95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Well I'm starting this thread a little prematurely, as the first race is still 5 days away, but what the heck. I'm getting anxious.

So here's a list I put together of most of the local races that I can attend. Aside from the dates with overlapping events, I would like to do most of these

3/10- SCCA National event in Georgia
3/17 CDC #1
3/24 BMW #1
3/25 AI #1
4/7 AI Driving school
4/14 SCCA ProSolo event in DC
4/21 BMW #2 and CDC #2
5/6 SCCA DC #1
5/19 SCCA National event in NJ
5/26 BMW #3
6/2 CDC #3
6/3 SCCA DC #2
6/16 AI #2
6/17 CDC #4
6/24 SCCA DC #3
6/30 CDC #5
7/8 SCCA DC #4
7/14 BMW #4 and CDC #6
7/15 AI #3
7/28 CDC #7
8/4 SCCA National event in Indiana
8/11 CDC #8 and AI #4
8/18 BMW #5
8/18 SCCA DC #5
8/25 CDC #9
9/4 SCCA National Championship in Nebraska
9/15 CDC #10
9/16 AI #5
9/23 SCCA DC #6
9/29 CDC #11
10/7 SCCA DC #7 Final
10/13 BMW #6 Final and CDC #12
10/14 AI #6 Final
10/27 CDC #13
11/17 CDC #14 Final

It's going to be a busy year

I'm planning on going back to 2JRacing soon to have my 9k/8k BC coilovers installed, as well as their offset rear trailing arm bushings. They might even fab up a brace for my brake master cylinder Then it's on to corner balancing and trying out the Hoosiers at the SCCA ProSolo event. Given their short life and high cost, I'm pretty sure I will only be using the Hoosiers at SCCA events and will run the Michelins at other events. My current 235/45/17 PS2s are pretty beat up, so I can probably get a few events out of them before I need to get new tires. I'm thinking 245/45/17 Michelin Super Sports Or should I go full crazy and just get the Direzzas??

I've been doing a lot to the car in preparation for this year, and you can check it all out in my massive build thread. Or you can check out my results from last year.

I hope to see some of you out there!

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

Maximas competing.

I like it.

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

I'd suggest a shorter 245/40 tire vs the 245/45 for better gearing. And go with Hankook ($600set) or the Dunlops ($700set). Michelin's are just too expensive at $900 a set and nobody I know runs or wins on them. STX and STU trophies at Dixie were evenly split between H and D.

I just got this 3min promo recap video today for Dixie in fact. (FWIW DarrinD was my Evo1 instructor way back)
SCCA Dixie natl Tour

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Yeah, but these are DD tires for the most part. Although now that I take the Metro to work everyday, and the amount of races I will be going to, I will probably put on the majority of my miles just driving to races

The Hoosiers are already a 40 series tire, so when I really need it (SCCA races) I will have the shorter gearing, but I don't think I want to deal with all of the repercussions on the street. All the other local club events will be run on DD tires to make the Hoosiers last as long as possible. Besides, Michelins last longer than comparable tires, and if they're good enough for the new M5, they're good enough for my car As nice as it would be to have the Direzzas at local club events, I just don't think they're a suitable DD tire.

Edit- I just did some quick reading and apparently plenty of people run the Direzzas on DD cars, but they don't last a long time and I've heard from some people they don't do particularly well in very wet driving.....decisions decisions.....and to make things tougher Michelin is currently offering a $70 rebate on four tires......

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Totally agree with Brian on the size. 245/40 is better for your car and gearing.

I will disagree somewhat on the tires, as I prefer the star specs to the 'kooks (having used both of them). They're both good, but the star specs are much better on wet courses - which we get plenty of around here.

Also, you seem to have forgotten the rallycross events

Jason and Pat are thinking very seriously about going in together on a rally-x e30

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

No doubt a 40 series would be better for gearing, but would you really drive around with like that on your DD? I don't think I would. Besides, I struggle with wheel gap as it is.

I need to talk to some people who have the Direzzas and see what they're like on a DD and in the rain....

And no, I didn't forget about rally-x. Who do you think the third owner is going to be for that E30?

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

You guys get it? It's almost identical to the car that won stock AND prepared RWD classes last year (with 4 co-drivers). Same color and everything, lol.

