Initial Topeka results

Upon Request, I don't know if this will work for everyone but I like it.

Koni Yellows (off the shelf valving)
Gendron Solid Bar at full stiff
1/8 toe out in the front
0 toe in the rear
1.75 Neg camber up front with as much caster as I could get
2.25 neg camber in rear
Kumho's in the rain 36 front, 33 rear with 1/4 turn from soft on the koni's front and rear
Hoosiers in the dry, 38.5 front, 37.5 rear 3/4 turn from soft on front shocks, 1/4 turn on the rear shocks. NOTE went to 1/2 turn from soft on front shocks for last run. Felt much better but I almost spun the car and lost alot of time. (I have a gut feeling that this set of hoosiers the Fronts weren't as good as the rears, and that's why it felt better with less front shock then i've used in the past)

Hope this helps, I saw it as the cheapest way to get competetive. Other then Shocks, Sway bar, and Comptech exhaust(not by choice) the car is Completely stock.

Ian

Those of us without Ian's driving ability or the word "Sideways" in our names might be better off running some toe-in in the rear...

Steve

I got 0 on the right and a little toe in on the left....does that count? (not by choice though...hheheh).

Angel

I had 1/4 toe out in the rear for the Ft. myres pro and tour and A) I didn't know i had 1/4 toe out (due to an alighment shop mistake) untill Mark Sipe pointed it out to me in Impound. and B) I grew to like it. My co-driver couldn't stop spinning the car so he asked me to go to toe in (Which after talking to Bill Gendron and having him explain to me in alighnment for idiots terms I can understand why it would be much quicker). I didn't want to do a drastic change so we settled for half way in between. Jim jumped on board as the new co-driver and he's just as crazy as I am so we've left it at 0 toe.

Anyone know the top finishing STOCK SHOCK car/driver? I saw some Honda shock equipped S2000s. Maybe that will help give us a partial idea of what sophisticated dampers can do for you... assuming the other mods allowed in stock were comparable. (The driver remains the main contributor to great course times of course. )

Stan

Likewise, Jason. I was pretty frustrated about making what turned out to be a poor decision on Thursday, but how was I to know it was going to rain more? I think the funniest part of the week was talking to some prominent autoxers about who had less than stellar Thursday experiences (I will keep their names in confidence:)). Basically, none of them wanted to hear my sob story, but really just wanted to tell me about how *their* day went wrong because of tire choice, run-to-run conditions, etc. My conclusion was that most successful autoxers are sore losers.

At least our conditions this year weren't like AS a few years ago when Paul K. got to run in the dry for his first run and all 2nd drivers ran in the wet. Conditions for us (to a large extent) were best for everyone's 2nd runs on Thurs, so it was a relatively even playing field.

-Andy

The highest finishing overall on stock shocks was Dean Rindler, in 7th. That is in an '02 with the softer shocks & rear bar, but also using the 1.25" solid Gendron front bar. His great time in the wet (7th quickest) helped to keep him 7th the trophies even though he had the 11th quickest run on the dry south course.

The trophies were:
1 Moton
2 Penske
3 Koni Yellow
4 ?? (McKee Boxster)
5 Moton
6 Koni (black bodies, not Yellows)
7 Stock
8 Penske
9 Penske
10 Stock M030
11 ?? (Boxster)
12 Koni (high end twin tube, not Yellows)
13 Stock M030
14 ?? (S2000)
15 ?? (S2000)
16 ?? (S2000)

Actually, I didn't feel like I put it all together on any of my 3 runs Friday.

1st run...chicken broke entering lane change on fast first section, pushed too wide on exiting first left hand turn around (who didn't?), broke too late entering showcase sweeper

2nd run...car was down on power all the way out at the beginning (I've had this happen on hot days before where timing feels retarded, but this was an unpleasant surprise and maybe a consequence of running the stock tstat), held 1st a little too long going down the hill

3rd run...got behind in the slalom after entering a little too hot and had to stay out of the gas, blew the 1-2 upshift and got loose in 2nd after the showcase sweeper (this was the only run I went to first there), shortshifted to 2nd in the tight section (in the middle of left hander) and bogged

How much were these mistakes worth? I don't know, but I really thought a mid 49 was there after my first run, but unfortunately they don't allow 4th runs at Nats. Considering the mistakes I *thought* I was making, I was pretty surprised others weren't running faster. Maybe the mistakes weren't that costly after all. Who knows.

