Oscoda Pro
06-21-2005, 10:15 PM
#10
Originally Posted by TeamRX8
you sound confident that it will be there ... :-/
06-26-2005, 05:50 PM
#15
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Got a call from Ron but with poor reception I didn't ask all the details. Sam in the MR2 was first. Rained this morning, no position changes today. KC I think was fourth. Ron, due to some cone troubles, was fifth (but fastest times today in the damp/wet). Don't know anything else...
06-26-2005, 06:00 PM
#16
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According to the SCCA website, there's no such event as the Oscoda Pro, but regardless, they posted the Saturday results: http://www.scca.com/_Filelibrary/Fil...oscoda-sat.pdf
Looks like Ron was one cone out of second. Biggest surprise is Carter Thompson way back in seventh, with no evidence of cone or red light problems.
Steve
Looks like Ron was one cone out of second. Biggest surprise is Carter Thompson way back in seventh, with no evidence of cone or red light problems.
Steve
06-26-2005, 08:55 PM
#17
Originally Posted by PedalFaster
Biggest surprise is Carter Thompson way back in seventh, with no evidence of cone or red light problems.
Steve
Steve
As I hear it for the most part everyone stood on Sat runs, rain most of the AM on Sun.
So it looks like the 968 is a real overdog, as Ron can only win in the Porch. :D
06-26-2005, 09:13 PM
#19
Originally Posted by Banannie
Sounds like they couldn't get the RX8 to rotate - changing bars, throwing alignment settings at it, etc. Sounded a bit painful!
Thats what he gets for trying to join our party. :p I think a bunch of said the Racing Beat bar was to BIG. 
I hope he does better at the OH pro, I need him to block so I have a shot at 3rd. :D
06-27-2005, 10:41 AM
#20
You down with 13B?
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Some notes:
The course was ok, but certainly not great. I think someone took the complaints about the complete lack of slaloms at Toledo to heart: there was a 7-cone, 26-pace slalom on this course on the trip out. The return trip had some rather painfully harsh esses (1st gear for many) and a pretty fast sweeper into the finish.
As has been mentioned, Saturday was all that mattered for most classes/people. It rained steadily early Sunday. When BS ran, it was done raining, but by no means dry...by the time 2nd drivers in BS ran, it was starting to dry, but not even close to allowing improvements...except for Mark's case, since he suffered through 4 RL's on the right Saturday.
Certainly would've been a lot more interesting with a dry Sunday. I think there could have been a lot of shuffling, since Ron had coned away a very fast left time, GH had coned away a couple tenths on the right, and Mark's left side time was quick but coupled with a "no time" right...while Sam's fastest scratch times were clean.
The Hankooks did ok again...the taller tire was probably a disadvantage this weekend though.
On to Toledo...
The course was ok, but certainly not great. I think someone took the complaints about the complete lack of slaloms at Toledo to heart: there was a 7-cone, 26-pace slalom on this course on the trip out. The return trip had some rather painfully harsh esses (1st gear for many) and a pretty fast sweeper into the finish.
As has been mentioned, Saturday was all that mattered for most classes/people. It rained steadily early Sunday. When BS ran, it was done raining, but by no means dry...by the time 2nd drivers in BS ran, it was starting to dry, but not even close to allowing improvements...except for Mark's case, since he suffered through 4 RL's on the right Saturday.
Certainly would've been a lot more interesting with a dry Sunday. I think there could have been a lot of shuffling, since Ron had coned away a very fast left time, GH had coned away a couple tenths on the right, and Mark's left side time was quick but coupled with a "no time" right...while Sam's fastest scratch times were clean.
The Hankooks did ok again...the taller tire was probably a disadvantage this weekend though.
On to Toledo...
06-27-2005, 04:34 PM
#21
Originally Posted by ULLLOSE
Thats what he gets for trying to join our party. :p I think a bunch of said the Racing Beat bar was to BIG. I hope he does better at the OH pro, I need him to block so I have a shot at 3rd. :Dthey put the stock bar back on after the Sat morning runs and supposedly still had issues
06-27-2005, 07:24 PM
#22
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Oscoda... what a great place. I have to say it's one of the more scenic drives to one of the most most relaxing communities that National Events are held in. Many, many miles away from any big city.
