Broken Laptop and Autocross Practice

2/10/2009 Haven't been able to post for a LONG LONG LONG while - since my Toshiba M105-3004 laptop cr@ped out the other day. Either going to fix or get one of the new netbooks...or both.

THEN!!! - my desk top crapped out while I was writing this on the 3rd!!! After much research I ended up with an HP Mini laptop from Costco...90 days to decide if I want to keep it...


Took the Tetsuyagarage roadster out two Sundays ago to get some autocross practice - in the wet and on our 185 Yoko ES100's. Surprisingly, we could keep up with a lot of the higher HP cars on better and wider rubber...only after we figured out (after 12 runs or so) how to take the right lines.

It was really nice to see the car out there blasting around on our street setup - those bad a$$ looking SSR Star Sharks really set the car off nicely...

Road&Ster...Hawaiian Style...

Instead of riding my bike on Lagoon today...I took a couple of action shots of my brother's roadster. This thing looks so awesome it belongs on the pages of Road&Ster magazine.

Some of the Cambio gang riding by...

Total SNAFU!!! Oct. 6th Autocross...

Countersteer quick!
This past Sunday was a TOTAL FAILURE.

By removing the rear swaybar, the car drove totally different from last race. And, add that to my non-adjustable lousy driving, I again never compensated until the LAST of my fun runs. Took 8 out of 9 runs, but, I finally got it to do a 29.8ish - versus the 31+ I mangled out during the real runs.

Like the last race, I managed to totally RUN OVER so many cones that gave up trying to count. You know it's bad when while I was working the fun runs, another competitor mentioned to me that, "that cream Miata's been running over the most cones....."...no $h!^^!#&..."Oh yeah...that was me."

My brother again smoked the course in his 6 running a 31.6ish for 1st place in STS. Maybe...I gotta get back into my bimmer wagon and into STS again??? In the fun runs he managed a 30 flat in the Miata while totally messing up a key turn.

Fwiw...the roadster is driving totally different now...without fear of a spin, sans rear sway, it has a very predictable trailing throttle oversteer, and, on power it doesn't slide very much and puts down the power WAY better than before. Overall, much more stable and less twitchy. Now that I think I know how to drive it, next race...it should be different...IT BETTER BE!!! Just writing this is p!$$!#& me off...



Results: http://www.sccahawaii.org/2008results/10-5-08.pdf

Big Sunday...Aloha Staduim Autocross - Oct. 5th.

Some pics by my friend Zarli from the last autocross on August 31st.

My brother smoked the course again in his Mazuda MX-6 wagon with a very fast 23rd PAX and a 37 flat time.

After getting some driving pointers from my less experienced but "smarter" (when it comes to this car driving stuff) brother, I finally sort of got "IT." But, he must have not told me all of his tricks cause during the fun runs, my brother BEAT my official run time of 36.24 with a 35.8 in only 3 fun runs in the Tetsuya Garage Eunos.

Had to really reset my brain's concept of speed and how fast you can really go, but, after (ahem) 9 shots, I finally got it down to a 35.6! When your really cooking, the car is just slithering through the course, especially through the transitions!!! No sliding, no skidding...just slithering, and it feels unreal!!!

During the fun runs, my brother said that the car was really over steering under acceleration. This Sudnay, we're hoping that disconnecting the rear sway bar will provide a little more traction out of the turns since were still on our skinny 185's. Else if not, ADJUST YOUR DRIVING!!! And, DON'T LIFT!!!, and start turning before the cones in the slaloms...

Brother's Big Adventure - Back to the Source & Autox Action Shots...

My brother and his friend Kieth at 7am this morning heading off for their big adventure. He just checked in and they just got into Yokohama about 2-1/2 hours ago...I'm jealous...

Good luck ケーキ


Me driving Rod's Roadster...some nice action pics he took with his new Nikon D40x SLR...

June 20th Autocross - Brother's Eunos...

Saturday Nite Prepping - Putting On The Race Rubber...

Spent about 2 hours Saturday night taking off the Starsharks and putting on the 185 R-comp Advans, and adjusting the suspension a little higher. During the last race, the car smelt like a hibachi with the fronts burning into the top of the tire liners...

All Done...
Took my brother's "new" Eunos out after a LONG LONG layoff. Never got it going as the back end was way too loose. Probably due to the added camber on the rear rubber that was worn and molded to less camber = less outside tire edge on the ground! I should have thought of lowering the pressure...Doh!!!

My 3rd run was my fastest with a 38.1 and change...good for 5th in E Modified. On my forth run, I decided to push the car a little more resulting in some Initial D action...

Vid from the other angle...

