Auto-crossing with Ender: Happiness

Kinja'd!!! "daender" (daender)
04/30/2014 at 12:00 • Filed to: AutoXEnder, auto-cross, SCCA, Miata

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Welcome to another article written by a semi-novice auto-crosser as he re-enters the world of cone-carving and time-attack driving. Credits for the pictures go to Google Maps, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Brian Nixon at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! and me, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

What is your definition of happiness? What keeps you driving in the early morning, so early the sun has yet to rise, on a Sunday you could spend sleeping in after a busy and stressful week or studying for finals? Why do you keep coming back every month to beat on your car in competition even though you stand little chance of taking first? Are you having fun yet?

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This is my third year of auto-crossing; one year spent wheeling an HHR to an unexpected class championship and another wheeling a faulty Miata hard enough to inch out a close second place over an FR-S. Last year was my worst one thus far, encountering mechanical issues with my car that forced it into nearly 3 straight months of downtime and having to borrow my friend's Miata to keep my championship podium hopes alive.

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However, that's last year's drama. It's a new season; the classes have been rearranged, the rules on modifications adjusted, and, most of all, my car's finally fixed. Some new sensors, cleaned-out injectors, and replacing the differential fluid has finally returned my gremlin-plagued Miata back to normalcy. However, I'd be lying if I said I stopped at just having it fixed, because I've started down the endless road of modifications and upgrades. As per Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) rules for stock class (now called street class since we all know no racer leaves their car alone), I'm allowed one aftermarket sway bar.

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Last week I was able to install a Racing Beat '99 to '00 front sway bar kit from an unfortunate Miata owner who was t-boned by a reversing cargo truck. This meant the bar, end-links, and bracing blocks to help balance the car and keep the rear tires planted. In theory this should make the car more predictable in corners and over-steer less, saving precious fractions of a second I would waste sliding the car around Ken Block-style. Now there's a question, was it worth the purchase? I'd have to find out in a safe and affordable environment: the chalk-lined asphalt of the Michelin Tires Proving Grounds in Laurens, South Carolina.

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Known as the "Black Lake" this gigantic rectangular patch of asphalt is South Carolina Region's favorite venue, home to some of the fastest speeds and longest run times due to the ample amounts room for both the course and emergency run-off space. It's probably the priciest one to attend but it's immediately worth it when you're driving on a dedicated asphalt surface rather than just another old parking lot, especially when Michelin repaved it last year.

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So, what is my happiness? Why did I spend $40 to wake up at 4:30 (5:00, the alarm didn't go off) am to drive seventy-eight miles out to the Middle of Nowhere, South Carolina? Why did I enter knowing at least two of my rivals boasted far superior and brand-new Dunlop Z2's versus my cheap two year-old Chinese-knockoff Michelins? Maybe I should find out why other drivers come to these events.

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First, there are those who are solely in it to win it; you'll mostly find these individuals in the Pro Class. Many who've spent time, money, and effort building all-out to-the-rules race cars, some of going far as far as sacrificing all street ability, comfort, and reliability purely for raw acceleration and handling in order to dominate.

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Some, like the #65 Impreza, are here in preparation for attending and competing at top-tier events including the SCCA Solo Nationals held at Lincoln Airpark in Nebraska. The car is the beautiful result of nearly ten years of hard work to try and take home first place in Street Modified (SM) for this year's nationals in September.

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They are the ones fighting tooth and nail to shave every tenth of a second off their times, racing against the clock and the handicap-helping calculator for top PAX time in class. They'll crowd around the TV screen to see their latest run-times and their position; smiling as they climb toward to the top or frowning in disappointment if someone edges them out on their final run.

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There's a few who will just pack up and leave early without doing their fair share of cleaning up the place if they didn't finish as high as they wanted to…or they'll murder a few cones if their run goes sour. However, that's only a very, very, very small minority. Most people run Pro Class for sake of competition, being able to go up against thirty other skilled drivers to see where they place, and if they win then it's just a by-product of friendly rivalries.

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Then there are people who attend the sake of being able to drive fast, allowing their car to stretch its legs out for once without worrying about getting a ticket for speeding or reckless endangerment. They couldn't care less if they're beaten by whole seconds because they're too busy smiling after wheeling their car so hard around the course they're drifting faintly through some of the gates.

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Expect any allowed vehicle with these folks; I've seen stock sedans like Andrew's Toyota Corolla S...

