And to think I used to get crap for being at 12.5". The times have changed.


HAHA 12" is pretty low, In Blytheville I think I measured 11.75" hight on Marcs car when he had a messed up alignment. It may of been 12" but I'm pretty sure it was lower. Good Stuff! I'm probably at 12.25-12.5 and still have 1/2" of travel left according to my O-rings. I'm not gonna go any lower though. Nice to have high end shocks with custom shock bodies.

 

Well i actually almost did it. Daddio only got me by a few tenths even with having to beat the MarcP special dial ins. I almost certainly got my left side down to a mid-29 then. Gonna time video to see. If only i could have done that yesterday...

 

Here's my setup, I'll copy Marc's format:

-'06 S2000 AP2 with body in trunk (i.e. not a CR)
-Penske 8100 shocks
-800F/700R Springs
-Gendron 1.25" Hollow Front Sway Bar/BB Mounts (set 6/6)
-No rear bar (miata bar was on, but disconnected)
-Near new/Full tread Dunlop Direzzas/6ULRs (Tires at 33/33 psi f/r)
-Alignment ... -3.1/-2.7 Camber F/R, 0 Toe Front, 1/8" Toe-In Rear
-Ride height 13"-13 1/8" all around Center of hub to fender (yes this is a little too high but it's really as low as I can go on my shocks and I'm cheap)

After seeing the course I dialed my rear shocks up to my super tight course configuration to get some rotation since I expected to push like crazy. Didn't work out that way, due to lack of grip I was actually super loose in the offsets and slaloms. So for second set of runs I turned it back down to my normal setup with just slightly stiffer rear shocks than front. Not sure if it was that or the fact that rubber was down but the car felt great then. Understeered some in the tight stuff but it was worth it for being able to make time up in the offsets and slaloms, then just drive it like a FWD car in the sweepers. 2nd set of runs was the best by far, I wish I had been able to put everything together then. The final heat was hotter and it seemed like not as much grip so it was tough to improve, no one really did other than those who had left a lot of time out there before.

I was having a lot of trouble with lights, normally that's my thing and I make up time there on everyone else. But since we didn't have practice starts and the launch was super grippy I just couldn't get my RTs good, it was either 0.7-0.8 or 0.45, so I went with the former . I was launching at 6k and it worked really well on the grippy concrete, my 60's were good despite my bad RTs. That compared to in DC I was launching at 4k...

Sucks that I missed the mark on atlantic zone champion. I tied with Collet for the top spot, with a 1st and a 2nd, so since we've never faced each other the tie breaker is total margin of victory/loss which I believe he wins by 0.05 seconds. But I'm pretty happy with how it went. Overall a lot of fun. Great to have lots of close competition, I'm really looking forward to pro finale/nationals.

 

Here is my setup. I take no credit for it. As a matter of fact, I give Dave Roberts and Mark Mays the most credit for the initial settings than anyone else. Since I met them at Blytheville last year they have always taken the time to help me with my questions. Both of them have always been more than ready to help me out. Thanks to Marc too for tolerating my questions at the event and giving me a half quart of oil!

'06 AP2
- MCS Shocks (this was my second event)
- 800f / 500r
- Gendron 1.25" Hollow w/BB on 6/6
- Gendron Hollow Rear w/BB on 1/6
- Alignment - -2.9 all the way around, 1/16 of rear toe each side
- 12.5" Ride Height all the way around.
- Fairly new Hankooks w/no co-driver

I ran this setup last weekend in Chattanooga and it felt good. I could trust the car to stick and not suddenly oversteer. It is a long story but basically with my last DFV Ohlins I was too low. They have very very soft bump stops and I basically have been riding them the last 5 months.

After the first runs, I grabbed my notepad and began talking to anyone who would listen to me about how to correct the corner entry slight push and corner extra moderate push. I was all over turnzero.com trying to get suggestions too. After all was said and done, I went with a few clicks less compression in the front. Bingo!! My first runs felt much better but the times were still slow after hearing Marc was into the 29's. Then it was like magic, I ran 29.xxx on both sides but with a cone on the left. I was very hesitant to make any more changes. I was in trophies and was scared to screw up the car. Marc suggested going lower on front bar to increase front bite...I was lazy and scared so I left it alone.

I started on the right on the final runs. This is what I wanted since I was very happy with my right side run that I had in the bag. I came around on the left side and was sitting on a 30.9. I knew I had run 29.xx, I just needed to do it again. I didn't think I could catch Marc but was hoping to get back to 2nd. Bingo again! 29.9 but wait...another cone. The one in the middle of the Chicago box. There was no reason to be so close as it was wide open through there. Oh well. When I came back around to the left side again, I knew I was hosed if I didn't get into the low 30's ro 29's. I was coning like crazy from trying to hard. I backed way off the cones, made sure I didn't red light and ran a 30.4 which was .4 better. By the skin of my teeth I was able to stay in 5th.

While these results are encouraging, I still feel they were likely an anomoly. Hell, I finished last at Blytheville. Plus, this course to me was like a local level course. It was so short I could easily pick out my errors on video and immediately work to improve there. I don't have the experience to actually critique it. Plus, if I never trophy again it will forever be my favorite!!

 

I should have some video from the tricycling datsun up later today. I thought the courses were fun, but the finish was overly painful. My car is as wide as a C5 Z06 with the big tires on, and it was real handful in spots.

Got a chance to see the ustream. Seems like the car went 27's on both courses in the bonus challenge. B/W the co-driver and I, we only had 1 27.9 and 1 28.0 during comp runs. Oh well. It was nice to get on concrete before the only event that really matters.

 

Here is my quickest runs of the weekend, which were against an STR car in the bonus challenge. Thought I broke out only the right while I was there, but apparently it was on both after listening to the ustream. Rough math says the left is a 27.9 and the right a 27.8. In the next round against Alex Jones I had a ridiculous 27.5 or something dial in. The ASP solstice had the .5 advantage of the tree...... . It didn't matter, I hit every cone on the right course anyway.

Video:
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmGoX5rRWWE[/media]

 

^^^^ that's a great video. I can't believe the speed you're carrying through some of the elements. I really need to get out to one of these events to experience the concrete.


Congrats to Marc and everyone else!

 

Wow the pro was a bunch of fun. Sad by my 7th place finish but I just could not get a 29. 30.2 on both sides. This was the best our STR car has ever been. Re-tuning the car around the giken diff now. Still felt a little pushy but that seems to be the trend for these courses.

@03threefiftyz - I was the STR car in the Bonus challenge... I wish I had the pressure of being down by .4 to you during regular runs...my last run on the right was finally a 29.8xx. A small morale victory after losing to you by .002! Great race and a lot of fun.

Our set-up for what its worth:
'02 S2000
-Moton Motorsport shocks
-900/600 Springs
-Gendron solid Front Sway Bar / custom mounts (set 3/6,then 2/6)
-No RR bar
-SAFC / intake/header/very loud Burns muffler
-Giken diff
-~100 run 245/40 RS-3's (Tires at 36/34 psi f/r)
-Alignment ... -3.25/-3 Camber F/R, 0 Toe Front, 1/4" Toe-In Rear,
-Ride height 12.75" all around


Great seeing everyone...looking forward to Lincoln.