SCCA Auto-X 10-24-04 TMS Infield

[beagleracing]

hey guys, outtatowner here

One of the most important things i've learned at autocrossers is to take much of the stressful situations with a grain of salt. It makes for sore butt cheeks to walk around with such a tight ass reading the rulebook every second of the day.

There's no need to bitch and moan and stomp your feet like some feel they need to do, that just makes you tired and makes the person you're trying to belittle think you're an asshole. Whenever I see screaming going on I just stand there and wish i had a box of popcorn. If anyone ever starts bitching at me for some silly reason I just smile back, and well, wish i had a box of popcorn until they finish :) then go about my merry way!

not every event goes perfectly by the book. It's how you deal with each curve that is thrown at you and this is something that Texas Region did well yesterday on most parts, and they were thrown a LOT of curveballs.

be thankful that y'all have JStankus on their Board. You're NOT going to find another calming person when helping to run things. it takes a lot to piss him off, i'm sure, and hopefully you'll never have to see that :) anyone else would take these bashings quite personally, but he's done an outstanding job representing TR.

just have fun! i find it's MUCH more fun to whine and find excuses for why we all drove so badly :) benchracing! wouldacouldas! didn't!

Dan
SM2
"i broke my transmission"
"my tires were too small"
"the clouds got in my eyes"
"someone put cones in my way"

[gabkwong]

There was little communication in the grid, and the mod cars were taking their time in getting ready. I worked 4th heat at the grid.

There was only ONE radio for the ENTIRE grid. I was told JG's car was a 3-drivers car when it was almost done! When I tried to call their cars up in line, each time took them a long time to get ready. I understand the mod cars are not like street car and takes longer to get started. But, don't stand around and talk, but work on your cars when you came back from the previous run and get ready for the next. Especially when you have 3 drivers!

To make the 4th heat worse was the re-runs. The red Camero had 2 reruns!

In a remote grid situation, we need more radios!

The mod car dirvers need to get ready just like other drivers and not run the day according to THEIR schedules!

[Clovis]

Dan
SM2
"i broke my transmission"
"my tires were too small"
"the clouds got in my eyes"
"someone put cones in my way"

"and I still beat that sucka in the N/A S2000"

Appreciate the optimism, well said. There needs to be a lot more of what you described in the TR. Unfortunately, it will take some buy in from a few of our leaders before this will become the norm. For the most part we've taken this stance in the S2000 club and the results have been great.

[Kestrel]

"...i find it's MUCH more fun to whine and find excuses for why we all drove so badly..."

Unfortunately, I can't find a good excuse for my miserable performance...

Welcome to our little piece of heaven, Dan. I will absolutely second your opinion that JStankus has done extremely well accepting our complaints - and suggestions! - about the SCCA events this year, and not taking them personally. I've said in several posts that I'm amazed at his resilience. Quite frankly, I'm not so thick-skinned, and I've said so. :P

On the other hand, what you preceive as bitching and moaning and stomping our feet is not directed at JS, but at an organization that we've all seen really slip in the last 12 months or so. We are dismayed, and we are trying very hard to help by (1) pointing out problems as we see them, and (2) making suggestions for improvement when we can. Many members of this forum are on the SCCA Board, and many others have been to SCCA meetings... out little community of Miata Pilots are doing our part to help!

Your popcorn idea is a good one, and I know that I for one should take that advise... it would save me a lot of stress . On the other hand, that strikes me as sorta giving up, and leaving the difficult work -- the work of making things better for everyone -- up to someone else. I guess that's OK, but I'd bet that's not really the kind of thing that JS -- and the rest of the SCCA Board -- is really hoping for. There are lots of people in our area "eating popcorn", and not contributing in any way to the process of improvement.

Man, all this talk of popcorn reminds me that I haven't had any dinner!

[JStankus]

"...i find it's MUCH more fun to whine and find excuses for why we all drove so badly..."

Unfortunately, I can't find a good excuse for my miserable performance...


