First AX on my Slicks

[RedHeaded RedLine]

The story of the SKY’s autocross experience has to start with the Volvo. As we know, serial inability to repair the car has left it a useful automobile only until it gets into closed loop operation. That’s not untenable given the concentration of our neighborhood, but that doesn’t bode well for a 100 mile back road journey for my newly mounted slicks.

(Slicks? Did someone say slicks? Silly, ADD! You didn’t think I’d stay on topic, did you?! )

Realizing the Volvo isn’t any longer a competitive option (it’s not that it didn’t run good; it just didn’t run). To make the SKY more competitive, I was talked into a set of Kumho V710 245/35/18s. I ordered them from TireRack. Their Georgia facility had them outbound that evening and Brown got them to me the next afternoon.

With great enthusiasm, I was greeting home from work by hubby rolling all sorts of big black things into the station wagon (still running okay, at this point). We blasted down to Saturn, even though they’d closed in about an hour. Mr. Man said that even a tire rotation needs an appointment and would be a week’s wait. A dull, glazed look came over hubby’s face; he’d never heard such a thing, before … home and offloaded.

A week later, at 7:30 AM, we leave our goods. An hour into the future, Mr. Man tells us that his best worked an hour on it and couldn’t get the tire on. We go back and gather our big black round things and leave with heavy hearts and heads hung low. After some time on the Internet, we found that a local TreadQuarters was TireRack’s recommended local installer. Well, 4 guys, 3 pry bars, 2 hours, and a bucket of goo later, my slicks are mounted. As we went to pay, the guy running the joint recognized my husband to be a NY style customer and a quality pricing arrangement was made.

The field swap of tires at the AX went much quicker than expected, thanks to our 3-pump jack. We started with a base of 31 PSI. There were 2 other people in my class, this day. I really had to produce or suffer a heavy points beat down. One girl was unknown to me, though others told me she was very experienced and quite good in her region. The other had beaten me soundly when we were both in DSL, last season, and she’d been to EVO school since. She returned, this day, in another BMW. It’s a shame my daddy owned an antique clock shop, not a high performance vehicle dealership.

About the AX (6 paragraphs later) - It was a 2 lap course with an intersection crossed three times each run, labeled with bubble letter (numbers). I was able to drive much harder to each input spot, than without the slicks, implementing the go, stop, turn concept at SEPARATE times. It was like an AHA moment, instead of braking through the turn, as I’d been doing. Brake dabbing around the buffalo turn (http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/17/messages/45.html) was the fast way around and I was able to do it with the slicks. I only got into the turbo on the Lap 2 virtual straight-away before the buffalo turn. I felt really good about how I performed. I drove much harder, all-around. I can honestly say that the slicks didn’t give me a false sense of confidence, though. I was very untrusting of them and knew not to rely on them to crutch up my less than stellar skills. I found, though, that they really did increase my risk tolerance, in a justified way, and performed really well! Great first experience on the new slicks! (That’s about $1K for some eventual $5 trophies – I placed between my competitors, beating the one from DSL, last season.)

-Joyce

[Daywalker]

Glad you got the tire thing worked out. Send me a PM with the results and I might now who the other driver is. Dont worry, it has taken me a while to trust the new limits of the car with R-comps and learning new car at the same time. I am still not at the threshold consistantly. (i.e. Watch for front and rear inversion ) But consistency comes with seat time. Keep up the good work and good luck. Are you gonna make the chicks only autox school ?

[RedHeaded RedLine]

Originally Posted by Daywalker

Dont worry, it has taken me a while to trust the new limits of the car with R-comps and learning new car at the same time. I am still not at the threshold consistantly. (i.e. Watch for front and rear inversion ) But consistency comes with seat time.

Trust is certainly something that will take time!

I am so not crazy about the idea of being a spinner! The pirouette is a graceful concept, but not something
I want to do in front of others! (though I'd certainly not be the only one at any one 'cross to do it!)

Originally Posted by Daywalker

Are you gonna make the chicks only autox school ?

Now that my work schedule seems to be changing, I may actually go to the girl’s AX school. I haven’t looked that closely into it.
I have to see how basic / non-basic it is. I instructed at our newbies school the day before our first (non-points) event, this season!

