Today was our very first Training and Lapping day we hosted on our own. A friend and I decided to host our own event the way we wanted with our own rules and course designs. We wanted to provided an avenue for some basic car control and some open lapping for those with more experience. Turns out most of our drivers picked up the pace pretty well and we eagar to take on new challenges. The course provided many technical challenges as well as fun ones. We had decided to use two different designs and to help keep the laboring task of changing the course to a minimal we switched directions. We provided a small breakfast, lunch and plenty of H2O through out the day. I personally had a lot fun, I was surround by some of my best friends and again had the opportunity to drive some of the most fun cars on the course. These people helped make this event successful. Everyone was very cheerful, provided alot of assistance with setting up the course and were really excited. They even stayed till the end to help clean up. I was bushed, by 3pm in the afternoon, I was ready to take a nap and it looked like most drivers were too, that would explain the low traffic on the course at that time. We made sure all of our volunteers received an opportunity on the track in the caring and skilled hands of an experienced driver. I am excited to hear what others thought of the event. I look forward to hosting another event as such if we are given another opportunity by DCTC. We have some pictures and some videos. I'll try to write up some reviews on some of the cars I got to drive in. In the mean time I gotta head for bed, I'll add more after getting some rest and as I recall them. I want to personally thank all the people who stepped up to help make this event possible as well as successful. Without you these events would not be possible. Prezawagon, Idget, Chux, Substeroo, Suubaaruu, Nuke, Cam, Fuji K and friends from outside this forum. Another day, another mile. -Cheech
Everyone else was working hard except for these slackers! And of course you have to set the standard. This is Joel's hot date for the day. Did I mention, she has pigtails and she is oriental. Looks alot like Mt. Fuji but from this shot, I'm sure you won't mind getting a massage from this lovely doll.
And yes we had pizza for lunch, 30mins or its free. This time his friends couldn't wait to get shotgun.
We had to friends who drove 5hrs from Sheboygan, WI to come play with us this weekend. The JDM GTO VR4 belongs to one of those boys.
I had a great time. As I was leaving I looked at the odometer on my car and realized that I put on about 100 miles on the track. My tires are proof, I certainly learned that all seasons can't take that kind of heat. I had the chance to have Sheen, Choung and Fuji both be passengers and drive in my car. It was really interesting to see the differences in their driving styles and to pick up some pointers from everyone. My confidence level improved a lot during the day, but by about 3:30 in the afternoon fatigue was starting to be a factor. I now know what I can work on to make myself a better driver and I have a few fairly inexpensive tips on what can improve my car on the track too. I did get a chance to ride in and drive Fuji's car for a few laps. I'll do a little write-up on that later and add it to Fuji's car review. Thanks again to everyone who organized and ran this event.
It was a BLAST. Got TONS and TONS of seat time in a number of different vehicles and it couldn't have been a more friendly, laid-back environment. I'd love to see more subarus out next time.
We had a pretty awesome time. Anesa felt like crap going home because capt Geo chewed her out for red flagging him . but other than that, we both had fun. Cheech scared the crap out of me in my own car :eek3:. I got a ride in Fujis.....wow. I took it a little easy, didn't want to beat on 'er too much, and was having problems with the big meats (apparently....225s and WRX wheels on an EA82 don't really mix...) in the morning. so I "only" put on about 60 miles on the track. we took a bunch of pictures and videos, hopefully I'll get those up in the next couple days.
Tell her not to feel bad. I was a few car lengths behind him on the SW corner when he went 2 wheels off, followed by 4 wheels WAY off. It happens to the best of 'em and he knew the rules. That's his wrong if he was salty. 2.2T AWD: Next time will depend on committed drivers and volunteers. Chong and Devin have all the logistical details figured out. Thanks again guys for organizing such a great event!