Your popcorn idea is a good one, and I know that I for one should take that advise... it would save me a lot of stress . On the other hand, that strikes me as sorta giving up, and leaving the difficult work -- the work of making things better for everyone -- up to someone else. I guess that's OK, but I'd bet that's not really the kind of thing that JS -- and the rest of the SCCA Board -- is really hoping for. There are lots of people in our area "eating popcorn", and not contributing in any way to the process of improvement.

Man, all this talk of popcorn reminds me that I haven't had any dinner!

Heck, I'd be happy if we could just get everyone to eat popcorn together. One thing that has worked well elsewhere, is have a place to informally meet after the event. Back in Austin, it was tradition to go to Taco Cabana for beer and cheap Mexican food after the event. Everyone got to know each other a bit better. And there was a bit more commaraderie.

John

[POS Racing]

Honestly, I don't see why folks are so cranked up about the numbers on a borrowed car due to a mechanical.
John

John you totally missed it ! We could care less if it was a loaner, all we were talking about was the fact was not numbered at all for the trailer and course workers.

Welcome to the Madness beagleracing, think you also may have misinterpreted our banter. May have something to do with the North Texas to Central Texas language differences.

[Thorage327]

It was great meeting alot of you. Next time I will bring a table and a few chairs to make it easier to eat.

i was putting the Spec car on the trailer when the mustang was doing his impression of starsky and hutch, just wondering how long it would take before his backside would recieved the boot. silly noisy man.....

Anyone ever run a Spec car in an autocross around here? got a few at the shop that might be fun to run......

[altiain]

hey guys, outtatowner here

One of the most important things i've learned at autocrossers is to take much of the stressful situations with a grain of salt. It makes for sore butt cheeks to walk around with such a tight ass reading the rulebook every second of the day.

There's no need to bitch and moan and stomp your feet like some feel they need to do, that just makes you tired and makes the person you're trying to belittle think you're an asshole. Whenever I see screaming going on I just stand there and wish i had a box of popcorn. If anyone ever starts bitching at me for some silly reason I just smile back, and well, wish i had a box of popcorn until they finish :) then go about my merry way!

not every event goes perfectly by the book. It's how you deal with each curve that is thrown at you and this is something that Texas Region did well yesterday on most parts, and they were thrown a LOT of curveballs.

Welcome to the board, Dan.

It's good to hear an "outside" perspective, and I'm glad to hear that you enjoyed the event on Sunday. Unfortunately, Tom's reign this year has been a little turbulent so far, and what you're hearing is a little venting and discussion from some people that have been intimately involved with it, good, bad, and ugly.

be thankful that y'all have JStankus on their Board. You're NOT going to find another calming person when helping to run things. it takes a lot to piss him off, i'm sure, and hopefully you'll never have to see that :) anyone else would take these bashings quite personally, but he's done an outstanding job representing TR.

We are very thankful to have Jstankus, both on the TR board and on this one. He's done an excellent job, and I for one hope he decides to come back again next year.

At the same time, please don't mistake this thread as an attack on Texas Region events from disgruntled but uninvolved participants. After all, we've got three Texas Region board members (tailchaser, JStankus, and myself) actively participating in this thread, and probably that many again lurking in the shadows.

just have fun! i find it's MUCH more fun to whine and find excuses for why we all drove so badly :) benchracing! wouldacouldas! didn't!

Dan
SM2
"i broke my transmission"
"my tires were too small"
"the clouds got in my eyes"
"someone put cones in my way"

So what was Sunday's excuse? After all, you guys were only a second faster than Chris Williams (who schooled the rest of us in C Stock). :P

By the way, the next time you're looking for a good excuse, this handy-dandy excuse generator is quite useful.

[Treibenschnell]

Sounds like I missed out on the fun!

[Jiggerachi]

Hey guys, this is my first post, just bought a '94 Miata. Just thought I would chime in since I was out there sunday. I met a few of you guys that referred me here, dont remember your names, but I had a good time chatting with the few Miata guys that I saw around.

I was driving the dirty as hell blue 02 civic(NSTS #10) that was turning in mediocre times I've been to all the SCCA events so far this season(this is my first year autoXing) & one ER event, & I really enjoyed how together the ER club was. But I can also halfway understand that SCCA has 250+ drivers coming out.