-Andy

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Windscreen


4 ?? (McKee Boxster)



The Boxster was Koni Sport (yellows) single adjustables. These were one of a few sets GH Sharp had made for the Boxster early on when nothing was available. They were a bit more expensive than normal Koni off the shelf shocks, but that was primarily due to the fact it was a limited run of about 5 sets.

-Andy

Jason, Andy, Ian (and all others of course)- first of all, congratulations! (And Juliann too) This was my first time at Nationals, and it is unreal how much talent you guys have. Not to take anything away from the local guys here in DC, but I had no idea how much room at the top there is.

So, to use this as a learning experience, would you guys mind breaking down your south course runs, braking points, shift points, where you lifted, stayed flat on the gas, etc? (kinda like what Andy just did, but more detail) Jason- can you post video?

That was a blast of a time, looking forward to next year! I'm signing up for Evo next month.

-Vic
-Koni yellows, Gendron solid, JR filter, Hoosiers
-#196 (yup, my co-driver beat me. He usually drives an SM2 C5 'vette)

South Course,

Dump at 6500 rpm or there abouts. Goal was to keep em spinning till I got the car pointed down the straight and hopefully hook up just under Vtec. (note NEVER GOT IT RIGHT), Slight lift for a Medium Apex on the first left. Then Flat through the Lane Change. Then Brake half way between the last gate on the straight and the first gate to the left hander. Goal was to bleed back into flat out before the very Late Apex but I never got it right. The car Pushed out EVERY single run and I ended up Lifting just to keep from going to wide, The goal had been to use the throttle to cause a Slight rotation to keep the car pinched in for the late Apex. UnCharacteristically she pushed under throttle. From my now screwed up track position I attempted to make a straight away into the 2nd slalom cone and not brake untill I started to make the turn. 1st run this caused me to be late on cold tires, 2nd run it actually worked, And 3rd run my timing was off and I broke early. I wanted to only Brake once in the Slalom and just on the turn in then go back to flat out and hold on though the exit. Again it only worked on the 2nd and 3rd run. However on my 2nd run I couldn't get the car slowed down for the Right turn around. Again I wanted a very late apex hoping for the throttle to pinch the car in. Again it didn't happen and I pushed wide on all 3 runs with lots of Inside wheel spin. My late Apex turned into a NEVER APEX. The goal had been to be Flat out from the middle of the corner right untill I had the car settled again for the Tight Right hander. Every Lap I pussied out and Did a Slight lift making the Left coming onto the brakes. I tried to get the car a Little bit loose coming around the left so that when I was on the brakes I could get the car to Snap back to the right and Slide into the corner So I could be flat on the floor in 1st gear LONG before even entering the corner. This only worked on runs 1 and 3. On run 2 The car didn't snap back right Instead it PLOWED and I was forced to lift mid corner. I wanted to Hold 1st though the left turn around and use the throttle to pinch the car in though the corner. This worked on the 2nd and 3rd run. However on run 2 I thought I was bouncing the rev limiter from spinning the tires as I exited when in fact I wasn't. So I rode the rev limiter a good part of the straight away. I attempted to Brake for the left hander at the end of the straight after the last cone on the right side. I also wanted to move right as I went by that Cone get on the rubber from the Pro Solo course. got it right on the 1st run. Felt that I came through to slow on the 2nd run. And BLEW my whole run on the 3rd run by Getting very very sideways on the exit. So sideways that I entered the Slalom at full countersteer, OOPS. The slalom was supposed to be flat out when I walked it. and 1st run I actually used the brakes in it. 2nd run I lifted, and the 3rd run the plan was to take it flat and I did, Just I came into the Slalom 20 mph slower then the previous runs, and I still hit a cone. Doh!