Skinless

Ok, I'm signed up for the AM Novice group. I'm also planning on doing the practice with BSCC in the afternoon. My dad is going to bring his corvette, but he may just do the practice. Anybody else from here going? I'm surprised to see there aren't more RX-8's signed up. They do very well in Autocross, from what I've seen.

Anyway, I'll see you there unless the rain comes.

Nemesis8

iTrader: (3)

I don't have the right tires and rims yet

Skinless

Aw C'mon! I'm running totally stock everything, including tires, rims, and alignment. No excuses! It's the spacer that matters the most anyway. You know, the one between the seat and the steering wheel? At least, that's what the pit crew used to tell me.

124Spider

Well, right now it's raining where I live, with the forecast for Bremerton being showers through tomorrow afternoon. The prospect of getting out of bed at 5:30am, driving car and tire trailer for 90 minutes, including through that horrible stretch of I-5 south of the airport, to race in the rain, then work the course in the rain, is not looking attractive.

Skinless

Ah, sorry to hear it. I'll be there getting wet if you decide to show up.

RXFamily

Sorry not to keep up with you all!
Monday will be dry by what the weather man says.
I want to go to the sunday SCCA event but I have to work, I will be at the monday event running in the afternoon.
My brother (Darrin Hansen)will be at the sunday morning event in a STI he will be at the monday event as well ( he lives about 10 min away).
The BSCC event is $25 thats $10 less then SCCA and if you become a member ($25) you will get one free event plus you get $5 off any additional events as a member this makes it a no brainer IMO.

At the SCCA event I think the guy to watch is FastMike he will be in a new Pontiac no joke!

124Spider

I went, unfortunately. Dry while I worked the course during the first run group. Rain started while I waited for my first run. Feeling that I only had one run with a decently dry track, I went too hard and blew the run, then limped through the two wet runs on slick tires. I didn't stick around for more wet fun in the afternoon.

"I think I should have stayed in bed, a pillow wrapped around my head...."

Skinless

Yeah, I went as well. I guess that was you in the yellow S2000 but I figured it was somebody else because I thought you stayed home. Same deal for me. I worked the track in the dry, then drove in the wet. I got there late so I hadn't gotten a chance to walk the track. I did a clean 57 on my first run while trying to figure out the course. My next two runs I was much quicker except that I spun on both runs. My last run was a clean 63 including spinning backward and having to turn around to complete the run. It was a stupid mistake too. I decided to try downshifting to first to set up for corner after the apex at the far end of the track but I hadn't reached the apex yet when I pushed in the clutch and the back end came right around. I must have been the only one that spun there. Anyway, I liked the course but I wish it had been dry. I went and did the BSCC practice afterward, and it stayed dry, but I really didn't like the course. It was much much tighter and very confusing. It was a fun day, but getting only 3 runs on the good course sucked. I think I'll try to make the autocross events that are a little closer to home, but I'm not sure how many of the SCCA events I'll attend.

RXFamily, when I was doing the practice one of the guys was telling me that he ran novice a few weeks back in his Boxster and a guy in an RX-8 with temporary plates beat him. He seemed a little frustrated by it, since it sounds like he's done a lot of track days. I'm assuming that was you?

124Spider

It was a good course--fair to Corvettes and RX-8s, but it took more than one run for me to figure it out, and I had only one real run. But to get up at 5am, and arrive back home at 2pm, for only three runs does make me wonder if I'm ever going to do that again when there's any chance of rain. We usually get four or five runs in NWR; getting only three runs really sucks.

RXFamily

Yeah that was me
I was there monday with my wife, it was her first racing event ever,(driving) her best was a 61 something clean and yes it was dry.
I spun on my first run but the red flag came out so I got a rerun at the end.
I don't remember my best run but I think it was a 51.3 with lots of understeer, I think I have to max out the camber in the front about 1.2 negative and zero the toe front and rear and see how that works.
My time did get me first in novice.
My Brother ran an STI and I beat him too but only because be didn't make one clean run

So skinless after wet event did your tires show any wear?
Mine are starting to feather pretty badly and I only have 2500 miles on the car

Skinless

Yeah, they are showing a few signs of being run hard, but I think it's probably from the practice session because it was mostly dry. I've only got 1600 miles on the car.

I was getting quite a bit of push in the practice session also. It was nice and tail happy when it was wet out, so that was really the most fun. Let me know how the change in the camber and toe affects it. Is it easy to change on a totally stock 8?

RXFamily

I don't know how hard it is to change.
There is a shop next to where I work that does wholesale repair and they said that they would work me a cash deal so I'll let you know.
when I get my alignment it will be with 1/4 tank of gas and me (210#) sitting in it.