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To modified Mustangs like Phillip's M112'd-V6 Mustang...

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To old-school sports cars like this 280Z. Many don't care if their modded or stock vehicle puts them up against superior cars; they're just there to have fun. Are they the fastest in their class? No. Are they smiling after each run? Oh yeah!

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Speaking of classics, two men brought out these beautiful C2-generation Corvette convertibles. One of the owners told me he could have just bought the car, let it sit in his garage like a museum piece, and stare at it all day but where's the fun in owning that?

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He was out there, owning a Corvette, to have some fun.

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There are many people, both pro and casual drivers, that'll stay around for the entire event, helping put away the cones and picking up trash to make sure we'll in good standing with the hosts for our return later on in the year. They'll politely ask for and gives rides, for laughs or advice, and cheer drivers on from the sidelines. These guys keep the region going strong.

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So where do I fit? I'm in the middle group with a majority of people. We're there not only to have fun driving our cars but also there for some competition. While I love !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , auto-crossing is a far safer alternative to that and I get the rush of competing against rivals in similar cars.

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Due to the rules for standard Street class prohibiting most modifications that increase speed and handling, the cars are usually close in showroom-style performance and it's up to the drivers to set themselves apart. This meant last year's rival, a NB Miata on racing slicks, was no longer legal! The times are could also be close, adding to the thrill of racing tooth and nail for that extra tenth of a second. At the same time, if we lose it's not a big deal because we're driving regular street cars and not purpose-built machines.

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I'm in E Street, thanks to SCCA for bumping down all second-generation Miatas after having them improperly classed in C Stock (now C Street) against far superior vehicles like the 370Z and FR-S. A lot of cars will fit into my class but today's field was made up entire of !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! the Mazda Miata. There were no less than 6 Miatas entered, not including mine; I knew a majority of the owners and what's been done to their cars.

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There's Big Kyle, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , one of the main reasons I'm driving a Miata and a great friend, and his '01 with a similar Racing Beat front sway bar and fresh sticky Dunlop Z2 tires.

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Next was Tyson and his '95 M Edition also running on a brand-new set of Z2's on his rare and lightweight factory BBS wheels.

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Then there's Brian and his red Miataspeed, he was a close rival last year and part of the reason I was able to re-clinch second place by holding off an up and coming FR-S near the end of the year. He attended a high-performance driving school a month ago and I had a strong feeling he was going to wheel that car a lot faster this year.

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Last was Schuyler, he's the president of the SCCA !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! that I happen to be vice-president in, and his stock '00. We joke and brag back and forth over whose Miata is better in terms of weight, balance, performance, etc. and it's become a rivalry of sorts.

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Walking around the grid, I was able to find the two other Miatas in my class and both of them were also running brand-spanking-new Dunlop Z2's.

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Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me if I wanted to stay competitive but that's why I'm having fun. Some people get their kicks close to death; skydiving, extreme parkour, taking selfies right in front of passing trains, and other crazy deals. I just prefer to have my adrenaline running as I'm driving, no racing my car against the odds.

However, things don't always go the way you expect them to go. It's been a solid half-year since my last auto-cross and I'm horribly rusty. My first run was a 50.6 second DNF because I missed a gate due to not memorizing the course on only one walkthrough. Here's a video of a tired Phillip struggling through the course on his first run after helping volunteer for over six hours in the blazing sun. My run wasn't that far off from his except I didn't kill cones.

Now here's the course done correctly by the #65 super Impreza Sti, driven so hard that he broke the tie rod at the very end of one of his runs.

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I immediately hopped into the passenger seat of an Abarth 500 (thanks Robert Nixon!) and I was finally able to have a clear idea of the correct line through the sea of asphalt and cones. Second and third runs were now in the 48.6 second range but I had been bumped down to last place.

By now I was getting a bit ticked, my tires were squealing and sliding whiles everyone else on Z2's were clocking times three seconds faster than mine. Fourth run I decided I'm going to let my anger out through the gas pedal…that was a mistake. Over-cooking a series of fast turns, I upset the Miata's balance and next thing I know !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! ' !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! minus coming close to a curb.

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I'm laughing afterwards but I'm still jaded from my abysmal performance. Big Kyle offers his guidance on my fifth run after taking my grumpy butt along for his fifth run. I take the corners at a smoother, less aggressive pace and it pays off, 48.3! However I'm still behind Schuyler and I'm not going to let that front sway bar upgrade go waste.

