Results - June 7

[Brain]

Okay SkinnyG, it’s been a while since I could reply to your Post. I really wanted to reply earlier but couldn’t because of my personal circumstances this year, but I really do praise/commend and respect your power mechanics expertise and your observation regarding 3 seconds. The following reply is to your response and some of the Post string above...

What I was trying to say in my previous comments in this string, is that I know my 2006 Civic Si very well, drive it to the limit in specific course lines from experience and what the car is able to do, drive as smooth as I can, know after racing it the last 3-4 years of 9 years, that it requires new bushings and dampers. If I could find dampers that could keep me “Stock” unlike Koni that require cut, chop and weld to install in my model Si, thereby making me ‘out-of-stock’, then SkinnyG, I would appreciate your help in finding suspension to keep me in my Stock class but suspension that’s good for AutoX. I’m not knowledgeable like you (and the other AutoX Racers here) regarding mechanically tweaking their old and new cars in their respective Class for each Season, like King Richard, Brain, Schmidts, Aaron and others. I’m a poor man racer in that respect and just love to drive and Race to the limit of my car and ability. I’ve held my own over the last several years in Stock Class, not by fluke, I’ve got seat time, been to Pit Meadows racing VCMC several times including BC Champs, had no AutoX Training Sessions like Velocity (but should one day), chased targets, and have had a target on my back, but raced without spending a lot of money except on the original cost of my new Honda, lighter wheels a couple years later (that are not Custom $2K wheels, just one of the lightest Enkei’s) and extreme performance rubber, when I can afford. I don’t have “heavy stock wheels” and I’ve practiced on “all-seasons” when I was a Novice my first couple years of AutoX (by the way, the best way to learn when a Novice). A couple years ago I thought I could race my Yoko Advan Neova 08’s with 3/32nds remaining from the Season before, well NOT! Brain explained to me that I had too many heat cycles from the previous Season, they gripped well when cooler-moderate temperatures but after several runs they just became very slippery when they got hot and my times only dropped by a tenth. It was actually a lot of fun driving to the limits of the tire because my Si was sliding around, breaking away like I had winter all-seasons! It was still a fun season even though I was down around 6th or lower overall. Then I entered Eliminator that Season with new Dunlop Direzza IIs, raced well, and everyone thought I had changed my car mechanically. It was just the rubber, but I had good practice with my slippery Yokos!

Once in a while I do install a new air filter, oil, fresh brake fluid. But the SCCA Rules over the last around 2 years have made my car less than ‘original’ G Stock because I can now add suspension sway bars either front or rear (Aaron suggests the rear which I respect his advice is correct). Except now I’m bumped into lower HS with similar PAX, but in reality my PAX hasn’t changed much +/- over the last several years if you consider everything else (‘all’ the other factors). So I need to add a sway bar to keep up to my ‘Stock’ class. Other than that, the next Class is sky-the-limit for costs to be competitive!

I think somewhere in the Postings this year Brain offered SkinnyG to come out and co-drive his Civic or Miata. Well, SkinnyG, I offer you the same opportunity in my Si if I get out racing next Season. You need to get out and have fun racing again.

As for my Co-Driving request with someone this Season, it was because:
1) It was suggested by the Club there could be up to 4 co-drivers per car, so I thought why not ask to co-drive with someone with a faster car. I wanted to be able to drive faster times, not to beat my times, not to beat any co-driver, but the ‘fun’ of driving 3 seconds faster, as SkinnyG described. I understand King Richard and the Top Guns have to drive about 3 seconds faster than me to beat me, as SkinnyG experienced the same back in his days of racing. I just want to drive faster times, to experience it, that’s all.
2) I can’t AutoX Bash on my Civic Si each race, Season after Season, when it’s a daily driver, year-round driving vehicle. But I suppose, a viable option is to purchase a cheap vehicle dedicated to AutoX.

Nobody replied to my request for a co-driving seat this Season, which is okay, because I understand the costs involved, but nobody knows what I had to offer to offset their vehicle’s costs for racing, travel to events, tires, which I was willing to do.

As for my offer to help set-up Sunday Course Events in Vernon because I live here and it’s easy for me to get to Kal Tire Place, nobody offered. So I suspect there’s enough set-up help.

Anyways, it looks like everyone had a fun Season racing this year. Eliminator this weekend will be a blast as usual!

Regards.

I'm so confused......

I'm pretty sure you can win in your car as it sits. All it would need is new tires. I seem to recall that you did win the first event of the year? Even if you can't it's still fun. I spent the last 3 years figuring out how to make a budget Civic be sort of fast - I lost way more often than I won, but I still had fun.

If you feel you need go fast parts then I shall enable

Koni Yellows....great price, great shock, some labour (but shouldn't be too expensive if you don't want to do it yourself)
http://store.redshiftmotorsports.com/pr ... -civic.htm

Big rear sway bar
http://store.redshiftmotorsports.com/pr ... 2.1025.htm

[5centSi]

Thanks for the links Brain.
For clarification Wise One, with the Koni Yellows installed, I'll be bumped to STX?

[Brain]

with the Koni Yellows installed, I'll be bumped to STX?

I can't guarantee the link I gave you is the correct shock, but I'm sure there is an OEM replacement Koni yellow that would allow you to stay in Street (Stock). I'm pretty sure Redshift would know which one

[5centSi]

SkinnyG, do you have any suggestions too?
Or anyone else with automotive expertise and advice like Brain?
Anything is welcome, thanks.

[SkinnyG]

Having read through your response a few times, let it simmer in the back of my head for a bit, and then read through it again a few times more, I don't know if I should reply or keep my mouth shut.....