-Joyce

[Sunny Ragtop]

At a recent AutoCross School I had taken my 2.4L Sky for about 4 runs, then drove a guys Sky Redline. WOW!! I lowered my time by a full second! Why?

1) His stock F1 tires STICK compared to my yucky RSA's.
2) His suspension really lowers the side-to-side roll especially around the 5 slalom cones. Drives more like a go-kart.
3) His electric adjustible seat allowed to move my behind up so I can actually see over the hood.

I got back in my 2.4L and almost cried!!

[RedHeaded RedLine]

Originally Posted by Sunny Ragtop

At a recent AutoCross School I had taken my 2.4L Sky for about 4 runs, then drove a guys Sky Redline. WOW!! I lowered my time by a full second! Why?

1) His stock F1 tires STICK compared to my yucky RSA's.
I got back in my 2.4L and almost cried!!

Then your head might explode with slicks!

Originally Posted by Sunny Ragtop

3) His electric adjustible seat allowed to move my behind up so I can actually see over the hood.

Yeah; I can't see a thing without the seat's height adjustment! I could go for another couple inches higher, though, to be totally happy!

Competing in the Volvo would blow your mind even further! When we could switch off between runs (he do one, then me do one,
then him, then me, and so forth) without effort because our keyfobs adjusted the seat and mirrors for us, it was a joy!

-Joyce

[Sunny Ragtop]

Any opinions?? I want to change my stock RSA's for a tire I can AX in and street drive. Summer Performance tires are the direction I'm going. I try not to drive my Sky in the rain, and will have no problem not driving 35 degree or below days.

New Dunlop® Direzza® Sport Z1 Track Tire Earns ‘Star Spec’

Features New ‘Star Spec’ Tread Compound
Meets Sports Car Club of America Deadline for National Events
Superb Dry Traction, Handling During Sanctioned Events
AKRON, Ohio — Fresh off the starting line, Dunlop's Direzza Sport Z1 ultra-performance tire already has a star next to its name in 2008.
A star has always implied something special, and on the new Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec summer tire, the star designation carries prestigious cachet. For example, Star Spec helps provide faster lap times from the start and consistent grip on ensuing laps in sanctioned events, according to Matt Neidert, performance tire brand manager for Dunlop in North America.
The new tire features the Star Spec tread compound, which helps a performance car's initial dry grip during sanctioned amateur driving events, such as autocross and high-performance track-events hosted by regional car clubs.
The new Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is available now, qualifying it for use in Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) national events. According to section 13.3 of the 2008 SCCA SOLO rules, tires must be readily available by April 30 to qualify.
The Star Spec predecessor registered two wins in SCCA's hotly contested Street Touring Ultra class in Southern California earlier this year, and has set the fastest street-tire times at each event against two of the top cars nationwide, according to club reports.
'Star Spec' means impressive dry grip out of the gate. Driving enthusiasts won't have to wait for their tires to 'come in' at the beginning of an event, helping to provide an edge over the field. This is also great news for owners of smaller vehicles, who sometimes struggle to work their tires up to the point of peak grip, Neidert said.
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec is a DOT-approved summer performance tire for hard-core driving enthusiasts and car-club members. The tire helps deliver superb dry traction and handling at regional car-club events like track days, driving schools, and autocross.
A high-response directional tread pattern with circumferential grooves helps create a consistent contact patch on the pavement for a smooth feel and seamless transition. An optimal mold shape helps provide a consistent footprint shape and uniform pressure distribution across the footprint for enhanced cornering, he said.
The tire also features JointLess Band technology to help enable smooth performance at highway speeds, he added.
Direzza Sport Z1 Star Spec, available in 20 sizes with rim diameters from 15 to 18 inches, replaces the Direzza Sport Z1, which was introduced in August 2007.
Dunlop is a global tire brand with an excellent reputation among performance car enthusiasts. Well known for its prestigious original-equipment fitments and sports car racing heritage, Dunlop is also a key supplier to sport compact enthusiasts featuring "tuner" tire sizes and race series sponsorships. For more information on Dunlop's performance tires, go to Dunlop Tires.
CONTACT:
Dave Wilkins
(330) 796-3758
dfwilkins@goodyear.com