If you guys come out, that would make a total of 10 drivers in 4 e30s.....probably a world record for rallycross.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

so what's up Nick...I know you've had a couple events since your last post here. How'd they go?

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

The events have gone well, but I've been struggling to upload the videos. I had been planning on combining the in-car video with the exterior GoPro video, but finding free video editing software that will combine/overlay two videos has been frustrating. I might just post up the videos separately.

The first event was with the BMW club at Waldorf and it was a rainy day. The next day I did an event with the Mazda club at Bowie and it was mostly dry out. I did pretty well both days. I'll post up a full review in a bit.

I've also got the BC coilovers on the car now along with some 10f/15r wheel spacers from 2JR and new wheel bearings. However, now the front end of the car feels very spooky and I almost crashed the other day going around a turn at moderate speed, so I don't exactly have a ton of confidence in my car right now. I'm hoping this weekend's BMW race will be in the dry and I will be able to get a better feel for what the car is doing with the new suspension. The front end almost feels like it loses grip midway through turns like you go over a patch of ice. I have no idea what is going on. The car rides like stock and has zero body lean, so the coilovers are doing something right, but I just won't know what the car is really doing until I can get it on the track.

Videos and results coming soon!

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

a few things:

1. is this issue with your r-comps on, or street tires?
2. happens when accelerating through turns, or braking through turns?
3. why are you running bigger spacers on the rear (which will increase understeer)? Putting the wider spacers on the front would be the better option, IMO. Doesn't look as good cosmetically, but with a FWD nose-heavy car I wouldn't add spacers to the rear or it could prevent rotation.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

This was on street tires. I believe I was mildly on the gas when it happened. I'm running the bigger spacers on the rear just because the rear wheel was sitting so far in the wheel well compared to the front. When I get a chance to run the R-comps I may experiment with running the bigger ones in the front, but I'm worried about the front fender coming down and "eating" the tire.

At each of the first two auto-x events (one in the wet, one dry-still on Konis/Eibachs) I had the rear end come around on me on one run, so the car didn't have much of a problem rotating then. Given how stiff the rear spring rate is with the coilovers, I doubt terminal understeer is going to be a problem.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

This season didn't exactly begin as I had hoped.

The 3/10 SCCA National event that I had planned on attending didn't pan out because I couldn't get down to 2J Racing in time to get the coilovers installed, and I wasn't going to run on R-comps without them. Additionally, SCCA RULES MAKE ME VERY ANGRY

I spent weeks going back and forth through email with the SCCA classing representative, Brian, about which class my car would fall into with certain mods. I made the decision to retain my SFCs and take my chances in the prepared class. Brian made it clear that I had the choice of being in either EP or XP, with EP being the less intense class. Since I was keeping the SFCs, I made the decision to get some custom fender braces made to compliment them, since they wouldn't affect my classing. A few weeks before the first National event, I find out there is a new classing representative, and I go over what I discussed with Brian to make sure I will be placed in the proper class. The new guy immediately tells me that Brian (who has since been promoted) was wrong, and that since my car (I30) isn't specifically listed in the rule book, it is automatically in the unlimited (XP) class!! I made it very clear the only difference between my car and a Maxima is the grille and some extra sound deadening. I was told I needed to write a letter to the Solo Advisory Board and request a classing change for my car. I have yet to hear anything back about this in weeks. I got in contact with Brian, and his excuse was that he thought he told me that I could get away with running in EP for local events, but not with National events, since they are more strict there. I have every single email he wrote me, and he never said a single word to that effect. Needless to say, this kind of pissed me off, and the situation is still unresolved.

I decided to sit out the 3/17 CDC event to get some more work done on my car instead.....check out my build thread for pics and more info.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

I was very excited to try out my new mods, but about halfway to the event it started raining cats and dogs, and it didn't really let up for the rest of the day. Apparently the people who ran in the morning heats got some clean/dry runs before it started raining, so their times were obviously much faster and not comparable to our times in the afternoon. Results can be found here, towards the bottom on the left hand side.

