So I've been back in Hawaii for a month as of today and I've seen a bunch of WRXs and STis on the road. However, I've seen a lot more WRX's in WA because Subarus are a lot more popular there than they are here. But I'd have to say that I see a lot more STis here than I did there.

So what I am wondering is if any of you guys are going to be auto-xing tomorrow. I'll be running in the AM session with my main goals being trying to figure out an ideal stock tire pressure to run in the 20 degree higher ambient temps and to drive my STi to the best of my ability. So if any of you guys are running tomorrow and have some T.P./DCCD setting recommendations for the dry/hot Hawaii temps please let me know.

I noticed that most of the STi/WRX guys run in ESP or SM. What mods do you have that put you into that class? How do you feel about your current setup? What changes in setup/components do you plan to make, if any?

Try not to make me look too slow out there tomorrow!

 

how much is auto-X anyway? and how would one participate in auto-x-ing?

 

i'll be there.....but with my 240. still don't have a dampening adjuster tool to change the setup from full soft so the car has a biiiiig sway. esp was for minor suspension changes for me and wheels. some other esp'ers are stock.

the entry price is different now. not sure how much as i got a membership and never remember. just head down there around 830 sign in and get your car tech'ed. bring a helmet (gotta check the rating) and shoes. if no helmet, then bring a bandana or xtra shirt to protect your head from the nasty loaners.

b

 

I'll be there

 

I"ll be there. I've got a soccer game on Pearl Harbor at 11am, so I'm gonna register, tech, and walk the course in the morning, go play soccer, then race back to run and work in the afternoon.

Cost is now $17 for SCCA members, $25 for non-members.

ing3_wrx, b_drift hit the high points. You'll need the money for registration, a car that is in good enough shape to pass a basic tech inspection, and a helmet if you've got one (Snell M95 or SA95 or newer rating). If you don't have a helmet they have loaners. I'd also suggest you bring something to drink and/or snack on. They do have some drinks for sale (sodas and bottled water), but I prefer to bring my own since the supply is somewhat limited.

Pat Olsen
'97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan
#28 SM

 

What 'tool' do you need??

 

What about bathrooms? The last time I went to watch a track day the bathrooms were all closed up.

 

The track setup today was fun. It had some pretty fast sections with room to screw up and not buy the farm. The only part that made me nervous was the crossover, but that's because I had a tendency to try and carry too much speed through there. I didn't have time to swap to my V700s and now will appreciate them much more in the future. I actually learned more today since I was pushing the stock tires to the limit and getting more comfortable with how to keep it under control as it was slipping. The STi is very forgiving!

My top 10 list of excuses for losing to Joey:

10) Slowed down to avoid hiting a mongoose
9) Thought I was suppose to stop at the gate to let cars come in
8) Ran with a full tank of gass
7) Didn't take my spare tire out
6) Sun got in my eyes and didn't see the last cone of the slalom
5) Stopped to swap a mosquitoe
4) Thought I could do the whole track in 3rd gear
3) Thought I could do the whole track in 1st gear
2) It's just unfair that silver STi's are classified in ESP

and the number one excuse (drum roll)

1) I just pretty much sucked....

 

LOL!
What is this, "Late Night with Tim Mehlhorn"??

 

I was pretty upset (okay, very upset) that it F(*&^(*&KING Rained during My heat!!
OH Well!

I still managed to pull a 50.9 my last run, ... so that is ok I guess. I did want to do better though.

 

The track today was very fast ! From what I could see Mark was screaming through the triangles/slalom. Joey and Jason looked pretty damned fast as well

 

yep. traack was a blast.

nolimit. i need the little **** thing that turns the allen sticking out of the damper that is up in the coilover. i don't want to use pliers in case i mess up the allen.

oh well, the drift car was fun to drive today in the wet.

highlight was to run a 51.5xx and then hit 2 cones, so my other single hit cone time used was a 54.xx which puts me behind a NOVICE at 54.xx who ran in the 4th heat.

damn good showing by the i-club crowd again. i should have my suby sorted out by july's race.

b

 

Well...when you get those V700's on for next week's race, I'll be the one who has "teh suck". But I do like excuse #2...

Mark, regardless of what class you run in compared to us, I think you've raised the bar a little higher ...damn you!

 

Yesterday's auto-x course was surprisingly fast since I found myself going into 3rd gear more often (2nd gear tops out at almost 60 mph). Like I've mentioned before, I'm used to running in 60 F weather and there is a clear difference in the grip from the higher temps here in HI. The tires have loads more grip and slippage is much more forgiving. I was able to toss the car really fast into the turns without much worry of spinning out.

Yet I don't understand why my first run was the fastest and the others were consistently slower. One reason I can think of was that I realized that the tire grip was really good and I exchanged some of my smooth lines for abrupt turn-ins which resulted in more body roll (i.e. lost time).

The track layout was really great. I found a lot of areas open for interpretation; namely the crossover. If you took the turn just right, you would clip the inside of the apex corner and then go across towards the rumble strip. If you got your whole left side over that and onto the grass, you would be able to take a near-straight shot into the following two gates. I thought about this while walking the course and thought that it might be discourteous to the other drivers because of the grit. But while I worked the corner I noticed that most of the fast drivers were doing this. After the exit of that turn I actually found myself running over the little strip of grass near the entrance of the first set of 'triangle' cones just to get my entry as fast as possible. I felt that the farther to the right you were when entering the 'triangle' cones, the straighter you could enter them. Going through the right side of the two sets of 'triangle' cones seemed to be the fastest way through (50 mph-ish). I didn't see much advantages to gain time near the gate entrance just before the hard left. It just seemed so narrow through there that you pretty much had to follow the path through it. Is there a safety concern in that area? What did you guys think?

Are any of you guys going to the track day tomorrow?

 

track day tomorrow??

.... or drift session today?