WDCR 5/4 Autocross Event #2 Update - Video Included

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Video: http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fu...deoID=35033876

CLIFFS: Won 1st in STX of 16, 23rd in PAX of 222, learned a lot about Bridgestone tire temp management, need to make a few adjustments to the car, and there's still some more potential in the car and driver.

So you may be asking yourself (but probably not)...where was the Event #1 update? Well if you were so inclined to wonder, the answer has to with us being lucky enough to stand outside in the rain all morning, just to have the event cancelled halfway through the day due to violent thunderstorms including lightning...and later to find out a tornado that hit close nearby. So I think they made the right call.

With yesterday's event being threatened with rain all week long in the forecast, we were blessed with perfectly sunny skies and balmy 72 degree weather and I light breeze. Couldn't have asked for a better day, although I should have used some sunscreen.

With a test and tune under my belt in dry conditions, I felt like I had a pretty good handle on the car. On that day, while the car felt like it kind of wanted to understeer at times, I decided to leave everything unchanged for at least one event.

I was lucky enough to get 3 course walks in, which on this particular course was a HUGE help. Definitely several spots where getting off line would kill you, I felt like I knew the course well enough in my head, along with all of the really key sections.

First run: Went out on my first run, and the car felt perfect! Just a hint of oversteer where needed, plenty of grip in the front, and transitioning fantastically. The extra course walk paid off, as I had no issues figuring out where the course went and no trouble with the right line. End result was a 60.505, a time so good apparently that I couldn't improve upon it and it was my best run of the day. More on that next.

Second run: After watching video of the first run, I felt as if there were spots in the two turn arounds where I could take a better line. In my quest to find a better line, I forgot that you also need to be aggressive still. I ended up being WAY too conservative in those spots and finished with a 61.5XX, over a second slower.

Third run: Watched the video and realized I wasn't aggressive enough, so now it was time to lay it down. About a third of the way through the course, the car just starts plowing everywhere. You see, I learned an important lesson today on tire temp management with the Bridgestones. Chris Shenefield had warned me about this, yet I did not heed his warning. The Stones lose TONS of grip once they've overheated. And needless to say, the fronts at that point were fried, with the car washing out everywhere. Add to that the fact that as the fronts were at the point of overheating, the rears were just coming up to temperature with increased grip. This combination just caused the car to push everywhere. With this lack of balance and grip, the car was way off line in several spots and left me finishing with a 61.1XX and no help to my cause.

Fourth run: This was it, my last chance to break into the 59's. After spraying the tires off to cool them down, the car felt much better. Most of the overall balance was back and I was running a pretty good line throughout. Knowing that I had a solid STX lead (about a second), I made an attempt to be more aggressive and try to get that hero run. But alas, it was not to be. I nailed a cone in the last slalom section at the very end, and being pissed knowing that I had hit the cone, missed the braking zone right afterwards. Ended the run with a 60.6XX +1 cone on a run that I think could have dropped me into the 59's.

RESULTS: Finished the day 1st in STX out of 16 competitors, and more surprisingly 23rd in PAX out of 222...my best WDCR PAX finish (not counting the 3rd in PAX at the raining practice event). Ended up not too far off some top level National guys as well, only 0.4 PAX seconds off of Brian Garfield in an STS2 Miata on a slightly faster course. The afternoon required moving a cone to the good side of an offset by 3ft. to keep from tearing up a spot on the lot, providing the afternoon competitors a roughly 0.3-0.5 second benefit.

So all in a pretty good day. I was happy with my ending performance, happy to learn more about Bridgestone tire temp management, but just a little frustrated that I couldn't improve on my first run. But the best part about the day is the potential that I see for the future. Now I just need to find out how to tap into that potential, both in the car and the driver. Only time will tell. Man I can't wait for September! ;)

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And for those interested in running at Fed Ex Field, Autocrosser's Inc. is having an event at Fed Ex this Saturday, May 10th. Right now it's only halfway filled, which means a possible chance to have more than 4 runs. Sign up is through www.dlbracing.com and for club just select Autocrosser's Inc. and you'll see the May 10th event. Registration closes Thursday. I promise once you run there, you'll wonder why you go anywhere else.

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Note to self: Next time post in "Gallery" section instead of "Racing". ;)