McD's. 7am. Sunday. 35W. Exit 65. ::Whisp::
McD's. 7am. Sunday. 35W. Exit 65. ::Whisp::
See ya in the AM!Quote:
Originally Posted by sammm
Majik don't forget your coat! ::Clown::
Quote:
Sunday: Scattered sprinkles after noon. Partly cloudy, with a high near 63. Windy, with a north wind 10 to 15 mph increasing to between 20 and 25 mph.
Ditto::Drive1::Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
So how was everything today?
Did you guys have a blast?
I wanted to make it but was just to tired, Hope you guys had fun and didn't get blown away by the cold front.
It was a fun and fast course, but the weather absolutely sucked! Cloudy, cold, extra windy and a little bit of rain made for a miserable day. I understand jolberry took top honors in Tire Class today. Congrats Jeremy! I came in second, Clovis took 3rd (in his new Elise) and onething rounded out the top 4.
C Stock had a lot of fun today! Jimmy Stewart's regular E Stock co-driver Matt Lucas is shopping around for a new ride for next season, so he co-drove Kestrel's car today. He opened up a big lead early on, and ended up with top honors in class today, proving that it's Kestrel - not the car - that sucks. :razz:
I almost managed to squeak one out, but my last run fell short of Matt's time by three thousandths of a second. I settled for 2nd place, and Kestrel managed to sneak his way into 3rd place, beating lugnutjon by one thousandth of a second. The top four spots were separated by less than two tenths of a second.
Some really tight battles in C Stock today. :shock:
Oh, that new C Stock wunderkid with the fancy black car? He learned today that Hoosiers really suck in the cold compared to V710s. Although after last weekend's performance, I still expected better than DFL out of POS. :wink:
It was cold, and it was wet while we worked during 3rd heat, but it was fun to watch guys like Solo2M3 and Mark Madarash practicing their mad drifting skillz on the slick surface. :burnrubr:
As usual, it was a lot of fun!
I kept hearing the following song in my head today!Quote:
Originally Posted by altiain
I was a very good day but man it was cold! I'm still cold! :cat:Quote:
Slip sliding away, slip sliding away
You know the nearer your destination, the more you slip sliding away
onething's best time: 62.65
Blackzx3_13's best time: 62.66
:banghead:
It was so fun today. It was cold, but it was fun watching all the high hp, rear drive cars on hoosiers (mark maderash, SS z06's) spin and slide everywhere.
It was cold. The tires didnt work very well. I am sure glad I was in the trailer while it was raining.:afro:
A super big thanks to Kestrel for letting me drive his car on Sunday. I had a blast. I was really thinking a Z06 had to be my next autcross car, but that Miata really fit my driving style. I still can't get over the steering. :drive:
You should try driving a FWD H-stock Focus and then a miata. I'm still getting used to a car that actually turns when I turn the wheel. :drive:Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo RX-7
My pleasure... getting thrashed in my own car! ;) Sorry we all left before the trophies, but it was just too darn miserable outside by then. Congrats on taking the CS win! And go buy that Z06... ::Clown::Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo RX-7
I had a lot of fun out there this weekend, despite the cold, rainy weather. The course was fun (I'm sure it was less fun for those that had to run in the rain), I finished OK, and got confirmation from a real driver that my car is setup just fine. I kinda thought it was OK, but you never know, and now as altiain so eloquently/compassionately put it, I now know it's me, not the car, that sucks.
He's such a people person isn't he! ::GrouphugQuote:
Originally Posted by Kestrel
I'll give you threefitty for your car!::Clown::Quote:
Originally Posted by Kestrel
He hurt my feelers... ::Bawl::Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
::Bleh::
::Daisy::Quote:
Originally Posted by POS Racing
I don't think 'thrashed' is the right word.... the times were so close it was anyone's game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kestrel
This has probably been covered here a zillion times, so steer me to the appropriate thread if necessary... but how do you identify a 'sport' from another Miata if you're shopping online, classifieds, etc...? Looking at results the 99 is obviously the one to have, but what makes the newer ones less competitive? I used to be able to keep up with all this stuff, but since I've had kids my focus has shifted a bit, and I my brain isn't what it used to be.
