June Novice School Feedback [Archive] - Minnesota Autosports Club

Matt D.

06-15-2008, 05:53 PM

I just want to say THANK YOU again to everyone who helped put this on. As much of a novice I may or may not be this entire weekend helped me tremendously. I learned more on the course today than I have in all of my other events combined. The couple people I know who had never autocrossed before enjoyed the weekend thoroughly and said they are looking forward to participating in an event. This was the best $50 I have ever spent on my car, and it was the best modification of all: The driver.

I really have no feedback to give, otherwise. Everything went great and it was ran smooth just like every other MAC event.

I said thank you to every instructor that rode with me and I meant it. You all are great. I feel as if I got a year's worth of autocrossing experience in just a few hours. I'm really looking forward to putting this new knowledge to use.

Again, thank you!

nm+

06-15-2008, 05:54 PM

Agreed with all of the above.
Thanks

asujosh1

06-16-2008, 07:37 AM

I want to echo that of the above, but also say that the instructor ride-alongs were awesome, I probably learned more from that session about what I was not doing right than any other period. Thanks for letting us ride along while you roasted a set of tires!

It was also really interesting to see what the instructors could do in my car. Even though they were not 100% comfortable with the car, they were able to put up some pretty good times and show me what the car was capable of.

washburn

06-16-2008, 07:44 AM

I just wanted to jump in and thank all the instructors once again. Can't say it enough! Everyone gave up their Father's Day to do this. We had an excellent turnout and the event was one of the best. It's really fun hearing the instructors cheering the students on...it shows how much they care. Thanks again guys and gals!!!

phile

06-16-2008, 08:48 AM

Ivan

06-16-2008, 09:05 AM

Good job students! Everyone made great strides in not only autocross-specific skills, but huge improvements in general car control, and most were gaining visible confidence in how their cars reacted "at the limit".

Next year we should make a better effort in more accurately splitting up the run groups. Group three was really small, while group 2 was so big that a couple of students had to take solo runs because instructors didn't get back to the front of the line in time. Also evenly splitting the drivers who need to borrow helmets into different groups.

ThRty 7

06-16-2008, 09:39 AM

I agree -the instructors were passionate and on point with everything they advised. I not only enjoyed having them ride along but i also felt a lot better knowing that everytime one of them got on i was going to shave another half a second!-lol

other than that, my only comments are the following.

-I wished that the autocross schools were earlier in the season so that when i get out of the class i can look forward to more events throughout the season. I wanted to sign up for some events in May but opted not to as i prefered to wait for the novce school. I know there was an event in April but it had been full.

-Riding with the instructors gave me a lot of confidence. definitely a pivotal part of the learning experience for me.

-The saturday class was informative and just the right length.

again, thanks to everyone who helped put this event together -it was a great learning exercise but most importantly it was a lot of fun.

porkbone

06-16-2008, 09:42 AM

I thought the school went very well. As an instructor, it is especially rewarding when you give feedback, the student puts the feedback into practice, and that directly leads to improved results. It was simply amazing to see how much everybody improved throughout the day!!

My apologies to the last few students who rode with me on my instructor runs... towards the end of the session my front tires literally started falling apart, which led to some very unpredictable results. At the end of the day my two front tires were corded in spectacular fashion...

phile

06-16-2008, 09:55 AM

My apologies to the last few students who rode with me on my instructor runs... towards the end of the session my front tires literally started falling apart, which led to some very unpredictable results. At the end of the day my two front tires were corded in spectacular fashion...
Yes. Aaron showed me a tire that had gone off and it was pretty impressive. Then you showed me a pair of tires, one of which was way more impressive.

It's always nice to get the full life of a tire...

cjS14

06-16-2008, 12:55 PM

I can only reiterate all of the positive things that have already been said. Probably the best time I have ever spent in a car, whether it was learning to drive mine or seeing how it was supposed to be done from the instructors during lunch.:bigeyes:
I learned more during the day about proper driving and preparation than I could have imagined. What a great way to start out in the sport.