I find myself in familiar territory; I'm losing, I have my targets set on someone just slightly faster than me, and it's my last run. I couldn't want it any other way; this was my element where I can do my best to pull some sort of comeback. I calm down, focus, and repeat the same maneuvers as my previous run without the extra weight of a passenger! I also managed to get the rear end loose again in the exact same spot as my fourth run but this time my brain was wired to put in just enough 'oppo and hold the throttle steady to prevent another spin. Final time 47.7 and some change. If I remember correctly, then I think it was no more than a tenth of second enough to beat Schuyler for 2 nd -to-last place!

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So what has Ender learned today? Well, one, I need to practice again because I'm out of shape in terms of performance driving. I entered the slaloms too late, I spun out of control, and I wasted precious time sliding my car through corners. Two, I need 15x6.5 wheels and some super high-performance tires whenever I'm not poor because those really made a difference. Three, I need to remember to keep a calm head and enjoy the time I'm spending out there because I've paid $40 to be there. You know, have fun with the progress and all, a good time driving cars fast with friends.

Oh, and four, I should have brought short-pants because wearing long black gym pants in super-sunny eighty-degree weather was not a genius idea.


DISCUSSION (30)


Kinja'd!!! Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > daender
04/30/2014 at 13:27

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Nice write-up!


Kinja'd!!! Blondude > daender
04/30/2014 at 18:22

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Would a massive wing like this really make enough of a difference with the speeds they're going? It seems a bit overkill.


Kinja'd!!! phillipmp > Blondude
05/01/2014 at 00:18

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It makes a huge difference. It is very effective at auto-cross speeds due to its size and angle of attack. Amongst the (semi) professionally competitive modified classes aero modifications are common.

In practical terms, the wing and front splitter move the braking zone much closer to the apex of each turn and help keep the power down during sweeping turns.


Kinja'd!!! Stef Schrader > daender
05/01/2014 at 00:43

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#winning


Kinja'd!!! Captain_Spadaro > daender
05/05/2014 at 12:53

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A Benz V6 in a Mustang?


Kinja'd!!! daender > Captain_Spadaro
05/05/2014 at 19:23

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Nope, original Ford V6 stroked to 4.1-ish liters and strapped on a M112-Eaton supercharger commonly found on the V8-powered Ford Lightning and "Terminator" SVT Cobra Mustang.


Kinja'd!!! ToastedTires > daender
05/05/2014 at 22:53

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So that's what a V6 enthusiast does... I wonder what kind of power it makes... Most supped up V6s barely make GT level performance but this is interesting.


Kinja'd!!! WhatDaFunk > daender
05/05/2014 at 22:56

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Nice write up. I've been thinking I should try autocross.

I've never done any racing, do you think it's a good idea to get any training before going?


Kinja'd!!! Chris > daender
05/05/2014 at 23:18

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78 mi is not that bad. I drive 131 mi to AutoX with Boeing Sports Car Club-STL ( https://www.facebook.com/pages/Boeing-S… ) for fun.


Kinja'd!!! daender > ToastedTires
05/05/2014 at 23:21

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It put down 300 whp on a bad tune, hot engine/supercharger, water injection turned off, and through a troublesome automatic. We're thinking close to 370-ish at the wheels once the tune's finished and now that a proper manual is in.


Kinja'd!!! daender > WhatDaFunk
05/05/2014 at 23:25

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Nope, come as you are! See where your current skills stack up and go from there!


Kinja'd!!! ToastedTires > daender
05/05/2014 at 23:35

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That's pretty cool. The bottom end if those motors can handle a lot.


Kinja'd!!! STANDARD6SPEED > daender
05/05/2014 at 23:37

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Great read. Echoes a lot of what I feel about Autocross. I recently moved to Central Carolina Region from South Bend Region so a lot of these cars race with us at ZMax in Charlotte, including the SM Prez and CAM C2's. We actually just had our last event this past Saturday


Kinja'd!!! daender > ToastedTires
05/05/2014 at 23:49

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He's part of a forum for V6 Mustang guys who do crazier things like building 9-second 1/4 cars and road-racing machines. They're pretty stout once you throw in the correct internals.


Kinja'd!!! daender > STANDARD6SPEED
05/05/2014 at 23:50

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Ah, CCR! I wish I could attend their ZMax events more, it was certainly a fun time when I last went there .


