Sunday drivers...SCCA autocross fun

[stroker71]

My 17yo daughter has been wanting to try out autocross since she got her DL.  I few weeks ago we went to her first one....and she has a blast.  So we went this past weekend to her second one...again she had a blast.  I have been doing it for about 12 years so she caught the bug from me I guess.  Anyway here is a few pics.



Not my car but this thing is a beast!



If you want to look at about 193 pics taken that day here is the link.
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v342/jake_94pgt/Auburn%2010-12-08/

[DYNAMITE]

that is freak'n sweet!

I've been dying to get out and try this.  I meant to do it this summer but never got out.  It will happen though...that's for sure.

Great pics!

[eagl]

Autocross is good clean fun.  Well, it can be dirty, but still a lot of fun.  Even if you buy a second set of wheels and race tires, you can still race all year for around $1000.

[stroker71]

Autocross is good clean fun.  Well, it can be dirty, but still a lot of fun.  Even if you buy a second set of wheels and race tires, you can still race all year for around $1000.

Can't race year around here....Indiana has snow!  I put the 5 year old Kuhmo V700's on the daughters car for this race.  She tore up the 18's she normally runs.  Now I need to get her some real numbers like I use to run on my old DSP Probe GT.  I know people don't respect the Probe but mine was fast and had every mod DSP allowed except LSD.  But I didn't really need it because I am a very smooth driver. Only photo I can find of the old car:

[Grayeagle]

Yassir.. autocross SCCA style is a blast

I saw the cones, drove in, and ran my 4-gear '69 Road Runner ..first time I had ever seen autocross.
I wasn't last .. LOL .. the beast that day was a Crown engineering '67 Corvair (mid-engine small block chebby) layin down times a whole buncha seconds faster than the next quickest.

Years later I ran C-stock in my CRX ..pumped the tires up to 50lbs, placed 2nd in class.
Was a total blast

Would be very much fun in the Vette

-Frank

[lazs2]

greyeagle..   hmmm.. I did the same in the mid 70's while driving my 301 four speed 55 Healey.. lots of 911's and a mid engined small block corvair that kicked everyones butt..   I musta took out every cone on that course and no one seen it for all the tire smoke.

lazs

[hubsonfire]

I ran CSP for a bit in Fort Wayne, and co-drove my friend's Golf and M3 a few times (HS and AS, I think?). That was between 97 and 00, I think. About the only shot I have- Regionals in 98 or 99. Some ultra melon rammed me doing 40 while I was stopped for a fenderbender in front of me. Autocross career over in a second. I could have beaten that kid to death if the cops hadn't showed up so quickly.



Man I miss it a lot.

<edit> Hey, those hangars look awfully familiar...

[Gryffin]

I have been doing it for about 12 years so she caught the bug from me I guess. 

12 years and you don't have real class letters yet?   

(<-- autocrosses too)

BTW what class is SMS?

[stroker71]

The hangers are the Kruse auction site in Auburn Indiana.  I have been racing in the Ft Wayne region all of those 12 years.  But ran NWOR, SBR, Indy, and a few others over the years.  Not sure of the year but I did almost a full season in cendiv in STS with the Probe and got second.  I beat the guy that got 1st at the 2 events we were both at...he ran more events and got the points.  Also rookie of the year in STS cendiv that same year.

SMS= Steet modified street tire.  It's kind of a catch all class.  I have nothing done to the stang other than the wider tires/rims.    I don't have real numbers because I have been out of racing for about 4 years and I just bought that mustang about 2 months ago with no thought of racing it.  My daughter wanted to try it out because she likes corner carving too...and there is no better way to improve your driving skill.  The pic of the Probe I raced don't have numbers either because I forgot them that day....but I still have them here somewhere.  The pic of the probe was at Converse (looks like your pic is from there too) and I got #1 on the pax....but it was nationals week and all the top drivers where not there.  But I usually placed int he top 7 on pax even driving the wrong car for the class.  Probe got to the point where I had to trailer it to events because 500# rear springs were rough...lol.  DSP was alot more fun till they recalssed the BMW's in there.

But I think I am hooked again.

Think I am going to co-drive this car in a few weeks at Grissom in peru:


Someone just posted some videos...short video of me!

[hubsonfire]

Yep, that's Converse. I lived in Ft Wayne for a while (97 or 98-04), so we've probably rubbed elbows at some point. 

That Civic should be a blast- borrowed cars are the best! 

[Captain Virgil Hilts]

I've got a Corvair with the Crown suspension, but it's getting the stock type engine back in the stock location. The Corvair is pretty well handicapped these days in SCCA autocross. It's in classes where the lack of HP really hurt it. And they don't let you do too much to the engine. The last time we were out, a Corvair had to run in the same class as a 5.0 Mustang GT.

[hubsonfire]

When I ran last (and I'm sure things have changed since 99), there was a Yenko Stinger Corvair in our region. Really cool car, but my RX was more than it's equal. Another car in our class was a full IT prepped RX. Seeing my RX (header bumped me into street prep), that Corvair (same deal, I believe), and a caged racecar lined up to compete for trophies was depressing even on a good day. But, we both ran, and I guess we had fun. He'd be nice and tell me I was driving well, and I'd drool on his car, and the other RX would sell me spare parts. Happy times. Maybe I'll have to steal pop's Miata for a day.

[Capt.Joe]

Is there a website for this Autocross thing? I'd love to go check it out if it's ever around here! 

[stroker71]

Is there a website for this Autocross thing? I'd love to go check it out if it's ever around here! 

Here ya go!

http://www.renoscca.org/

[stroker71]

Yep, that's Converse. I lived in Ft Wayne for a while (97 or 98-04), so we've probably rubbed elbows at some point. 

That Civic should be a blast- borrowed cars are the best! 

Warren LaVeque is a Corvair guy around here.  He has several he races...one is a fiat/corvair hybrid that is very fast.  George Russel is the guy with the ITS RX...he's a nice guy.   I am sure we have because I did my first event in 96...i think it was the regions 2nd events.  And I don't think I missed another local one for 5-6 years.