post(after) - May1st auto X thread - Page 2

LOBO M-COUPE · 05-02-2005, 12:10 PM

So much for having 315bhp and only two seats. Goes to show how much driver skill and handling overshadow power. Although, I have to say that a 1:07 was a decent run (last run.. in the rain no less)..... on shite tires! (sorry Randy.. hope your 933TT fair's better!).

P.S. That was my girlfriends time!! (FIRST AUTOCROSS EVER!!)..LOL she'll be kicking my ass soon enough!

330DTM · 05-03-2005, 08:29 PM

Opps, I posted my screeng grabs in the wrong thread. Anyways have a look...
http://www.maxbimmer.com/forums/show...8&page=6&pp=15

paulmon · 05-03-2005, 09:49 PM

The May 1st autocross was the best BMWCC track layout ever. It wasn't just 90 degree turns so tight even in a MINI you feel squeezed. It was open(ish) and had several areas that were open for interpretation as to best line etc. Assuming Nik keeps letting me drive his MINI I'll be at the next one, granted I've been at every BMWCC autox since May of '03.

I'm hoping to have FrankenMini out sometime in August.

Cheers,

Paul

**EMPOWERD** · 05-03-2005, 09:57 PM

For those interested... the results are actually up on BMWCC trillium's site:

http://www.trillium-bmwclub.ca/trill...sults.ax05.ytd

Quote:

Originally Posted by 98323IS

I enjoyed seeing Randy get more pissed everytime Steve layed down a faster lap LOL. I believe the quote was "WHAT........54.2?!?! That's it I'm going to tackle him and break his right ankle!" haha, none the less I had lots of fun. Maybe I'll participate in the next one instead of being a spectator. Except I'll probably never complete a full lap.......I'll get lost lol.

LMAO!

did you have a tape recorder? I forgot I said that (heat of the moment, sorry Steve).

paul christians · 05-03-2005, 11:13 PM

he was in the SMART car so play nice...........hahahaha......

85eta · 05-03-2005, 11:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EMPOWERD

LMAO!

did you have a tape recorder? I forgot I said that (heat of the moment, sorry Steve).

Pfft, that's nothing! You should hear some of the things Brad says to me day to day! lol, J/K Brad.

Brad told me you said that and I just laughed though, no skin off my back!

Although if you did decide to come after me, you would have to catch me first and I can run pretty fast! By the looks of a recent video I saw it wouldn't matter if you were on foot, or in the SMART!

just325iS · 05-04-2005, 12:08 PM

Hey LOBO, my girlfriend did a 1.10 with the 150 horse, stock Accord. I wonder how well she'll do in your car. hehe.

msix · 05-04-2005, 11:15 PM

Please, you guys, realize that HP don't mean shit in AutoX. As a matter of fact, it's most of the time a lot harder to drive a high HP car in an AutoX than with a Hyundai Excel .... for example.

A good handling car is a bonus, but whether it's a fast run or not is depending 80% on the driver.

I know guys, they can sit into any car and have a faster run the first time out, than the owner of that car who has been driving it for 10 years.

Seat time is all that counts, as much practice as you can get. There are a lot more clubs around Toronto that do AutoX or also called SOLO 2. Just about every weekend there is an event somewhere.

Usually if you are a member of a Club that is affiliated with CASC-OR, like the BMW Club, you can drive at any other event. I wish I could come to more events in Toronto, but a 9 hour drive for a 5 hour event does not make sense. Well, maybe a couple of times a year, but then it's usually a Regional event.
Now since there is a 85 eta doing so well, I might just have to come down with my 85 eta to see how well ......

Klaus

**thinair** · 05-04-2005, 11:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msix

I know guys, they can sit into any car and have a faster run the first time out, than the owner of that car who has been driving it for 10 years.

