Cloudy and rainy is not what you want to see on a trip to the NASA AX at VMP. Rain stopped early and the sun came out. As we all gathered for the drivers meeting Jon started out by saying “Thank you all for coming and would you please look up. I ordered sunshine for you and we delivered.” I think everyone started clapping and cheering. Things were really looking up now. The course was drying out pretty good as my co-driver started his runs in the Miata. This was his first time driving my car, much less a rear wheel drive car. Being an experienced AX’er, Jake took control of the course and the Miata and put in some fast times. 67.054 was his best time of the day. Just a half of a second out of first place. When he was done he told me he could not believe how well a basically stock suspension car handled so well. But he did give me some valuable advice about the handling overall so I had something to go on.
Now comes my turn behind the wheel. First run I took it nice and easy to familiarize myself with the track layout. Second run through the seventh run I kept giving up time by trying to run harder and harder. Familiar words rang out from the wife of the open wheel car. ”…sometimes slower is faster.” I climbed in for one last run, I told myself it was time to keep it dialed back and just drive it…don’t push it. Last run turned into a 67.470….my best run of the day and good enough for a fourth place finish in class. I learned a few things this weekend. Track tires dont always make good Autocross tires and the 888's made Jake and I work for top finishes as they just would not grip at all. Go into a turn with speed and the front would push...try to get in the gas and the rears would spin. One thing I will say though is that the 888's faired well with the amount of abuse we put on them.
All this does lead me to some thought. We both ran at 32 psi...the 888's on track like 41 psi. I am wondering if dropping down to maybe 28 psi might give us a little more grip if we do the last NASA AX at VMP in November...but of course that thought comes on some very used tires.
Here are a few pictures...please check out the photo section for more pictures soon!
Cloudy and rainy is not what you want to see on a trip to the NASA AX at VMP. Rain stopped early and the sun came out. As we all gathered for the drivers meeting Jon started out by saying “Thank you all for coming and would you please look up. I ordered sunshine for you and we delivered.” I think everyone started clapping and cheering. Things were really looking up now. The course was drying out pretty good as my co-driver started his runs in the Miata. This was his first time driving my car, much less a rear wheel drive car. Being an experienced AX’er, Jake took control of the course and the Miata and put in some fast times. 67.054 was his best time of the day. Just a half of a second out of first place. When he was done he told me he could not believe how well a basically stock suspension car handled so well. But he did give me some valuable advice about the handling overall so I had something to go on.
Now comes my turn behind the wheel. First run I took it nice and easy to familiarize myself with the track layout. Second run through the seventh run I kept giving up time by trying to run harder and harder. Familiar words rang out from the wife of the open wheel car. ”…sometimes slower is faster.” I climbed in for one last run, I told myself it was time to keep it dialed back and just drive it…don’t push it. Last run turned into a 67.470….my best run of the day and good enough for a fourth place finish in class. I learned a few things this weekend. Track tires dont always make good Autocross tires and the 888's made Jake and I work for top finishes as they just would not grip at all. Go into a turn with speed and the front would push...try to get in the gas and the rears would spin. One thing I will say though is that the 888's faired well with the amount of abuse we put on them.
All this does lead me to some thought. We both ran at 32 psi...the 888's on track like 41 psi. I am wondering if dropping down to maybe 28 psi might give us a little more grip if we do the last NASA AX at VMP in November...but of course that thought comes on some very used tires.
Here are a few pictures...please check out the photo section for more pictures soon!
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