10/19 Wash DC AX
10/19 Wash DC AX
On Sunday, 19 October, the last event of the DC region SCCA autoX season was held at FedEx Field.
In the E Street Prepared class, jbrennen loaned his Evo (which is A Stock legal but also eligible in ESP) to the local points leader in the class, Brian Burdette, who normally drives a Camaro Z28. Brian had never driven the car before, and showed it when he spun out less than ten seconds into his first run. But he learned quickly, and took the class victory by a margin of only 0.036 seconds and clinched the season title in the WDC region, beating some well-prepped F-body cars.
Then in the next heat, competing in A Stock, jbrennen took the silver Evo back and proceeded to give a clinic in speed at any cost, putting up four fast runs and collecting cones on every one of them.
The fourth run was a 49.997, plus a one cone penalty, one of only six runs all day (out of over 1000 runs) with a raw time under 50 seconds. Even with the penalty, the 51.997 was good enough for the official class victory, the car's second class victory of the day. 
Other A Stock Evos placed 3rd (jwtodd60), 4th (wojo), and 9th (Daniel Ra) in class.
Local WRX STi driver Burak Tuglu had a time good enough to win A Stock -- a clean run only 0.031 seconds slower than the raw time of jbrennen's fastest run, but he was driving under a "Fun Run" status, and his times were thus unofficial and not counted in the standings. Other STi drivers placed 6th (FSelekler), 8th (Richard Fekete), and 11th (Rob March) in class.
Both jbrennen's Evo and Burak Tuglu's STi were running on 245/40R17 Hoosiers. jwtodd60 was running on 235/40R17 Kumho Ecsta V700 tires. I believe the other two Evos (and probably the other STi's) were on stock rubber.
Results are at http://solo.wdcr-scca.org/results/2003/101903.htm
In the E Street Prepared class, jbrennen loaned his Evo (which is A Stock legal but also eligible in ESP) to the local points leader in the class, Brian Burdette, who normally drives a Camaro Z28. Brian had never driven the car before, and showed it when he spun out less than ten seconds into his first run. But he learned quickly, and took the class victory by a margin of only 0.036 seconds and clinched the season title in the WDC region, beating some well-prepped F-body cars.
Then in the next heat, competing in A Stock, jbrennen took the silver Evo back and proceeded to give a clinic in speed at any cost, putting up four fast runs and collecting cones on every one of them.
The fourth run was a 49.997, plus a one cone penalty, one of only six runs all day (out of over 1000 runs) with a raw time under 50 seconds. Even with the penalty, the 51.997 was good enough for the official class victory, the car's second class victory of the day. Other A Stock Evos placed 3rd (jwtodd60), 4th (wojo), and 9th (Daniel Ra) in class.
Local WRX STi driver Burak Tuglu had a time good enough to win A Stock -- a clean run only 0.031 seconds slower than the raw time of jbrennen's fastest run, but he was driving under a "Fun Run" status, and his times were thus unofficial and not counted in the standings. Other STi drivers placed 6th (FSelekler), 8th (Richard Fekete), and 11th (Rob March) in class.
Both jbrennen's Evo and Burak Tuglu's STi were running on 245/40R17 Hoosiers. jwtodd60 was running on 235/40R17 Kumho Ecsta V700 tires. I believe the other two Evos (and probably the other STi's) were on stock rubber.
Results are at http://solo.wdcr-scca.org/results/2003/101903.htm
Congrats to JWtodd60 for winning the season and to Jbrennen for an awesome season finish (winning the last 3 events in a row)
What's everyone doing next season? Staying in AS or moving to ESP? Due to my uncanny desire to spend more $ on the car, I will probably run in ESP next year
What's everyone doing next season? Staying in AS or moving to ESP? Due to my uncanny desire to spend more $ on the car, I will probably run in ESP next year
Personally, I think Sunday's result in ESP showed that the Evo isn't an ESP car -- Brian had never driven the car before, my car is very lightly modded, and he beat some very well-prepped F body cars (including the car that Sam Strano used to win the Solo II Nationals in ESP in 2002). You just shouldn't be able to take a bone stock car, give it an alignment, Hoosiers, an axle-back exhaust, and race gas, and win ESP against a competitive field.
But if the powers that be leave the car in ESP for next year, you can expect to see a ton of Evos in ESP, especially at the ProSolo or National Tour level.
But if the powers that be leave the car in ESP for next year, you can expect to see a ton of Evos in ESP, especially at the ProSolo or National Tour level.
Evolving Member
Joined: Dec 2002
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From: Virginia
The A Stock season championship was a lot closer than I had planned, good thing my Evo came off the first truck
Other notes on the event:
- I corded both rear V700s. Going in, one of them had a small blemish that I knew might be trouble, but cord came through in several places on both tires. I think I'm giving up on V700s.
- This is the first time all year that Mike Patnode beat me. He's been close on occasion, but...
- Mike Patnode loaned his AS 'vette to Lee Piccione to run in BSP where he posted a 50.734, which was about two seconds faster than Mike's time. Mike's car was also on Victoracers, so we can only wonder what Lee might have done with Hoosiers and more seat time.
- Anyone know why Burak made his a fun run? Assuming he runs AS next year, things could be mighty interesting.
With two more council events to go, it would seem that I have that championship locked up too, but I will be at both events seeing if I can put to use what I pick up at this weekend's Evolution school. And I plan on being on my Advans too, so that will be one more variable we can toss out...
JW
Other notes on the event:
- I corded both rear V700s. Going in, one of them had a small blemish that I knew might be trouble, but cord came through in several places on both tires. I think I'm giving up on V700s.
