East Tennessee Region SCCA

I went down to Soddy Daisy this past weekend to test the new suspension on the Miata before the Pellissippi event. Well it was raining almost the entire time and the lot was extremely bumpy, cracked, and gravely. I left wondering why I had such a fun time. Then my wife tells me she had taken a video of me on her phone, I forgot to bring a camera in my drowsy haze at 5:30am.

I realized that the course being that small focused more on car control and surface traction over the normal approach I would take at Pellissippi, tighter lines and more momentum. The best part was a tight 180* turn at the end of a solomo that required 1st gear, if you were going to make any speed coming out. It got me wondering why we don't have elements that require some more accuracy and introduce more variables onto the driver. Like maybe the last event of the year introduce some funky design ideas or replicate something you have seen elsewhere.

Here is an almost complete video of the course, lol.

The type of elements we typically run DO require that level of accuracy. You're moving faster so you don't notice that as much, but car placement, within inches, is key in our sport.

Also, part of the reason you still had fun is because it's a new experience for you. So, honeymoon phase. That will eventually pass, unfortunately. I used to be soooo excited to run Meco, but I'd probably pass on an event there now.

Also, the rules and classes for SCCA autocross rely on a certain type of course to be relevant. PCA is totally different

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The best part required first gear? Normally, that would get nothing but complaints...

Except from curt. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely going to first."

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Jed and I went to Bowling Green Sunday. The course was really tight and cone intensive. I think only 2 out of 10 of the people in Pro class stuck around for afternoon runs.

Drive a car with some torque and it is solely about car control. No matter what speed you're going.

Mustang > Miata

Unless there are turns involved.

jcoatney wrote:Drive a car with some torque and it is solely about car control. No matter what speed you're going.

Mustang > Miata

Unless there are turns involved.

well spoken from a man that can drive

1st gear for me... means load back up and go home.

I done it a few times at Nashville.. and a few others. Even had a Reverse section at Farmers Market with the BMW club one time. yep, went home on that one too. Its too hard on stock cars,.... and kills a Prepared or Mod car to do that stuff. Now, if you don't care how bad you kill your transmission.. lol.. go for it.

The 2 times (I think) that I stayed for such a course... I was raw timed by a Mini Cooper once.. and an SS Impala at the other.. (yes, a full sized Impala)

Also, the bigger and faster the course is, the more you will likely be punished for not being precise. It just isn't necessarily as obvious.

The one thing that I saw at Wilmington is the top people in my class were insanely precise. They looked slow.

Cody, you should come with me to a national tour next year

steverife wrote:Jed and I went to Bowling Green Sunday. The course was really tight and cone intensive. I think only 2 out of 10 of the people in Pro class stuck around for afternoon runs.

Why? Is being tight and full of cones not an aspect of this sport? If that's so annoying why not just go to a racetrack?

JB wrote:I done it a few times at Nashville.. and a few others. Even had a Reverse section at Farmers Market with the BMW club one time. yep, went home on that one too. Its too hard on stock cars,.... and kills a Prepared or Mod car to do that stuff. Now, if you don't care how bad you kill your transmission.. lol.. go for it.

Why would switching gears be hell on a transmission? I can see it wearing your clutch out quicker, and a failed rev match may end up girding gear, but that is the point. It's just an introduction of more variables and more potential for variation. I think you getting beat by an Impala and Mini is a great example of why there should be more of these elements.

coatney wrote: Unless there are turns involved.

lol

Marcus wrote: Cody, you should come with me to a national tour next year

I will gladly do that.

Why would switching gears be hell on a transmission?

There are these things called synchronizers in manual transmissions to match the gear speeds when shifting without having to double clutch. The greater the difference between gear speeds, on a shift, the faster they wear. Downshifting from second to first is worst case. You have to completely rebuild a transmission to replace one if it wears out. Or learn to double clutch. Double clutching is slow. On my 1965 MGB back in the day, there was no first gear synchro.

Gears in a transmission are always meshed. What you do when you shift is to connect and disconnect the gears from the shafts on which they rotate.

Then you have cars like mine and Chris Anderson's subie that dont like down shifting and in Chris's case you have to be stopped to downshift or it says FU in a big way.

90civichb wrote:

steverife wrote:Jed and I went to Bowling Green Sunday. The course was really tight and cone intensive. I think only 2 out of 10 of the people in Pro class stuck around for afternoon runs.

Why? Is being tight and full of cones not an aspect of this sport? If that's so annoying why not just go to a racetrack?

I think a lot of people traveled there because it was as decent site and they wanted some more seat time to get ready for nationals. The course was a series of near minimum distance slaloms, super tight offsets, and a pinched off sweeper. There was no line choice and no real ability to put elements together. You just tried to survive and hope you didn't hit cones. The time differential between classes was pretty small. PAX went HS, STF, ES. Faster, more prepared cars had no real chance.

If it isn't fun to drive and it isn't offering any feedback that would be useful on a larger, more flowing course, there isn't a lot of incentive to run it. You are really just putting extra wear and tear on the car, especially if the people that you wanted to compare yourself to aren't staying.

If that kind of autocross appeals to you.. Id do some Gymkanas.. you can pick apples out of a mail box..shift to first,shift to reverse, run around a flag pole.. (not with your car..)lol swap drivers, all kinds of silly shit.. except go as fast as you can.. you wont see much of that.. except when you jump out of your car and run around that flag pole.. you can run that as fast as you can go!! lol!