Auto-x'd my GTI this weekend

[Minimaul]

I auto-crossed my car this weekend. HOLY CRICKEY! IT WAS FUN! There was an SCCA event in a jr. high school parking lot. about 30+ cars showed up. There were 2 Elises, 1 spyder, 2 newer Vettes, 1 older Vette, an IROC, 9 or so subaru's- wrx's and two STI's, and even a WRX wagon. there was a guy with a nice ass truck with a shitload of suspension mods. he got the 2nd or 3rd fastest time in my run-group. two GTI's, mine and my friends and his wifes. theirs is super modified! I believe theirs is an 87. there was a neon-something-er-rather, and XR2 (best time!) a Triumph. there was 1 mini, 3 BMW's. a e90 330xi that did well, a e21 3series and another older 3series, and that's about all I can remember.

the weather started off nice, but, by mid-afternoon it turned to ****. There were two groups; run group 1, and run group 2. I was in run group 2, so while the first group went group two would stand at corners, checking for cone hits, off course, stuff like that. Beautiful weather! super sunny, I was sweating like crazy. well, last car of the group. bam! in comes the rain storm.

We switch out groups and I line up. I'm second car, right behind a black Evo VIII. It's pissing rain and we get under-way. I have an instructor come with me. Previously I had walked the course with some other drivers and they did a drivers meeting, course inspection with an instructor. I knew the basic layout of the course, but, not very well. I also got to watch people for a few hours (took forever 'cuase there were timing issues). So I had a general idea of what to expect. oh damn, what a rush!

Noel was the instructor that rode with me. she was super nice and killed it, in her run, in her Elise (her and her husband drive same car and instruct)! In my first run, I went off course. I juked when I should have jabbed. Oh well. Did pretty good for my first time. The only advice she gave me afterwards was "both hands on the steering wheel." Dang, no more gansta lean! haha

It was raining so bad that cars where hydroplaning so we took our lunch break in hopes the weather would calm down. After about an hour or so it did and we got underway again. the second group got to do our first runs over again because only 4 cars got to go. This time I went alone. I made it through the course just fine, with out hitting any cones. After I made it through my whole body was shaking. such a great rush... so much fun.. more more more moremore moremoe

I had two more runs after that. each time at the end in the little chicane I tooted my horn 'cause I was spazzin' out turning in such a fury. haha. I didn't feel too bad, cause i wasn't the only one.

After that I stayed and helped to do some fun-runs. I did two more fun runs much the same as the others. got a feel for my car, tightened up some corners. but, got about the same time. Each time I could feel my tires rolling over about to fall off the rims! I'll definantly need racing tires if i'm going to do this more.

My times were pretty competative for the group I was in. It was supposed to be both groups against eachother, but, becuase of the rain it didn't work out that way. It's not fair to put people's times when the track is completly dry for one, and soaking wet for another group. Out of my group I was about 9th, out of 19. Not bad, for my first time.


In my group, the lowest time was about a 72.2, with a high time being around 80.

My three runs where:
81.655
76.001
75.704

my fun runs where:
75.806
76.259

In the main three runs I was about 1 second behind the Evo 8! the dry run group was around 65 for fastest time, to about 67-70 for average to high times. I don't think I would have done as well in the dry group because my tires would have been working against me. the rain helped me slide through a bit.

anyway, I only got a few pictures that someone else took. I think the are all from my second and third runs

[foofighter]

where are the pics of the gti tripoding i love those shots!

[Minimaul]

hehe, unfortunatnly I wasn't the one with the camera. i was supprised anyone took pictures at all. especially of the new guy (me).

[larryn]

Originally Posted by foofighter

where are the pics of the gti tripoding i love those shots!

Me too! Funny to watch a golf or jetta doing slaloms, and lifting the rear inside tires alternately.

Looks like you had fun! I wish more of the people here would try the sport. It's a blast.

[Minimaul]

yeah it was super fun. there's a drivers class in a few weeks that i'll be going to also. and the porsche club puts on events too.

[ksfrogman]

Did your "Fast" make you do it?

[Minimaul]

MKIV's don't have a fast. :0

but... for a day I was driving around with an R2-D2 cooler seat-belted into shotgun.

[ksfrogman]

I miss Solo II autocross. What brand of sticky tires are most people using nowadays for this type of event? We used to use Yokohama (don't remember number but it had an A, 1s and an R in it) tires.

[Minimaul]

Originally Posted by ksfrogman

I miss Solo II autocross. What brand of sticky tires are most people using nowadays for this type of event? We used to use Yokohama (don't remember number but it had an A, 1s and an R in it) tires.

I don't know. I'm a complete newb. I just drive my car as fast as I can. :0 heh.

[BMW0]

Looks like fun, I need to take my car out on the course too!

[larryn]

Originally Posted by ksfrogman

I miss Solo II autocross. What brand of sticky tires are most people using nowadays for this type of event? We used to use Yokohama (don't remember number but it had an A, 1s and an R in it) tires.

I think you might be talking about the Yoko A032R's. They are only ok, and as a R compound tire, could probably be beat by the non-R Falken Azenis RT-615's.

For current R compounds, most autcrossers have really 2 serious choices.. the Hoosier A3S05 and the Kumho Victoracer V710's. There are new entries into the frey of r compounds (like newer Yokos), but none stand out as definitively up to levels of grip that the hohos and kumhos have.

[ALPINE6SPD]

Originally Posted by lni

I think you might be talking about the Yoko A032R's. They are only ok, and as a R compound tire, could probably be beat by the non-R Falken Azenis RT-615's.

For current R compounds, most autcrossers have really 2 serious choices.. the Hoosier A3S05 and the Kumho Victoracer V710's. There are new entries into the frey of r compounds (like newer Yokos), but none stand out as definitively up to levels of grip that the hohos and kumhos have.

ya everyone who has tires usually has the victoracer or rt-615. I had the old Azenis on my celica gt-s and the tires were awseome for a non r compound

[rossmelvin]

i did it once in my xc90 T6 AWD (yeah i know) i had so much fun! i would love to try it in the 330i