BMWCCA/PCA Auto-X Z-Hills 1/30 - Wrapup

[99TL]

Originally posted by Muddy
Sure thing. I will be there in my new toy.




http://memimage.cardomain.net/member_images/12/web/540000-540999/540326_22_full.jpg

great looking car in person and nice times to boot... that thing looked like a blast to drive.

[Mars_302]

Originally posted by OversteerS2K
They dropped it back to $20 for everyone for 2005. Last year they had non-members bumped to $30. Some asshole ( ;) ) made a stink about it. I think the "other" class shrunk down due to the 50% surcharge.

The courses are always fun (until the finish). Generally it's a Danny Sheilds design or he makes some tweaks to someone elses course. In any event I've never seen a bad course by Danny and w/o the SCCA rule book to worry about, speeds in my car are usually at a low to mid 70MPH peak on each side. I've probably hit 80 and imagine some of the larger displacement cars with race tires flirt with 90 briefly. Sometimes you can just stand on it for 3-5 seconds. Most of the time it's 4 runs but 3 when the number of entries is high. FTD for "others" usually gets a beer mug or T-shirt from a long gone Porsche event. But, like Sunriders, these events are just for fun - and they are. The only heavy competition is in a select few PCA & BMWCCA classes.

The surface is great practice for autocrossing in the rain. It's "unique".

One tip - see which way the wind is blowing and make sure you get a work station upwind. If you're on the wrong side you'll get caked with it and be picking your nose for days.

Lunch usually comes courtesy of the Sheilds' sponsor Suncoast Porsche (two or three Publix deli trays).

$20 is worth it. Go.

I wish i had rememebr that aboout being upwind...... And it was $30 for non members. Surface acutally wasnt that bad, dusty as shit but it gripped decent for me, I could acutally excelerate full throttle for some reason.

So annoyed the timing went out on my last run for the fun runs. I know that woulda been a 58

And good meeting you Kickslop. We will have to be more social at the next event :) Overall after the fun runs, I had a good time.

[99TL]

i don't think i met you kickslop... my best fun run: 54.7xx, best regular runs 55.5xx. Now where are the pics Mars?

[Mars_302]

he had the silver wrx with black rims I believe

[99TL]

yea i remember the car... nice looking and sounded really good too.... btw, got home and checked the rears on my car and there is some mild blistering on the insides...

[kickslop]

Yeah, I was the nerdy toothpick dude with the silver WRX (which just got a well-needed bath). I talked to you for a minute or so, 99TL. I'm hurt.

I ran BADLY relative to what I should have been able to run, but no excuses from me. I just sucked. My final run was a 56.something +1. Oops. The first 2 runs were... worse.

It was good to meet some new people for sure.

[99TL]

Originally posted by kickslop
Yeah, I was the nerdy toothpick dude with the silver WRX (which just got a well-needed bath). I talked to you for a minute or so, 99TL. I'm hurt.

I ran BADLY relative to what I should have been able to run, but no excuses from me. I just sucked. My final run was a 56.something +1. Oops. The first 2 runs were... worse.

It was good to meet some new people for sure.

oooh.. i didn't realize you were the one in the WRX..

[kickslop]

Mmm, dust boogies. :lol:

[Loren]

Really fun event! Even only doing 3 runs, it was a good time. (didn't feel like sticking around for fun runs) I'm sure I met several new folks there... but I'll have to meet them a few more times before I remember them!

[OversteerS2K]

Hmm. $30 again, huh? $10 per run isn't too attractive. How many fun runs and how much per?

Still wish I'd have gone. I had drunks on my floor until noon though (Gasparilla syndrome). I'm assuming Muddy took FTD for the "others" class? Or maybe Leonard's FFR? Don't think I'd have been any threat on my, circa 2000, OE bald rocks.

Was Danny Shields running his '02 Boxster-S (bright blue) or his '89 944 S2? Anyone note the best Porsche & Bimmer times?

[99TL]

danny had the ftd in his 944... it was 50.8xx i think and jamal had the fastest bmw time with 51.3xx or something close... jamal also had a scare hitting 1st gear when trying to hit 3rd... sent his car into a pretty rapind spin.. fingers crossed for no bent valves. didn't seem like it did any damage. And I think we did 3 fun runs and they didn't cost anything extra. Danny also ran a neon ACR and hit 51.6xx i think.