This was my 2nd time back up there and it was hotter than I remember. Friday was 95 with a 10-15mph 'breeze' if you could call it that, Sat was sunny and warm (mid 80s) and Sunday was rain that started at 7:15 (right when I arrived to the site) and continued through most of the 1st heat. It started letting up about 1/2 way, but without a wind or sun to dry it out, the lot stayed wet until just after the 2nd run group (heats 3 and 4). The start line was wet almost all through the third run group. Challenge rounds were completed in high humidity and sunshine.
So with the weather report completed, onto the course... Start out with the ProSolo drag race to the 1st turn which was a chicane into a 7 cone slalom the hard way (essentially in-line with the start), 90 degree turn into a 40-50 foot 'straight' then into what I call 'Pain alley'; a series of 4 170 to 180 degree switchbacks that had to be taken in 1st gear and basically parking the car to get around them, then into the finish (which could be taken pretty quick if you set up right heading into it). Very unbecoming a ProSolo design (37-38 second course). I didn't have $5 on me to join in on Heywards protest. The course was, simply put, nasty for a ProSolo course. The Protest was disallowed, but was found to be well founded and will be referenced in future course designs, with specific wording in an upcoming fastrack regarding the pull that National will have over the region to make necessary course changes to ensure a flwoing and fun course fitting of a ProSolo (that phrase is not verbatem, but pretty close).
Ok, back to friday once more. I arrived friday after narrowly avoiding a massive detour in Canada when a propane tanker had decided it was too good for canadian roads and just wanted to take a side road, off an embankment down a bridge. So those familiar with the 402 though canada, it was shut down until about 1/2 hour before they openend the westbound lanes. East bound was opened about a 1/2 hour after we drove through. It was eerie to drive for kilometer after kilometer (hey, we were in Canada, eh?) and not see traffic heading the other way. One word of advice to anyone who drives long distances. Get a CB, although it was on the news on the radio that it was shut down and to find alternate routes, the truckers told us that it had opened... so we kept plodding through. Also, it was nice last night having chat with some truckers... 8 miles ahead warning of anything in the road, like tires, debris, or even bears on the side of the road sitting in the woods. (They have bears near highways almost everywhere!)
So we got to the site (sorry for the novel) on Friday afternoon (reference weather above... will not re-iterate here for a chance at bringing berevity to this recap) and unloaded our cars, threw decals on, got teched and registered and did a few practice starts.
Saturday and Sunday, I had a co-driver by the name of Ron Bauer. He'll also be codriving in Toledo (whoops, cat's out of the bag!!). I think making a whole bunch of changes to my car Saturday kept him on his toes. :P
The course, being as tight as it was, was not favorable to having a big front bar on the 8. As Mr. Rogers would say it on TV: "Can you say 'Push? Good, I knew you could." Even the 1/2" of rear toe out we dialed in for the morning runs, didn't help at all.
Soo, after the 1st set of runs on sat morning, we swapped it out to the stock front bar. Saturday afternoon, times were dropping and many in the class (BS) after 1st day were either dirty on their best run, couldn't get a good run in on one side, or, as the case of one of the people in the class, Redlighted all 4 runs on one side (Everyone wave at Mark). At the end of Saturday, it was Sam Strano, GH Sharp, Me, Mike Snyder, Ron Bauer, Bryan Hartwick, Carter Thompson, Carters Dad (Jim) and then Mark Sipe (redlit all right sides).
Sunday, it rained. (Again, see above.) I've been in the situations before where I knew I could get a good right side run on Sunday, but Mother Nature decided she'd have none of that. This time, I was on the receiving end. I know that some of the drivers in my class would have gained time on me and passed me, and I was hoping to also drop my times after analyzing the course Sunday Night (and Ron wanted to avenge the cone that cost him his fastest run).
