What an AutoX today! Karl and Shihab missed someth (archive)

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Well, Karl and Shihab (Mr M Coupe) were running in ASP (no more NOVICE for them, ha ha), so they were in the 1st group (I was in the 2nd group - SK1 the street tire class with SS, AS, and FS in it). Shihab was kicking some serious ass, improving each run - with his first blowing away a real hot ASP Vette! Eventually Wolfgang Hoeck won in ASP with his ASP Gen 3 RX7TT, but Shihab was NOT too far away in times, and considering that Shihab was in crap Sumitomos and Wolfgang on R tires, WOW! Shihab got down to a 59.108. Karl started out slower, and had an uphill battle on his hands. Ye eventually got a 60.076 and felt that is he had JUST ONE MORE RUN, that he could have gotten into the 59's!

After watching them, and the other ASP cars, I thought my little underpowered Z3C wouldn't be able to get near them. Well, my 1st run in a 61 range sort of proved that. But my next run was a 60.xxx, and my 3rd was a promissing 59.310! So I get in line all PUMPED up for my 4th run, ready to kick some ass, . . . . and suddenly the announcer syas to get out of line cause they thought I had my 4th run already! So I had to pull out of line and argue the matter till they finally found out that I did NOT have it yet. So now, I get in line seeing the red mist, all my concentration thrown off, and , . . . . I did such an awesome run! It was a 58.232!!!! BUT . . . . . I came in too hot at the sharp 90 at the light and nailed a PYLON!!!!!! That would have gotten me 1st place in my class!!!!!!!!!! %$@#%@$^@$^$^%*&**&!!!!!!! Though the ZR1 Vette in my class has a 57.009, with the index adjustment, I could have won! If I am lucky, I might get 2nd after the adjustment against another ZR1 Vette, DAMN IT!!!!

Well, to kinda see what I could have done (and this is what Karl and Shihab missed), I went and entered again for 4 time only runs. The 1st run I had Wolfgang try my car to check its setup (well, also to be able to finaly SEE my car from the outside ) - he got a 58.5xx his first time in it. He suggested I reset both my front shocks and rear tire pressures, which I did (now front shocks 1/2 turn from full firm, and pressures at 42fr/35rr). Well, MY 1st run was a 58.5xx too, then the 2nd was a 58.076, and then my LAST RUN WAS A 57.727!!!!!!!!!!! I broke the 58 barrier!!!!! Just too bad it wasn't official :( And there was still more I could have shaved off too! Now, considering that most cars were on the 60-65 range, and some of the really hot cars were in the 55 range, IF I had R tires, oh boy! But the same for Shihab too! would have been a Battle Royal!!

Oh, and while I was watching Shihab do his awesome runs, . . . one guy was SOOOOOO impressed with his runs, that he WANTED THOSE TIRES! Sumitomos????? Heheheheheheh!

One thing I also need to mention - Craig setup this course with an OPTIONAL path! Yep, there was a long sweeping fast turn that SEEMED to set you up better for a turn, and there was a "shortcut" that seemed to make you slow down entering it and then having to hit the binders HARD to make a sharp turn into that next one. Well, it turned out that the "shortcut" WAS THE SHORTCUT!!!!!! And that helped a LOT of folks to cut their times by over a second! Too bad Karl and I both didn't use it on ALL our runs!!!

As for the BFG's . . . . AWESOME the more I scrub them, as well as find the right pressures! The one ZR1 Vette that might get 2nd over me was on them too!

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