Thoughts on Auto-X 2006
 

Well, I thought I'd mention a few things about this awesome season, and just commend the SECCS Motorsports crew for making auto-x and track days so much fun...I'm proud to have such a great group a friends out there every week. You guys are truly impressive.

First and Foremost, I want to tip my hat to MikeK...We just ended the most intense season of auto-x ever! And we've ended it in a TIE!!!! :eek: Unheard of! To top that, our sunday results are .1 seconds apart. Mike, you're a great friend and absolutelly great competitor, and honestly, battling with you and Scott week after week have made me a better driver, thanks for being such a great sportsman, that was a blast! The last few events have been tough for both of us, because I've been nervous with ever run, I know you felt the same....haha. I can't imagine what it's like to be Alonso and Schumi! :lol:

Scott, same goes for you, I know mechanical issues affected your days more often than not, but when you ran, you ran FAST! Just as we predicted, it was truly a three way battle every day!

I was most impressed by the development of the first season guys! Nick, Derick, Chris, Chris, Cory, Cody, Alex, and Andy, Pete, Bobby, Jeremiah...wow there were a lot of us out there...You guys are driving incredibly well, it's a blast to watch. Oh, and my lovely co-driver Carrie! Good lord she is getting quick, I think we're in trouble guys. Finally, If Kevin could ever keep a car longer than 1/3 of a season, maybe we'd be able to see him shine,..hopefully next year. :cool:

I think everyone should commend Pat and Tyson for the excelent job they did putting on this final event, you guys did a great job, and we all hope you know how much we appreciate all the hard work. What a great set of courses!

Dean, you'll be missed next season, hopefully we'll see you a few times...traitor :D

Anyway, thanks for a great season everyone, hope to see you all at the awards dinner, that should be a blasts.

Anyone else?

Don't forget Debbie, and next year's Rookie of the Year Rachel!

Pat and Tyson, great job this weekend. It was super hectic with everybody jumping in and out of other cars, RNP runs for half of the region's members, etc., and the event still ran perfectly. The course was great both days... the Octagon was an awesome element for sure.

I feel like I ended on a high note this weekend- first the Rental Car Challenge/Ring Taxi day yesterday, and then dueling it out with Chris in his RS today. It's going to be a long winter of waiting, and I am going to be STOKED when next year's first event rolls around!

Agreed. Agreed. And agreed!

Absolutely awesome season!

From ALL of us newbies, I can say that we appreciate the help SO MUCH! We've all done so well, only due to the help of all the 'vets' here that were more than willing to answer all of our questions, and go on rides, and drive our cars, and give tuning advice, etc... Thank You!!!!!

omg, I was working turn 4 with Adam, when the Matt & MikeK battle was going on. It was hard to tell who was driving faster through that back half - you were both flying through there! Then Matt going all out (I think on your last run), had one of the more spectacular losses of the back end of the car I've seen this year. Congrats to both of you, you Both deserve the trophy(ies)! And congrats to the other class winners as well!

Sorry, I did leave out Debbie, I'm ashamed...

Hey Debbie, yeah, that was one of the biggest spins I've ever had at an Auto-x :lol: I was trying to gain that .1 back, and just got ahead of myself.

BTW, Rachel did great today, you should be very proud.

Thanks Matt, and definately, thanks to everyone who pitched in.

It was definitely an awesome season this year. Thanks to Tyson and Pat for the great course, I'm sorry I couldn't do it again today. Thanks to Mike, Matt, Scott, Dean, and everyone else who puts in the effort to get them set up, and running every event. I'm already looking forward to next year.

Yeah, I had a great time this year. It was my first full year - after slightly less than half a season last year, which technically means I wasn't eligible for annual tech, but everyone let me get away with it since I had been around enough.

Competition with Derrick (and occasionally Cody) made me much faster this year. There was even a point mid-season when I realized I was still mathmetically able to win ESP, but in the end Derrick still took it; he was strong all season, where as I was only really competitive in the second half.

April is going to be a very long way away. Part of me wants a smaller, lighter car for auto-x, but the Legacy is such a hoot to drive at Auto-x. All in all, though, this year was awesome, and I can't wait till next season.

It was a lot of fun watching Matt, Mike and Scott trade off fast runs, within tens and hundreds of seconds. Taking ridealongs with any of you is both scary and very informative (if I can pay attention). Congrats on the tie, it really shows just how close the whole season really was in street mod.

