AutoX Events: Stupid Question

[MacLotus]

As I negotiate with my wife for track days, I notice that some of the (9) MOWOG events describe a Solo2 Nationals-style, and others don't.

Are all these events single driver / individual competition, meaning they are not team events? I ask because I see several threads about teams? Can someone please clarify?

MOWOG? I just have to ask what that stand for? :oops:

Ken

[Rex Jr]

The banter you see here about "teams" is just a grand way of saying more than one person shares a car. Team One Out, for example, is four people that take turns driving one car. They still pay individual entry fees, have their results listed by class and driver only, and don't accumulate points any differently than if it were one person in one car. Whether you're co-driving with someone or not, all drivers get the same number of runs during an event.

[miata#37]

I think the "Nationals-style" description is applied to events held at our two largest venues: Valley Fair and Canterbury Park.

MOWOG: Morris Wolesey Group. A name cast into parts used on British cars back-in-the-day and a nod to MAC's origins from two local British car clubs.

[MacLotus]

Thanks for the edumacation... and the MAC history.

45 days! Can't wait!!

Ken

[tyrayb]

2 solid answers.

Please bring your Lotus to a MOWOG...I'd like to have a closer look at that thing!

[MacLotus]

2 solid answers.

Please bring your Lotus to a MOWOG...I'd like to have a closer look at that thing!

Actually, I plan to run it in all 9 events this season, as well as the test & tunes. Please say 'Hi' as most of the fun is the checking out the cool whips! Look forward to meeting you'all.

Ken

[phile]

Actually, I plan to run it in all 9 events this season, as well as the test & tunes. Please say 'Hi' as most of the fun is the checking out the cool whips! Look forward to meeting you'all.

Ken

Your car reminds me of an Elise that beat me out for by .208 for 2nd in the Elise class at the Lotus Owners Gathering in Saint Louis. I had to settle for the last trophy. Since I was in a bone-stock 2005 Elise I had never driven before that morning I wasn't too disappointed.

I didn't take any pictures at the autocross, but I did shoot the car at the track day:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/98/232439070_577b2a8ea3.jpghttp://farm1.static.flickr.com/95/232439131_10c65f2043.jpg

I'm really looking forward to seeing your car in action on the autocross course.

[MacLotus]

That photo is an Elise Series 1 (S1) very similar to mine. The first S1 was delivered for European road use in 1996 with around 135HP. Subsequent models came out with slightly larger and more powerful engines (160HP & 190HP).

My particular S1 is what is called the Sport 190, half way in between the MotorSport (full out race car) and the factory street S1 (pictured). The Sport 190 was factory prepared track car with various upgrades to meet SCCA specs.

Kinda like the Porsche 911. You have the 996 GT3... then the track-ready GT3 Cup Car... then full out RSR Race Car. The Sport 190 is like the Cup Car.

This winter I removed the factory Koni coil-overs and fitted it with the Nitron racing suspension, racing disc rotors and brakes, and soon Avon slicks (for AutoX only). I use ADVAN A048's on the larger road courses because the handle the heat cycling much better.

Next winter, the 190HP Rover engine gets removed to replace it with a Supercharged Acura RSX Type R engine/ 6 speed trans for an immediate delivery of 330HP (which it desperately needs for the longer straightaways at Brainerd and Road America). Incredible in the corners (at 1500lbs) but disadvantaged in high speed straights.

1500lbs x 330HP = Nomex Diapers :bigeyes:

Great for drifting though. :)

Can't wait!!

[washburn]

Next winter, the 190HP Rover engine gets removed to replace it with a Supercharged Acura RSX Type R engine/ 6 speed trans for an immediate delivery of 330HP (which it desperately needs for the longer straightaways at Brainerd and Road America). Incredible in the corners (at 1500lbs) but disadvantaged in high speed straights.

Can't wait!!

Man...I just wet myself a little.

[MacLotus]

Man...I just wet myself a little.

Hence the Nomex Diapers... as my skirt might tend to blow up in Turn 1 at BIR. :lol:

[MacLotus]

Here's a great video of a supercharged Honda conversion (sold me). While its an S2 Elise (which weighs 4-500lbs more than an S1 Sport), you still get the idea...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whhkrDwdvGs

Here's another video that shows how the SC Honda Elise performs against other GT cars in an actual race...

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=6378823409480688257

Notice the Elise pressures the Viper in the twisty bits, but loses a bit of ground on the straights. Great racing though!!

[oldtoyota]

What kind of times will it put up at BIR now? Also why Avon's for autox?

[MacLotus]

What kind of times will it put up at BIR now? Also why Avon's for autox?

BIR Times? I'm not sure yet. I just bought it in late September.

As for Avon Slicks - AutoX requires solid traction on cold rubber, so a softer compound racing rubber is optimal.

