GGR AX #9 at Alameda, who is going to be there? Options

[grantsfo]

In my opinion the course was far too open on the first half, ended up being much like a drag strip up to the twisty section. Andrew was getting to around 5,000RPM in 4th gear, which vastly exceeds speeds we've done at other courses.

I actually found that fast section to be quite challenging to hit at the right speed. Based on the amount of spins there I think others found it difficult too. Also the braking section into the left corner was rarely done well by most. Most didnt give up enough on that corner and ended up plowing too far right for the next turn. Dan, you set that one up perfectly to catch inexpereinced drivers of high HP cars.

I have been on course setups just as fast if not faster at Marina and at Santa Rosa. I dont think every course should be setup to the advantage of lower powered cars. We need more like this not less. Back in the 70's when Monterey Region ran on the Salinas Airport they used to route cars on to an unused runway and have them do a 180 and head back onto a full out AX course.

On a seperate note, I do like the trend of newer cars doing so well. Its amazing to see almost stock cars coming very close to times set by a stripped down modified AX car on race slicks.

[nebreitling]

i don't think the course was "far too open" at all. I've been on much faster AX's. I thought the course was quite balanced and fair.

Driving the firehawk was an.... experience. absolutely stupid power with no turn in and pitiful brakes. it's good experience for me to drive different cars, though. Vlad made a huge improvement -- from a 106 to a 54 (there's your 12 seconds, Randal!!). I started at a 53 and ended up with a 48.5 (finally kicked Vlad out of the car on the last run -- that was worth a second).

Grant, your car feels great! i was totally impressed with how much balance it had. of course, you didn't have 350 ft/lbs of torque at the wheels (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Trek's car looked great on track, but it sounded like he was having some pretty nasty carb-issues. the spec boxster looked absolutely fabulous through the cones...

[Randal]

Another perfect day in Autox Heaven; great venue, perfect weather, lots of cars and a great course thanks to Dan. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

The course was actually quite challenging. While the first half was high speed (fun) the second half was very technical. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif)

Dan utilized boxes instead of a "lining cone" concept for the course.

Boxes cannot be navigated correctly unless you have the next set (or possibly two) of the (apex) gates/cones in your eye before you finish the box (corner) you’re driving.

After screwing it up all morning I watched the last half, especially toward the end, during my break.

This part was essentially an unequal length offset slalom with pointer cones between to keep people from running over course workers. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif)

I only observed one run group on this most difficult part but Andrew, Dan and Trekkor in this group had this part down. They were getting through there way faster than anyone else in their group. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smilie_pokal.gif)

Probably no ones appreciates the work Dan did to get this course right. Besides a great design which took time and thought, every radius was measured and marked off at 35 feet with a tape. There were also numerous request/demands to change the course which Dan managed to put on the shelf. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool.gif)

Us early morning volunteers didn’t make the drivers meeting as there was much to accomplish even after the cones were set, i.e., setting worker stations, picking up all un-used cones, setting up the starting grid and relocating the porta potties 700 feet from where they dropped them next to the bay, i.e., nice view but a long long walk. (HA. My truck had a DNF even before the first run and it was hauling a real load; I even got yelled at for driving too fast before the first flag dropped).
It ended up being a long day starting at 4:00AM, but I know my partner was tired (all night thrash on Lucille) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/yellowsleep[1].gif) but that, as usual, didn’t slow him down much.

I’ll hope Bill had a better time keeping his eyes open on the way home. I had to stop for coffee.

And like Bill said, CONGRATULATIONS to the Lee Hamilton team on a job well done for the entire year. Consistently winning by such big margins is a testament to a well prepared car and great driving. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap.gif)

[DanT]

Do we want the same old 90-180-270-360 (damned loops) type of courses.

i haven't seen a real 360 since marina two years ago. full 360 around a center cone is *FUN* ...
(IMG:style_emoticons/default/driving.gif) Andy

We had two of them on two different courses this year at Alameda (IMG:style_emoticons/default/sad.gif)

[nine14cats]

i don't think the course was "far too open" at all. I've been on much faster AX's. I thought the course was quite balanced and fair.

Driving the firehawk was an.... experience. absolutely stupid power with no turn in and pitiful brakes. it's good experience for me to drive different cars, though. Vlad made a huge improvement -- from a 106 to a 54 (there's your 12 seconds, Randal!!). I started at a 53 and ended up with a 48.5 (finally kicked Vlad out of the car on the last run -- that was worth a second).