Well...at least the CAR looked much nicer than BEFORE:





My brother took 1st in a 2-man STS class but was not really feeling it cause his wagon was oversteering too in the transitions. Maybe in two weeks, we'll both co-drive the Eunos...

Results: http://www.sccahawaii.org/2008results/7-20-08.pdf

SCCA Hawaii Autocross - July 13, 2008

This past Sunday was the first autocross after a 2 month break for the 50th State Fair, which is also held at Aloha Stadium. And, it was like learning to walk again as both me and my brother felt that we weren't really focused after the long layoff. In fact, a LOT of people must have had the same feeling as everyone was DNFing...even experienced racers like Erik in his Subi Wagon!!!

"Ahhhh...Left Turn There!!!!" My brother DNF'd away his first 3 runs!!! On his last do-or-die run, he managed a 34.8.

On my first run, I got lost and did a 37.
On my second run I coned away a 34.8.
On my 3rd run, I decided to NOT left foot brake and did a 34 flat.
On my forth, I over drove the course and went back up to 34.9.

We both did lots of fun runs and my brother bested me with a 33.8! I could only repeat my 34 flat with numerous 35's thrown in there. Although, I did have one really good run that might have broken into the 33's, only that the lights malfunctioned and I ended up with a smoking 14 seconds!!!

Results for STS:
Steven BMW 325it 37.017 36.862 1 34.086 34.893 34.086 43 27.814 29
Gregg Mazda 6-Wagon DNF DNF DNF 34.841 34.841 54 28.430 40
Erik Subaru RS Wagon DNF 36.703 36.635 35.971 35.971 76 29.352 57
Malcolm Toyota Corolla 47.225 37.594 37.096 DNF 37.096 93 30.270 74

A Sea of Cones to Get Lost In...
The course was a really open high speed layout and I got up into the 45mph range in 2 places on the course. Although, there were probably 2 or 3 places where you HAD to slow down to get the proper line for the section, else, you ended up plowing away lots of time.

Not much time to think, analyze or recover as the next race is this coming Sunday!

Full Speed...4/13 Auto X Pics...

At every autocross there several photographers who take some awesome shots...I gotta learn how to take these panning shots...Thanks Folks...

Full Speed BMW 1...

Full Speed BMW 2...

Full Tilt BMW...

Full Speed 6...

Full Tilt 6...

April 13th SCCA Hawaii Race

I was going so fast this past Sunday...I blew the grill right off my car!!! ALERT - Got the mojo back!!! For one week at least...

By luck...or maybe, as Aaron (a past STS racer) said, "this course was just made for my car"...for whatever reason, I had "IT" and finally squeaked ahead of my brother by 3/10ths of a second...

Like in the last couple of races, I thought for sure he would catch my best time of 30.363 on one of his runs...but his car was just too loose on this high speed course. According to the datalogger, we got up in the 40-45mph range in several spots...way more fun than last times course were my car hardly got out of the 30mph range.

Both wagons dropping anchor from 45mph...

Looking at the times, this was the best I've ever driven against the field cause even though I was only 40th overall, my PAX was 22nd and my brother's was 29th!

Considering the PAX rating is based on having the "best prepped car for your class," me and my brother did pretty d@mn good cause our cars are definetly not the "top dogs" in STS...but, I guess I DO have a BMW (non-sport package though). In fact, I think only one other car, a well driven STU classed RX8 on Advans, beat our times on street tires.

We got to stay for the fun run after, and we both felt that the track had a little more grip compared to the 4th heat only 20 minutes earlier. Real or imagined, I actually almost got into the 29s with two runs in the 30.00# range...wish I could have done that when it mattered!

Both me, my brother and my younger brother are thinking of bringing back the Eunos for the next race in July...maybe with some big arse rubber FTW!!! But if not, the 185 r-comp advans will have to do for now...


Results: http://www.sccahawaii.org/4-13-08.pdf

Vid of one of my brother's runs...

1st Race of the 2008-2009 SCCA Hawaii Season

Last Sunday, March 30th, was the first race of the new season.

In the Runoffs a couple of weeks ago, my brother beat me by a 1/2 second. It's getting w-o-r-s-e...I got beat by 1 second this time!!!

Like it is before every race...we both couldn't wait to get on the track again as SCCA is the only outlet to let your car really RUN. STS ran in the first heat, which is a slight disadvantage as you don't get to watch/learn from the prior heat...but whatevers...cause I walked the course lots that morning.

We knew that the course was going to be SLOW...and per the data logger IT WAS as most of the course was run in the 20 to 35mph range. Really too slow for our tastes as you didn't get any adrenaline rush that you get when you're into the 35-40mph range.

Since moving to Aloha Stadium, the courses have been MUCH slower and shorter than at HRP. Can't be helped really...unless...they double up on the track. But if they did that, every ones day would get really long since probably only one car could be on the course at the same time.

