AX virgins no more. Great event great people. My 19 year old son and I beat the 1.7 to shit and got lots of seat time.

This car seemed to be struggling

The all important number application

pre race gathering

mild 356 outlaw

The kid on his 3rd run after ditching the instructor

Try to snatch the gearshift from my hand grasshopper...

The kid on the course

Britian working the grid hoping my kid does'nt pop the clutch and maim him

Resident German working his mojo. Thanks for walking the course with us Andy!

one of many HPH customers

The instructor told my son "Get on it, Get on it!", advice he was only so happy to take.

Awkward looking line, but this guy was running really hard!

Paddock

The kid trying to get air

Thanks to Mike, Jeff and Andy for the caravan. Thanks to Loma Prieta PCA for a great event. Thanks to Rob the instructor for telling my kid to GET ON IT (the repair bill is in the mail). And thanks to 914 club people for getting us interested in this great venue. The car broke down in Milpitas on the way back. I checked fuel, yes. I checked spark between the points, no. Condensor I thought. Since I did not have a spare, I got on the phone to AAA for a tow. While I am on hold, I hear the car fire up and there is my kid in the drivers seat with a shit eatin grin. Jiggled some wire or something. Dumb luck !

whooo, glad you guys made it home.

i always check the obvious nuts and bolts and wires after an AX.
things like the allen screw that holds the shift linkage together, etc.

glad you guys had fun!
Andy

First time for me too!
Goin' to Reno.

Great course.

One more.

Thanks guys! It was great fun.

As a newbie autocrosser about 4 years ago, I saw tons of 914s running (pre Boxsters at AXs). Man- I loved it. It was just the presence of so many 914s that made me come back. I used to work track just to see the cars fly by.

Today reminded me of those days- seeing all the 914s run one after another. My first love in cars will always be the 914. Seeing newer drivers discover their cars; seeing 914s with new motors, mods and setups; it reminds me of the things I went through learning how to drive, and how to sort out my car (neither ever ends).

Having Brad hanging around is huge- that boy knows his stuff and is willing to share what he knows to make you better.

The biggest reason I stay involved is getting to know great people, and being around really great people.

Thanks again everybody and thanks for all the sacrifices you made (some really made sacrifices)- staying up til 2:30am to get a car ready, driving 140 miles each way to get there, caravaning at 5AM, showing up early to help - you guys are the greatest - and I'm honored to be a part of it.

See you folks at the WCC!

Hey Rob,

thanks for all your hard work with the auto-x...I had a blast, thanks for taking a lap with me..I ended up dropping my time due to some of your advice

I sat like an asshole in the "instructor" lane on the grid hoping someone would feel sorry for me and jump in. Next time I will ask!

they seemed to be short on instructors, you pretty much have to "hunt" someone down.....I tried to find a 911 guy to help me out, but I think Rob did a fine job....not too sure if Brad trusts my driving to go out on the course with me or not, LOL

Great Pics there Patrick Now, wasn't that fun??? I remember my first time & last (which was just this last Sunday at PIR Portland). Always want more Are you running sways or any suspension upgrades?

......b

Thanks Rob for spending the time with me too. I know I have a lot of room for improvement but because of my experience yesterday I will be back! I loved it!

For sure we will be doing this again. I am preparing my wish list for HPH so I can bring my times down a bit. It was pretty cool to drive LEGALLY the way I allways wanted and sometimes did drive illegally! My son drove on the way home and I had to bite my lip to keep from telling him to slow down on on/off ramps.So when is the next meet? I noticed the results were not posted yet on the LPPCA site.
Serious fun!

I especially got an adrenaline rush from my freakin door flying open in the middle of a turn on the course. I stupidly drove off the course invalidating the time for the 2 other cars on the course behind me and have a big crease in my door for a war wound from the first campaign. I am buying a toilet plunger to pull out the dent tonight. Just think, if I owned a 911 I would have used the toilet plunger in my bathroom!

I was seriously impressed at how cool you stayed as that door came open, you were flying as well!

Kinda cool, driving off with you arm hanging down outside the door like you were cruising in traffic.

Shame about the crease though.

Richard

You West Coast guys really suck!

(Just Kidding)

I ran our local region's ax two weeks ago and I was one of two 914's there.

Great to see so many of you guys using thier cars like you need to.

Remember: If you don't break 'em, you're not driving hard enough.