I still haven't figured out if the guy in the S2000 who beat me by 0.1 second was running in the wet or the dry, but either way I came in second place in the X3 class (ignore the STI in first, he should be in the X2 class). I ended up with a 50.6 to the S2000s 50.5. The cars with numbers that start with a 1xx ran in the morning, but I can't be sure if they ran in the first or second heat, the first being dry and the second wet. Looking at the results of people who ran in the afternoon (2xx), I'm very pleased with how I did.

Josh didn't attend this event with his WRX, so I had to compare myself with my friend in his mostly stock 2003 BMW 330i. He ended up with a 53.9.

On my second run the rear end of the car came around pretty quick when going around the large circle. I corrected and was able to save it. This is literally only the second time the tail has ever come around like that, the first being at another wet auto-x last year. And it came around again at Mazda auto-x event the following day! Here's a video showing what happened- the incident is at the 24 second mark:



And here's a video of my final run:



All in all, it was a good day, but it made me realize that the tarp I was using to cover my gear wasn't waterproof, so I have since invested in a nice container to keep all my stuff dry! Maybe I'm just getting good at driving it and knowing the limits, but the car felt very neutral and didn't understeer very much. Keep in mind the PS2s I ran on are pretty much dead and will be replaced by the new Michelin SS tires in a 245/45/17 probably within a month or two. At no point in the race did I curse my car for doing something annoying or poorly, which might be a first.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

sadly, you may be out of luck comparing times to me in the future anyhow. I'll probably run a couple events mid-summer, but likely will run the e30. It doesn't have much power but it's 2200lbs and has fresh Star Specs on it......and the AD08s for the WRX are more or less done I think, and I don't have the budget for any new tires for a car that wil only run 1 or 2 events per year.

Plus the e30 will be more fun anyhow, even if it's not competitive in whatever class it gets stuck in (Rallycross mods will KILL me in autocross, lol....It'll probably be an SM car at very least, if not SP or P...

No idea on your traction issue, unless the spring rates are somehow popping the tire off the ground in small increments, thus losing traction.......Brian will probably have a better idea.

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Just in case anyone is actually reading this thread and has some ideas for me, check out my thread in the 5th gen section. I think I might have a faulty fuel injector, but I'm not sure. Let me know what you think.

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

Front end skating sounds like alignment to me; maybe bump steer affecting the camber/toe curve. Take some accurate hot tire temps across the width next dry event and report.

As for classing, don't sweat it. It's not about trophies or PAX, it's about dialing in the car and improving the nut behind the wheel. Run a national event in XP and then compare your times in EP, DSP, or whatever to guage your competiveness.

Oh, and speaking of XP - at 2:15 of this video is your national champion (again). 370hp and 1800lbs incl ballast added. SFC's aren't the issue
2:15 time mark = outside view
Driver view

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Oh god, don't say bump steer. Maybe I should have mentioned that I removed my 2JR bumpsteer kit the week before when I put in the new wheel bearings and went back to stock outer tie rods! Since the car is only dropped something like 1.6" in the front, I was hoping bump steer wouldn't be an issue, but now I'm wondering if I've made a mistake. I certainly never felt the car do this before I got the bump steer kit though.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

This video makes Autocross look BAD-***

I may have to get back into it.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Seriously.....go get that $1500 Audi 4000 and come rallycrossing, Nick. It's way more fun not having to deal with stupid solo2 classing have having much broader allowances (only 3 classes for each of RWD/FWD/AWD). Because little ticky-tack stuff doesn't affect anything in RX, so you can build the car the way YOU want it, not the way some jackhole classing director wants to limit you to.

...and there are no lists of cars that are legal for any given class. You have a FWD car, you can run in any of the three FWD classes, depending on your mods. And all 3 classes are similar speeds anyhow, since lots of modding doesn't necessarily make your car faster in RX>

It will be good stress relief for you between autocross events Just go get a beater and beat it, and don't spent a cent on mods, lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuCV9...eature=related

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

That's why I bought a car already prepped for the sport Great Rallycross video, same intensity and concentration required and harder than PDX for sure. Too bad the nearest events are 4+ hrs from Chicago

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

yeah I'm almost an hour and a half from the only mid-atlantic RX venue....People drive all the way from NC and Philly for the events. That's the tough part about rallycross - not nearly the venue availability of autocross.