If I were setting up a "stock" class car, I would run (in order):

1) the stickiest tires I could afford and stay legal (First and foremost, no question)

2) The best adjustable shocks I could afford (Koni yellow is very good)

3) The biggest (and preferably adjustable) rear sway bar I could fit (assuming FWD, and assuming it is allowed in the rules)

I am not at all familiar with STX rules, so I cannot speak to that. If my goal was STX, I would look at National results and see what is the most competitive car in the class, and buy and prep one. Starting with a good platform is much better than starting with a bad platform. You cannot make a refrigerator fly (but you ~can~ make a dang fast refrigerator).

I got into autocross running an H/Stock '86 Civic that I owned at the time. I had no idea they were were actually an awesome platform at the time. Sticky tires, adjustable shocks, and a fat rear bar, did me really really ~really~ well.

Then I moved to (now defunct) F/Super-Stock, and specifically bought a FWD car that was reasonably competitive at the time. Lots of prep, but sticky tires, adjustable shocks, and a fat rear bar did wonders.

(Then I went to D/Mod where I have less rules and limitations to worry about, but the biggest limitation is ~me~ this time.)

[Brain]

I did read through all this again. What's the question?

[5centSi]

Sorry, I suppose this thread should begin as a different topic, but here I go...

Thanks SkinnyG for your input. I’ve satisfied 1) for several years now, which include my first set, the new Nitto NT 05s at the time, then the new Yoko Advan Neova AD08s, then the new Dunlop Direzza ZIIs, which are completely heat cycled to minimal/32nds!

Your other recommendations I’ve known about and been sitting on the fence because it will probably put me out of Stock and then the cost factor is the limit for normal daily drivers on a budget like me to be competitive. I’d say easily you could put in 15K+ $US for my car to be competitive near the top of STX (?) in the US. I know I just compete locally and sometimes BC Champs, but I think you and Brain understand what I’m getting at. And maybe my Si platform is not a good platform to go beyond Stock, except it does feel like a fairly quick refrigerator!

So, Brain, you asked “What's the question”?

I’m basically asking for confirmation from you, Wise One, with the SCCA Rules, if I have to ‘fabricate’ Koni Sport Yellow Fronts to fit my Si (they need to be cut and welded) then I’d be probably out of Stock, and then put into which class? The Koni Orange Front Struts don’t seem worth much of a performance gain compared to the Sport Yellows or even my stock Honda shocks. So anything beyond ‘Stock’ shock installation and the allowable larger front or rear larger swaybar will put me into which class? Looks like STX?

So, if I do nothing to my Si and just put R-Comps on my rims, then what Class?

Basically, I want to play by the SCCA Rules, no short-cuts, no cheating, even if it’s local racing. I know from experience at Pit Meadows events, for example, guys racing S2000s in B Stock with cold air intakes etc. knowing full well they were out of ‘Stock’. You get the idea. I race full on with what I have, no hidden tweaks, honestly fully Stock. If I change Class, I want to do it on a reasonable budget so I can go faster. I know I’ll be less competitive but faster is what I want to drive now.

I appreciate your advice or anyone's advice, thanks.

[SkinnyG]

Ok, I went through the 2015 SCCA rulebook for "Street" category, and looked specifically on shocks and rear sway bars.

Have you read through the rulebook yet?

Your fears on shocks bumping you out of "Street" are unfounded. There should be no problem meeting the requirements of Street category with a set of even "custom made" shocks. The specific details of what has to be (geometry and external adjustment, for example) are spelled out.

The "Street" rules for sway bars are very clearly spelled out. You can do almost whatever you want for ONE sway bar. Interestingly (new to me) is that you can use ANY type of bushing material - I would look at getting really creative with this one.

The "Street" rules for tires are very specifically spelled out. You'd want to research to find out what is the grippiest, and if you want to win I'd even pay to have them shaved right from the get-go (But I'm too cheap for that).

My opinion or Brain's opinion do not matter a greasy fat patootie. Only the rule book (and its loopholes, if any) matters. It should be easy to build a "Street" class car, since the rules are very clearly spelled out, and only if it says you can do it can you do it. How far down the road of perfection you want to go depends on you and your wallet (are you going to make sure every original part is 100% awesome all the time just for that 0.01s benefit - if any?).

Since it's these three items that are going to make the biggest improvement, I would try to maximize these three. Koni Orange used to be internally adjustable (last time I installed some) - you don't want those. Koni Yellow if you are serious. If you can't find a set for your car, you find an insert that meets the rules, and have your housings modified or new ones built to meet the letter of the law. Ohlins or Penske if you want to win (assuming you have ~the~ winning chassis to start with).

If you cannot find a decent enough rear sway bar, one can be fabricated.

Study the rules.

Rules stifle my creativity.

Some background: Myself and two other guys re-wrote the CACC solo II rule book a few years back (2001) - these rules became the CNAC rules for many years, until they finally adopted SCCA classing and rules.

[Brain]

http://classifieds.castanet.net/details ... n/2278065/

[angryturtle]

Hi Vince,

We missed you at autocross this year. It is funny but I noticed someone by the name of 'Doris B Nickel' writing so passionately about possibly loosing our autocross venue in Vernon. I was wondering, " Who is this Doris B Nickel" Then I realized it was you. I think it is fairly clear to most of us why you didn't go out and buy a set of shocks and sticky tires and race with us this year.

I think your first step in your emancipation should begin with getting your own email address. Then once the dust clears and your wife realizes your have your own interests you can take your own money and put it your own checking account and write your own cheque for some car parts and get ready to race with us next season.

Yes it is not a cheap sport but it is not that expensive either. It is also not that expensive to drive to Pitt Meadows in a Honda!! Stop using cost as an excuse. If you are passionate about something, you find a way. I would stay in H stock if I were you. You will probably dominate from there.