[Steve]

Well, everyone is welcome to come, but it might be a bit more achievable for those in the GTA and eastern Ontario areas.

Next event: September 11, 2005

The link is to the PMSC website

This Solo2 is going to be in the Kawartha Downs stock car pit lot. This is bigger and smoother than Douro and also has some exciting features like a little hump in the pavement to throw the car off balance and a fine layer of dust for the first few runs as the horses race on Saturday night.

If you can't make it out to Peterborough, I'll strongly recommend to anyone and everyone to find a local event and participate, Autocross/Solo2 is challenging, fun, and lets you push yourself and your car in a safe, legal environment.

 

[carbonman]

Yup I'm with ya Steve, would be cool to caravan together whatdya think?
If you need my number again shoot me a PM or email.

 

[Steve]

Right on. I still have your number I believe, We could meet at a Tim's in Ptbo and then head out to Douro if you want. Any other Ontario XDer's want to try their hand at cone avoidance? It's only $25.

UPDATE June 7, 2004: Well, I can't seem to teach the driver to back off and stay within the limits of the stock Michelins, he's too stupid, so I didn't place very high on the results board, but ah well, this is way too much fun. Here's the results June Bug Solo II Results I have basically decimated the stock Michelins into ragged chunks of melted and reformed rubber... sidewalls included.

Anyone else who's taken their XD soloII racing, do you a problem with outrunning the power steering??? I can't use first gear for autoX because the steering basically locks up and I can't make any quick turning maneuvers. In second gear it's still a tough go, but I can manhandle the steering wheel through the cones, but it's still choppy and stiff as the power steering seems to work and stop through the steering wheel movement. I rode with my friend in his 2003 Protege and he was basically palming the steering wheel, quickly and smoothly gliding from lock to lock around the cones. Is there a problem with my Elantra's P/S or this a engineering defiency common to all? I'm tempted to go take a 2004 Beta Tib for a "test drive" and see if it does the same thing.

>>>>ANYONE know the answer to the question? Is it just my Elantra or has anyone else found their power steering can't keep up with really fast directional changes?

 

[carbonman]

I've experienced this in parking lots, when turning and accelerating faster than normal I guess. Can't say at the track or anything but I think I know what your talking about

 

[Steve]

Yeah, I can replicate it to a very small degree in parking lots and a few really tight chicane streets in Ptbo, but nowhere to the same degree as AutoX.

UPDATE JULY 14: The June Bug SoloII is covered in this bulletin on the website, go to page 6 and there's a page of photos taken. The yellow Type R won. The Z06 didn't officially compete, instead he raced in his son's Cavalier (top right), he was afraid to push the Vette, so he just did a fun run. My friend was driving the Blue Protege and of course.

June PMSC newsletter

 

[CaseyGT2001]

Hey Steve....


I some how overlooked your question....


It sounds to me that you are overdriving your tires. Explain to me what you are doing, and what happens....

 

[Steve]

Well, it happens when I go to transition my turns. So for example, I'm turning left around a cone and need to quickly turn right, as I try to spin the steering wheel fast, it fights me all the way. However, it's not a continuous resistance, as I turn the steering wheel, the movement is very choppy, as if the power steering was going on and off. That's why I think it's the power steering. You run SoloII, you don't have this problem?

 

[CaseyGT2001]

I haven't had the problems that you are talking about.

at first I thought you may be describing understeer, ie... the car not responding to your steering input, ie... PUSH!

If you were turning the wheel to much or to fast, or you are giving to much gas, then your wheels could lose grip or spin, and it could cause what you are describing(especially with the stock michelins). But I don't think it would be harsh enough to feel like the P/S was turing on and off.

maybe it's an issue with your P/S pump, or pulley...


watch this video ... check out what happens when I turn right at the 27 second mark. as I am exiting the turn you hear a vibration.... thats a tire issue ( ie overdriving my tires). ist that what you are talking about

 

[Steve]

I can't watch that video here at work, stupid XP locking me out from upgrading/installing anything. I'll watch it tonight. I'm positive this isn't understeer, but you might have a point about the Michelins exacerbating the problem, perhaps the tires deflecting so easily all over fights the steering input, who knows. I'm trying my very hardest to pull together some Falken Azenis money, but money sucks.

UPDATE JULY 20: Anyone interested in hitting some cones? I mean avoiding some cones? Peterborough/Douro isn't that far for you GTA people. And don't worry, all the water is gone now, you won't have to worry about your XD swimming. This Sunday, racing starts at 10:00am, we could meet at a Tim's for around 9am, nothing like coffee to stimulate the driving reflexes.

UPDATE JULY 26:Someone has already uploaded a bunch of pics from the Speed Weekend Event. Here's the link, Speed Weekend Photo Album there's a lot of pics, not very high quality, but you get the idea. I attached a few pics of mine and Carbonman's cars here. I included one of mine where I thought I had a bit more grip than I actually had, resulting in some sweet, succulent understeer.

 

[carbonman]

wher's the results!?! where's the results!?!

yer right though, those are kinda crappy pics

 

[Steve]

Well, the results will be up in a couple of days, maybe even tonight. My pics will be developed on Friday, I'm having Black's do the digital CD thing, so I'll upload them as soon as I get them, I guess probably to Imagestation or maybe even just my website. All I can say right now is your PAX time is 54.752 (67.512 x .811) and mine is 56.922 (70.188 x .811). The overall fastest time of the Fiero was 64.075, but when you PAX him for D-mod he ran 57.283.Oh after you left, I went back and ran a fun run, 68.006. Stupid running faster after official timing is over!

 

[CaseyGT2001]

those wheels look familiar....



glad you guys had fun!

 

[Steve]

Results are up on the website now,
Speed Weekend SoloII Results
That's Carbonman in 7th out of 12 competitors and yeah, that's me in 2nd last place, Tyler and I both victims of class PAXing. He ran the fastest overall in his Fiero, but the 3.1L in the back puts him in D-mod, my few mods put me in FSS, the abused Michelins and stock suspension killing my times. Craig really did an impressive job once he figured out the course layout, in fact you'll notice he's the highest ranking non-stock racer there.

 

[vabeach_03]

i'm still waiting on the results from my july 18th event.

 

[Steve]

Ouch, that's no fun

EDIT: Aug 4 Imagestation photo album

 

[carbonman]

I like to think I came in 4th actually, hehe based on best runs, that PAX time is BS lol

 

[Steve]

Fourth overall eh? Nice. Ryan Hill's Civic is far from stock, I see they fixed that now, and it moved you up to 6th PAXed. Nice, this was your first SoloII, it takes some practice to get used to not pushing too hard, but just at the limit, you have to go slow to drive fast as I was told... is it still good advice coming from the guy in second last place? :S

 

[carbonman]

Sweet!! lol

 

[Steve]

Alright, it's time for a new and exciting event, this will be my first regional event. Everything up to now has been just a bunch of Peterborough locals screaming around in an old parking lot hoping the ******** in their pickup truck don't crash the party and perform dounts across and over the pylons (it's happened before).

This is the Regional Solo at a new venue, Kawartha Downs, a slots/horse race/stock car speedway facility. Here's the details PMSC Regional SoloII details

The only problem is that this event is Sunday Aug. 22, so if anyone is not going to Hyundai Sunday and wants to race instead, here's a great spot to go.

 

[CaseyGT2001]

Best of luck sunday. I'm intersted to hear what you think of a sanctioned event....


I'm running the XD sunday too. we're running a challenge event against 2 other regions (south bend, IN and Akron, OH) out at the Airport. Yummy concrete as far as the eye can see.