All in all I had a great time, I liked this track better than the last roadcourse event for some reason, although I wish we could have had 4 runs.

Here is some pics of my new miata, & some of my Civic at the track, let me know what you think.
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/703161

I cant wait till next season, im going to be ditching the civic & running the Miata

[Mark52]

Man, I just love that excuse generator. It really takes the drudgery out of explaining my poor performance! Thanks, Altiain!



Mark52
CSP52
"the car just didn't feel right"
"must have been bad gas"
"scared of high speeds"
"couldn't find 3rd gear"
"too much in the trunk"
and on, and on, and on

[beagleracing]

just have fun! i find it's MUCH more fun to whine and find excuses for why we all drove so badly :) benchracing! wouldacouldas! didn't!

Dan
SM2
"i broke my transmission"
"my tires were too small"
"the clouds got in my eyes"
"someone put cones in my way"

So what was Sunday's excuse? After all, you guys were only a second faster than Chris Williams (who schooled the rest of us in C Stock). :P

By the way, the next time you're looking for a good excuse, this handy-dandy excuse generator is quite useful.

Oh, I've got a TON of excuses! (i save many of them ) the transmission did give some issues, it wouldn't shift into 2nd gear on the 2nd and 3rd runs. I wasted a LOT of time after teh start trying to get it into 2nd gear, it just wouldn't go. and the tires excuse is minor. i was running on a free set of 205/50/15 Avons. They're a good tire, but well undersized to put down 270hp effectively. i was spinning the rears way too much, especially through the long sweepers. and finally, my battery was dying. we had troubles starting the car in grid and then when I'd get on the gas under heavy load it would start missing and sputtering, i just don't think it had the juice to keep up.

Chris drove incedibly well, but give me 6 looks at the course like he had (rerun king) and I guarantee there were some mid 54s out there.

btw, i didn't mean to imply that you guys were the ones bitching and moaning and stomping your feet, it was in reference to watching folks like JG do it for silly reasons during the event.

As for Tom, you guys really need to take some time to really get to know him. He comes off extremely brash but I guarantee he has the biggest heart out there. He genuinely cares about EVERYONE's safety and livelihood. His military background just has him set in certain ways. I used to think the same thing about him, but once we got closer as good friends I realized what a genuinely great guy he is and how easy it is to work with him. he really does have the club's best interests at heart.

dp

[Kestrel]

"Anyone ever run a Spec car in an autocross around here?"

Yep, Robert J. runs a red Spec Miata at most events. He plays in DSP, and does pretty well. As a comparison to the other Miata's, his times are usually mid pack of the CSers around here. That's not too bad considering that a Spec Miata is running around with a full roll cage and hardtop (weight, weight, weight) that offsets the advantages of the striped interior and race suspension.

Bring one of your SMs and see what you think... I'm sure Robert would enjoy the head-to-head competition! And if you'd like someone to co-drive one, I'd love to take a Spec Miata around the course, just to see how they feel!

[altiain]

I noticed you and Dani were on Avons on Sunday. And I agree on the reruns - I think both he and Adrian got six runs on Sunday, and there were a couple of others in C Stock that saw the course more than three times (not me, unfortunately ). Add in Chris's slide-through-the-pointer-cones-stop-back-up-and-avoid-all-penalties finish on his last run, and I'd say he's got the luck of the devil.

Yeah, he does have a little talent, but I'm convinced it's mostly just luck. :P

As for Tom - he is a crusty old fella ( ), but I like him. He does a great job and works hard, and I didn't mean to imply that the problems we've been having this year are his fault, because I don't think they are. His tenure has been turbulent not because of anything Tom has done or not done, but because we've tried to change some things this year and we've encountered a lot of problems by doing so.

[fwMiata]

im gonna go with the i couldnt get 3rd gear excuse.... i hit 5th every time for some reason... guess motormounts are on the list now... i do doubt that it affected my times though. first time pushing this car really hard since i got it. it reacted totally different than im used to, so im gonna get used to it i guess

[Kestrel]

"As for Tom - he is a crusty old fella ( ), but I like him. He does a great job and works hard, and I didn't mean to imply that the problems we've been having this year are his fault, because I don't think they are. His tenure has been turbulent not because of anything Tom has done or not done, but because we've tried to change some things this year and we've encountered a lot of problems by doing so."