The problem with soft sticky slicks is that the traction they offer is based on chemical compounds in the tire, not tread/rubber thickness. When a slick 'heats up', the chemicals that give the tire its 'sticky nature' evaporate. Six heat cycles or so and the chemicals are gone, making the tire perform actually less than a good street radial... even if you have plenty of rubber left.

Since you never really get the tires super hot on an AutoX track, they last 'staying sticky' for the whole season... if you don't run them on longer road courses where the will heat cycle. If you can afford new tires every few weeks, its not an issue. If you're on a budget, don't heat them up and they'll stay sticky.

For the road courses (i.e. BIR), high performance street radials are optimal (from a budget perspective) because they maintain consistent performance through multiple heat cycles. You'd need new slicks every other weekend, but street radials last all season (on my light car).

Two sets of wheels... slicks on one set.... ADVAN's on the other. :)

[EWAustin]

Skip the Avons. You'll be disappointed. Look at Kumho V710s or Hoosiers.

[phile]

I think he was asking "Why Avon slicks instead of Hoosiers".

[phile]

Skip the Avons. You'll be disappointed. Look at Kumho V710s or Hoosiers.
On the other hand, Steve B uses Avon slicks for autocross and V710 tires on the street. This implies that his Avons stick better in autocross than V710, at least on his lighter-than-MacLotus'-car Seven.

[MacLotus]

I think he was asking "Why Avon slicks instead of Hoosiers".

Well, without getting into 'slick vs. slick' comparisons, the main reason for going with Avons is tire size and availability. Lotus tends to use wheel/tire sizes that are not common to the US, so you have to pretty much go with what's available to fit your ride. Avon is... Hoosier ain't. Not a lot of flexibility for decisions here.

Cheers,

KM

[oldtoyota]

On the other hand, Steve B uses Avon slicks for autocross and V710 tires on the street. This implies that his Avons stick better in autocross than V710, at least on his lighter-than-MacLotus'-car Seven.

Boos used to run Avon slicks due to the price. What size tires do you run? I was happy with my Nitto NT-01's last year as a do it all tire. Held its own for everything, but probably best as a track tire.

[MacLotus]

I would also say that anyone considering a slicks should definitely ensure the necessary suspension modifications are made to support the additional stresses induced due to enhanced grip.

Cheers,

Ken

[MacLotus]

Boos used to run Avon slicks due to the price. What size tires do you run? I was happy with my Nitto NT-01's last year as a do it all tire. Held its own for everything, but probably best as a track tire.

Sizes are:
Front: 195 x 50 x 15
Rear: 225 x 45 x 16

The front tires are the difficulty. I even have to have my ADVAN's imported. I think you can get the rear tires OK... but the fronts are unique to Europe.

Avon gets pretty close in the super soft rubber. If I remember, Hoosier wasn't as close and only offered their harder rubber in those sizes.

[oldtoyota]

I feel your pain. My MR2 has the same stock tires are those sizes, but carrying another 1300lbs. Can you go 205/50's on front?

[MacLotus]

I feel your pain. My MR2 has the same stock tires are those sizes, but carrying another 1300lbs. Can you go 205/50's on front?

My front tires (while factory for the Sport 190) are already oversized by Lotus from the street Elise, and rub the outer lip of the fender under heavy body roll. I'm hopeful the new Nitron dampers equipped with Eibach Springs (500lb Front / 750lb Rear) and Helper Springs will minimize the body roll / rub. Adjustable front ARB is at max stiffness.

Anything larger than the 195 will tear my fender up. :(

Ken

[evilpope2001]

...

Anything larger than the 195 will flare my fender. :)

Ken

fixed.

[JCN]

Nope, fiberglass doesn't tend to "flare" very well like that....

[MNbiker]

Nope, fiberglass doesn't tend to "flare" very well like that....
I have a body saw that will fix those fenders up in a jiffy! :evil:

-Steve

p.s. Don't mind me - I just like cutting up perfectly good cars....

[evilpope2001]

you mean "fixing" them right?

[MacLotus]

I have a body saw that will fix those fenders up in a jiffy! :evil:

-Steve

p.s. Don't mind me - I just like cutting up perfectly good cars....

Maybe we don't have to cut. We wait for one of those rain days... and once the fender well gets wet and the fiberglass softens up a bit, we can use a pair of pliers to flare it out nicely.

You're probably wondering where I come up with these brilliant ideas? Well I happen to be an engineer (187th in my class).

Ken

(That would be an electrical engineer actually, but engineer'n is engineer'n edumacation-wise... right?) ;)

[oldtoyota]

Anything larger than the 195 will tear my fender up. :(

Ken

Do you have any room on the inside? Would a different offset wheel help you in any way?

[111R]

It's interesting that you can't fit anything larger than a 195 on the front of your S1. In the S2 they dialed in understeer by fitting 175s on the Base model (with the Sports getting 195) yet there is room for 205s and some use 215 or 225s.

Nice Croft, it will be great to see it out on course this year.