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

Oh god, what have you done!
http://www.scca.com/assets/12-fastrack-may-solo.pdf

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

wow, the SEB actually listened to common sense!

Funny no 500 Abarth in stock, but the 500 is approved for EP.....

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

do they allow trucks there? that doesn't look much different from what I used to have to do to get across a job site back when I did environmental eng, had a 1995 F150 manual 5spd with manual locking hubs, used to drive around some of these sites like it was the Drakar rally or something

without even doing it I will agree it's fun, but you're totally bailing on auto-x? are you ever going to go run at VIR?

97SEdriver

iTrader: (3)

my max is presently back together, what events are the most fun and which of those are you planning on going to?
I don't have my 1st gen RX fully up and running and I still want to run my boat at least a couple times a year

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

I'm a little confused though. Does that mean that they are automatically in EP even if stock, or that they can be in EP instead of XP? And why are the 3.5 cars allowed in the same class?! That's totally not fair to us 3.0 guys I wonder if that means I can do a 3.5 swap and not be bumped up a class.....

Well due to the previously mentioned difficulties, I've only run 2 BMW events and a Mazda event so far, so I can't comment on CDC or AI yet. I'm of the opinion that the BMW events are the best because you don't have to sit around all day; if you run in the PM you only have to be there for the PM session instead of getting there a 8 am and waiting around all morning. Since you probably have a pretty long drive, I would think a PM session with the BMW club would be your best bet. However, they started a new rule this year that if you want to preregister for an event, you have to be a BMW CCA member. Chances are you could roll up to a PM session and just sign up when you get there, but there is a chance they will fill up. It's not an ideal situation, but since I knew I would go to all the events, I signed up for the membership.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

1. The only trucks you can use are low ones (e.g. compact pickups at stock height)....so like a Mitsubishi Mighty Max or something like that. F150, no.

2. That would be the "Dakar" rally. "Drakar" is a cologne.

3. Not totally bailing. Rallycross takes a 2-month break midsummer (July-August) because of heat/dust on course, so I'll autocross those months. Most likely I'll autocross the e30, since it has Star Specs and the Subie's track wheels have totally cycled-out AD08s that are no fun.

4. Go run what at VIR? HPDE? Not in the Subaru, until it's paid off. I can't afford to mess that car up with Carin not working now and another kid on the way. The e30, once I get a few more things taken care of, might see an HPDE. But it'll be really slow on track, lol.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

No, I would assume if one had a stock-built i30 and wanted to run in stock class, they could similarly petition to have it added to the stock class that the Maxima runs in. I30 can also run in STX or STU, IIRC.

once you're up in prepared, it's all about your mods/car setup and driving. The original car is so far from original the 3.5 doesn't have any appreciable advantage over a 3.0 maxima....any more than you have an advantage over other cars in that class that have even smaller displacement.

As for swaps, I don't recall the update/backdate rules for prepared. But I'd bet that you could do a 3.5 swap if you wanted to, and be legal (too lazy to go look it up!)

D I R T Y I 3 0

Looks like I'm missing out on a lot of fun. I hope I have enough free time this summer to make it out to some CDC events since Keys stadium is only 10 minutes from me

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

For national events, yes the I30/I35 still doesn't have official class designation into stock so RTF, STC or STX would be best on street tires if mods permit. DSP would be next with a letter written for R compounds.

Prepared classes have min weights to balance engine sizes between I30 vs I35. That's why both are in EP to start. A 3.5 swap though would bump to XP. The minimum weight for a swapped 3.5L with decent width wheels in XP would be 1800lbs so start stripping. XP is aimed at tiny cars - not the place for an I30.

Otherwise just find local divisional events that often have the same tough competition as the Natl Tours. My last divisional in '11 put me up against the 5th place national driver and that was humbling enough

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Saturday was a beautiful day for a race, and this one was held at the relatively tight Bowie lot, same as the Mazda event. However, this course had 3-4 very tight transitions that my car just isn't suited for, and I suffered for it. I hit a cone in two runs, and I just couldn't find the groove. If I hadn't hit a cone in my second run, my FTD would have been pretty impressive, but as it is, it's just ok. Again, results can be found here towards the bottom on the left. I'm in the Non-BMW 3 class towards the bottom of the results.