Like the prior races...I had difficulty finding the right line and pushing the car to the limit, especially in the 180 type turns. On my last run, I was going decently good, until I hit one turn where I just took a TERRIBLE line (actaully lots of people took the same crappy line as was observed when we were working the course) and I ended up going back "upstream" to make that turn and the next.

Comparing runs on my data logger, I really lost a lot of time there...but not for that mistake I probably would have run in the high 42s...but with my driving, I probably would have *!^#$% up somewhere else...

Here's my brother's fastest run (I think)...




STS Results:

Gregg Mazda 6-Wagon 42.079 PAX 28th
Steven BMW 325it 43.087 PAX 46th
Erik Subaru RS Wagon 43.995 PAX 55th
Malcolm Toyota Corolla 46.773 PAX 86th

My brohter's PAX of 28th is d@mn good with a heavy FWD wagon!!! Like always...can't wait till next race...I'm now taking tips from my brother and back to reading my racing books again: http://serikaku.blogspot.com/search?q=Shhhh...Secrets

Cars I Like...

Not that I'm looking for a new autocross car...but...these are some car that I really like...

The BMW 1 Series - Inspiration was the old BMW 2002, but, to me it looks more like the BMW 320i. While in Japan in 2006, I actually sat in the new 1 as they get all the cool cars before us here in America. I also saw the 1 Series 5 door, which I think they are NOT bringing to America. :-( I think this would be a great car, but the gas milage would be not much better than my wagon now...

I like this Yaris S model too. Toyota's cheapest car, but it looks really good. Don't know how good it would be in autox cause it doesn't have much power, but it would save a LOT on gas...

This new Corolla XRS is also a nice looking car and with the XRS, it would be a great race car.

This Civic is also a car I really like cause I like the avant-garde wedge shape. Also, with the Vtec, it probably will be a good autox car, but, it costs a lot more than the Corolla.

This is the 2009 Fit that will be coming out in a couple of months. Its suppose to be 160% stiffer than the 2008 model and is suppose to be a great handling car. This car would be easy to take my bike around too.

SCCA Championship Runoffs

Like the Super Bowl...where the Giants beat the #1 New England Patriots, the "best" don't always win...and my car did look really shiny and clean...maybe I should have done the Castle-Hanauma TT instead...

I was the STS "Ace"...if only for a couple of weeks. After looking forward to today all week...FTW!!!...I should have probably worn the "King" socks...


My *Best Run.....This WAS my best run, but I coned it away 1 d@mn second after it started...and I knew I was lined up a little crooked, but I STILL didn't think I was going to hit that cone. It would have been good for a 33.217. Lucky I did have a 33.4 in the bag cause Aaron, on his new Azenis 615 shod IS was right there with a 33.5 - whew...


The *Best STS Run.....Congratulations!!! to my brother and his fwd 6 wagon who won the STS championship today with his 2nd run of 32.9 seconds! But this fun run, even while driving too wide into the finishing chute, would have been good for 32.2 something except...for a few cones at the finish. My day was also made a little longer when he drove MY rwd Bimmer in the fun runs to a 33.0 something...Holy Smokes!!! You gotta DRIVE!!!

Today's course was WAY WAY harder to drive compared to the last race as the turns were so wide open that you could take 10 different lines through the turns - of which probably only 2 were correct. You just had to somehow figure out which one was the fastest for your car.

With a couple of pointers from my brother and Curtis Lee, THE all-time reigning ACE of Hawaii Autocross, I managed to run a 33.4 with my brother in my car...and on another run I even managed to get the beginning 1/3rd of the course as fast as my brother - according to the data logger.

Now...all I need to do is somehow put that 1/3 together with a better 2/3rds and I may be dealing Aces again...something easy to say but hard to do. That's why this sport is so great...wait till March 30th!!!

RESULTS: http://www.sccahawaii.org/3-2-08.pdf

Feb. 17th SCCA - Back In The Game...

I was taking these "focus factor" pills before last Sunday's SCCA race and...they must have helped...I finally got back to #1.


Although the day started out rainy, our class lucked out and ran in the 2nd heat, and by that time, the track was getting reasonably dry. Running in the 1st heat must have been about 2 to 4 seconds slower than in the drier conditions.

Mazda 6 Wagon - about 2/10ths behind on a ragged run.


BMW 325 Wagon - at full throttle heading towards the bottom sweeper.

Last Sunday's course was a wide open and high speed track that really favored the high powered cars. Even my car got up to about 40mph or faster at about 4 points on the track. So I would think the high powered cars got up to over 50mph!

