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Great fun 2 day school on Solo II Auto Cross. Included skid pad, slalom and braking training, as well as two different auto cross courses to run.
I learned a LOT! Improved my skills, and had a lot of fun. So, Mr. M coupe's car, with its H&R springs, Koni shocks, and 235/45 + 255/40 Sumatomo tires, as well as other mods... well plain out-handles my completely stock 2000 M coupe. He's also a better driver at this point, a bit more aggressive, and a little smoother. By the end of the day Sunday, he had pulled off a 69.99 second time on a full course, while the best I could do was a 72.21. I struggled keeping the front end hooked up and staying smooth. Kept over-driving the car. One other M coupe was at the school, also totally stock, that ran in the 73 second range, besting 71 seconds when one of the instructors drove it.
For perspective:
Fastes lap of the day was a 62.2 run by Cal Poly engineering students running a formula car powered by a Honda M/C engine. Best time for a car was a Mazda RX3 prepared, very fast on slicks, ran a 64.12 second time. A lot of cars ran the course in the 75 range, many in the 78's and a few as slow as the 80's.
M coupe's car was great. I rode in it at the end of the last day. It has a noticably better grip than the stock car. Not sure I'm into the fat exhaust system mods (does have a really nice sound to it though), but I am definitely going to look into shocks and tires soon. While I'd like to do the springs, I don't want to shut the door on running SS class, which I don't think will allow a spring change and remain legal.
For those into Auto-crosss, I now know why you think the car is tail happy. In this environment it sure is! But it's cool to be able to use that to make fast laps too.
Anyway, wow, what a weekend!
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