The course was wet through most of our runs with standing water more on the left than right side, but it was just a light skimming of water that we (Ron and I) decided to keep the Kumho V710s on instead of switching to the Bridgestone Wets (Stock street tires). The V710s were faster in this condition than the Hoosier wets, on both sides. So much so in fact that Ron and I were fastest raw time on both sides than any of the other cars. Ron did end up beating me in the wet in my car running some very respectable wet times.
I'm happy to have trophied in as deep as a class as it was, but I know I have a lot of work ahead of me in this car.
One of the funniest moments was working the turn around on the left course in the 1st heat sunday morning for STS. Heyward Wagner in his CIvic SI was lined up on the left course against Subaru 2.5 RS driver Cory Ridgick (who won STS) on the right course. Since it was wet, the subaru had a great launch advantage, Heyward had had enough and at the launch instead of heading into the chicane into the slalom, straight lined it skipping the whole thing. The subaru had such a head start, that when Corey looked over (I was this from my corner station) and saw Heywards civic AHEAD of him by a car length, it was just enough distraction at the end of the slalom that he missed his braking point, was carrying too much speed, and went through the cone wall at the end by about 5 feet. (Remember, times in the rain were slower than times in the dry the previous day). But it gets better... to add insult to injury, Heyward after the turn around straight lined it back up to the finish, went though the lights and stopped right there, so Corey could see who got back 1st... in the wet when he came across the line (you could see your competitor finish when you finished).
The trip back was non-eventful, other than hot. The Konis felt great, just need to work on a few things before the tour.... just a few. :D
--kC
This was my 2nd time back up there and it was hotter than I remember. Friday was 95 with a 10-15mph 'breeze' if you could call it that, Sat was sunny and warm (mid 80s) and Sunday was rain that started at 7:15 (right when I arrived to the site) and continued through most of the 1st heat. It started letting up about 1/2 way, but without a wind or sun to dry it out, the lot stayed wet until just after the 2nd run group (heats 3 and 4). The start line was wet almost all through the third run group. Challenge rounds were completed in high humidity and sunshine.
So with the weather report completed, onto the course... Start out with the ProSolo drag race to the 1st turn which was a chicane into a 7 cone slalom the hard way (essentially in-line with the start), 90 degree turn into a 40-50 foot 'straight' then into what I call 'Pain alley'; a series of 4 170 to 180 degree switchbacks that had to be taken in 1st gear and basically parking the car to get around them, then into the finish (which could be taken pretty quick if you set up right heading into it). Very unbecoming a ProSolo design (37-38 second course). I didn't have $5 on me to join in on Heywards protest. The course was, simply put, nasty for a ProSolo course. The Protest was disallowed, but was found to be well founded and will be referenced in future course designs, with specific wording in an upcoming fastrack regarding the pull that National will have over the region to make necessary course changes to ensure a flwoing and fun course fitting of a ProSolo (that phrase is not verbatem, but pretty close).
Ok, back to friday once more. I arrived friday after narrowly avoiding a massive detour in Canada when a propane tanker had decided it was too good for canadian roads and just wanted to take a side road, off an embankment down a bridge. So those familiar with the 402 though canada, it was shut down until about 1/2 hour before they openend the westbound lanes. East bound was opened about a 1/2 hour after we drove through. It was eerie to drive for kilometer after kilometer (hey, we were in Canada, eh?) and not see traffic heading the other way. One word of advice to anyone who drives long distances. Get a CB, although it was on the news on the radio that it was shut down and to find alternate routes, the truckers told us that it had opened... so we kept plodding through. Also, it was nice last night having chat with some truckers... 8 miles ahead warning of anything in the road, like tires, debris, or even bears on the side of the road sitting in the woods. (They have bears near highways almost everywhere!)
So we got to the site (sorry for the novel) on Friday afternoon (reference weather above... will not re-iterate here for a chance at bringing berevity to this recap) and unloaded our cars, threw decals on, got teched and registered and did a few practice starts.
