stripethree

Download me! 10:51, 51.59mb.

Enjoy.

Another wonderus weekend of Cumberland racing. Like a ticked off Edward Nortan in The Italian Job I found myself chasing Mini Coopers, the supercharged variety, in STX all weekend.

Saturday’s times: 59.552+1, 55.718, 53.968, 53.672, 54.242 which put be in 2nd in STX, 0.581 behind a red Mini Cooper S.

Sunday’s times: 63.018 61.405+1 60.569+OFF 61.287 60.948 which put me again behind the same red Mini, this time by 0.811 seconds. Then there was the black Mini, which beat him by over 2 seconds. I watched them both in the first heat get faster and faster and could do nothing but shake my head, curse BMW, and hold off a Mustang Cobra for 3rd in the last heat.

I was also happy to see that I cracked the top 30 in PAX times, which for the majority is populated by Corvettes, Porsches, Cobras, and the like. Yet another fun weekend of autocross.

CDC posted their results from last weekend, I cracked into the top 25 overall and had the 6th best indexed time.

Next time out should be even more interesting, as instead of beating the Avons to death, I have these:

17×8 Flik Ftds wrapped in 225/45 17 Falken Azenis tires which are 7.5 lbs. lighter at each corner than the Borbet/Avon combination. It should be tasty.

Mountain State Classic AutoX from July 29 & 30: Download me! (47.51MB)

Summer Sizzler AutoX from August 19: Download me! (26.83MB). Hope you like AC/DC.

The weather wasn’t what I would call ‘sizzling’, but then again, neither was my driving. Fresh off a new Haldex upgrade I threw down some, ah, less than stellar times last Saturday:

1. 62.661
2. 62.665
3. 63.860
4. 64.071
5. 63.824

Which put me a full second behind the next slowest STX car. Funny thing is, this might have been the most fun day of autox in this car yet. Why? Well, that would be due to the little orange thing I had installed the previous Thursday which transformed this car from an understeering menace (at times) to a neutral, and sometimes, oversteering, all wheel drive monster that now really stressing all four of the Avon M550s for traction. The change is significant and is going to take some ‘relearning’ of how I drive it on the autox course. God damn if it isn’t more fun though. I have to get the video up, from this and last months events for that matter.

Cumberland Airport, July 29 and July 30. It was hot. Too hot. At the same time, it had been too long since an autocross. Nearly two months. Way too long. Things did not start off in the best manner, as I discovered a broken bypass valve and an unusable intake when I thankfully popped the hood to check fluids. After some engineering (I use the term lightly) a short ram intake was born. Saturday runs I simply could not get things clicking right and finished nearly two full seconds and three slots behind the STX class leader. Saturday times:

1. 62.897
2. 62.126
3. 62.844
4. 61.955 2
5. 62.936 1

On run three or four, I cannot recall which, I pulled into the grid and was greeted by a scraping noise, which I discovered to be the driver side HID ballast dragging on the ground. Both sides came loose, probably due to the heat and harsh conditions. and the driver side fell through and was dragging on the asphalt. Luckily the damage was not bad and the ballast is still functional. Furthermore, the same torx screw on the inner fender liner of the driver side has popped out so right turns of more than a full lock are once again met with a rubber on plastic rubbing. Yum! I suppose it could be worse given the beating this car takes.

Sunday was better. Shaved time on almost every run, hit fewer cones, and cut two and three quarter seconds off from run one to five:

1. 55.943
2. 54.271 1
3. 53.978
4. 54.170
5. 53.261

Much better, well, the car that is. I could be better. I do not know how one catches such a nasty cold when it feels like 115 outside, but I got it. No, I have not been smoking even though I am hacking up a lung like I have been sucking down Marlboros for 20 years. It really needs to go away, as in, five days ago. I have too much shit to do to be sick.

The kittens, or should I say, the kitten and the cat, are doing well. After some initial friction, they have grown to like one another. Llama is a brave little pound of a kitten and Monkey has realized he is not being replaced and takes good care of his little brother. Monkey though, he is no kitten anymore. Hes still only four pounds, but he looks like an adult cat now, and he acts like one too. Both are mischievous little fur balls and its fun to watch them chase one another.

Yesterday marked something else very cool and notable. Yes, thats right, the start of some livin in sin. The apartment is pretty empty right now, since between work and other things, the move in will take place over a few weeks, but still, in principle, it has begun. As Ted proclaimed, “It’s all over for you now”. Hahaha. Im excited and happy, and so is Kharissa.

Ok, thats enough out of me, Im going to try and not cough up my lungs.

Whoops, can’t believe I forgot to post this junx. Both courses were long, built for the Vette, Porsche, and Cobra boys.

Saturday:
1. 62.338 (Off course)
2. 61.916
3. 63.028 ( 1)
4. 61.852 ( 1)

Sunday (same venue, different course):
1. 59.339 ( 1)
2. 59.838 ( 1)
3. 61.694
4. 61.052
5. 61.283

Here’s the video: ‘Save as’ please, ~39.1mB. Finished 1st in a very small STX class both days (3 entires), so that doesn’t say much. Ended up in 30th and 33rd on each day in the overall PAX results, not bad I guess considering the majority of the top 30 was made of Porsches, Vettes, and other higher horsepower cars.

Great event. Very cool course at an excellent location and a very well run event.

So let’s cut to the chase. I shaved seconds off my times all day and ran clean, well almost. Run 4 ended with obliterating the last cone off the last sharp turn in the braking zone. Watch the video, you can hear the thud. Anyway, regardless, my times:

Run 1. 54.570
Run 2. 53.312
Run 3. 52.805
Run 4. 51.407 ( 1)
Run 5. 52.607

Of course, here’s the video (~5 mins. and ~24.5mB). Enjoy!