This was my first event since getting the coilovers installed, and was feeling weary about the behavior of my car in the weeks leading up to the event. Thankfully, the car didn't exhibit any of the quirks I had felt on the road and was completely planted. I set the tires to 40 psi all around, and the shocks at 15/30 all around. My alignment is set at -1.7* camber and 0.1" toe out. My PS2 tires are also almost dead, and I felt it.

My times were: 48.150, 46.792+1, 47.777, 47.009+1. So my best clean run was a 47.7, or only 0.4 quicker than my first run. The second run would have been the fastest if I hadn't hit a cone. Both times I hit cones I didn't even realize it until someone told me, which is always frustrating since I didn't know where I had hit them.

My new performance bogey is my buddy Mike in his E46 M3 with RE11's (255/285 IIRC), full suspension, BPUs and Dinan software for his SMG. I rode along with him for one run and was blown away by the car. When I drove the course, I shifted once into second and left it there. Mike on the other hand probably down/up shifted at least 10 times, and was always near the peak of the powerband. He ended up with a 46.7, which is a full second ahead of me. The only thing is this is only the second auto-x he's been to!

Without further ado, here are videos of my second run, the 46.7+1.





Let me know if you can spot ways for me to improve!

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

one thing I would suggest before even watching the video: find a new location for the front camera mount not up on the hood. I was running a GoPro in almost that exact same spot on the e30 at the last rallycross and it kept catching my eye when looking ahead on course in that direction. I didn't realize it until my 5th run when it directly blocked the view of a gate, which I promptly had to do a quick move to avoid and probably lost 1/2 a second. I have since moved the mount to the top of the bumper, which gives a similar view but can't be seen from inside the car.

It may not distract you per se but it could affect concentration, even subliminally, IMO.

I also think roof mount is the best location if you want to use vids to diagnose the run. It makes the run look slower and not as cool for your buddies to watch, but it shows the movement of the car relative to the course much better than the hood or bumper. Inside and low/front views make it hard to tell where exactly the car is reacting relative to the gates.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

other than that, I can't see anything specific in the vid, other than to say that your hand positioning and movement is much improved over what I've seen you do in past years, which wasn't as smooth and had alot more crossover.

That freakin Bowie lot.....always seems like the same course no matter what club makes it, lol....I've always hated that surface there.

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

Guessing one of those cones would've been the last finish slalom; those offsets were killer. Good improvement on the finish in vid#2. I see 2 spots in vid#2 though -
:11 late apex entry wider the left hander entry to carry more speed through the corner yet still make the next right slalom
:24 backside that left cone to setup the gate easier and carry a full 3sec straightaway

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

we had a kick-*** rallycross today. Thought you guys might enjoy some vid. Nick, you HAVE to get into this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edjRG...ature=youtu.be

95maxrider

iTrader: (32)

Yeah, I've tried different locations, but the hood seems to capture the engine sounds the best, and I'm tired of hearing only wind! Having it on the hood did mess with me a little bit at the Mazda event, but I moved it over more to the PS and it wasn't as bad this time. I will have to try the bumper location next time.

I know, I know, I really need to get out to one of your events. When is the next one? If I don't put something down in my calendar, it generally won't happen.

Those videos are both actually of the same run, #2.

I think I see what you're talking about at the :11 mark (going wider before turning left), but am unsure of what you mean by "backside" the cone at :24.

Stillen Maxima

iTrader: (50)

I know zero of this but looks like fun. Nice vids nick, let me know if you guys ever come to Frederick so I can come and watch

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

I hear you there. Though on the bumper in front of the grill will get plenty of engine sounds too. I may go pick up one of the new GoPros one of these days - they have a microphone jack...run it down into the engine bay or into the inside of the car.

irish44j

iTrader: (38)

Nick, next Rally-x event is May 20th (Sunday) and then there's a 2-day event June 9th and 10th before the summer break (events don't resume after that until September).

BEJAY1

iTrader: (19)

Slalom's and offsets are all about getting right on top of the entry cone with the rear tire of the car. You're almost trying to punt the cones with the rear bumper. The car position at :22 is perfect but if you cut left at the pointer cone a fraction of second sooner for the chicane, you can get on the power before going through it.