:D Auto cross totally rules you guys. Sat was my first time to go and watch Chris run, and ride with him, and my first time ever trying it out in the afternoon. First off, let me say that the atmosphere and the way the event was run was phenominal. The course was awesome and I wish I had showed up on Sun, I new Chris would catch 3rd in the back half as soon as he described Sundays layout. It was totally fun running his car and very fulfilling taking my first run at 65 secs, and knocking it down to a 59 by my last....and that was totally sliding late apexes through the entire last slalom section. I hope to join up with you guys next year the only prob would be deciding what to run....the Legacy GT, the 64 Chevelle, or the 69 Austin Healey Sprite......Decisions...Decisions.... Thanks again for all your hard work, helpfullness, and friendlyness, especially towards my boy...See Ya, Louie (POPS)

Good Times

Too bad I won't be around next season. I'll make a point of catching at least one autocross next year. Maybe the GVR-4 will make its return.

My thoughts are I wish I would have started sooner.

Matt,

KUDOS to you and all the SECCS gang for making the 2006 season a ball. I couldn't get back in the saddle for Sunday but I enjoyed the course that you guys put together on Saturday. As soon as I figure out the C6 maybe I'll be ready to jump into an STI! Anyway, I enjoy eavesdropping on this website, you guys sure seem to have a lot of fun.

Next year; PDX, PDX, PDX, TT, TT, PDX ?????

Congratulations to all the class champions in SECCS!!!!! See ya at the banquet.

Mel

Thanks Loren, hope you're feeling better, see you in a few weeks at the banquet.

I autoxed a Galant VR-4 back in 2001 at Stead!

I still can't believe how close we ended up by the end of the season. On the days when I beat you, it was usually by a tenth or less, but when you beat me, it was by a second or more. You drove really well all year, I still think you deserved to be the only winner. I guess we are both lucky that the frankensuby had so many problems ... remember when Scott won pax by a few seconds in Eric's car!

Seriously that was nerve racking at the end. It made me wish I had just run for no points all year :lol:

p.s. sorry no results yet, maybe later this week

I have to echo Matt and Mike's sentiments. This year turned out to be terrific. I've never seen a season come down to who has the most 2nd place finishes! :lol: And if I had a car that wasn't so schitzo I may have had a shot at both of you... but to be honest, I felt like my driving was pretty all or nothing all season as well, it wasn't just the car.

But I gotta be honest... I spent so much effort going after TT-2, I'm glad I was out of the running for SM. I couldn't have delt with the stress from both! I know just from the last Lovelock event where I was running between Matt and Mike just how nervous I felt trying to make sure I beat you both so I wouldn't be a spoiler. After that, with 3rd locked up, I didn't want to run in SM at all! I can only imagine what it was like where every run meant the whole season championship! :eek:

And I've got to give props to the folks Matt mentioned as well. There's a changing of the guard coming in Reno SCCA... I fully expect to see you guys turning up in the top 10 PAX results on a regular basis before long. I just hope I'll be able to keep up!

Yeah! I plan on giving all you SM guys some real trouble next year! :twisted:


if a swap just falls in my lap that is... :D

What a great year. I'm goign to miss you folks next year. But you better keep practicing, and bring it to Hawthorne... :)

I enjoyed coaching folks when I could, but running in a 2 driver car made that a little difficult this year. I'm sorry I didn't get as much time to ride with as many of you as I have in past years.

But wow, many of you have come a long way. All the Noobs have improved substantially. Next year will be the transition year. Where all those 1-2 second improvements per run become tenths of seconds. Don't get frustrated, but remember to focus on the basics. Eyes moving, use the whole width of the course, and get behind the slalom cones! The improvements are still there to be found, just a bit harder to realize.

I had a blast campaigning Sue's bone Stock Miata, though I really think the tires have been going off the last few events. A whole season with 2 drivers on one set of tires is probably asking a bit much. But what a fun car. If you ever want to learn to drive a truly nuetral RWD car and how to maintain momentum around a course, there is no better teacher than a Miata. I'm not sure if John Riggs III cheater car-ed his way in front of me this weekend for 9th in PAX overall for the season, but My goal was top 10, and I'm pretty sure I have that locked up.

You SM folks need to watch out if Lucas (Or Carrie for that matter) drives Jim's BMW next year. Might be a good idea to go back to BSP if you can, or start looking into some R compounds... ;)

Again, it's been a blast. Somebody else is going to have to take over giving guided course walks, and anybody reading this can operate a computer, so I would encourage you to get with Mike and Scott, and learn timing. It really is quite simple, and we really need PC literate folks doing it, not just people trying to avoid the sun, and running... :(

I autocrossed number 975 of 1000 in the 2005 season.

I was wondering who was driving the bmw in L class, boy was she fast in that car!

Lucas mentioned he might look for a CP car for next year, but who knows. And I learned yesterday that Adam bought Lucas' corvette. And did I hear Robert Morrison (9asp/gasp) was looking to buy an S2K? Any others? It'll be alot of fun to see what the class makeup will be next year.

Yeah, Carrie put the hurt on us in Jim's M3...To lay down a 48.0 after only 2 runs in the car was pretty impressive.