Compared to my last several races, my course vision was a LOT better as I was looking way ahead on all except for one run. The problem with that run was that I got behind on one section, and once you get "behind the course," you'll never catch up!

But even if you're looking ahead, the other BIGGER key was that I picked a fast line, especially on the last run.

It seems that for my car, on this course (maybe most autox courses?) I need to take a line which really "opens up the course" and lets me exit the turns set up on the quickest straightest lines allowing full gas asap for the next section. And, in the slaloms and transitions, my brother reminded me to "attack the back" of the cones, which really keeps you ahead of the course.

Well...that's what worked last week, at least. Hopefully it works in next weeks Hawaii SCCA Championship Runoffs...

STS
Steven BMW 325it 35.609 39.002 1 35.121 34.602 34.602
Gregg Mazda 6-Wagon 35.861 35.037 35.591 34.853 34.853
Aaron Lexus IS300 DNF 35.812 35.737 38.132 1 35.737
Ryan Lexus IS300 40.269 1 37.767 36.966 38.857 1 36.966

Full Results: http://www.sccahawaii.org/2-17-08.pdf

Formula D vs Rally Racing...

Have been watching the Formula D drifting on TV recently and...just can't get into it. I mean it's pretty cool and takes skill and everythign but, judging??? No timing??? Style points??? Sounds kind of like ice dancing to me...

To watch "real" functional drifting, I much much prefer rally racing...time attack style...winner posts the fastest TIME - more like downhill racing. The coolest is when the rally drivers race on the paved segments, ususally through the skinny streets of some famous city in Europe.

Although not the conventional rally racing, this was really exciting, especially the end:


A Great driver...Peace...

New Cars and Autocrossing...

How "abusive" is autocross???

I would say "not much" but, if you own a Mitsubishi or maybe even a Subi, I've heard if they find out you autox your car, your $crewed with regards to warrantee stuff...hence the taped up license plates, annonomous car makes and models (e.g., Penor X10SHN).

But for Mini owners, whose own adds in car mags advertises the fact the Mini's do VERY WELL in SCCA Autocrossing, it was a pretty close call. Luckly for Mini owner's it seems the company is doing the right thing: http://sccaforums.com/forums/1/281522/ShowThread.aspx

Jan 20th SCCA - Another @$$ Whipping...

Got my @$$ handed to me royally AGAIN!!!! last Sunday...what can I say, sometimes you got it, sometimes you don't...some people like mounds with nuts, some don't...

I finally got over my problem of getting lost out on the course...just needed to really look far far ahead. But what got lost, in not getting lost, is driving the right line.

STS Results: http://www.sccahawaii.org/Solo012008.html

Aaron Lexus IS300 35.492 37.441 1 37.285 1 34.646 34.646 53 27.890 35
Gregg Mazda 6-Wagon 38.618 2 34.888 36.579 1 35.070 34.888 59 28.085 39
Steven BMW 325it 40.004 2 38.007 1 35.666 35.367 35.367 69 28.470 46
Erik Subaru RS Wagon 38.727 36.930 36.410 36.144 36.144 80 29.096 55
Ryan Lexus IS300 37.886 37.657 37.652 36.703 36.703 85 29.546 66
Alexis Toyota Corolla DNF 38.607 37.509 39.214 1 37.509 99 30.195 79

I took a bad line in 3 areas on this tricky high-speed course. The only problem was, it took me a total of 8 runs (4 official and 4 fun runs) to finally figure it out. Once deciphered, I ripped of my best time of the day at 34.296...although a "monday morning quarterback" call...I left feeling a LOT better about my driving.

Funny thing is...even though I already knew this, it's still hard to beleive how looking ahead and picking the correct line can lower your time so much!!! Oh well...this autocross thing is pretty much all driver...and hopefully I can carry over some of that fun run karma to next month. (Now does that sound familiar...)

My brother's fastest run was foiled by just clipping the last cone in the slalom, adding 2 seconds to a class winning time of 34.579. That small mistake was caught in action by this awesome shot.

Notice back tire catching air!!!

Clean, Polish and Wax w/ Porter Cable 7336

Finished Hood - It Was A Sunny Blue Sky Every So Often Today...

Finished Hood w/ Flash


Got to use my new Porter Cable 7336 dual action polisher for the first time...as everyone says, this thing is awesome for detailing cars.

Went with an all Meguiars system - #80 Speed Glaze for cleaning and polishing, Deep Crystal Polish which is an oil-rich pure polish, and finished up with #26 a pure carnuba wax. Also used an 8006 pad for cleaning and polishing, and a 9006 pad for waxing. As you can see, even though my car is white, the finish is VERY VERY VERY shinny and super slick!!! And to think all this time I used to bust my @$$ doing this all by "hand."