Ice Driving event

[chuck b]

Hey, finally, the first ice driving event of the winter is here. Check out the local Audi club website, http://www.glacierlakesqclub.net

There's usually a few hearty MAC members that goto these events.
I plan on going and will compare my times with new Blizzaks to my worn out hard summer tires.

[Bill Owen]

I can't make it.

and I just dumped mucho grande $$$ in new parts for my syncro wagon for this :(

I'll shoot for next one..


Have fun Chuck!

[MNbiker]

I'll be there, unless they get an unusually large number of Audi owners who want to attend.

-Steve

[SalahK]

I've signed up as well.

[aansorge]

Dag blast it, I work that night!!!

Maybe the next one.

[Bill Owen]

I'll be thinking of you all giving those Audi guys HELL on ICE!

make us proud

[Bob86ZZ4]

I went down and watched for a bit. Did you win, Salah???

[SalahK]

Originally posted by Bob86ZZ4
I went down and watched for a bit. Did you win, Salah???


Close, but no cigar! I ranked third in the Non-Studded Tire Class.

Judging from the mistakes I made during my runs, I think it was possible, given a mistake-free run, to break the One-Minute barrier with a Non-Studded car;

Here is a summary of the results:

Rank Best Time Studs? First Name Last Name Car Model
1 00:55.6 Yes Larry Tivy S6
2 01:03.6 No Peter Kuhn 4K
3 01:03.6 No Craig Silver A4 1.8T Q
4 01:04.3 No Salah Khuhro Evolution
5 01:04.9 No Andrew Gantman S4 Avant
6 01:06.6 No James Harker S4 Avant
7 01:06.9 No Tom Mesich 90Q
8 01:07.8 No Kevin Vander A4 Avant
9 01:07.9 No Mark Greenwood wrx wagon
10 01:08.6 No Mark Gottwalt S6
11 01:09.4 No Stephen Freathy A4 Avant 1.8t
12 01:10.2 No Mike Lundeby S4
13 01:10.5 No JT Harlow S4 Avant
14 01:11.0 Yes AJ Tippie 80q
15 01:12.4 No Pete Puffer 90 20v
16 01:13.3 No Dan Schwarz S4
17 01:14.7 No John Barbour Coupe GT
18 01:15.1 No Chuck Bower Sentra SE-R
19 01:15.3 No Jon Kagan S-6
20 01:15.5 No Jay Luehmann S4
21 01:15.9 No Steve Garnjobst WRX
22 01:16.0 No Bo Greiling 90 cs Quattro
23 01:16.5 No Ethan Ketcham S4
24 01:16.7 No Lonnie Vogt A4
25 01:16.8 No Datona Lo A4 1.8T Quattro
26 01:17.9 No Nick Nystrom WRX
27 01:18.2 No Chris Deladi S4
28 01:18.7 No Steve Nelson S4
29 01:19.7 No Steve Mundy S6 Avant
30 01:20.3 No Chris Smith A4
31 01:21.0 No Dave Krause 200 TQ Avant
32 01:23.0 No Austin Lundeby WRX
33 01:23.1 No Paul Validiva Prelude
34 01:26.3 No Charlie Westman A-4 Q 1.8T
35 01:27.4 No Nathan Zubrzycki 200 Avant
36 01:30.9 No Luke Shimp Coupe Quattro
37 01:42.9 No Amie Youngdal Golf

[chuck b]

A fun event! I'm curious to try this once with a few inches of snow.

The results of my tire experiment:
Condition 1: Summer performance tires with about 1/32" tread depth on front, new Blizzaks on the back (I was too lazy, it was too cold to change all 4).
Course time: 1:31 or slower
Feel: This was the understeerer of all time, as to be expected. Even with e-brake manuevers, this thing was not going to come around. At the polished starting gate, it took what felt like half a minute to get inching forward.

Condition 2: Blizzaks on all 4.
Course time: 1:15, despite being at the end of the line in the last group, meaning a highly polished ice surface.
Feel: Naturally, this was immediately better. e-brake manuevers would get the rear end to come around, but it would never come around far enough.

On all of the runs, I searched for little tufts of snow as that provided significantly more traction, if only for a fraction of a second. And my lines were way off the normal racing line at times as I looked for traction away from the polished surfaces.

My car has the distinct disadvantage of 2 wheel drive (the limited slip probably helps some!), but the big advantage of weighing about 700 lbs less than most of those plush Audis.

If I attend more events, I want to keep playing with the tires. Try the slicks on back and make it an oversteering beast. Try the slicks all the was around for a simply pathetic combination. Maybe even try opposite corners and other messed up stuff- it's all about the fun!


I recommend this for other MAC members- learn about your car in a totally different conditions!

[StevenMosley]

Originally posted by chuck b

I recommend this for other MAC members- learn about your car in a totally different conditions!

I'll bring out the MR2 when you bring out the Miata. :)
(Actually I won't but I figured I would throw it out there.)

Do they allow SUV's? My winter vechicle has 4WD, a nice V6, ABS,
and handling that would make a school bus jealous. It does excel
at drifting though when not in 4WD.

[MNbiker]

This event was definitely a lot of fun (except for the sub-zero temps...brrrr). It's a great way to learn more about the handling of your car in low traction situations - and we're talking EXTREMELY low traction, with nicely polished glare ice. This was my first ice event, so I finished about where I expected to.

I did discover that 3 year old Dunlop Winter M-2's are no match for Blizzaks on ice. The difference was most noticeable at the start, where some of the cars on fresh Blizzaks had a couple seconds on me by the first cone.

For me, the most fun of the day was the unofficial drift track at the end of the slalom/lane change exercise. You had a totally clear expanse of ice with some built-up speed and nothing to hit. The 100yd sideways drifts were a hoot! :D

-Steve

[Bill Owen]

Hey all, did you see or hear from anyone running Green Diamond snow tires?

http://greendiamondtire.com/