Texas Time Trials on November 1st

[BenRomans04]

Below the Yaris...

Probably........... Will you bring your co-driver out again so I'm not at the bottom...............haha I kid i kid.

[jeepinbanditrider]

Ya'll better get outta my spot at the bottom :p

I'll be bringing the plastic fantastic tupperware mobile out with me on this one

[OZMDD]

Probably........... Will you bring your co-driver out again so I'm not at the bottom...............haha I kid i kid.

Lol...my Dad wasn't very fast at all! Still, he did manage to get under 100 sec at the end. :)

[Davidss]

Ok everyone should have gotten confirmation emails and tech form emails. If you did not receive the tech form you can download it here:
http://www.mouseattack.org/timetrials/Tech.doc

[vetteblues10]

Awesome to see you got a full list this weekend. That course was a blast in the wet, and with a full day of dry running I am sure it will get wicked fast. I be sure to be back out on the new Kumho's next event.

[OZMDD]

Sorry I missed this one guys, but I got some last-minute tickets to the Cowboys game given to me, 4th row on the 40 yd line behind the Cowboys bench! Had to take em!

I hope everyone ran fast!

[jeepinbanditrider]

I've got 400 pictures to go though as soon as I get them sorted (I'll have much less after that) I'll get them uploaded to my imageshack account and then post a few up here.

Next time I'll have a better lens to work with also :) Lookin at a few 200mm lenses now.

[BenRomans04]

What 2 road courses and 2 weekends at mineral wells will do to your tires:



And the result, a nice long ride home. Thank God for AAA Plus!:

[sammm]

What 2 road courses and 2 weekends at mineral wells will do to your tires:

What air pressures were you running? Looks like it was way too low.

PS
I'm beginning to lose interest in MW.

[BenRomans04]

What air pressures were you running? Looks like it was way too low.

PS
I'm beginning to lose interest in MW.

This^^^. I loved the time trials format and layout, more so then autocross in some aspects by far. But the surface, just hurts me. I was running at 36pisd at the begining of the day and it just got higher as the day and tires warmed up. Didn't let them go above 40 either. It just did that to one tire, which makes me think it may be rubbing somewhere, but I've never experience wear like that so I'll have to do some testing. Maybe its time to try out some R-Compunds on the front too......

[altiain]

This^^^. I loved the time trials format and layout, more so then autocross in some aspects by far. But the surface, just hurts me. I was running at 36pisd at the begining of the day and it just got higher as the day and tires warmed up. Didn't let them go above 40 either. It just did that to one tire, which makes me think it may be rubbing somewhere, but I've never experience wear like that so I'll have to do some testing. Maybe its time to try out some R-Compunds on the front too......

Let me guess – that’s the right front tire, and most of the big turns were left hand turns yesterday, right? It’s not abnormal, especially considering that you ran at TWS and ECR (iirc) as well, and both layouts feature predominantly right hand turns

Mixing R comps and street tires is a bad idea for two reasons. First, mixing R comps on one axle and street tires on the other will do really bad things to your handling, since they have big differences in grip and tend to warm up (i.e., change grip characteristics) at different rates.

Second, if you think your car is destroying street tires quickly, try putting R comps on it and see how fast it chews through them.

It looks to me like you either need a lot more camber on the front end or you need to run higher pressures or both. The scuff marks on the tire look like you’re rolling way over onto the sidewall, which would indicate tire pressures too low. 36 PSI is way too low for front tire pressures on a FWD Mcstrut car. Hell, I run almost that much in the front R comps on my RX-8, and I have well over two degrees of static camber, better camber gain, much better weight distribution, and I’m not asking the fronts to put power down.

[BenRomans04]

Let me guess – that’s the right front tire, and most of the big turns were left hand turns yesterday, right? It’s not abnormal, especially considering that you ran at TWS and ECR (iirc) as well, and both layouts feature predominantly right hand turns

Mixing R comps and street tires is a bad idea for two reasons. First, mixing R comps on one axle and street tires on the other will do really bad things to your handling, since they have big differences in grip and tend to warm up (i.e., change grip characteristics) at different rates.

Second, if you think your car is destroying street tires quickly, try putting R comps on it and see how fast it chews through them.

It looks to me like you either need a lot more camber on the front end or you need to run higher pressures or both. The scuff marks on the tire look like you’re rolling way over onto the sidewall, which would indicate tire pressures too low. 36 PSI is way too low for front tire pressures on a FWD Mcstrut car. Hell, I run almost that much in the front R comps on my RX-8, and I have well over two degrees of static camber, better camber gain, much better weight distribution, and I’m not asking the fronts to put power down.

Yeah, higher psi is going to be tested out soon. But the crazy part is that its actually the left front tire. It really boggles the mind.....

[goofygrin]

PS
I'm beginning to lose interest in MW.

I've done decided that I won't be returning to miserable wells. I love the space, but between the 90 minute drive and the hundreds of dollars of tire damage, I'd rather watch a "The View" marathon.

[jrj512]

the hundreds of dollars of tire damage

That's the beauty of a light Miata -- 14" and 15" tires are cheap and they do not wear as bad as your heavy car.

[OZMDD]

I've done decided that I won't be returning to miserable wells. I love the space, but between the 90 minute drive and the hundreds of dollars of tire damage, I'd rather watch a "The View" marathon.

This is too true. Are there any plans at all to improve/reseal the MW surface? I realize its expensive, but there has to be someone who realizes the need/value for a quality surface and a large venue.
Of course, I guess that as long as people keep renting the facility, there isn't any reason to spend more $$ on it.
Too bad, since there isn't any other place even close to MW for space and setting.

[BenRomans04]

This is too true. Are there any plans at all to improve/reseal the MW surface? I realize its expensive, but there has to be someone who realizes the need/value for a quality surface and a large venue.
Of course, I guess that as long as people keep renting the facility, there isn't any reason to spend more $$ on it.
Too bad, since there isn't any other place even close to MW for space and setting.

Yup. The city owns it and I think even if they had people stop renting it out they wouldn't do much about it except letting it turn into just a grassy parking lot.

[altiain]

Actually it is privately owned by a guy named Manskey, iirc.

It would cost in the high six figures to properly reseal that surface. It's not going to happen.

BTW, people have been complaining about Mineral Wells since long before you guys started autocrossing. You should have seen it before Gregg Lee took a front end loader to it in '04 and removed all the built up silt and weeds.

[sammm]

You should have seen it before...

Is that back when you used to autocross in the snow, uphill, both ways?

[ken o]

That was the inside tire?!!

I doubt they will ever resurface MW.

I was not a fan of MW when I ran r-comps. Now on street tires I like the open area. When I ran r-comps on the Mini I could destroy a set at MW in half the normal time. But the XS and Star Specs seem to fair better. I think it is because of the slip. The r-comps are trying to grip and with the soft compound they sink into the surface. Where the street tires sit just above that level. Almost like a finer sandpaper.

Most clubs rely on MW as a cost recovery to run more expensive sites. Using the MW event to break even. With lower MW participation I would not be surprised if the entry fee for other sites increased.

[BenRomans04]

That was the inside tire?!!

Yeah the front left.