If Nationals ends up on a grippy, wide open concrete site (Lincoln or Blytheville), what do you think the effect is on the RX8 in BS? Does the 350Z become more of a threat? 968?

I think a few classes may shift a little bit, like the current DS (if it stays as is). I also think you'll see more stock class winners on team K, if there are no compound changes.

 

+1 on more stock class winners on the K tire - concrete chews Hoosiers for lunch.

Personally I don't think BS would change much -- Isley won in '05 at Forbes and beat Goeke in a 968 and Carter in a 350Z IIRC. However, of all the current BS cars, the Z probably has the most to gain by switching to concrete. Personally, I still feel that a well-prepped Nismo Z driven by a top driver could be a serious threat in the class.

P.S. DS will be the new kingdom of the 135i.

 

Here is a sample of a B-Stock RX8 at Blytheville on Hoosier tires.
Sundays Course

Ken Baker

 

I doubt much will change, we have only been off concrete for three years. Yes you can put more power down. However, from my experience that extra bite also leads to more body roll, and more inside wheel spin for cars without good diffs.

I would think the things that will have the biggest effects on classes will be course length and speeds.... And with our lack of TQ, faster is better.

 

Ken-

Thank you for posting the video, can you offer any insight about the surface condition, grip, tire wear etc.



Chris H

 

What a shame... All that space and the course looks to be narrower than the natls east course.

 

Ken,

I was one of the drivers of the 350z that was there. It was nice to meet you and i'm glad a rx8 was out there We didn't have the maxqdata (thing we put on top of your car and our car) setup right so we got no data at all

Btw that video is just a small portion of what we can actually use out there

 

I was told that they brought out a street sweeper and cleaned the area before the event.
The first heat had to make a line just like any event. The grip was typical concrete. It is a different type of concrete than Forbes field. Off line a fine grit was present just like any other surface. There were a couple places that the surface broke up at the edges.

It did not eat up the Hoosiers. The Hoosiers were 30 run used tires. This was my first time to use Hoosiers on a RX8. It was a new car to me and new setup also. (42F-40R) Yes, I did try higher pressures too.
ULLLOSE
The course could have been wider or longer but I think the region used most of the cones that they had.

 

Oh really?! Sign me up for Lincoln, NE then. Screw off-line grit and surfaces that are breaking up.

 

Who's saying Lincoln isn't the same, surface wise? Both are older airports and Lincoln has a harsher climate...

There is no perfection...well, actually there is, it's called Castle AFB and it's in Atwater, CA.

Regardless, my vote is for Lincoln, hands down. I appreciate all the work the folks in the Southeast have done, but there's no way I can support Blytheville as a solution for autocrossing's premier event.

 

I guess off-line grit doesn't concern me as much as a deteriorating surface. Here's hoping Lincoln is in better shape...

 

From what I've heard from old fart Neb Region guys the Airport site has super bitchin thick concrete that is uber durable, ie it doesn't break up.

YMMV, secondhand story, bla bla.

 

IMO the front bar/fat tire/custom tuned DA shock cream will rise to the top ....

 

I've been out there watching barrier testing and have seen some cross sections of the concrete in the area they are going to use. It seems to me like it was over a couple feet thick.
Yep, I'm an Old Fart!

 

As a contrast, I thought I put one up from the recent event at the Lincoln Air Park as well.

Lincoln Air Park

Tim

 

Looks like it was a fun course, a couple of beeps even. How'd you feel about that section of the pad?
I'm considering taking a trip down there for next weekend's event. Any idea of the planned course size for that one ? (Minnesota autox season is over, with snow flurries in the forecast ).

 

I recognize that car! Who was driving?
Any advice on what was killing my time; the two sharp right turns really messed me up?

 

They ran the 1999 Nationals Course from Forbes Field. Yes, great course. Had a little bit more tire wear than expected, but the wear included about 21 runs (split between me and my wife). The course was a little unforgiving if you got offline, however no one has ran out there since a divisional in 1990.
That site will be great with hopefully a little bit more usage (by us autocrossers) next year.

As for the upcoming weekend, the club will not be using that site. They will be at Lincoln Airpark, but not the proposed "Nationals site". It's actually about a block away and much smaller. See our forums regarding the topic.
http://www.nrscca.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=1422

Tim

 

That was myself, not Julie. Come grab us at the next event. Your are welcome to ride along. Sometimes a different perspective helps.

Tim