NY Porsche Club AutoX Video

[mr2nv]

First autox event of the season. First event with the quick ratio steering pinion. Video posted is my last run which was my best clean run of the day. 1st in class, 4th overall.

1m M04 43 43 Demetri Mirissis 73 914-6 48.510 0.000 0.000
2m X3 744 744 Tom Wansor 05 BMW M3 50.232 1.722 1.722
3m X3 175 175 Adil Abdulali 07 Exige 50.436 0.204 1.926
4m X2 3 3 Matt Klein 93 Toyota MR2 50.661 0.225 2.151

[Raptor13x]

Nice work- a couple small mistakes in the beginning, but you finished well.


I hate autocross courses that are all slaloms like that- I find them more tedious than fun, and MR2s don't really excel at them being rear-heavy. I greatly prefer the courses emphasizing car control, with higher speed sweeping corners and late braking exercises.

[kbrew8991]

Originally Posted by Raptor13x

Nice work- a couple small mistakes in the beginning, but you finished well.


I hate autocross courses that are all slaloms like that- I find them more tedious than fun, and MR2s don't really excel at them being rear-heavy. I greatly prefer the courses emphasizing car control, with higher speed sweeping corners and late braking exercises.

the MR2 has been the best slalomning car I've ever driven, it *loves* to change direction

setup issues maybe?

[mr2nv]

I think the way you tackle a slalom is highly dependent on it's spacing. For tighter slaloms I tend to use the breathe off technique to lighten the rear and create a pivot point around the cone. For more spaced out slaloms I think a smoother approach is needed to maintain a higher average speed through it where quick hands can pay off. I don't think the MR2 has any inherent disadvantages to performing well in slaloms.

This course was by no means a typical SCCA course but it did give me a chance to shake off some of the rust that built up over the off season.

[Wheelman_13]

Which class do you run?

[Raptor13x]

Originally Posted by kbrew8991

the MR2 has been the best slalomning car I've ever driven, it *loves* to change direction

setup issues maybe?

I like my cars to be a little tail-happy, which isn't necessarily good for slalom, but I think it's more of a personal preference thing. I greatly prefer racing on a track. The MR2 always felt more at home there to me, so the closer an autocross came to approximating a proper race track, the happier I was with it.

[mr2nv]

Originally Posted by Wheelman_13

Which class do you run?

Me? In SCCA I'm SM2 with the BEAMS swap.

[mopwer]

Originally Posted by mr2nv

I think the way you tackle a slalom is highly dependent on it's spacing. For tighter slaloms I tend to use the breathe off technique to lighten the rear and create a pivot point around the cone.

Please explain this technique. Maybe I know it as another name.

Greg

[mopwer]

Originally Posted by mr2nv

First autox event of the season. First event with the quick ratio steering pinion.

Nice run! Looks like you guys have a pretty large lot. Ours is fairly tight and we don't get much more than 45mph on it.

Is the quick ratio steering pinion something you swapped into your stock rack or did you replace the whole rack? Manual or power?

Greg

[Wheelman_13]

Originally Posted by mr2nv

Me? In SCCA I'm SM2 with the BEAMS swap.

Ok, yeah, that makes sense. I probably could have guessed if I'd looked at the whole red-name thing before I posted that.

[Wangan_X]

is the beams not torquey enough to have taken the turn around without downshifting?

[Wheelman_13]

I was curious about that as well. On the occasions where I've thought about downshifting, and tried that vs. not on a couple of runs, the not-shifting still ends up quicker for me even with my no-low-end stock turbo motor. I KNOW the 5S folks really never go back into 1st, but I wonder if there are any other opinions floating around about the small displacement motors.

[kbrew8991]

I see that on road course stuff alot across a wide range of cars... if in doubt at all take the corner in the higher gear - saves shift times and tends to force you to carry momentum through the corner

[mr2nv]

Originally Posted by Wangan_X

is the beams not torquey enough to have taken the turn around without downshifting?

I don't know for sure but the rpm's at that point because it was a decreasing radius turn, could have been between 2-3k. Earlier in the day I had taken that section in 2nd gear and felt like I was bogging a bit. So that section was essentially a decreasing radius into a tight chicago box into another decreasing radius. I decided to do 1st gear in that whole section and was able to shave off time. I didn't feel I would lose any time downshifting because I did it while braking and also utilized the engine braking to lighten the rear to pivot around the cone. Being on r compounds and having LSD gave me the confidence that I would not lose any time sliding or spinning the tires in first gear. Perhaps if I was not running on season and half old r compounds I would be more content with leaving it in a higher gear and allowing the grip of the tires to do more of the work.

[mr2nv]

Originally Posted by mopwer

Nice run! Looks like you guys have a pretty large lot. Ours is fairly tight and we don't get much more than 45mph on it.

Is the quick ratio steering pinion something you swapped into your stock rack or did you replace the whole rack? Manual or power?

Greg

This lot happens to be the nicest venue on Long Island and we can only really use it before and after beach season.

The quick ratio pinion was simply swapped with the stock pinion gear and was only made for use with power steering racks. I believe they are available from twosrus.

[mr2nv]

Originally Posted by mopwer

Please explain this technique. Maybe I know it as another name.

Greg

The easiest way I can describe this is that on tighter slaloms I tend to use the gas pedal as an on/off switch which helps transfer weight, and on more spaced out slaloms I tend to use the gas as a dimmer switch and use more steering input.

[Wheelman_13]

Originally Posted by kbrew8991

I see that on road course stuff alot across a wide range of cars... if in doubt at all take the corner in the higher gear - saves shift times and tends to force you to carry momentum through the corner

I completely agree with regards to road course racing. My jury is still out on the autocross, but my reflex tends towards staying in the higher gear.

Originally Posted by mr2nv

The easiest way I can describe this is that on tighter slaloms I tend to use the gas pedal as an on/off switch which helps transfer weight, and on more spaced out slaloms I tend to use the gas as a dimmer switch and use more steering input.

I usually try to give up a little speed (if necessary) at the first cone and then gradually accelerate/constant throttle through an evenly spaced slalom. that changes of course if it opens or tightens as you go. That may work differently/better/worse for you since the BEAMS, I'm sure behaves a little differently than the turbo motor.

[kbrew8991]

the same theory still applies in 1st and 2nd gear at 30mph