[Loren]

Originally posted by OversteerS2K
Hmm. $30 again, huh? $10 per run isn't too attractive. How many fun runs and how much per?


Yeah, they said it's been $20/$30 for the past year. I mentioned that their website said $20 and even though I offered to pay $30, Sharon said that she'd only take $20 from me. I know of at least one other person who got the same deal. So, for as long as their website says $20, you may get away with that.

I'm assuming Muddy took FTD for the "others" class? Or maybe Leonard's FFR? Was Danny Shields running his '02 Boxster-S (bright blue) or his '89 944 S2? Anyone note the best Porsche & Bimmer times?

Muddy was almost the fastest Other, but someone squeaked past him. Leonard was not present. Danny ran both his Neon and his 944. He ran the Neon first, so I think his 944 times didn't count... or something. Not that it matters. He ran 52's in the Neon, 51 or better in the 944. Someone may have been in the 50's. My personal best was 53.3. Not too many people got below 54 seconds on this course.

Jamal had best BMW time by something like .02!

[99TL]

danny did hit a high 50 on his last run. that last section was really tight... on all of my runs except my last fun run i felt like i was really fighting the car going through... last run i focused on trying to be a lot smoother and it seemed to help.

[Muddy]

Originally posted by OversteerS2K
Hmm. $30 again, huh? $10 per run isn't too attractive. How many fun runs and how much per?

Still wish I'd have gone. I had drunks on my floor until noon though (Gasparilla syndrome). I'm assuming Muddy took FTD for the "others" class? Or maybe Leonard's FFR? Don't think I'd have been any threat on my, circa 2000, OE bald rocks.

Was Danny Shields running his '02 Boxster-S (bright blue) or his '89 944 S2? Anyone note the best Porsche & Bimmer times?
Loren took first in the "other" class, I was second, and Jeremy tied some guy in a FM2 powered miata for third. :D I am glad I spoke up at the award presentation, otherwise I would not have gotten my $30 beer mug! :lol:

The Mazdaspeed is a blast. I feel like I can just point it and bury the throttle! :D

[Mars_302]

http://mars.floridadrift.com/photography/motorsports/bmwpca/Page.html

oka these really suck

[kickslop]

No they don't :) Everybody likes any pics of their cars. Thanks man.

[steve]

god damit

[99TL]

look good to me. thanks jerm... now i have to try to talk you into going to the 12 hour auto-x :)

[jaball77]

Yeah, it was a real hoot. I got to drive another Miata that wasn't mine. :roll: Thanks for the ride, Loren!

Todd was right about the dust. Holy crap was that awful... It was a neat site, I just wish the surface was better!

[Loren]

Originally posted by jaball77
Yeah, it was a real hoot. I got to drive another Miata that wasn't mine. :roll: Thanks for the ride, Loren!

Todd was right about the dust. Holy crap was that awful... It was a neat site, I just wish the surface was better!

Hope you gained some useful Miata-shopping knowledge from the drive, you car slut, you.

Z-hills airport isn't all bad. It's fun to have a variety of sites in the area to run on. This one presents challenges that are unique. The airstrip layout lends itself to speed, which you inevitably have to scrub off... and the surface makes it a challenge to maintain control while doing so. Always entertaining!

[Mars_302]

It grips good, but once you loose it, you fucking loose it. Next one I will just come and take pics though. Fun runs were fun though, thats what made the thirty bucks alright

[MaxType 240]

Awesome pics Mars - it was good to meet you too!

Now I have a bunch of pics showing off my 150,000 mile celebration ;)

I was scared my clutch would finally fail on me but it's still holding unless I'm WOT.

My center of gravity is so ruined by the height I need to ride at on the street. I tried to compensate by upping the dampers but I think I should've upped 'em more. If I was serious, I would've dropped the car 2" and introduced a little more camber. When my built engine is done...

Great seeing, meeting you all! It was good learning...

Jesse

[_Charles_]

Well, this was the first time I went to an auto-x with 'drifting' in mind....no thanks, not again. The track was nice, but not conducive (sp?) towards drifting (although I really tried in the fun runs). Next time I will bring a nice set of rear tires (rather than the bald ones) and give a true shot Auto-Xing. The car handled suprising well with the bald rears, imagine with some good sticky tires!

Charles

[flmcoupe]

Fun event! That 1st run was scary!!! :eek: Must get this tranny problem fixed soon before something bad happens!