- This is the first time all year that Mike Patnode beat me. He's been close on occasion, but...
- Mike Patnode loaned his AS 'vette to Lee Piccione to run in BSP where he posted a 50.734, which was about two seconds faster than Mike's time. Mike's car was also on Victoracers, so we can only wonder what Lee might have done with Hoosiers and more seat time.
- Anyone know why Burak made his a fun run? Assuming he runs AS next year, things could be mighty interesting.
With two more council events to go, it would seem that I have that championship locked up too, but I will be at both events seeing if I can put to use what I pick up at this weekend's Evolution school. And I plan on being on my Advans too, so that will be one more variable we can toss out...
JW
Burak chose "Fun Run" status because he didn't want to affect the season points in AS. Although JW had 1st place locked up, 2nd place for the season was still undecided before Sunday's event -- in order to finish 2nd in the season points, Mike would have had to win on Sunday, and I would have had to finish 9th or lower.
I had actually considered adding some ESP mods to the car and running ESP for this event, but I didn't because 2nd place for the season (in AS) wasn't locked up. In retrospect, clearly I did the right thing; if I had run ESP, Mike would have won AS for the event, and passed me for 2nd place in the season points.
And given that potential scenario, Burak's status would have made a big difference -- if he's doing fun runs, Mike gets 2nd place for the season, but if Burak is an official entrant, Mike gets 3rd place for the season.
The fact that I ran A Stock and that I placed ahead of Mike rendered Burak's status a non-issue, but he couldn't have known that ahead of time.
I had actually considered adding some ESP mods to the car and running ESP for this event, but I didn't because 2nd place for the season (in AS) wasn't locked up. In retrospect, clearly I did the right thing; if I had run ESP, Mike would have won AS for the event, and passed me for 2nd place in the season points.
And given that potential scenario, Burak's status would have made a big difference -- if he's doing fun runs, Mike gets 2nd place for the season, but if Burak is an official entrant, Mike gets 3rd place for the season.
The fact that I ran A Stock and that I placed ahead of Mike rendered Burak's status a non-issue, but he couldn't have known that ahead of time.
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Evolving Member
Joined: Jun 2003
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From: MD, USA
John, Jack, and Filip; congratulations to you all. I certainly had fun competing on the sides as lemon
I am hoping that I pick up on my driving some and be a little more competitive next season, especially starting to participate from the beginning
I will also be running in SP, which ever one SCCA decides for the STi and Evo. Several suspension mods are in the plans already
Tire are of course the primary change, however, since we also do a number of track events, still not sure with which compound to go, might just do like Burak and go with the Hoosier Rs.
Great way to close the season guys, congratulations to you all again.
I am hoping that I pick up on my driving some and be a little more competitive next season, especially starting to participate from the beginning
I will also be running in SP, which ever one SCCA decides for the STi and Evo. Several suspension mods are in the plans already
Tire are of course the primary change, however, since we also do a number of track events, still not sure with which compound to go, might just do like Burak and go with the Hoosier Rs.Great way to close the season guys, congratulations to you all again.
Oh, nice to finally meet the man from California, Chris.
I knew Chris was a "car guy" when he came up to me shortly after I parked in the paddock. He said basically, "Hey I'm Chris, I don't think we've met, because I don't recognize the sound of your exhaust."
See you on November 2nd.
@ FT :
Note that if the SCCA bumps the Evo or the STi to a different SP class, the most likely result would be BSP. At that point, you might be better off running in SM (Street Modified). SM is an easier class than BSP (based on the PAX multiplier), and allows more modifications. In particular, a boost controller is a common mod on our cars, and is SM legal but not legal in SP.
My times since getting Hoosiers have been quite competitive against the local Street Modified drivers -- in a Stock legal car.
I knew Chris was a "car guy" when he came up to me shortly after I parked in the paddock. He said basically, "Hey I'm Chris, I don't think we've met, because I don't recognize the sound of your exhaust."
See you on November 2nd.
@ FT :
Note that if the SCCA bumps the Evo or the STi to a different SP class, the most likely result would be BSP. At that point, you might be better off running in SM (Street Modified). SM is an easier class than BSP (based on the PAX multiplier), and allows more modifications. In particular, a boost controller is a common mod on our cars, and is SM legal but not legal in SP.
My times since getting Hoosiers have been quite competitive against the local Street Modified drivers -- in a Stock legal car.
Evolving Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 270
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From: MD, USA
Originally posted by jbrennen
@ FT :
Note that if the SCCA bumps the Evo or the STi to a different SP class, the most likely result would be BSP. At that point, you might be better off running in SM (Street Modified). SM is an easier class than BSP (based on the PAX multiplier), and allows more modifications. In particular, a boost controller is a common mod on our cars, and is SM legal but not legal in SP.
My times since getting Hoosiers have been quite competitive against the local Street Modified drivers -- in a Stock legal car.
@ FT :
Note that if the SCCA bumps the Evo or the STi to a different SP class, the most likely result would be BSP. At that point, you might be better off running in SM (Street Modified). SM is an easier class than BSP (based on the PAX multiplier), and allows more modifications. In particular, a boost controller is a common mod on our cars, and is SM legal but not legal in SP.
My times since getting Hoosiers have been quite competitive against the local Street Modified drivers -- in a Stock legal car.
Frankly, my purposes is not to be competitive in any class for the top two spots. Autocrosses are really good places to test chassis modifications (and cheap) and the fun comes with it
So, part of the results that are relevant to us are the raw times rather than the PAX times. But you never know, we might be competitive with just the chassis modifications, then that would be great marketing, but I have some ways to go in terms of driving
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