Second SOLO II event

[mlc]

Just got back from my second event this year. This time it was at an abandoned air field. The track was about 8/10th mile long. What a blast. I managed 8th out of 35 which got me a glass coffee mug with SCCA on it. :thumbs:

The GTO handles great, that is once you learn to control your adrenaline. :eek2: On the first run I was power sliding through every corner. I had a bad time on that run but after settling down I managed the best time on the next run. The GTO is not a slouch on the slalom or the track :driving:

I got more attention at this event than any other event I've been too. Everyone wanted to see the GTO and everyone liked it. Including STi, Stang, and M3 drivers to name a few. note to self: Next time more sun block :banghead:

[Warren]

Kick ass. Keep makin us proud Frank. :thumbs:

[OrangeCrushM6]

Very nice job!

[PadreGTO]

I managed 8th out of 35 which got me a glass coffee mug with SCCA on it. :thumbs:
Awesome, congrats. :) What I learned is that more "seat time" helps. Oh, and turning off traction control helps too. :judge: :)

I take it you ran the F-Stock class?

Padre

[FLORIT]

Dude, I can't wait... I've registered for the SCCA Solo2 event in Lynchburg, VA on Sunday, July 18. It's part of our State's "Commonwealth Games", but I'm going only for the fun of it, not expecting to win anything. The vids I've seen (and the country backroads I've driven) have me convinced that Solo2 is the stuff for me. That's WAY more fun than drag racing, and I believe our Goats are more suited for road racing, anyway.

Padre, you seem to know your classes... will having a carbon fiber hood and 18" wheels put me in the "Street Prepared" class, or can I still run "Street Stock"?

[PadreGTO]

Padre, you seem to know your classes... will having a carbon fiber hood and 18" wheels put me in the "Street Prepared" class, or can I still run "Street Stock"?
I'm no expert. I don't imagine it'd be a problem. But E-mail the organizers, I'm sure they'd be happy to help you.

Certainly you'd be better running in the stock class. I got put in Street Modified, basically the "anything goes" class, which was no good for me when I had done no braking and cornering mods.

Padre

[Doc GTO]

Dude, I can't wait... I've registered for the SCCA Solo2 event in Lynchburg, VA on Sunday, July 18. It's part of our State's "Commonwealth Games", but I'm going only for the fun of it, not expecting to win anything. The vids I've seen (and the country backroads I've driven) have me convinced that Solo2 is the stuff for me. That's WAY more fun than drag racing, and I believe our Goats are more suited for road racing, anyway.

Padre, you seem to know your classes... will having a carbon fiber hood and 18" wheels put me in the "Street Prepared" class, or can I still run "Street Stock"?

Any aftermarket wheel that is not the same as the stock wheel/tire combo will put you in the prepared class. This is based on SCCA rules. Of course it has been 3 or 4 years since I ran Solo II (mostly road courses now) but the rules should be the same!

[Tigger]

You can change your wheels as long as their the same size as stock and still be in the stock class. I believe that since you went to larger wheels you will have to be in E Street Prepared instead of F Stock. In the 2 events that I've been to ESP has been a much larger and more competitive class than FS, but for me, I don't really care either way because I'm pretty sure it will be a while before I can expect to win something.

You might want to check about the Novice rules too. The Novices all race against each other regardless of which class their cars are in. There is a handicapping system called PAX so that times from different classes can be compared. The Novice winners are picked based on the PAX adjusted times. In the club I've joined, you're allowed to compete as Novice 3 times or until you trophy -- whichever comes first. Last race, I would have trophied if a Novice winner from the previous race hadn't raced Novice again. Unfortunately, I didn't stick around for the trophies; otherwise, I could have protested. I have one more novice race to go on 7/17 in Laurinburg, NC.

[FLORIT]

Well, you make a good point. What class I race in doesn't matter. I'm doing it for fun and have NO expectations of winning anything. This event on the 18th is a little different than other SCCA Solo2 events because it is part of Virginia's "Commonwealth Games." (Our own "mini-Olympics.") I didn't pick this event because of that. I picked it because it's the closest "next event" I could find.