That is a sweet car, SM would be nuts if Lucas would run it next season, but like Debbie said, I think he's looking for a BP or CP car.

I learned more auto-xing the past couple years than at any driving school!!
Also the group of people that are a part of that sport are great!!

You just need to make it to more events next year :p

I'm bummed out that we have to wait til friggin April...

You know, I did the same thing at my first auto-x. I ran for the first time in the last event of 04.

San Francisco has an event at Golden Gate Fields on Oct. 22. (They require SCCA membership.)
Also, Sacramento has their year-end enduro coming up, not sure if you have to be a member or not:
http://www.sfrscca.org/solo2/Sacramento/Enduro2006.htm

Looks like for the Sac event you don't have to be a member.

Still 3 events left in LV this year, and more starting in January... ;)

http://www.lvrscca.org/schedule/autox.htm

All I can say is this, I had a hell of a good time running with everyone. I am rather bummed that the ex-wife and financial problems got in the way of me taking the first place spot in AS. Nudge, Nudge, I will be back next year for some more butt whoopin.

Also, I know I told both Pat and Tyson this, but again the course design was great on Sat. I didn't make it out on Sunday, but I imagine it to have been just as much fun.


That Sacramento event sounds like a load of fun. Anyone going?

Waiting sucks...

I've got a few plans for the GM6 that will hopefully put me a bit closer to having an SM competitive car next year... right along with more seat time! It's really cool to see your OWN progression, and realise that you are actually DRIVING your car, instead of just along for the ride, so to speak! :D

It is amazing how few people really know how to "drive" their cars. nothing like Autocross, or maybe more so, a good school at a track to show you that.

Autocross happens a little to fast to get the whole slow is fast thing down really. It is much more evident at a track where the control input pace is slower.

But yeah, I thought I knew how to drive 7+ years ago, and even now realize I am only a good driver, and will likely never be great.

Totally. The more I learn, and the more seat time I get, the less highly I evaluate my own skills.

I'll tell you what a good "refresher course in humility is"... on your way to the autocross, turn on to a freeway ramp on cold race tires too fast, spin out, slide off the road and through a fence.

Humility++.

Is that what happened to your car???

Yeah, sometimes I wish we lived in an area that didn't ice over in the winter. But on the other hand, I do like the snow for reasons other then auto-x.

Yeah, I figured the news would have gotten around at the event pretty easily.

Though I've been instructed to say that the damage was due to some a-hole in a Porsche trying to dive-bomb pass me into T2 at Laguna Seca.... :lol:

All in all, the embarassment is far worse than the damage. I can swap the LF fender, and get the dent extractors to pull the rest out, then hit it w/ some touch-up paint.

I heard he lost it going through Eu Rouge at Spa while running in a time trial event during a rain storm. :eek:

Damn, that's hot!

Holy Crap DOOD! didn't hear about this! Sorry to hear man!

Like I said, it'd more embarrasing than anything else. I'll live it down eventually.

I put the expiration on that one at about 2011. :lol:

<-- glad nobody here knows of my most embarrasing moments...

I had actually thought you hit a wall at RFR when i saw your car pull up. Car issueses always suck no matter the cuase. At least you were not injured at all :)


AutoX Rocks :) I had an amazing time this season. And I feel that I've really learned a ton, with lots left to learn. the course was a total Blast :) loved the cross over octogon element. (and yay its snowing up here)

Yep, snowing in Tahoe right now. YAY, REO70's in the snow FTW!!!

Ooh, ooh, pick me, pick me! :p

Shaddup you!

It doesnt pay my bills!!

Woot! It would appear I held off Riggs III for 9th in overall PAX... :banana:

Congrats to Matt Mike, and Scott for 2nd, 5th, and 6th overall.

Debbie and Carrie did great in 2nd & 3rd in Ladies PAX. Patty better watch out next year...

Congrats to Pat R. for 1st in AS. AS would have been real interesting if Brian had run a full season. Team PFR better do some training in the off-Season. Good job Brian.

The battle in ESP was good as well. Congrats Derick and Nick. Might have been even closer if Nick had't missed 4 events. Way to beat up on American iron guys... :)

And then ther is the SM battle... Right to the last run... Congrats Mike and Matt and Scott. Matt and Mike better watch out though next year.... If Scott or Jim can keep their cars running and drive well, there may be a Bug Eye, or BMW on the top of the podium.

And to all the novices... Great job this year. Time to join the big leagues next year. :) Special congrats go to Cory who learned to drove the snot out of his RS.

Great year everyone.

Also, just a reminder...The SCCA award dinner will be held on Nov 4, that's a SAturday night. If you were at all involved in the events this year, I'd recommend going, it's a good time.

I'll attach the sign up form.

Yeah, everyone should come. We need to take over two whole tables for Subaru owners :lol:

Do I need to RSVP, or can people pay at the door?