Yeah, but you also have to understand that I've been in racing long enough to win my share and then some. The most fun race I've ever been in I lost. It sounds strange, but it's true. I was on top of my driving, and the guy I was tied in points with was on top of his, and we went out and literally swapped the lead just about every lap. We were wheel to wheel, down and dirty road-course racing, and nothing could have been better. His tires started fading and I passed him in the corner we'd been swapping at all day, he cut course and took both of us out. At that point I'd never won a race, he robbed me of my first victory [and consequently the track championship that year it turns out], and emotions ran hot as we rolled through the checkers as the backmarkers, but looking back on that race, I'd never had to work so hard on my setup to get that good, I was finally close enough to worry him, and it was a true driver's duel, so even though he caused me to lose, I won.

I've never really had that feeling since. I've learned how to do race setups in my sleep, but when I'm driving and the setup is perfect, it really does me no good if I just go out and outrun everyone by a full lap. I'm a wheel-to-wheel driver, and I believe I always will be, autocross is fun, but it's not quite the same thrill as looking over at the other driver at the apex wheel to wheel wondering who is going to keep their handling better and come out in the lead. The last real season I ran, my real two choices as I saw them were to change my setup to slow myself down, or to outrun everyone so bad that I would get a lot of comments on my driving, I did a little of both...

[/rideless driver rant]

 

Well spoken. I hear you about the wheel to wheel stuff. I just wish I had a Solo 1 license and a car equipped for it.

 

...its also not quite as expensive (auto x). I look forward to the days when I have more time and $ to devote to racing. nice rant tho, you've sparked my anticipation :thumbup:

 

I'm running 56F/41R, tires are 205/50/15 Azenis. We run a smooth asphalt lot for the most part.

 

Alright, so everyone and their brother is running WAAAAAY higher pressures than I am running. I chalked my tires and they were rolling over PERFECT. Now I know it was already said that if it works.........use it, but I am wondering, are you guys doing the same and/or are you using a pyrometer as CivicSiRacer suggested?

And if you are all doing it the right way, which I think I can safely assume you are, is there some untapped potential still left in my car by running that high of pressures?

BTW, I am asking all of this because unfortunately, the next time I will get to autocross is in Hawaii in about December. And they "autocross" on a road course, where I will need all the help I can get. My car no likee long straights, need curvees..

 

I always use white shoe polish since I read tires more than rely on a pyrometer. Basically, as long as you are getting a nice, even wear, with the tire rolling over nicely, the tire is working as it should. If it looks like the edges are rolling rubber more than the center, you need to bump the pressures a pound or two, and if the center looks like it's been spit-shined, you might be running pressures too high. Of course, a pyrometer will tell you the same thing, but I'm kinda used to tweaking setups on slicks with little time to heat them up and measure

 

time to seek out better competition maybe?

I'm not sure how it is over on AL but in Nor Cal, we get nearly 300cars for 1 event. Smaller ones are 200~150cars.

In so cal about 150 is a big event.

So because there are so many cars, most people only get 3 runs. 4 if you're lucky. It's also the same batch of people most of the time too. But at least in my class "SS" when you're running against people with front tires as wide as your rear and they're on R compounds... well I'm just out there to have fun


as for tire pressure I run 35front and 38 rear. on stock dunflops

 

Well thanks to Uncle Sam, I am seeking new competition. I will arrive in Hawaii the first week of November, just in time to catch the next autocross over there. But once more, I will only see the same 20-30 faces every month over there. That is going to be the only bad part of being over there, no new faces, except for new import oriented military folks.