I've been having SCCA Solo2 dreams. :D

[High Octane]

I have run in three SOLO II events as FS on the stock wheels and tires.
I found for grand prix tracks and autocross that 45 psi in front tires and 40 psi in rear give the car added cornering on my stock Goodrich G-force 245/45ZR17's

[Tigger]

I'll try those pressures when I autocross again in a couple weekends. Last time, I think I went with 42 in the front. I didn't have time to adjust the rears, so they had 32 or 35 in them.

[mlc]

I have run in three SOLO II events as FS on the stock wheels and tires.
I found for grand prix tracks and autocross that 45 psi in front tires and 40 psi in rear give the car added cornering on my stock Goodrich G-force 245/45ZR17's

45 seems a bit too much. The first race I tried 42/42 and didn't like the traction on the front and rear. The last race I tried 38/42 and found I was able to kick the rear end out easier making it easier to get around the corner.

[mlc]

Well, you make a good point. What class I race in doesn't matter. I'm doing it for fun and have NO expectations of winning anything. This event on the 18th is a little different than other SCCA Solo2 events because it is part of Virginia's "Commonwealth Games." (Our own "mini-Olympics.") I didn't pick this event because of that. I picked it because it's the closest "next event" I could find.

I've been having SCCA Solo2 dreams. :D

I asked about the Novice ratings and the answer I got was one year or 6 runs. But he also said no one checks. It probably varies between divisions.

[Tigger]

45 seems a bit too much. The first race I tried 42/42 and didn't like the traction on the front and rear. The last race I tried 38/42 and found I was able to kick the rear end out easier making it easier to get around the corner.So is that 38 in front and 42 in the rear? Now I'm wondering what I should try for my next event.

[Tigger]

I asked about the Novice ratings and the answer I got was one year or 6 runs. But he also said no one checks. It probably varies between divisions.Apparently nobody in my club checks either. Also, when I talked to one of the club's autocross officers, he mentioned that they were going to change to novice for a year instead of 3 events or 1 trophy. I really don't care that much except for the fact that I would have won a trophy last time if somebody was following the club's current rules.

[mlc]

So is that 38 in front and 42 in the rear? Now I'm wondering what I should try for my next event.
Yup. 38 front/ 42 rear.
If you don't have a pump then start with 42/42 and lower the fronts (or rears) as you see fit.
They suggest chalking the tires but the purpose of that is to see if your rolling the tire so much that your driving on the sidewall instead of the tread. So you could let air out of the tires and use the chalking to be sure you haven't gone to far.

[Tigger]

I went out and bought one of those little pumps with the cigarette lighter power connector just for taking to autocross events. Maybe I'll try your suggestions. I've noticed understeer a couple of times and would prefer neutral or slight oversteer.

[High Octane]

I went up to 45 in the fronts because I chalked my tires and found I was riding on the sidewall with less pressure. I have the standard beginner issue of entering a corner with too much speed and plowing the front end. The higher pressure in the front allows me to, not bleed off as much speed as I normally would have to, to keep from hitting cones. I keep the rear lower because I don’t want to break traction, as any wheel spin will slow the car and cost time, I use 40psi because if go to a lower pressure I start the riding on the sidewall again.

In the end tire pressure is a factor of
1) Tire construction constraints
2) Vehicle suspension, weight, and speed
3) Driver skill level
4) Road surface type and condition

[FLORIT]

I just checked the entry list. I've been put in the "Street Modified" [SM] Class because of my plugs, wires, MAF ends, 18" wheels and wider tires, and carbon fiber hood. I'll be racing against an interesting list of cars, including two Mustang Cobras, a Mitzu 3000GT, a Dodge Neon, a Subaru Impreza, a Honda Civic, an Eagle Talon TSi, a Volvo 740, and even a 1966 Corvair!

