<VV> Re: VirtualVairs Digest, SECC St. Augustine, Fl. 2 day autocross

[Taruffi57 at aol.com]

I just want to say that I am voting for Eddie Meadows and whomever else  
helped him lay out the 2 courses at this event (Norm Wright?) as Official CORSA  
Course Designer.
 
WOW!!!.  They were the closest closed course layouts I've ever run, to  what 
I can find in the Ocala Nat'l. Forest  :-)
 
This Fire/EMT/Police Training site + skidpad is big, and there are many  
configuration possibilities.  We ran it clockwise on sat. (4 runs) and  
counterclockwise (4 runs) with a couple LESS cones on sunday.  I was  probably at 4500+ 
rpm (no tach) in 3rd on the main straight which had a 3  cone slalom and then 
a very fast left sweeper.  The trick was to see how  far you could hang it out 
there and not end up in the mud.  Skidpad area  was it's usual super-slippery 
due to the fact that it holds water and when it  dries out, there is a scum 
left on the surface.  You come into it pretty  fast and then have to make a 
tight turn just about in the middle of it.   Lots of spins there.
 
I think we had about 32 entries - including an M3 & M5 - which  REALLY 
hauled, and a first time autocrosser in a Subaru WRX.  WRX guy  was young and had a 
huge grin on his face for 2 days.  He was also  fast.  He and I had a tight 
battle on sat. with my 4th run topping him by  about 3/4 second at 47.440.  I 
ran in the first group on Sunday and had to  wait it out while he did his runs 
in the 2nd group.  I was faster, but he  beat me Sunday with something like a 
46.9 sec. run -  but since  both days fastest times were totaled , I ended up 
just beating him overall by a  fraction.  So, that was a close one but I ended 
up with FTD.
 
Barry Ellison said that Tony was ill and not up to the trip but Chris Brito  
from Sarasota brought his extensively modified LM and ran well.  I think he  
had one run that was right in there.  I put my wife in the car with me  (same 
weight as me :-) and ran 2 laps after official timing - and damn....beat  my 
fastest time again.  Those 2 laps were counter-clockwise so I guess her  big a_s 
helped "plant" the car.
 
My David Clemens - Stinger Motorsports-built LM coupe was rolled off the  
trlr., run, and never touched.  I was getting some serious  wheelspin exiting 
turns - even with the 3.27 POSI and 9" tread Hoosier  R3S04's.  When it's running 
right, no sense tinkering with it.
 
Thanks to everyone with SECC who set up and manned this event and it was a  
blast to run.  I guess I don't need to say that I have no use for very  tight 
parking lot autocrosses run by many other clubs.  NOTE - TO the  BUFFALO 
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE:  HIRE EDDIE.
 
I think I'm going to look for a Porsche club event to sneak  into......  Now 
THAT sounds like a fun day.  Stay tuned........
 
Joe Dunlap
Cen. Florida
#18 - '69 500 Corvair/Abarth Coupe, 140+, 4 spd.