TireRack/Grissom Peru ?

[ada///M]

I've got a couple options this weekend and was wondering what you guys thought:

TireRack looks like a DCTC style deal, run by the Salt Creek Sports Car Club
Saturday, 39 minutes away, 30$

Grissom looks like it could be an amazing venue, much bigger and open than anything I've ever driven. Fort Wayne Region SCCA
Sunday, 2 hours 11 minutes away, 25$

I ran with the Indiana region SCCA last weekend and that was, well, different than what I'm used to. Only about 40 people and a 30 second course, albeit a pretty nice and fast 30 second course. We got 10 runs but I felt like 6 or 7 would have been plenty... I'll post my results if they ever post them



Anyway, both events are register day-of and right now I'd love to hit both but a bad day at the Rack will probably keep me away from 4 hours of driving on Sunday. I feel like I need the practice though and some time to sort the car still. I just got around to checking my alignment today and crap, must have been a mis-communication but my rear camber was max negative, whoops. Dialed that down to minimum and moved the toe a bit closer to 0.

Anyway, I'm rambling, anybody run with either club at either venue? What should I expect?

Thanks,
-adam

[porkbone]

If you can't go to Lincoln, do Peru without a doubt.

Pat using Chris's computer.....

[MustGoFaster]

Peru, it's cheaper! :D But seriously, Peru was a good site to run at, I can't comment on feel, as it was my first and only time driving that car, but it's a big site. If it was only a 2 hr drive I think I'd be there every event they had.

[CDeutsch]

I didn't think Peru was "amazing" (thought it would be better, I'd take Miller Park over it) but it's better then Tire Rack if you want "authentic autocross" instead of a DCTC style event. Tire Rack is fun to run at just to see the building and it has good spectating.

[bartekb93]

You could also do SCCA-Chicago Region in Joliet, IL.
http://www.scca-chicago.com/solo/index.html and the event flyer for specific info --> http://www.scca-chicago.com/solo/2009/images/event5_flyer.pdf

It's about 100 miles drive and should take (hopefully) under 2 hours give or take.
You'll have a pretty well run event with 6 runs on a grippy surface (arguably grippier than Miller Park) and transition oriented course (as opposed to sweepers at Miller Park).

That said, Peru would be good to go to too - probably a more relaxed day, concrete, and cheaper if you're not SCCA member...

[ada///M]

and transition oriented course (as opposed to sweepers at Miller Park).


wow, you've found the perfect "buzz" words to get my attention :D I'm going to have to think about this a little bit more... Do a lot of the Milwaukee regulars come down to the Chicago events?

[bartekb93]

wow, you've found the perfect "buzz" words to get my attention :D I'm going to have to think about this a little bit more... Do a lot of the Milwaukee regulars come down to the Chicago events?

Hardly any. Last year few regulars did, but this year not so much.
I don't expect any WI folk to show up this weekend for two reasons - those hardcore enough went to Lincoln for the T&T and two day event afterwards, and those not hardcore enough, but wanting to auto-x this weekend stayed home to run WAI at Miller Park on Sunday.

[ada///M]

Well I think I'm going to do Chicago, Mainly because it allows me to get another hour of sleep with the time change. We'll see how it goes. Weather is supposed to be beautiful.:)

[ada///M]

Tire Rack went pretty good I think. Making alignment changes then having to run in the rain was a bummer, but the rear end was plenty happy to rotate today... The rain really screwed up the results but I think I may have paxxed pretty well overall despite coning another 6/10's away. We'll see if they're as lax about posting their results as indiana scca. The course was alright. The site certainly wasn't what I had imagined, more like, 1/3 of DCTC. Still got a 45 second course out of it, although the full carousel was pretty brutal. Oh and there were only 32 registered drivers... that was kinda lame. 10 runs was easy at least.

Anyway, I'm off to Chicago in the morning unless the forecast says rain again :rockon

[ada///M]

GAHHHH, even though I feel like I'm having a conversation with myself here, I'm still going to update

I hit a total of 2 cones this weekend. It just so happened that it was on my fastest run each day!!!:bash: Same thing happened last weekend, 1 cone, fastest run thrown out:( Today's course was amazing though! I thought the pin turn at the end was going to be a killer but it ended up just being mildly painful. Transition down near the top of 2nd gear, transition back with a bit of speed variation = my kind of course! After working heat 3 I realized I was taking the first slalom the wrong way and when I came back out for the 4th heat I dropped almost a full second on my first run, only to be slower than my morning runs my next 2... Turns out, and it wasn't called in at the time because they announced my time and position, but I had a cone on my fast one :( Ended up 3rd of 40 in Street Tire class. My dirty run still wouldn't have been good enough for first but at least he wouldn't have been out there by like 1.3 seconds... I was .068 off 2nd place when my heat started and didn't improve any other than the dirty time.


Going from max to minimum camber in the rear (and a slight toe adjustment) has completely changed the car back to what I remember it being like last year. My stupid fault for not checking the damn eccentric's at the rear that are pretty easy to see without even lifting the car up. I'm gonna see if I can't find another event next weekend and I'll probably mess with the rear toe some more. Seems to be working good so far...