I can't wait. Sure hope I can give the Cobras a run for their money. :D

[mistermike]

My money's on the Corvair. Sorry Florit. :sneaky:

[mlc]

Not sure but the Impreza or even civic could be a problem. It depends on the mods.
It'll be interesting to see how the mustangs compare but remember its mostly the driver, not the car. Good luck.

[FLORIT]

Wow, what a blast. But I suck. LOL

I came in 11th of 12 cars in the Street Modified class. The only car I beat was the Volvo. I don't know how I ranked in the Novice class because they did not put me there. My bad, I guess. That must not have heard me say, "I've never done this before." Anyway, I ran:

33.744 +0 (Personal Best)
34.381 +0
33.184 +2 (hit a cone)
33.938 +0

So, four runs and I only hit one cone. And that's the problem. I just watched the video my brother made, and it's obvious I am BABYING the car around the track. And I was. I was caught off guard by how fast everything comes at you. I was driving defensively rather than aggressively.

The good news is, I got some seat time and can't wait to go again. You can see the official results here (http://www.brr-scca.org/) by clicking the "results" pylon and then clicking on "commonwealth games."

[mlc]

It is a lot of fun.

Did you get an instructor to sit with you? There're very good about sitting in the passenger side and evaluating and giving tips. My first time I had the same feeling, I s*cked. After the instructor sat with me I shaved .5 seconds of each run.

Aggressive is the key. (and smoothness) If you didn't feel the anti lock brakes kick in at least once your not aggressive enough. Makes me worry though. I'm not sure how well the brakes will hold up under those conditions.

[Tigger]

I attended my third SOLO II event this weekend. I did ok, but sadly did not win a trophy in my last novice event. According to my club's rules, you can race novice for 3 events or 1 trophy -- whichever comes first. I thought I had won a trophy and stuck around until the bitter end only to find out that my best time was a "typo". The timer display was broken, so they had somebody from the bus (the club's mobile headquarters) radio the times to a station near the finish line. There the person wrote the time on a Post-It and handed it to you. Here were my times:

91.809
88.070
78.517 (actually, 85.171)
83.438
The first run was right after a fairly heavy rain, so the track was wet and I was overly cautious. When I got my time for the third run, I was very surprised and quite psyched. I should have realized something was up when my last run felt at least as good if not better, but was nearly 5 seconds slower. I was running as NOV 7. It turns out that the guy at the table heard 7-85.171, but thought he heare 78.517. What a bummer. For a while, I thought I was running good enough to compete with the leader of F-Stock -- a 'Stang driver my future rival when I move to my regular class. The good news is that I made consistent and visible progress across all my runs.

Anyways, I decided to run with 38 in the fronts and 42 in the rears like Frank suggested. The car felt nicely balanced, but I didn't mark the sidewalls to find out how much I was rolling the tires over.

I still have tons to learn about driving faster on these courses. I know I can still be much more aggressive, especially since all my runs were clean. I'll need to find a more experienced driver to ride with me again. I haven't had an instructive passenger since my first event. Last time, I had a national level guy ride with me one time, but he hardly said anything. He really just wanted a preview of the course.

Autocross racing is a blast. You meet some of the nicest people, and you learn alot about driving fast, and you get to let loose with your GTO (or other favorite vehicle). If you've been thinking about trying it, stop thinking and do it!

[High Octane]

The good news is that I made consistent and visible progress across all my runs.

Anyways, I decided to run with 38 in the fronts and 42 in the rears like Frank suggested. The car felt nicely balanced, but I didn't mark the sidewalls to find out how much I was rolling the tires over.

I still have tons to learn about driving faster on these courses. I know I can still be much more aggressive, especially since all my runs were clean. I'll need to find a more experienced driver to ride with me again. I haven't had an instructive passenger since my first event. Last time, I had a national level guy ride with me one time, but he hardly said anything. He really just wanted a preview of the course.