A BIG thanks to the instructors and organizers again too! Can't say enough about the insight, patience, and enthusiasm they had to help us noobs. What a great group of people.

ychanus

06-16-2008, 02:40 PM

Yeah, thanks so much for this awesome weekend. All instructors were great and I learned a lot. I could not believe driving a real car in this type of setting can be that much fun. This is the first time I drive my car like this, and now I'm hooked.

I definite look forward to try some more events in the next few months and to see you guys again! And I just put together a huge list of stuff that I need to work on.

My wife and I almost couldn't sleep last night because it was way too exciting. It was so hard to get up to work this morning ;).

BTW, I'm the asian dude that drive the White Suby WRX, and my wife was in the yellow Integra R.

It is very nice to meet all of you!

porkbone

06-16-2008, 03:07 PM

BTW, I'm the asian dude that drive the White Suby WRX, and my wife was in the yellow Integra R.

It is very nice to meet all of you!
Glad you had a good time! I hope I didn't make your wife too nervous when I was riding in the ITR with her in the afternoon... :D

ychanus

06-16-2008, 04:40 PM

Glad you had a good time! I hope I didn't make your wife too nervous when I was riding in the ITR with her in the afternoon... :D

No, Anna loves it and found out how cool it is to have an instructor actually driving the same model.

Yeung

fitz

06-16-2008, 04:55 PM

Shockingly enough, this was my first stint as an instructor at one of the schools. It was an all-around great event and I had a fabulous time. Every student I worked with made huge gains which was very gratifying for everyone involved of course. And everyone seemed to really be really enjoying the experience and making the most of it.

Kudos to the organizers for putting on an outstanding and totally successful event.

Kudos to the instructors for turning a group of largely green recruits into serious autocross contenders in just one day.

Kudos to the students for being such quick and eager studies.

Kracka

06-16-2008, 07:02 PM

Like everyone else has said, the course was awesome! This was my first time doing an auto-x event and had a total blast and will definitely be back for more. All the instructors did a great job and it really was awesome that they were so into it with all the students.

phile

06-16-2008, 09:14 PM

No, Anna loves it and found out how cool it is to have an instructor actually driving the same model.

Yeung

Do they only come in yellow?

phile

06-16-2008, 09:31 PM

Everyone I rode with in the afternoon had a good grip on the basics before they left the site. Not all of them will be national champions, but all of them will be able to enjoy this sport for decades, as I have.

Later in the day we picked a few students we thought were ready for some more-advanced stuff, and really worked on them try it. They all rose to the challenge. Not all were able to get it yet, but the ideas will remain, and there are plenty of pylons to frighten in the future.

Kudos to all the students for their willingness to learn, and their courage to challenge our assumptions.

Kudos to the instruction staff, both regular-season instructors and the extras Pat put on for the event. We hope that through the diversity of our styles we were able "make it click" for the students.

We encourage all drivers to take advantage of our regular-season instructors at our competitive events for the rest of the season. And don't forget to feed back to 914 Dave how the instructional staff is working out for you.

Don't fear the cones.
The cones should fear you.

Use the whole track.

Slow in, fast out.

Look ahead.

"Whoever turns the steering wheel least, wins." -Akkana Peck.

Kracka

06-16-2008, 09:31 PM

Do they only come in yellow?

Depending on the year, white, yellow, or black.

porkbone

06-16-2008, 09:31 PM

Do they only come in yellow?
In 2000 and 2001, they only came in yellow and black.

Total USDM ITR Production by Year
1997
320 White

1998
1002 White

2000
573 Black
782 Yellow

2001
523 Black
650 Yellow

ychanus

06-16-2008, 09:32 PM

Do they only come in yellow?

From Acura 2000/2001 ITR only come either Black or Yellow, and I think they make more yellow than black.

porkbone

06-16-2008, 09:33 PM

No, Anna loves it and found out how cool it is to have an instructor actually driving the same model.