Grant, your car feels great! i was totally impressed with how much balance it had. of course, you didn't have 350 ft/lbs of torque at the wheels (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

Trek's car looked great on track, but it sounded like he was having some pretty nasty carb-issues. the spec boxster looked absolutely fabulous through the cones...

Hi Nathan,

I was going to ask how you were rotating the Firehawk through the back of the course? I was watching and thinking to myself how I would do it...maybe trailbrake a little on the hard side....possibly with the left foot and then blip the throttle?....or did you just give it up and toss the car while trail braking?

That car would have been alot of fun to give a go with!

Bill P.

[nebreitling]

even aggressive trail braking wouldn't overcome the push in the back half of the course -- way too much front bias. i would time my 1st gear clutch uptakes with threshold braking to get the car loose well before my turn-in point. had to be carefull not to over-rev the car doing this (especially since it wasn't mine).

[Randal]

even aggressive trail braking wouldn't overcome the push in the back half of the course -- way too much front bias. i would time my 1st gear clutch uptakes with threshold braking to get the car loose well before my turn-in point. had to be carefull not to over-rev the car doing this (especially since it wasn't mine).

OK, I believe that as long as you don't say you were trying to save rubber (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[nebreitling]

lol... i was keeping the rears lit up 60 feet at a time!

[Brad Roberts]

What is a Firehawk? Trans Am? Firebird?


B

[DanT]

What is a Firehawk? Trans Am? Firebird?


B

Yep! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[nine14cats]

B,

That car was really fun to watch! Looking at it head on as it accelerated it looked like a dragster....

It was cool!

Bill P.

[Brad Roberts]

Was it a "true" SLP FireHawk? Those are semi rare cars when equipped with the SLP package. Still a tank..lol, but certainly *different* for a PCA autoX.


B

[Demick]

The Firehawk was fun to watch. I don't think Nathan completed 1 foot of that course without some wheelspin. Serious HP, and a serious pig in the turns.

One run I noticed that in the braking section at the end of the straightaway, Nathan locked the rear wheels up (fronts still turning). WTF??

[nebreitling]

nope, "just" a WS6 -- not a true SLP firehawk. custom exhaust, intake, other goodies. dyno'd 330hp/350torque at the wheels. he had it weight at 3800 lbs. Vlad and I pulled out about 300 lbs of stereo the night before. total fucking handful at an AX.

what never ceases to amaze me is that an 80hp 914 on dot-r's can kick its ass.

[Chris Pincetich]

Now that I've been to an Alemeda event, I wish there was another soon. I managed to go from 101 seconds in my confused first run to 53s all afternoon. I REALLY wish someone had "split times" of the first part of the course vs the second. I had some great runs through the back slaloms but always felt slow after the big straight start. Watching Andrew in the blue 914 attack the final part of the course was awesome, and so was that last run in the red/yellow boxter, all of Nathans runs, sitting shotgun with Demmick at 46.9 sec, and hearing Trekkor's symphony of scraping splitter, carb spitting, and 100db exhaust tone. Thanks again Trek and Demick for all your help! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/beerchug.gif)

[nebreitling]

One run I noticed that in the braking section at the end of the straightaway, Nathan locked the rear wheels up (fronts still turning). WTF??

that's really interesting -- i didn't feel that. i was trying to overwhelm the rears just prior to turn-in by inducing heavy clutch uptake under braking. perhaps, combined with braking, that induced lockup?

[nebreitling]

So Nathan, Who is paying for tires! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)

True story: we had a party a couple years ago at our house, and Vlad had WAY to much to drink. I had a few too many myself. So I head to bed early. Well, later on, Vlad pukes all up and down our stairs. I'm talking projectile, here. I had cooked steaks earlier, and there were bits of expensive half-digested ribeye EVERYwhere.

I wake up in the middle of the night and this smelly russian ogre of a man is spooning me, with dried bits of vomit on his lips and -- somehow -- in my hair. The next morning, he's nowhere to be found. Guess who got to clean?


Vlad is just beggining to pay me back.

[DanT]

what never ceases to amaze me is that an 80hp 914 on dot-r's can kick its ass.

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/popcorn[1].gif)

[Brad Roberts]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/clap56.gif) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

I almost puked reading that...

The "spooning" sent me over the edge..LOL (IMG:style_emoticons/default/av-943.gif)


B

[Trekkor]

pics are up on GGR site. ( no spooners )

http://www.pca-ggr.org/


KT