Kinja'd!!! ToastedTires > daender
05/05/2014 at 23:51

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It just hit me what this guy went through with this car. He took a former rental lot queen, pulled the useless boat anchor of an engine out, bored (and stroked?) it out, put it back in, went through the pain of adding the M112, put it back in and THEN went through the pain of putting a manual in it. The sensible thing would have been to throw in a GT drivetrain and make the same power with, headers, exhaust, intake and a tune. This guy is my hero!


Kinja'd!!! durty > WhatDaFunk
05/06/2014 at 02:34

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No training, just make sure your car has lug nuts tight, battery secure and no leaks. Take all the shit out of your car and drive it! Most clubs even have loaner helmets.


Kinja'd!!! bobcaramba > WhatDaFunk
05/06/2014 at 07:25

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Never trained, sucked at it still the most fun EVER. NOT last but barely cared for my times. Auto X is a MUST.


Kinja'd!!! Eric Sundell > daender
05/06/2014 at 07:30

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This write up was spot on. I just got back from our SCCA regions first event of the season, and I had an absolute HOOT! Sure my impreza is held together by zip ties and prayers, but I did ok. Fished dead middle of the pack both days. The first day was fun because it rained, and I had AWD. Liftoff oversteer has never been so shit-grin enducing! You pretty much nailed the experiance of auto cross!! I almost think an event should be required to get your drivers licence so people can learn some car control, and have fun. I think if more people did it, they'd realize driving can be fun, and not a chore. I've even got my girlfriend into it, which has been a blast too!


Kinja'd!!! STANDARD6SPEED > daender
05/06/2014 at 08:53

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Yep, many of those same cars still race with us. Oh the joy of racing Solo


Kinja'd!!! Eric Sundell > Eric Sundell
05/06/2014 at 09:45

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Here is said JDM zip-tie special


Kinja'd!!! Dream Theater of the Absurd > Chris
05/06/2014 at 09:55

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Back when I was really into autocrossing, I thought nothing of driving 150 miles each way to run events in the Sacramento area (I live in San Jose) or driving all the way down to San Diego to participate in their National Tour event. I haven't done an autocross in a few years, though; lately I've been pretty busy working corners at road races.

I've been sort of getting the itch to run a couple events, though, partly because SCCA-SFR is running Solo events at Crows Landing again...


Kinja'd!!! Captain_Spadaro > daender
05/06/2014 at 11:24

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Oh. Didn't know anyone made stroker kits for the V6.


Kinja'd!!! frankenheidi_LIIIIVES > daender
05/06/2014 at 12:11

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Killin' me smalls! I must have had the ONLY Miata that you didn't mention (12STS)


Kinja'd!!! STANDARD6SPEED > Dream Theater of the Absurd
05/06/2014 at 13:15

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Hell, I drove 10 hours from Charlotte, NC to Blytheville, AK for a Pro Solo event lol


Kinja'd!!! Dream Theater of the Absurd > STANDARD6SPEED
05/06/2014 at 13:32

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Not trying to turn this into a pissing contest, but the farthest I've traveled for an autocross is 1800 miles - the distance between San Jose and Topeka, KS, to compete in the Solo Nationals. I made that trip twice!

And I think Solo Nationals is worth doing at least once, even if you're hopeless like me. :)


Kinja'd!!! pr0file > daender
05/06/2014 at 17:15

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Former auto-x'r here (7'ish years in the SFR SCCA)... Great write up! Keep on running and get as many ride-a-longs as you can, with the 'pros' so you can get a better idea of the course (if that's allowable). and if ever an Evolution school comes around your area, sign up for it, it's well worth it!

A little extra note, I met my wife at an auto-x! We both drove 2000 Celica GT-S' and ended up driving mine for a bit cause I had more mods! Eventually we sold my Celica for an 89 Si, then retired... But may return after I pick up a STi and my wife picks up a BRZ! Hehe!


Kinja'd!!! STANDARD6SPEED > Dream Theater of the Absurd
05/06/2014 at 20:01

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I agree - largest motorsport event in the world as far as entries go :)


Kinja'd!!! F1Fan426 > daender
05/07/2014 at 00:13

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I like this. I like this alot. Now to remove the front bumper. Lower about an inch, run thicker tires, with small fender flares.


Kinja'd!!! sketchcat > daender
06/04/2014 at 14:13

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yikes.