Autocross Videos - Tips and Discussion

[MX-5RACER]

Originally Posted by Nduby52

Event #2 equipe rapide south Florida. Same place.

9th overall had a few faster runs but slapped some cones. 1st in stx by a few seconds.

Excited to go to a real site for pro solo next weekend. Cheers to anyone else goin.

Were you at this past Sunday's monsoon? Ever make it over to Ft. Myers? The site over there is one of the best in the State. I am going over to the May Test and Tune event on Saturday May 5th. I will be bringing my Miata, as I am still looking for a BRZ/FRS and trying to get the permission slip signed from the wife to purchase said BRZ/FRS. Lol.

Let me know if you want some more details about their events.

This is my first post in this forum, but I have been autocrossing, instructing with Chin Track Days and have been active on many other forums for years. I look forward to helping anyway I can.

Here is a quick YouTube video of a run on the Gulf Coast Autocrossers practice course of me driving my friend's Rotrex Miata I tuned for him.
This is on RS-4's, in case you were wondering.

[Twinz]

Originally Posted by iLuveKetchup

The difference in available grip and noise between a top tier tire and Falkens is insane. I'm making up numbers here, but I'm guessing a 1.5s difference. Here's my run from the same event with the tires giving up and screaming for help.

I suspect the "Top Tier" tires are making up numbers too, like "200" treadwear for instance.

The Falkens have about as much grip as I remember most 200TW tires having before the SCCA took "Stock" classes off the purple crack and made 200TW the minimum number.

I asked the Bridgstone guys at Nationals the year the RE71's came out, what would happen if I put a set of RE-11's on one side of my car and RE71's on the other and they said the RE-71's would wear out faster. (no $h!t?) -Never-mind that Bridgstone stamped "200" on both tires.

None of this changes the fact that RE-71's and Rival 1.5's do indeed have more grip than the Falkens, but the "Top Tier" tires have air quotes around their tread-wear ratings while the Falkens seem like the real deal. The Falkens are holding up much better than the "Top Tier" tires did on my CS car.

I mounted my current set of Falkens in SW Florida and drove them to Dixie and back, then drove them to the Match Tour in NC and back, then ran two locals on concrete (one of which required a trip from Lehigh Acres to Brooksville and back) and they *might* get to the wear bars at the PCA event this weekend. This is with two drivers at all events, (Three drivers at Dixie) and Test-n-Tunes for all but the last event in Brooksville. I don't keep track of run-counts well, but neither my RE71's or Rival 1.5's would have made it this far with that schedule.

Durability alone isn't worth much if the tires put you at a competitive disadvantage but that's not the case in SSC. We all have THE tire, and we all have THE car.

I understand that getting killed in the Pax is no fun but, unless we spend all our time on course fretting over our pax position and watching a dash-mounted-stopwatch, I don't see a problem with the way the tires handle.

They have better feel/communication than the same size 1.5's did when pinched on 7" wheels in CS and they break-away predictably and tolerate a decent amount of slip angle. I wish they handled heat better since I'm in SW FL, but it's a spec class and they didn't pic the tire just for the people in Florida. It would be nice if I didn't have to spray the tires so much, but I'm otherwise quite happy with the way the tires behave.


[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebUZoeNjE_E"]CFR Brooksville 4/22/18 SSC - YouTube[/ame]

[tony_r]

Let him hate the tire and complain and/or leave while you can stay and enjoy it. Cool? Cool. Jumping down his throat the entire time trying to convince him why it's ok to you guys is just silly. SSC Defense Force comes in droves when someone has complaints, no wonder why a lot of unhappy people are silent.

[Twinz]

Originally Posted by tony_r

Let him hate the tire and complain and/or leave while you can stay and enjoy it. Cool? Cool. Jumping down his throat the entire time trying to convince him why it's ok to you guys is just silly. SSC Defense Force comes in droves when someone has complaints, no wonder why a lot of unhappy people are silent.

I don't know if you are referring to me or Duck, (or both) but differing views on something as subjective as liking or disliking a tire can be helpful to people on the sidelines considering options...particularly when we explain how we arrive at our own conclusions.

SSC cars are getting to the point where test-driving one on course is a viable option for many and that makes disagreements like ours moot for a lot of people. (I have driven 3 SSC cars other than my own at two different locals) - But for people considering building one without the opportunity to drive one first, I think it's good for us to share how we come to our differing viewpoints.

I acknowledged that they are not as fast as Rivals or Re71's and even added their heat sensitivity to the con side of my personal assessment of the tire.

Heck, a lot of people looking at 0-60, 1/4 mile ,and even lap times on the stock Prius tires, could easily conclude that the Twins themselves are slow and no fun to drive.

Those of us who enjoy the Twins sometimes try to explain how the Twins can be so much fun despite the numbers on the magazine pages, even though we know the car simply isn't for everyone and the stuff we like about it won't appeal to everyone enough to make up for its shortfalls.