Chux, please send Anesa my warmest appology, and thank her for coming along and helping out. I will handle this personally. The driver should be dealing with the Event Marshal and not the corner worker. I didn't realize I had scared ya. The Monster Truck Wagon has plenty of grip, as you had witnessed. Thanks again for the opportunity. A personal review will be provided later. I saw you busy taking videos and pictures, so I'll wait patiently for them. :yumyum:
The site is located in Rosemount, MN at Dakota College. This is an actual state Law Enforcement training facility. We were fortunate enough to rent it out. The cost was kinda steep, but give the amount of seat time and atmosphere created, I think most of us would agree it was justified. As stated before this was an invitation only event. We are still testing the waters and are looking to hopefully opening the doors to more drivers. I would be interested to find out just how many serious drivers interested we have that would commit to participating in such an event if we were able to host another. Below are the AM and PM course designs, both intended to challenge the driver and test their skills. Some took more breaks than others and you can see why. AM Course PM course, revised section in gray
that looks like an awesome facility. i would love to participate but cost and timing is a big factor of course. here is the google sat map of the area: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...007,-93.071601&spn=0.007149,0.019226&t=h&z=16
I did tell her that it wasn't her fault, and she was totally in the right by enforcing the rules. he was pushing it too hard. but by that time, she was hot and tired and crabby, so it didn't take much (it's possible he was just giving her grief, and not actually mad at her). we stopped at McDonald's on our way home, and as soon as we'd spent some time in the A/C, and she got some sugar in her, she was going on about the rides she got there at the end. it was a good scare! I'm pretty sure my smile didn't go away for 20 minutes or more. of course, my arms were sore from hanging on for at least that long :laugh: Feel free to scare me anytime you like! I couldn't find my camera, so that was Anesa's.....so I have to steal it back to get the pics and stuff from it. I tried to make get pictures of as many of the cars as I could, and from numerous places on the course. so I hope they're worth looking at.
I wish I could have made this event. Please let me know the next time you have an event like this. I have been so busy with rally and rallyx the wife said no more track time right now.
Here's one from the friend! I believe this is like 8/10ths. [youtube]RVzeGpCPdi8&eurl[/youtube] It was A LOT of fun! I got my rear strutbrace made and it seems to work. Much Thanks to Devin and Chong along with everyone for making this happen. My car still had the brake issue. Bleeding the calipers was BETTER, but it wasn't enough. I MAY have to bleed the Master Cylinder.... This brake feel was holding me back from really pushing it. It wasn't consistant. However Chong DID push the car hard and drove much faster. This was the FIRST time I got real seat time with my car and the NEW setup. I need tires for next year. I did get to drive Joel's wagon. THAT was fun! I got to feel how mine used to feel! NA POWER!!!! heheeehehe About the hair. It was blowing all over my face so I had to tie it up somehow. I used ZIP-TIES to strap it!!!
Damn I should have hit it! that looks like it was really fun. I missed out again. if only I was in town.
Matt, it'd be great to have you out next time. It's really nice being able to use more than 1 gear Lots of footwork practice... I've gotten kinda rusty (lazy) from autox. Dave, we gotta get you out there next time for sure! Maybe it'll change your mind about selling yr car?
Although those are great videos, hopefully someone will have some video's that will do some justice. The amount of torque coming from Black Mamba is just insane, I have driven it periodically and I'm still trying to develope the right sensitivity for the throttle, unlike most cars I have driven before where it doesn't take me much time, this beast is a whole other breed of its own. It reminds me of how the old turbocharged Formula 1 cars were described to me. Of just how a tiny increment of the throttle does you a whole lot of hair raising. So far this weekends the R&D has proven the Black Mamba will be looking pretty good for the Oct event with BMW at BIR on the short track. Stay tune as we continue to develope this car and challenge ourselves to drive at a whole new level. So far we know this car is capable of, drifting/power oversteer thru the corners and short track and high speed. Someone has suggested they desired to see what she can do on Gravel. But the question remains, do we dare? I'm no Republican, but I approve those video's. LOL
It belongs to a friend of mine and it's not a VR4, it's a base model 3KGT. The car would've done alright if the car wasn't so darn low and its overheating issues.
Mt. Fuji, I keep reviewing your video and I just can't seem to figure out what all the exitement was all about coming out of the carosel? And who was your lady co-pilot? Did a deer cross your path? Almost sounded as good as Pastrana. LOL
I noticed he had the camera POINTED at me, so I figure since he's not paying attention to the road, I should SCARE him!!! hhahahaa I screamed right as I turned RIGHT to really get his attention!! Then after the slalom I gave her some gas and the rear started to drift around and he got a little surprised as well. hahahah "whoaA nO NO!" The Mamba IS a beast!!! I think I need rear camber plates now. A stronger rear LSD would really help with predictability at this level when on and off throttle. There's too much IN-LIFT!!! Also I think a DCCD controller would help some too. LSD first!!! KAAZ 1.5way!!!
