So, on Friday night I drop the WRX off at Bill's place (I-Speed) for the uppipe install on Saturday morning. Due to a few things happening, it took longer than expected, but I-Speed came thru and did a professional job for the price they said up front (despite the extra time it took them). Kudos to I-Speed, can definitely recommend these guys!

BTW, the Uppipe kicks butt

At any rate, I then spent the rest of Saturday afternoon/evening scrambling to get my Impala SS ready to run at "Duel at DeAnza" today.

Get up at THREE FREAKING FIFTEEN AM this morning, and get in line at DeAnza. Listen to some Honda kids in front of me in line talking about their Civics at 4AM while freezing my ***** off, wondering just what the heck I'm doing there!

About 10AM, I FINALLY get the SS up to tech. And because the ******** doing tech didn't understand how an idler arm works and that a little play is "normal" (recirculating ball steering, stock on most "old school" American cars for, oh, the last FIFTY YEARS or so ), they FAILED the SS on tech. Man, I was PISSED!

But, not wanting to have gotten up at 3AM for nothing, I decide to go and swap cars quickly. Good news is that the WRX is nearby (15 minutes away).....bad news is it is on RE92s No time to change tires and make it back to tech in time, so I decide "What the hell" and go there on the RE92s! Figure I'll be sliding all over, but who cares at this point I even leave the WRX in ESP (class I was gonna run in the Impala, and a class that my WRX could technically be in) instead of switching to STX.

Wait another FIVE HOURS, and finally run about 4PM. It is a TIGHT course, and of course the WRX doesn't stick.....at all! But amazingly, taking things VERY patiently while driving (my God the run felt SLOW) I somehow keep the run clean and eek out a 71.01 on the run.

Much to my shock, it was good enough for 4th (and a trophy) in ESP! Gotta thank all the Ford Contour SVT guys who came, ran in ESP, and most importantly didn't run TOO fast

Saw about 5-6 other Subies out there, didn't catch any times though. What did everyone else run?

 

i was also there. i ran with my white rs stock. My time was 76.896. I remember you running at the end with the wagon. Dam i also got there at 4am in the morning

 

Man! You guys are nuts. Screw waking up that early to go autox at deanza! aye!


In regards to your run, that's VERY good man! RE92's suck the D.

 

Once a year (or so), I'll do it. If it were that way for EVERY AutoX, well then....hell no!

I feel much better today after catching up on sleep last night

Too bad I didn't get a chance to throw on the Azenis....I think I would have had a shot of winning ESP outright on them (and would have easily moved up to third)! And it would have been better on real R tires (i.e. Kumho V700s or Hoosiers). If there ever was a "Subie" autoX course for ESP (relative to the other cars that are in ESP) it was yesterday....

my25rs : I remember seeing your car run. Looked good out there!

 

1st time hearing of a deanza autox. is there a website with info for this? please post. thanks

 

DeAnza has held a once/year AutoX now for 35 years. No website.

Looks like this may be the last year though, as a parking garage is slated to be built in that parking lot

 

Impala SS AutoX: Thanks, u did good yourself getting yourself 4th place in your class.

I wonder if they are really going to have it again next year? hmmm.. i'm gonna ask my brother because he has the auto class with the auto teacher.

All you other owners out there should have went. It was really fun. It was my first time in any autocross too, so it was well worth it waking up early for this one time.
Ian