Good stuff here -> http://forums.dfwmiata.com/showthread.php?t=4098 :afro:Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo RX-7
The '99 Sport will have a sticker in the passenger door jam that reads "Hard S" under suspension. "Sport S" is the 'normal' setup. It will have 15" wheels, Bilstein shocks, stiffer springs, larger rear sway bar, spoiler on the trunk lid, and a factory STB under the hood. The Sport will not have power windows, cruise, leather. The only options available were A/C and power steering.Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo RX-7
Standard gracious winner's line. Anything over .009 is a thrashing ;) Ask my codriver.Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo RX-7
I'm ready to see the Offical results. It was a fun day aside from freezing my ::Bum:: off. I left after my last run and missed out on trophies.
So is Kestrel's car a sport? It had leather and pwr windows . . .Quote:
Originally Posted by sammm
His is a 'converted' Sport. He installed all the correct OEM parts after he bought it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo RX-7
He stole* the hardest and most expensive part that makes his a sport...Quote:
Originally Posted by Solo RX-7
* He didn't really steal it... but he got it for a song. You'll have to ask him to tell you the story.
Quote:
Originally Posted by onething
Yeah well, I'm getting closer. ::Rasp:: And I got a new helmet.
Yep, mine's the fattest pig you could buy in 1999... an LP (Leather Package). Complete with leather seats, a wonderful (:roll: ) Bose Stereo, Power Windows, Power Doors, Power Antenna, Cruise Control, Limited Slip Diff... but no ABS. I put in the Sport Suspension Package:
The front swaybar and shocks are "free" (meaning, you can do whatever you like), so I have a Racing Beat tubular front swaybar and KYB AGX adjustable shocks. When I wear out my shocks, I'll go with the standard Sport Package Bilsteins, since I don't see any real difference with the AGXs, and with "non-adjustable" Bilsteins, that would be one less adjustment for me to get wrong.
- Sport springs
- 12mm rear swaybar (a huge improvement over the 11mm regular rear swaybar ;) )
- Sport's Shock/Strut Tower Brace (STB)
What 3Bean is alluding to is my purchase of the Sport's STB. In order to do an official Sport conversion, you have to install that particular STB -- you can't put in an aftermarket STB. Those STBs don't come up on eBay (or other selling-used-stuff places) very often, and they run something like $650 new. ::Blink:: I managed to pick up a very slightly used one for $200 from a local Miata shop. I'm guessing he didn't realize how rare they are, how expensive new ones are, and how they are required for any autocrosser doing a "Sport Conversion". Most used ones seem to go for $350 - $400.
Anyway, the only thing I haven't done -- leaving myself open to some petty protest -- is to install the rear trunk lip spoiler (I hate those things). But I figure the weight of my appearance package (front spolier and side "skirts", which I also don't like) far exceeds the weight of that little spoiler. So I feel I'm well within the intent of the rules, and probably very slightly disadvantaged by a little extra weight... ;)
That should be good for at least 1/2 second! ::Banana::Quote:
Originally Posted by blackzx3_13
Hopefully. :drive:
Um, so what's the deal with Jeremy Lessenberry's last time? Somone goof, or did something blow through the timing lights?
Also, I left just after the 3rd heat started. Did I miss anything? Did it rain there or did the weather get any wose?
Nice job on pax this weekend guys!
55.8?!?!?! ::Shocked:Quote:
Originally Posted by ratt_finkel
Sounds like you need to get kicked up a notch, there, sammm! BTW.... I assume it was drizzling on SS? Some of those times could have been measured with a calendar...Quote:
Originally Posted by sammm
WOW...yeah that's a mistake. I thought my last run was a 62. somethingQuote:
Originally Posted by ratt_finkel
Or maybe the wind blew my car accross the finish that fast.
Honestly Solo RX-7, if you're looking for a serious C Stock car, here's what I'd suggest shopping for (in this order):
- Someone else's prepped '99 Sport (like General Default's car)
- Any '99/'00 Sport Package car
- Any '00 model Miata with a Torsen differential
- Any '99/'00 PEP car
The first one is obvious - buy someone else's prepped car and you'll almost always save money. Unfortunately, these will be the rarest, although probably the best advertised '99 Sports out there.
The second one is obvious as well - start with a Sport Package car, and it'll be cheaper to make a top C Stock car out of it, since you won't have to start by converting it to a Sport. In this case, if you're planning on using the car as anything more than just a weekend toy, I'd lean towards a '00 model over a '99, even though almost every Nationally competitive C Stock car you'll find is a '99.