Paul

I had a blast. "Instructing" from the pit lane is better for me. I can hear and see what your car is doing on the course and help people correct it with minor suggestions. I tried to work with everyone that wanted my help. It REALLY makes me feel good when somebody goes out (does as I tell them) and drops their times because of it. The smile on the drivers faces after I tell them what the car will do...and they do it.. is priceless to me. I didnt even have to thrash during lunch, only made one sway bar change so JasonS would stop slinging the ass end around on his white car. Dialed in more bar and Birgit could actually drive it.

We will be back with more 914's and faster people.

It almost brought a tear to my to see 3 914's that I prepared on course at the same time. Made me feel good.

B

We might have had more High Performance House cars there than Fastlane did, I saw one of the guys talking to Patrick trying to get his business from what it looked like...

Is there a way to get an HPH windshield banner that is removable?? (wife would cr@p seeing it on there full time on the 911 )

Oh yea, as Brad pointed out.....not one f'n 911 driver spoke to me (I did notice a few of them checking out my tires.....I've got cheap $80 tires on 3-piece racing rims...I guess they expected serious street or track tires mounted on them)....

The 914 guys have a much tighter group....oh, I did catch some flack from a Boxster owner for having a 914club decal on the 911.....

Mike.. the people I wasnt working with looked at me on grid like my head had been cutoff (like what the hell are you doing) I cant count how many times I used my hands to describe what the car would be doing to the driver of a 914) I feel bad for all the STUCK UP MF'rs who attend these events and sit in their cars with their nose in the air.


B

That was a really great experience.
Thanks all for the needed help.

Brad, thanks for pushing down the four corners and spot diagnosing the need for functioning shocks.

Randal, again, your instruction was perfect!

Andy, thanks for showing your car and roll cage set up.

Jeff, I look foward to hearing more about your car and it's stealthy mods. Megasquirt sounds cool.

I enjoyed cheering so many of you on as I dropped your green flag for group "B".

Awesome Day. I'll run faster In Reno, promise.

I'm a stuck up MF with my nose in the air.... and I drive a 914.

yeah, when you rode with me, all i could think about was:
"damm, feels like someone attached a boat-anchor to my car, WTF?" ...

haha, just kidding of course! any advice is very much apprechiated.
i especially loved it when you yelled "GAS GAS GAS" about 1 second AFTER i had floored the gas-pedal.

that's how a stock 1.8L feels like, rob meister ...

thanks to ALL of you guys, you rock.
Andy

I hope this works.

Marina AX #2 Results for 914s (and Mueller):

Albert Correia 914 Bp 48.943 47.406 46.941 46.331 46.155 45.861 2nd 45.861
Rob Ways 914 Bi 47.786 49.325 47.608 47.030 49.351 57.573 47.886 49.469 47.910 47.659 DNF 47.278 47.656 5th 47.030
Randal Barrick 914 Fm 48.528 9th 48.528
Ken Holladay 914 Bp 51.357 52.305 50.363 DNF 51.723 50.713 51.370 48.541 54.272 48.566 51.684 49.896 49.030 10th 48.541
Darren Doud 914 Bp 50.708 52.433 50.614 52.916 50.960 52.297 50.619 49.342 49.335 49.679 49.936 50.597 49.692 19th 49.335
Jason Samson 914 Bp 63.193 DNF 52.780 51.050 DNF 51.430 51.152 52.267 51.760 49.487 20th 49.487
Britain Smith 914 Ai 52.250 51.992 51.464 50.779 50.511 52.304 51.286 49.561 56.667 50.235 50.373 51.068 50.990 21st 49.561
Birgit Heinz 914 Bp 51.771 DNF 52.558 52.594 52.064 51.267 62.442 52.742 53.815 53.021 50.492 50.801 52.299 26th 50.492
Mike Mueller 964 Mi 54.988 53.233 51.492 53.325 51.266 53.177 52.391 52.455 51.260 51.249 53.009 51.239 54.016 28th 51.239
Andreas Scmidt 914 Bx 55.933 54.160 53.098 54.669 53.800 52.899 52.798 52.520 57.465 56.662 53.109 54.612 52.746 37th 52.520
Patrick A Pickerell 914 A 59.246 58.767 69.298 58.662 60.512 57.462 56.345 55.643 55.071 56.878 55.101 54.422 42nd 54.422
Jeff Keyzer 914 Ai 60.765 58.740 57.220 57.485 56.486 57.237 58.029 56.887 56.086 56.081 54.471 57.311 55.295 44th 54.471
Patrick E Pickerell 914 A 60.252 58.375 59.116 DNF DNF 57.933 55.337 54.722 54.593 45th 54.593
Trekkor Wills 914 B 63.318 59.159 59.228 58.239 58.558 56.708 57.572 55.676 55.129 55.495 55.272 55.867 58.692 46th 55.129

I didn't realize there were so many 914s and drivers out there. Thanks again Brad.