Yeung
I can't help but notice how much her times improved AFTER I got out of the car... :lol:

phile

06-16-2008, 09:34 PM

OK, it wasn't a serious question (forgot the smiley), but I of all people have to respect your right to tell me how to make a watch. ;)

In 2000 and 2001, they only came in yellow and black.

Total USDM ITR Production by Year
1997
320 White

1998
1002 White

2000
573 Black
782 Yellow

2001
523 Black
650 Yellow

Mekhem

06-16-2008, 09:54 PM

I don't think it can be said too many times - What a great event! Many many thanks to all of the club members that volunteered and instructed to make this such a great experience for us n00bs.

I can say that my comfort level went up exponentially as the day went on. The instructors were clear and gave good advice. The instructor rides were 'eye opening' even at 80% and talking you through the course - which really helped for my afternoon runs.

Thanks everybody !

Jay - The 'all show, no go, bugeye wrx'

Noodles

06-17-2008, 07:06 AM

Thanks to all who did this--instructors were great and very helpful, the work done to set up and tear down the course is appreciated and of course, Midway for letting us all tear up their parking lot!

914 Dave

06-17-2008, 07:08 AM

I can't help but notice how much her times improved AFTER I got out of the car... :lol:

...and I'm sure it was ALL due to your greatness...
(or perhaps the weight reduction)

Be careful the monster you create, she may be a couple tenths ahead of you at the next event!

phile

06-17-2008, 12:59 PM

I can't help but notice how much her times improved AFTER I got out of the car... :lol:
Time improvements don't generally happen while we are chattering at the student. They happen latter, when the student uses what they have learned from our chatter.

ychanus

06-17-2008, 02:54 PM

Can anybody confirm with me that it is actually faster choosing to start at the left of the first cone?

I never tried going left, but I overheard people talking at the end of the event.

Mekhem

06-17-2008, 02:59 PM

I went left all afternoon and went faster - but that mnay be related to other things.

Also - I dont think that I would be consistant enough to notice a difference at this point considering that I did not get teh finish right all day

MNbiker

06-17-2008, 04:05 PM

Can anybody confirm with me that it is actually faster choosing to start at the left of the first cone?

I never tried going left, but I overheard people talking at the end of the event.
It was faster starting on the left. That's why you should usually try optional elements both ways. ;)

washburn

06-17-2008, 05:17 PM

Left. It was a little slower on the entrance, but the exit was significantly opened up due to the offset on the last cone. You might have noticed all the instructors taking it that way. Definately should have tried it both ways. :)

BTW, I intentionally did not tell you that...wanted you to figure it out.

JCN

06-17-2008, 07:44 PM

In 2000 and 2001, they only came in yellow and black.

Total USDM ITR Production by Year
1997
320 White

1998
1002 White

2000
573 Black
782 Yellow

2001
523 Black
650 Yellow

:bigeyes: Good grief!!!! THAT's a limited edition car! :rockon

porkbone

06-17-2008, 08:29 PM

:bigeyes: Good grief!!!! THAT's a limited edition car! :rockon
There are many cars that were produced in lower numbers than the ITR... but the question is, how many ITRs are left... how many have NOT been stolen or wrecked?

Left. It was a little slower on the entrance, but the exit was significantly opened up due to the offset on the last cone. You might have noticed all the instructors taking it that way.
Yeah, the key to the slalom was go slow in the slow parts, go fast in the fast parts. The left-side entry seemed slower, but that was no big deal because you're starting out slow anyway. Going in on the left made the last cone offset in your favor, which allowed you to accelerate all the way through the slalom, turning the end of the slalom into a fast, "straight" section.

porkbone

06-17-2008, 08:35 PM

Also as a side note... there were a couple students during the day who I coached to short shift into 2nd and leave it there for the whole course. I stand by this advice for people who are just starting out, because the last thing you want to think about while driving a course is downshifting, etc..