Let me explain why - Mazda has always packaged their options a little strangely. In 1999, the only way you could get the Sport Package was on a Base model car. You could not technically combine the Sport Package with any other Packages that were available (although in Kestrel's case he could probably claim comfort and convenience on things like the leather, power windows, cruise. etc... but no one has ever proven this at the National level on a converted car). This meant that you could not buy a '99 Sport off the showroom floor with power windows, locks, mirrors, antenna, or cruise. In fact, the only factory-installed options available on a '99 Sport were a/c and power steering.
Now, in '00, Mazda made power steering and a/c standard across the board (you want the power steering in an autocross Miata anyway, as it comes with a quicker steering ratio). They also allowed the Sport Package to be combined with other packages, so you could have a '00 Sport with power windows, cruise, etc.
This means two things:
- It's a whole lot easier to find a "proper" (i.e., non-protestable) '00 donor car to convert into a Sport.
- You can build an '00 Sport with some creature comforts, like power windows and cruise control without becoming protest bait.
This ties directly into my third suggestion above - if you can't find a Sport, it isn't hard to build one. However, to have an utterly non-protestable car you'll probably have to remove some power stuff if you start with a donor '99 (this is what Chris Williams did with his current car, which did not start life as a Sport)... or start with an '00 optioned the way you want and just add the Sport Package.
The last suggestion is the C Stock Miata dark horse - the PEP (Popular Equipment Package) cars had a Torsen, as well as slightly softer springs and a slightly smaller rear swaybar than the '99/'00 Sports. They also had 14"x6" wheels... which allows them to run a wider V710 (225/50-14 versus 205/50-15) with no gearing degradation. It also opens them up to some outrageously lightweight wheel options. A 9.8lb 15" SSR Comp seems light... until you realize that Volk makes some 14"x6" wheels that weigh less than seven pounds! :shock: Since both the minimal spring rate difference (about 10%) and the difference in rear swaybar thickness between Sports and non-Sports can be compensated for through alignment and shock tuning, a lot of people have suggested that these cars might be as fast, if not faster, than the '99 Sports. David Green in Topkea has been pretty successful in one of these cars.
Then there's always the turbocharged Mazdaspeed Miata, the 10AE (1999 10th Anniversary Edition, like Jon's car), and the '06+ Miatas that could be contenders on the right course under the right circumstances. Not to mention the Spyders. But I still think these are the outlying cars - potential contenders, but not dominant like the '99 Sport.
Anyway, sorry about the novel, but that's my take on shopping for a C Stock Miata. Hope it helps.
Me and all the guys in CS too! :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by tailchaser
55.8 is a little too fast. I can say the course was very fun. I'm starting to get the hang of this, one of these days I'm going to trophy.
I beat out Jimmy for the ES win, but it was slick as hell out there. ::Flag::
I was trying to pull off a hand out the window drift for some of you CS corner workers that were making fun of me. The Hoosiers were useless by the last run, not very good during the first run either.
We weren't making fun of you, we were trying to make the best of a miserable, wet, cold, and slippery corner working assignment. :razz:Quote:
Originally Posted by Miatamoto
I was yelling for donuts out of everyone that drove by. Mark Madarash took home the "dorifto king" trophy, although I'll give Jim H. honorable mention for the look on his face after he sent all of the cones flying in our corner with a slow-motion pirouette.
As much as I love seeing my name in 1st place. I want this issue resolved. Who can I contact to get the correct time put in?Quote:
Originally Posted by sammm
EXCELLENT point altiain! He's dead-on right with his comments about what was -- and was not -- available on the Sport model. I'm going under the assumption that the other weighty stuff hanging on my car -- power this, cruise that, Bose the other thing -- would (1) not bee seen as an advantage, and (2) be allowed under the comfort and convienence rule, but that has never been proven. Show up with my car at Nationals, and I'm guessing it would be protested... perhaps not successfully, but I bet it would be protested.Quote:
Originally Posted by altiain
Heck, I've even considered protesting my car myself, just to get an official ruling by the SCCA big-wigs. But I'm not heading to Nationals anytime soon ("gragging" a hard fought 3rd place :roll: at a local event doesn't give me much hope at that level!), so I'll let someone else pony up the $25 protest fee...