As promised its time for one of my favorite highlights of an event. And that is driving other people’s cars and showing them another side of their car. I feel by writing these simple reviews its the least I can do to show my appreciation for having given me the opportunity to test out their precious cars at a safe level and environment. I have a lot of respect for the owners and their vehicles and would not abuse it in anyway, no more than I would to my own. Over the years I have had the privilege of driving many cars, nothing special about them other than just the experience itself, but none the less worthy of a testament of my own wits in hopes of bringing a smile to a friendly face. I could possibly start my own thread on the subject, but I won't, as I'm not a professional driver. But for some reason people mistaken I for someone else and they often hand me their keys without thinking twice. I will admit that these opportunities often remind me of the BMI episodes where enthusiast would bring their cars to have a professional test out their cars on the track and provide their reviews and suggestions on what to work on next and sometime the owners would compare their track times against the professionals.
alright, got the stuff off of Anesa's camera. unfortunately, most of the videos didn't turn out very well. sound cutting in and out, going in and out of focus....etc. but I edited the good stuff into a short little clip, which I'll upload to UTube before long. in the mean time....pictures: cooling off:
So I'll start with my favorite, its Black, its looks like it enjoys playing in the mud, and climbs hills and sounds a lot like Big Foot from the Monster Truck derby. I guess my mentallity when testing out a car is simple, find the most speed while maximizing the most traction. And in the case of Chux's Wagon, let’s just say it was a lot of fun trying to accomplish that goal. First thing you'll notice about this car is its ride height; she sits much higher than most Subaru's I'm familiar with. She's got some nice long legs on her, she's not much to look at, but she's got experience. The old girl really knows how to work the Subaru AWD system, going thru the fast sweeping corners you can literally feel all four just clawing around constantly searching for traction. She didn't complain much diving into the fast chachains, rotated quite well even with the body roll as if she just tiptoed around the tight corners. The understeer is noticeable; but with the right amount of braking you can easily get her to rotate just fine, just have to be a little patient and wait for it. The power from the NA boxer engine felt like a great combination for this setup as the suspension felt soft which I think this car is intended for offroad ventures. So I am surprised how well she did on our little tight course. I felt comfortable using the brake on this car, but than again I don't usually use the brakes very often. LOL Okay I kid, but I think this car was one who had the least issues with wheel hoping while braking when transitioning coming into the fast chachain where there was uneven pavement from two different compounds. Something’s worth mentions, perhaps stiffening the shift with some bushings to help the driver quickly figure out the gears, a little more brake bite would make it even more fun coming into the corners and simple 4 point harness to help keep the driver in place. Overall I think it’s a fun car to drive around no matter where you take it just the way it is. Did I mention I really like rumpping on the throttle, the exhaust nodes is what really reminded me of the Monster Trucks. Many Thanks, -Cheech
Sweet. This is pretty much my exact plan for future modifications. obviously the shifter is a pretty high priority. the front rotors are warped a bit, and it's just about time for new front pads, so some cryo'd powerslots and Hawk pads are very soon to come. not sure exactly what I'm going to do about a harness....but agreed, it's needed. and better dampening. which should help stiffen up the car quite a bit. it's not actually intended for offroad use specifically, but I do still daily drive it, so comfort is a priority. So I think the adjustability of some AGXs will be very nice. anyway, thanks for the thoughts! now, my little video clip:
Next I would like to share my thoughts on the Blue Toyota MRS. I personally think this has to be one of the best starter RWD cars for anyone who is serious about getting into Autocrossing in a RWD vehicle. Because the car only weights in around 2300lbs and is RWD, mid engine, short wheel base, steering felt quick and low center gravity, in addition to the neutral handling characteristics from the factor, makes for a fun car on a short technical course layout. For example coming down the increasing radius corner and making a quick right around the hair pin into a decreasing radius corner calls for some quick rotation. Well is also most like your drifting your way around that section as you come in with some speed, turn the wheel, load the front with the brakes to get the rear to swing around, and than its just a matter of steering the right direction and you back onto the power. The way I was driving this car I don’t remember have experience much if any understeer around the course. As for oversteer it was fairly ease to correct and just as well to ride it through. Power delivery with the variable valve technology felt linear and not torquey, and because of it, it helped maintained the stability of the car around the track. When comparing this next to the Honda S2000 on this course, I would easily pick the MRS over it hands down. The S2K has a power band that you can’t utilize in most of the slow tight corners to help get the rear end to come around. But it would be interesting to see the MRS vs S2K in a MN Touge Battle.
I also had a great time spectating and being a volunteer course worker. I think what made it so great was definitely the group. People were very relaxed and laid back but still attentive, safe and respectful. I got to appreciate first hand what the course workers have to put up with in terms of long hours in the hot sun watching everyone drive around. Fortunately, (aside from the Geo guy) everyone was safe and seemed to take their time in warming themselves up to the track layouts. I got to watch everyone progressively find faster lines, make smoother transitions, and learn from themselves, their cars, and instructors. Thanks to all who made it possible and for everyone who contributed to the friendly, helpful atmosphere. Oh and thank you for bringing me water while I was out there! whew, that made the difference! I think this event was a success and look forward to doing it again. Next time, I'll be working with Mt. Fuji Motorworks.
I forgot to add that I got to have a few laps around the track in my 08 OBS and it was a blast for the end of the day! It's def. not a track car but still did pretty well on the short/technical course.