I still need some help for sure out there.....belive it or not, Rob actually scared me half to death when telling me to get on the gas at a point that now that I look back at it I was coasting* thru that section...I didn't think the car would stick, but the darn car just squatted down and flew thru the corner(s)...I would never of had the thought (or balls?) to hammer the gas thru that section before then..

*not really coasting, I "thought" I was okay to let the compression of the engine slow me down????

I see no reason why not to be social at these, I don't care what the heck anyone drives, I initiated conversations with damn near anyone that looked in my direction

hey, (besides müller with his 4x times moa HP 911), i had the best 914 time on street tires!

i know, everyone's looking for excuses, but it makes me feel better
Andy

Lol, I know the feeling mike, The guys telling me GO GO GO GO, and im in the 951, I can feel the rear end on the edge (wierd hoosers...) while im partal throttling through a sweeper.. Couple times he'd say, YES THATS IT.. or something that meant he was having fun

Just gotta trust those instructors, they know what their talkin about.

Andrew

i guess i have to come to the rescue of (some) of the 911 and boxster guys ...

i parked next to a guy who recognized me from the alameda AX.
nice guy, we talked about mine/his car, etc. he waved when he left after the event.

no tension there ...

they ARE a different crowed, we all know that, but i think (some) of them really apprechiate
the 914s (even if they don't acknowledge that in front of other 911 owners)

Andy

damn, i suck....i got spanked by almost all of the 914's....give some of these guys a few more weekends under thier belt and I'll be on the bottom of the list.....gotta get my 914 running to even things out...hahahaha

both rob and brad told me that i was (too) agressive ...

which i gathered is supposed to be a good thing.

brad said i was too agressive for what my car was set up for.

rob said i wasn't afraid to step on the gas where others won't.


sooo, what do i need to do next? HELP!
Andy

Andy, Im on the other side of the boat, My dad is like you, more agressive..

IM guessing that its much easyer to be less agressive, than more agressive..

It takes me a while to learn the limits of my tires (and when their hoosers that last one day @#$ its hard to do that...)

Andrew

Its good to be aggressive until the point you lose traction. Once you hear squealing rubber, you're braking, not intentionally but you're braking until you regain control- and that's bad.

Autocrossing is a quick shot of agressive yet smoothe driving. Traction counts (tires), higher revs (use your HP), brakes (ie when), lines (walk the course), and physics. Brad is the best resource I know... it'll cost you $$$ in your quest for places though.

i know it sounds crazy, but:

i just floor it until the car acts funny and then i try to deal with it.
my brain goes into "standby" as soon as the green flag goes down ...

i honestly keep my foot planted until the car starts acting funny,
and even then (like brad told me to) when the front plows through corners, i stay on full throttle and left-foot brake to get the car around.

it does make for nice spins sometimes, but hey, what do i have to loose?

i actually pulled a muscle on my left arm and my right thumb this sunday, trying to recover from a spin and the steering wheel got knocked out of my hand. outsch ...

Andy

You are missing a 914... Scott Yeaman...

I had 17 committed but a few backed out.

Andy,

I share very little (if any) information with the other drivers I'm working with. I have YOU and only YOU left foot braking right now (shut up in other words) We also need to check the rear springs on your car and make damn sure they are what I think they are. The car still feels VERY soft.. so they may not be 180's.I have a pair we can swap out for testing.


B

Damn Rob..

This guy was FAST for a BP 914. Do you know who he is ?

Albert Correia 914 Bp 2nd 45.861

My guy's with the 49's have a few seconds to make up.


B

Hey Mueller, got beat by Britain's 1.7 ?

Hey Rob, don't I count (964 M class #240)?

Not very inspiring though - pretty much even with Mueller overall but blown away by the 914s.

Time to get real I think....

Richard