Danny is always fast, no matter what he drives! I was just glad to catch Keith, he was on street tires! It was my first time out there with Hoosiers, and yes they do grip more than the street tires, but they do take a beating! Mine had cuts all over them, it could've been the spin though.

[99TL]

Originally posted by flmcoupe
Fun event! That 1st run was scary!!! :eek: Must get this tranny problem fixed soon before something bad happens!

Danny is always fast, no matter what he drives! I was just glad to catch Keith, he was on street tires! It was my first time out there with Hoosiers, and yes they do grip more than the street tires, but they do take a beating! Mine had cuts all over them, it could've been the spin though.

yea glad there was no damage done. didn't really get to talk to you but your car is beautiful.

and in regards to danny... how about him going 52 low in a stock 97 neon on victoracers :nworthy:

[kickslop]

flmcoupe - Nice ride. That thing sounded great and looked like a lot of fun.

Jesse: Ride height schmide height :p I'm driving a Land Rover compared to you.

[Mars_302]

im driving a mustang compared to both of you :lol:

[99TL]

Originally posted by Mars_302
im driving a mustang compared to both of you :lol:

and i'm in a 10 year old 3800 lb sedan :lol:

[Mars_302]

Originally posted by flmcoupe
Fun event! That 1st run was scary!!! :eek: Must get this tranny problem fixed soon before something bad happens!

Danny is always fast, no matter what he drives! I was just glad to catch Keith, he was on street tires! It was my first time out there with Hoosiers, and yes they do grip more than the street tires, but they do take a beating! Mine had cuts all over them, it could've been the spin though.

I just checked mine. My rears are decently cut up too and the fronts are kinda roughed a bit too. I had 2 serious spin outs myself, one was a good smoke show during a fun run though. There was some decent size rocks poking on the surface on the runway thruout if you saw em, even saw some pieces of glasses embedded in it in the tech area.

[kickslop]

There were at least 5 pieces of glass embedded in the course as well (saw while walking it). I was concerned, but assumed it wasn't problematic if all these dudes were okay with it...

[MaxType 240]

Originally posted by kickslop
There were at least 5 pieces of glass embedded in the course as well (saw while walking it). I was concerned, but assumed it wasn't problematic if all these dudes were okay with it...

Why do you think they let the "Others" Class run first? We're expendable man ;) Good thing I picked up those loose pieces of glass on the walk-through....

Jesse

[99TL]

Originally posted by MaxType 240
Why do you think they let the "Others" Class run first? We're expendable man ;) Good thing I picked up those loose pieces of glass on the walk-through....

Jesse

that is the first time the others have run first... personally i was pretty happy about it... gave me a little extra time to get gasparilla out of my system. And my tires are pretty chewed... almost looks like blistering on the insides of the rears :dunno:

[_Charles_]

Here was my guess on the 'others' going first. The timing equipment was inop. They let the others go 1st, in the hopes of having the timing equipment up and running by lunch time (2nd group). Obviously, the timing equip never ended up running.

That's my thoughts.

[chi town brat]

i was sooooo late but with reason

glad i made it out, the fun runs were a blast (spun on the first one...wheeee!) and i really appreciated all that left thier tire marks behind. forget the cones just follow the black tire marked course.

:lol:

[MaxType 240]

I was happy to, considering it was a twe-bit cooler out, making our cars happy.

It's their show, beggers can't be choosers. Then again, considering how much money we put into the coffers makes us valuable partners...

Jesse

[flmcoupe]

and in regards to danny... how about him going 52 low in a stock 97 neon on victoracers

FWD, RWD, AWD, he's FAST!!! He's the king of smooth! I think some of the faster cars can catch his time in the neon, on a better surface where they can make use of that power, but not in Z-hill!

Thanks for the compliments! The car felt great, now I just need to drive it better!

[w0rd]

Originally posted by RiceRocket
Obviously, the timing equip never ended up running.
So they were doing manual starts and stops all day?
I didn't realize that. That sucks.

[Loren]

Yeah, seemed to be a weak battery on the start timer. Couldn't get it to work at a distance of more than about 3 feet. Unfortunately, we weren't racing bikes...

[w0rd]

Originally posted by Loren
Unfortunately, we weren't RACING bikes...
We weren't doing what??????
:D

[Mars_302]

Did they have any good batteries that day?

[mofugga]

Originally posted by w0rd
We weren't doing what??????
:D
:lol:

[Loren]

:doh: :blackeye: