Club event with these plates!!!

(IMG:http://www.socalx.com/x19/gallery/albums/userpics/10061/normal_20051113_CharlieAutoX%20(2).JPG)

PSS And on this day the plate was correct even against the bigger red Fiat in front of him.

[Brad Roberts]

Kevin,

have you corner weighted you car? I cant imagine that it is even remotely close right now with the rear ride height sitting where it is. I would imagine lift throttle oversteer is VERY VERY easy in that car.


B

[kdfoust]

Kevin,

have you corner weighted you car? I cant imagine that it is even remotely close right now with the rear ride height sitting where it is. I would imagine lift throttle oversteer is VERY VERY easy in that car.


B

Corner weights? Don't try to confuse me with all that fancy talk, mister. I've got a drift car there. The fact is it oversteers when parked with the key off if you lean against the rear of the car to hard. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif) It is an evil handling beast at that ride height but I'm sure I've got a future as middle-aged drifter...

Here's the story: Our friends at Ground Control sent 12" springs instead of the 10" that I ordered. I installed them to see if it would "sit right". Car has KONI sports so you know the spring perch clip height issue there which isn't helping matters one little bit. I didn't have time to swap the bilsteins back in to get the ride height closer. I've got some 10" springs coming in this week. I'm sure it'll be much better behaved then. The front sticks like stink though. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

In any case I ran the car I had, not the one I wish I had... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

Later,
Kevin

[Brad Roberts]

Cool. Just checking.

I watched and watched to see if you would be near the car, but never saw you near it. I had my hands full answering questions and selling the Boxster Spec class to people (without the Boxster..LOL)


B