During the instructor runs, I tried the course several ways in the ITR. With the high redline, I can often run Midway courses entirely in 1st gear. So here were the results (roughly):

short shift, whole course in 2nd: 30.9xx seconds
whole course in first: 31.1xx seconds (I think)
shift to 2nd halfway through slalom, downshift during carousel, finish course in 1st: 30.2xx seconds
driving a sloppy run with melted tires, and delaminating entire front tire on final corner: 33.xxx seconds... ;)

MN-Ghost

06-17-2008, 11:11 PM

I also wanted to thank all the instructors and volunteers who made the event possible. It was a lot of fun and I'm definitely hungry for more. Hope to see all of you at an event in the future.

Seth Rowan
'02 Mazda Miata

fitz

06-18-2008, 05:38 AM

phile

06-18-2008, 07:10 AM

Indeed. One of the first instructions I gave all my students was to figure out when you were going to shift (before or after slalom), do it and forget about it for the rest of the course. One less thing to worry about.
Yes. Things have a way of piling up. During the instructor runs I was working on a more-extreme pre-shuffle for the carrousel turn-in, and a couple of times I caught myself reaching for the shifter for no apparent reason. Maybe I was channeling Chris.

asujosh1

06-19-2008, 09:34 AM

I had a lot of frustration that my times were not improving throughout the day on Sunday. When I rotated my tires on Tuesday night I began to understand why. There is absolutely no tread left on the tires that were mounted to the front of the car, and they are starting to delaminate on the edges. Oh yeah, and the other thing, they have a treadwear rating of 500. You read that right, 500! Maybe some good summer tires would be helpful?

Anners

06-19-2008, 08:48 PM

Ok...so just like not being afraid to hit the gas, it may take me a while to respond. I also wanted to thank ALL the instructors (914 Dave (not Miata Dave - it is his wife's car :lol: ) , Pat, Lee, Mike, Josh, Aaron, Gretchen, Phil, Mark and everyone else) for an AMAZING day! I learned so much from rules, how to drive a manual car, and shuffling to building my confidence and letting go and having the ULTIMATE blast! Thank you for all of your learnings, patience, celebrations and even more patience! I plan on seeing you all in the near future!

Also, to my competitive partner, Dana, thanks for doing this course with me!

73GT

06-19-2008, 10:07 PM

Holy Crap:rockon

Lee F

asujosh1

06-20-2008, 09:01 AM

The photos of the tires were finally posted, you can check these out:

Can you tell why I was sliding around all day?

http://img2.putfile.com/main/6/17100123627.jpg

Matt D.

06-20-2008, 09:03 AM

The photos of the tires were finally posted, you can check these out:

Can you tell why I was sliding around all day?
Those tires look like they do not enjoy being driven hard. Oh well, time for an upgrade. :rockon

marks_lude

06-20-2008, 09:06 AM

Holy Cow! Time to invest in tires!

phile

06-20-2008, 01:52 PM

The photos of the tires were finally posted, you can check these out:

Can you tell why I was sliding around all day?

http://img2.putfile.com/main/6/17100123627.jpg

You been running them babies overinflated.

asujosh1

06-20-2008, 01:55 PM

Trying to make up for the weak sidewalls...

phile

06-20-2008, 03:21 PM

Trying to make up for the weak sidewalls...

Looks like you overdid it. Not much wear on the shoulder. You were apparently only using the middle of the tire.

asujosh1

06-20-2008, 03:39 PM

I have no doubt that I have a lot to learn when it comes to setting tire pressures for autocrossing.

There is another photo I did not link to this site that shows the tread delaminating on the sides. Nothing like the VW at the school, but it is starting to come apart. Its a good thing I picked up those super-cheap Michelins..

porkbone

06-23-2008, 09:57 PM

My apologies to the last few students who rode with me on my instructor runs... towards the end of the session my front tires literally started falling apart, which led to some very unpredictable results. At the end of the day my two front tires were corded in spectacular fashion...
OK, for anyone wondering what "cording a tire in spectacular fashion" looks like...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3218/2605866159_b7c8ffa3cf.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3035/2606694968_b3b6eb0654.jpg