This reminds me of Randy, last year he did a run in my car and bet my own time.

rico328i · 05-05-2005, 12:22 AM

Remember - Power is Nothing Without Control (Pirelli). Just take a look at the cars that consistently post 'fast' times. At least within the BMW-Trillium club. Mini's! They handle and tackle the tight courses very well! There's also a Focus, an Echo, and of course the 85eta ...and Rolfe's 325is. Not to say that the cars don't help. They do, but yeah...a lot of it is driver! There's a guy with a 911 that always does well too. He has POWER and CONTROL. Me, I'm still learning and have a long way to go. I've noticed that if I remember to be smoother, I have better control. Compared to my runs where I 'beat' up the course and car!

At the end of the day. It's all about FUN! You guys who haven't come out should try it. At least once! I guarantee it'll put a smile on your face.

JazzM · 05-05-2005, 08:41 AM

With me I'm mostly competing against myself... trying to better my own times and learn from it - hence further develop my drivng skills.

You also learn a lot by watching some of the more developed drivers go. Its a blast.

T.

LOBO M-COUPE · 05-05-2005, 04:37 PM

The heat is on.... although ACCORDING to me.. the blonds have more fun

330DTM · 05-05-2005, 10:34 PM

Actually it's great to ride with the quicker drivers. I normally pay close attention to their hand positioning and technique as well as when they gas and brake. For autocrossing, most of the time you're either on the gas or off, you want to avoid and minimize the amount of time you coast, cause that waste's time. Not only that, but you want to take your lines as smoothly as possible. Sometimes I even imagine that I'm driving while I ride with others, plus I have the advantage of being able to look even further.

After watching a few of the clips I shot, I noticed that some have a nice clean line, while others are sometimes making small corrections to get that clean line. Some keep a great job at going around the cone as close as possible (i.e. you want to keep the inside rear wheel as close to the pilon as possible). I'm not implying that the others aren't doing great. Everyone's always improving and we all tend to make some mistakes when racing against the clock.

I'm by no means an expert, but it's what I've picked up over autocrossing and also from watching others.

msix · 05-06-2005, 12:21 AM

Quote:

For autocrossing, most of the time you're either on the gas or off, you want to avoid and minimize the amount of time you coast, cause that waste's time.

you have to be carefull with this statement, a lot of people make the big mistake and use the gas like an ON - OFF switch. In a way your are right, you are either on the gas, or your are not, however, there are enough people out there who drive very jerky, they are either full on or full off.

The trick to a fast run is MODULATION.

As LOBO can attest, he was driving with me a few weeks ago at the SPDA AutoX School, I am using the gas throughout most of my run in the mid range. It's not coasting, just keeping the car balanced, yes I need to brake, but mostly a quick stabb on it and that's it, except in the Stopbox of course. Most competitor cannot understand that I am driving AutoX with Hawk HT10 pads, which are pure track pads ... very little cold stopping power. I don't have a problem with them, because I am driving a different line or in a different way.
You become a lot smoother this way, the weight transfer is not as sudden, the car is a lot easier to manouver ... and heck the run time is all of a sudden faster. The whole run does not look as exiting, but you can bet it will be faster.

A lot of people drive like it is a sprint race from one gate to the next gate, then again from that gate to the next gate, full throttle out of that gate, full brake into the next gate and so on.
Very few drivers tie the whole course together, from one element to the next one. I am doing at least four course walks before the event, looking back many times and changing the line in my head until I think that this is going to work best.

Yes, observe a lot of other drivers, learn their lines and watch for mistakes and look which line works best.

'nuf said,

330DTM · 05-06-2005, 12:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by msix

you have to be carefull with this statement, a lot of people make the big mistake and use the gas like an ON - OFF switch. In a way your are right, you are either on the gas, or your are not, however, there are enough people out there who drive very jerky, they are either full on or full off.

The trick to a fast run is MODULATION.

Yes you caught me there and sorry, that's what I meant as in modulation when you're on or off the accelerater pedal.

By the way, since I've never done the wider and higher speed courses that you've done, how is it like?