Wish I would have actually came over and introduced myself to you Bartek, you guys were flyin' through cars at tech and we only exchanged a couple quick words.

[aansorge]

How was the lot?

Amazing what a difference alignment can make...

[ada///M]

the lot was great, the grip felt amazing. First half of the course was actually a lot of fun because it was basically offsets on either side of a low spot so you were always on camber if you could make yourself wait to turn in. I did see more than a couple spins there though as it was a very fast section and I assume they were already into their turn and the bump just upset the cars enough to send them around.

It's just a shame that there isn't another lot nearby that they could use for grid. The lot is kind of a triangle and they used most of the wide base for both grids. The course was 50ish seconds for me at least today, but without grids there it would be a huge lot.


I will definitely be going back for more though, best time I've had so far this year.

EDIT: results are up!
http://www.scca-chicago.com/solo/2009//event5_class.html

damn damn damn! That cone cost me 818 thousandths! At least I would have been close enough to 1st to blame it on the drag strip launch if I would have gotten it!!!

[bartekb93]

the lot was great, the grip felt amazing. First half of the course was actually a lot of fun because it was basically offsets on either side of a low spot so you were always on camber if you could make yourself wait to turn in. I did see more than a couple spins there though as it was a very fast section and I assume they were already into their turn and the bump just upset the cars enough to send them around.

It's just a shame that there isn't another lot nearby that they could use for grid. The lot is kind of a triangle and they used most of the wide base for both grids. The course was 50ish seconds for me at least today, but without grids there it would be a huge lot.


I will definitely be going back for more though, best time I've had so far this year.


Adam, nice to meet you. I'm glad to hear you liked the event/course/site. Like I said before, transitions are the norm at Rt.66 because of the lot layout. http://www.scca-chicago.com/solo/images/sites/route66.jpg
Out and back with a turn around at the far (East) end. Grip is same or no worse than Miller Park for the most part.

As to the grid etc. we've run few events (including last one a month ago) with the grid in the middle, and a second turn around on the West side of the lot, where we paddocked today, but a lot of people complained about bumps there, which are probably the biggest for the lot, so it's not very likely to be run that way again, or at least not soon. That layout also posses a bunch of logistic issues with a very tight grid (and a place for the junior karts etc).

Bartek

P.S. Andy Seipos usually posts pictures on his site after the events. Check it out - he might have some of you. http://andyseipos.com/

[aansorge]

Bartek, you almost got beat! Are you just toying with that kid?

Judging by the times, you're not. He must be the real deal.

[bartekb93]

lol, funny way to look at it i guess
I was lucky to get a wonder run in while Brandon, who is my hero and role model, was busy coning away his afternoon. ;)

[aansorge]

Last second 'wonder runs' and tenths of a second will not do. We expect wins by seconds not tenths. Stop dinking around. Many of us have invested in Polish t-shirts, polish stickers, shift-knobs, Polish Kielbasa, etc. to give us plenty of mojo. If these items stop working their magic many of us (including my wife) will be very disappointed and we'll be seeking reimbursement. So get your $#%^ together!

[ada///M]

tirerack results finally. Guess I hit 2 cones. Never-the-less, coned away a half second and what would have put me 2nd in pax (out of 31:rolleyes:) The guy in the STi was FAST! Never had a chance in the rain! The conditions didn't even really change that much from the morning to the afternoon but I guess a little bit more rain on top of what we had was enough to screw things up pretty bad since my best time in the afternoon was still 2 seconds slower than the morning.

http://scscc.net/ax082209.html

eh...

Not sure if I'm going to make another even this weekend or not. It's supposed to rain again on sunday... Might just wait till the 2 dayer at MilW. Anybody from Minnesota planning on making those?

[ada///M]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'm cursed! Another event, 4 in a row now, that I cone my best run, and my only cone of the day again!! Otherwise today was a really fun time it just really stings extra because myself and another M3 were really close in times all day and went back and forth a few times (he had V710's though 8)) I was .8 ahead at lunch but he immediately dropped a whole second in the afternoon. I dropped 2 tenths and it wasn't enough. My Cone time was another 150 thou faster but in the end he ended ahead of me by less than a tenth...:( There were 52 people there today and I was 5th in pax. I raw timed the guy that beat me last time in STX but his pax is better than mine :( The M3 feels amazing though and I kinda don't even want to get an actual alignment but I bet I'm so far off with my weak tape-measure-in-the garage alignment skillz. Experimented with tire pressures a bit today and found that my dunlops liked 33-34 a little more than 36-37. Not enough difference to be sure though... Oh and at about 40 runs they're due to be flipped... last years rears still look great:rolleyes:

I'm taking the next weekend off for a change but I'll be back for the street tire champs and the event the next day at milwaukee. Hopefully I see a few of you guys there!

edit:
results
http://www.inr-scca.org/event08-aug30_fin.htm