Saturday and Sunday, I had a co-driver by the name of Ron Bauer. He'll also be codriving in Toledo (whoops, cat's out of the bag!!). I think making a whole bunch of changes to my car Saturday kept him on his toes. :P
The course, being as tight as it was, was not favorable to having a big front bar on the 8. As Mr. Rogers would say it on TV: "Can you say 'Push? Good, I knew you could." Even the 1/2" of rear toe out we dialed in for the morning runs, didn't help at all.
Soo, after the 1st set of runs on sat morning, we swapped it out to the stock front bar. Saturday afternoon, times were dropping and many in the class (BS) after 1st day were either dirty on their best run, couldn't get a good run in on one side, or, as the case of one of the people in the class, Redlighted all 4 runs on one side (Everyone wave at Mark)
. At the end of Saturday, it was Sam Strano, GH Sharp, Me, Mike Snyder, Ron Bauer, Bryan Hartwick, Carter Thompson, Carters Dad (Jim) and then Mark Sipe (redlit all right sides). Sunday, it rained. (Again, see above.) I've been in the situations before where I knew I could get a good right side run on Sunday, but Mother Nature decided she'd have none of that. This time, I was on the receiving end. I know that some of the drivers in my class would have gained time on me and passed me, and I was hoping to also drop my times after analyzing the course Sunday Night (and Ron wanted to avenge the cone that cost him his fastest run).
The course was wet through most of our runs with standing water more on the left than right side, but it was just a light skimming of water that we (Ron and I) decided to keep the Kumho V710s on instead of switching to the Bridgestone Wets (Stock street tires). The V710s were faster in this condition than the Hoosier wets, on both sides. So much so in fact that Ron and I were fastest raw time on both sides than any of the other cars. Ron did end up beating me in the wet in my car running some very respectable wet times.
I'm happy to have trophied in as deep as a class as it was, but I know I have a lot of work ahead of me in this car.
One of the funniest moments was working the turn around on the left course in the 1st heat sunday morning for STS. Heyward Wagner in his CIvic SI was lined up on the left course against Subaru 2.5 RS driver Cory Ridgick (who won STS) on the right course. Since it was wet, the subaru had a great launch advantage, Heyward had had enough and at the launch instead of heading into the chicane into the slalom, straight lined it skipping the whole thing. The subaru had such a head start, that when Corey looked over (I was this from my corner station) and saw Heywards civic AHEAD of him by a car length, it was just enough distraction at the end of the slalom that he missed his braking point, was carrying too much speed, and went through the cone wall at the end by about 5 feet. (Remember, times in the rain were slower than times in the dry the previous day). But it gets better... to add insult to injury, Heyward after the turn around straight lined it back up to the finish, went though the lights and stopped right there, so Corey could see who got back 1st... in the wet when he came across the line (you could see your competitor finish when you finished).
The trip back was non-eventful, other than hot. The Konis felt great, just need to work on a few things before the tour.... just a few. :D
--kC
06-28-2005, 10:25 AM
#23
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sorry you guys had weather issues. We've run the 710s in damp and sorta wet conditions on asphalt a few times this year and have been really, really happy with them. It was just in the standing water on the concrete in Toledo that they weren't so good for turning. Acceleration and braking were a lot better than we thought they would be (and we probably didn't get everything we could have out of them), but turning the wheel made it almost feel like we were in a BMW...turn, wait, wait, wait, turn a little, wait, turn a little, wait, etc. Even so, as the course changed form standing water to just being wet, the car got a LOT faster...but still not as fast as Carter's 350 with the Hoosier Wets.
Thanks for the write up!
Even so, as the course changed form standing water to just being wet, the car got a LOT faster...but still not as fast as Carter's 350 with the Hoosier Wets.Thanks for the write up!
06-29-2005, 06:46 AM
#25
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Originally Posted by TeamRX8
The simple truth is nobody was going to come close to Sat's dry times in the wet and the non-adjustment Challenge rules of Pro Solo make any competition assessment during rain conditions on Sunday morning a moot point.