Skinless

So is anybody going to the BEAC autocross this Sunday in Everett? Do they allow non BEAC members? Right now the forecast is for rain, but I may try to make the forecast changes, as long as they allow non members to run as well. How is the course in everett typically?

RXFamily

As far as I know you have to be a member to run, at least that is what the website says.
I don't think I will be able to make that one anyway.
I will be at the June 11th BSCC event so I can try to keep the championship lead for novice honors.

Blue87Sport

The BEAC Autopilot event is a WWSCC event and is open to everyone. The day before, Saturday, there is a practice session open only to BEAC members.

The Everett site is a large blacktop parking lot, generally flat but with a few dips. The actual course varies but is usally a 40-50 second run.

I may go, depending on the weather and depending on whether I get roped into helping with the event (I'm a BEAC member).

RXFamily

Well my wife and I are preregistered for sundays autocross I hope it is raining that way I won't wear out my tires much
I should be getting my alignment on tuesday so I should be ready for bremerton the following weekend.
So I did notice that there has been discusion of alingment settings but this is what I plan on any pointers would be nice.

F camber 1.2 negative
R camber .80 negative
F toe 0
R toe 0

what is everyones thoughts?

Eric

05TiGr8Lady

Just jumpin' in here to say that I'm going to be at the June 10th ACE Ladies Practice in Everett as a novice. I've had my 8 since late February. If any of you are attending to help out or watch your wife drive, let me know. Even tho it's a ladies event, if you help out, you get seat time during lunch if you want...

I attended the ACE monthly meeting a couple of days ago to get an idea of what to expect. It so happened they had a new helmet that needed a home, so I bought it - it matches my t-grey!

Depending on if I like autocross and I'm willing to spend money on tires , I may join BEAC or ACE. I'm a BE. The ACE meetings are 3 minutes from my house though, and they seem like a good group of people. Any experience with either of them? Which would you join?

Oh yeah... I'm putting in a plug for the Whidbey Island meet with a BBQ at Oak Harbor Beach on June 11th, the day after autocross... If everyone who said they would or might attend shows up, we'll have 12 8's participating. We meet at 10am at the Shell station off exit 221 on I-5 (Conway/La Conner exit). See the thread...

124Spider

I'm no expert, but I'm used to seeing more rear camber than front camber. My car is my daily driver, autocross and track car, so my alignment is a compromise, but I have -1.5 camber in front, and -2 in back.

124Spider

I think I've talked my wife into driving her RX-8 in the June 10 practice.

I am considering joining ACE; I know a few people in ACE, and they are nice people.

05TiGr8Lady

Great!

Thx for the info.

Blue87Sport

BEAC is a great club too. Lot of good people and some fantastic drivers. They hold lots of practice days so you'll get lots of seat time. And even the national level drivers are helpful to the newcomers. All for a measly $15 per year.

They hold an excellent autocross school every year. Unfortunately it was a couple of weekends ago. My son and I went last year and had a blast.

The only downside is the practices are way up in Everett.

05TiGr8Lady

Thx for the info Blue87, maybe I'll see you around.

Yeah, I need to go to driving school too.... next time! I heard about the national drivers being cool. And apparently BEAC has a lot of equipment they loan or rent to other clubs.

I'm in Renton, sounds like closer than you are to Everett tho. It takes me about 40 minutes to get there, unless traffic is bad...

Skinless

The weather for today's afternoon session in Everett turned out to be great, although there were a lot of threats of rain. I ran in the novice class and ended up second to a BMW Z4 out of 14 drivers. I was surprised how much push the RX-8 had on the autocross course. My first run was really bad, so I changed the way I was driving and it helped, but there was still too much push. RXFamily, you'll definitely have to let me know how the camber changes affect the car. I actually liked the way the car handled in the wet a little bit better because I was able to get it to rotate a bit more. Anyway, it was a pretty good day. The fastest time of the day was a corvette with Kumo's and he turned something like 34.30. I was much slower at 38.40, but I'd like to see how the RX-8 would do with the autocross tires and the camber changes. I was faster every run than the run before, so at least I was improving.

05TiGr8Lady

Congrats!!

RXFamily

Skinless, You were alot faster than me!!!!!!!
I should have run in the afternoon instead of the morning but the morning was the only time we could get the babysitter.
We will be at the Bremerton event on sunday though, with the alignment!
I hope to see you there and we may be able to talk more.

Oh I did have my low tire pressure light come on at the autocross it was at 26psi on the left front tire all the rest were the same and they were all the same when I left my house and it's still holding the pressure now. I thought that a little strange.