I don't think the Falkens defy the raw numbers as well as the Twins do, but I think they are better then the raw numbers suggest and I shared why.

[steverife]

My frustration isn't necessarily with the tires or the pace. My frustration is that I cannot get the car settled enough to my tastes.

Ran Sunday. Scratches were the better part of a second off ES and the better part of 2 seconds off CS. I put our local hotshoe in the car and to my dismay, he was .18 slower than me (out of the 2 runs apiece where we were riding with each other and we both coned everything all day). He described the car as a lot of fun and challenging to drive. He likes a super loose car and described the car as neutral and controllable.

I'm hoping and praying the car is better at Blytheville, Lincoln, and theoretical Toledo.... because at Dixie, zMax, and Bristol, I feel like I'm either tiptoeing around or sliding around everywhere punting cones.

[Imp]

Originally Posted by tony_r

no wonder why a lot of unhappy people are silent.

The last defensive line of someone that just wants everything to burn because *they* personally don't like it. "I am unhappy with the tires, and because *I* am, there have to be many others that feel the same, but are scared to say so, I'm the voice of REASON!"

The part you're missing is that quite a few/most agree with you on the tires. They're not top tier. They lack in many of the same characteristics that we've come to appreciate over the past many years in ST and Street. I haven't met anyone that said "they are awesome." Almost everyone agrees they are not of the same caliber, sound, performance, etc...

*You are not alone in your assessment of the tires*

Clear?

The difference is that most of us don't agree that it's detrimental to our running the class, where you think it's paramount.

That's the part where people say "if you don't like them, leave". There is no reason to go through life unhappy. Do what floats your boat. But don't try to sink others boats because the tires don't meet YOUR expectations. Hence, stop bitching every chance you get. (And don't portend that there are many others feeling the same way you do, but aren't as vocal. That's your bruised ego talking).

--kC

[tony_r]

Lol. This is exactly it. Right here. Again, let it be. If I or others want to hate on the tire, let us. Every single response to that doesn't have to be 5 paragraphs explaining why it's all OK. Just roll with it and laugh a little, because I certainly am.

KC, no ego here. Legitimate statement. I've had personal messages and face to face conversations with quite a few people.

Steve - let either Max or I know how we can help if you want it. You can get the car to be fairly balanced, I think at this point it might require you to drive a different way.

[steverife]

I'll see what Blytheville gives me. If it is too loose there, then I'm stumped.

[M0nk3y]

Originally Posted by tony_r

Lol. This is exactly it. Right here. Again, let it be. If I or others want to hate on the tire, let us. Every single response to that doesn't have to be 5 paragraphs explaining why it's all OK. Just roll with it and laugh a little, because I certainly am.

KC, no ego here. Legitimate statement. I've had personal messages and face to face conversations with quite a few people.

Steve - let either Max or I know how we can help if you want it. You can get the car to be fairly balanced, I think at this point it might require you to drive a different way.

It's a one way street. Don't you dare criticize SSC, but we can throw daggers at STX.



Went to my first event this past weekend. 2 SSC cars, one SSC car already hates it and wants to move to STX. Not everyone is in love.

[strat61caster]

Oi! Videos thread, not bellyaching.

Local BMW club while all the fast cars were at the Crows Tour. At least a few tenths left on the table if I can tighten up my lines and carry more speed through the slalom. STX build, finally happy with the balance of the car, but probably needs more sway bar and driver talent to be competitive.

[Nduby52]

Originally Posted by MX-5RACER

Were you at this past Sunday's monsoon? Ever make it over to Ft. Myers? The site over there is one of the best in the State. I am going over to the May Test and Tune event on Saturday May 5th. I will be bringing my Miata, as I am still looking for a BRZ/FRS and trying to get the permission slip signed from the wife to purchase said BRZ/FRS. Lol.

Let me know if you want some more details about their events.

This is my first post in this forum, but I have been autocrossing, instructing with Chin Track Days and have been active on many other forums for years. I look forward to helping anyway I can.

Here is a quick YouTube video of a run on the Gulf Coast Autocrossers practice course of me driving my friend's Rotrex Miata I tuned for him.
This is on RS-4's, in case you were wondering.

Ya I was out there for the flash floods haha hopefully it’s clear this weekend. I sent you a PM. Hopefully talk to you soon!

[Ragin Gti]

North Hills Sports Car Club
Pittsburgh PA
D Street
OTS Koni, Front Strano bar, RE71R, Ferodo brake pads

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ragin Gti]

SCCA Match Tour
Pittsburgh PA
D Street
OTS Koni, Front Strano bar, RE71R, Ferodo brake pads

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zoid]

Here's my best run at my first event yesterday. I probably didn't push it as hard as I could have but it was my first time and I quickly found out my tires are not great for this lol. I'm looking forward to the next one, I'll go a little faster!

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NacDy7OVGms"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NacDy7OVGms[/ame]