knfeparty

I'll be at FT Myers Match and Pro running the 40th in AS. I'll also be at Dixie doing the same.

It looks like I will be the Solo Matters reporter for both FT Myers events so if you're there and you have something interesting to share that I can report on, please do!

Who else is attending?

jwr9152

I'm going to Dixie. Not sure if I'll be in my car, a 2014 Carrera 4S, in SS or co driving a Ford Focus ST in GS. I'm signed up in GS, because my wife got side swiped in my car, so I'm not sure if I'll have it back in time. Hope so. Only problem there are only 2 cars signed up for SS. Never driven a focus before so that will be interesting if it happens. Either way it's going to be fun and am looking forward to it.

Drew_K

I used to own and autocross a Focus ST for a few years in GS. Really fun car to autox so I think you'll have fun in it if you end up driving it. Couple of tips that I'm sure your codriver will convey: I ignore the rear wheels and try to keep the front wheels where I want them. The rear will follow. That's part of the reason the car slaloms so well. Also, you really have to manage the wheel spin. The front wheels will spin any time the wheel is turned even a little bit. It's a different feeling than the 911, which puts down power really well (my other car is a 997 GT3). And the car is really easy to drive in the wet due to FWD.

edfishjr

Ill be at Dixie and Charlotte in the Vette in BS. The ES 944 will be local only until possibly later in the year.

jwr9152

Great info thanks. Not sure my codriver will pass along that tidbit. We are good friends, but he's very competitive. LOL. Looking forward to driving the Focus, but this will make two years in a row I show up to Dixie driving a car I've never driven before. I finally had my car set up pretty good and was hoping to see how it would compare against top SS cars. Looks like all the SS cars moved to SSR. But any chance I get to hang out with friends, having fun driving cars and talking cars I'll take it.

burglar

Ouch, being dirty in the first two runs hurts. Make it up in the afternoon, Ash!

knfeparty

yeah I goofed up the morning by not having heat cycled my new pair of rear bridgestones any more than just a bit of street driving. But, sometimes real life gets in the way of autocross.

Once I got the mold release cooked off, the car hooked up and was a rocket in the afternoon sessions. For the afternoon I think I PAX'd 24th out of all 97 drivers which is pretty good for me; I would've been third behind Jason Ruggles and Greg Shumaker. Not bad company to keep!

I had a good time and it was a good warm up for Pro. I was MUCH closer to Ruggles this year than last. I attribute most of that to going back to stock swaybars: that rear bar sure was fun but it wasn't fast.

For the Pro this weekend, I get a ~0.5 second head start off the launch over the rest of AS. I think that might be enough to cement a win!

I'm still headed to Dixie and I actually signed up for Charlotte too because why not

knfeparty

Also of note is that on stock swaybars on RE71Rs on concrete I was definitely still picking up the inside front tire at certain times. Lots of grip out there!

knfeparty

sjfehr

The extra weight over the rear wheels really helps us put power down, which is especially important for ProSolo. Higher hp cars lose their hp advantage when it becomes traction limited; the Corvettes already struggle with too much power in the dry and it becomes even more difficult in the rain. Super wide Z06 tires will hydroplane easy, too.

As for the times... it's the best left and right of the weekend, not of the session, so despite kicking *** in the wet, you're still a tenth out of the trophies. It's only a tenth- can you find it tomorrow morning??

knfeparty

knfeparty

burglar

5 seconds? Were you paired with HS or SSC or something?

knfeparty

burglar

I mostly wanted to make that SSC joke.