Autocross racing is a blast. You meet some of the nicest people, and you learn alot about driving fast, and you get to let loose with your GTO (or other favorite vehicle). If you've been thinking about trying it, stop thinking and do it!

Good job, no one ever just decided to drive on a race coarse and won right from the very beginning. My limited experience is, the driver is a much more significant factor in road racing and auto-xing than the equipment.

Most tracks created by my local SCCA Auto-X chapter range from 38 to 55 seconds to complete, depending on class and driver. 38 being the little go carts and trailered race only Z06’s all the way to the upper end stock classes running around 55.

In our FS class we usually have 6 to 12 cars competing and the times range typically from 47 to 55. My first event I ran 54.? best time, second 52.? best time, third 50.? best time, forth I ran a 49.8 but broke the cone line after the finish line and got a DNF, so best time 50.1. I’m running in the middle of the pack now and plan to move higher up by the end of the year.

I ran at Mid Ohio raceway a week ago. Mid Ohio is a full grand prix, race track that runs champ cars. They broke down the run group’s by
A full race
B advanced
C intermediate
D novice
I ran in C group with 12 cars total including some pretty hot Shelby fords. My first run I let half the pack pass me, and was disappointed until after the run I checked my tire pressure and found the fronts at 45 psi the passenger rear at 40psi and driver rear at 30psi. I added 10 psi to the rear driver tire and second run I had only two pass me. The third run I let our instructor that drove down from Canada to meet us drive my car and he passed 4 cars in the first 6 laps with out much effort. We switched places and with his coaching I passed another 2 cars the remainder of the run. I don’t lack aggressiveness at all, what I lack is experience. The ability to judge a corner, how much speed do I bleed off and what line do I follow to maintain maximum speed and minimum lap time through the coarse, and that only comes with training and experience. Auto-X is the same thing at, 1/2 to 1/3 the speeds.

[High Octane]

It is a lot of fun.

Did you get an instructor to sit with you? There're very good about sitting in the passenger side and evaluating and giving tips. My first time I had the same feeling, I s*cked. After the instructor sat with me I shaved .5 seconds of each run.

Aggressive is the key. (and smoothness) If you didn't feel the anti lock brakes kick in at least once your not aggressive enough. Makes me worry though. I'm not sure how well the brakes will hold up under those conditions.

I had to replace my front brakes after 6,000 miles, the brakes don't seem strong enough to handle the heat of high speed braking like 120mph down to 60mph in 500 feet. I'm sure the damage caused to the breaks came from high speed tracks, not autocross but for such a strong car the brakes do appear a week spot. And as far as I know you can't upgrade them without losing stock status.

[FLORIT]

...If you didn't feel the anti lock brakes kick in at least once your not aggressive enough...
In the videos my brother shot, I didn't even make the tires squeal very much. Most of the other cars were screeching tires and trailing smoke. Not me.

So, the good news is, with a little more experience (and daring), the GTO will be quite competitive.

BTW, I've already blown my "stock status" by changing the wheels and tires to a larger diameter. I may be able to run E Street Prepared if I revert back to the stock hood, otherwise I'll have to run Street Modified. Not that it matters... I'm not in it for the points.

Next event: August 15, Radford, VA

[Robert Duncan]

...normally equipment from any year of a car is admissible for "stock" status.

So, next season an '05 brake upgrade should be legal on an '04 car.

[No ConeSS]

For the update/backdate, doesn't the whole sh-bang have to be done?? For example, if you wanted to run the brakes, wouldn't you have to run the engine as well (not that this is a bad thing, just not a cheap thing...)??

[JRM346]

I would have thought the GTO was to big for autocross based on the ones I ran years back with smaler cars. I am now going to try it. Thanks for the advice re tire inflations etc. You have given us an edge.

[Robert Duncan]

There is no requirement to match any components across years. If you just want the front brake parts from an '05, you can just use them. If, for instance, the '04 gear box had better ratios than an '05, you could use just an '04 gearbox in an '05 car.

If they reclass a car between years, you are screwed.