I agree. From what I have seen and heard (some of it first hand at an SCCA Meeting), he's gotten a ton resistance and pettiness from a number of people. Trying new things is usually a good idea... it just takes time to work out the kinks.

[JStankus]

I'm going to try to collect everyones comments and concerns and make sure the board is aware of them. If you have anything you want addressed please send it along to me. Specific details are helpful, but I want to make sure I understand everyone's concerns here. No promises as to whether they will be addressed the way you want, but I will try to make Tom and the board aware of your concerns.

Also if you know of other folks who have concerns, please have them get in touch with me.

Regards

John

[m2rracing]

I work in more of a lurker mode most times but --
I do see changes to the better, moving the kid karts to the end of the first heat etc...

Some of the suggestion posted are things that have worked in other events that we have been involed in over the past years... I believe one of the best was the trailer/starting crews that would work the whole event. I realize that that is a impositiion but the synergy that a crew gets when it happenes does have a impact.

We had our grips on sunday, and I think POS stated it best, give it straight and reward the attendes if things go well. I do agree that there needs to be a level playing field, whether you are a vetran of years or new to the event.

All in all we had good runs, we are chasing are targets and hopefully going in the right direction. Next year if all goes to plan we would like to get to a couple of regionals and on to the nationals if we can understand all the rules etc....

to finish ,
it was a good day nothing broke,
every run was better than the last
met with a lot of good people ( miata owners at that)
and had a good time

[Mokkers]

We had the usual poor numbering (in particular, a co-driven Merlot NB Miata, that was allowed to run with it's numbers turned upside-down -- and no other markings -- as FM199...

That's Greg Ward's car. I saw the upside-down numbers as he pulled to the line at one point, and wondered what the hell was going on. I don't know who told him he could do that, but I can make some guesses.

Don't blame Tech for that - Spokes annual Tech stickers (Greg is the VP of Spokes) are honored at our events, so that car never came through Tech.

I can't believe you guys are making such a stink about this but since you are then maybe you need to hear the *real* story instead of jumping to conclusions.

I ran the car with legal numbers.

Tom Holt's car broke when his co-driver was on his first run.

I let Tom use my car for his last two runs.

We were running in the same heat so there was no time to track down any tape. I don't have tape because I have mags. Tom didn't have tape because his numbers are permanent. There was NO TIME to go looking for tape.

The only thing I could think of was to flip the numbers so the starter and trailer would know it was not me. Not only that but I went up to the starter and explained the situation and made sure he passed on to the trailer what was going on.

This did not affect scoring or present an advantage or disadvantage to anyone .... I'm not sure I'm clear on what the beef really is.

Tom drove 3 hours, leaving early Sunday morning for this event. A far greater travesty would have been that he did not get three runs in because of time wasted looking for other numbers or tape.

If you know anything about Spokes then you know we run tight events and are sticklers on the rules. But by the same token we recognize unique situations that are exceptions to the rule and try not to penalize folks for unfortunate circumstances.

I suspect any one of you would be none too happy if you drove three hours for a Spokes event but missed runs because of strict adherence to the rules. Yeah ... we need rules, but this is supposed to be fun, and there can be exceptions to rules ... this is a perfect case in point.

If any of you lost a place in the standings because of this then I suggest you file a protest. I'll even support you in that protest.

But if you are complaining because rules were bent to accommodate an unfortunate circumstance with no bearing on final results then I cannot support that.

[Mokkers]

As for Tom, you guys really need to take some time to really get to know him. He comes off extremely brash but I guarantee he has the biggest heart out there. He genuinely cares about EVERYONE's safety and livelihood. His military background just has him set in certain ways. I used to think the same thing about him, but once we got closer as good friends I realized what a genuinely great guy he is and how easy it is to work with him. he really does have the club's best interests at heart.

dp

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