Stinkin' Cones

[scapamouche]

I just got the results from my last autocross in the mail.

The last event was a lot of fun, and my car drove like a dream on a very tight course.

I had the TWO fastest times in my class, with a raw margin of .6 seconds over the next fastest car.

And I hit cones on BOTH RUNS. Cost me the class win!!!! And I usually seem to never hit any cones!!!!

I'm really irritated by this. Not that it's anyone's fault but my own. Oh well, I hope to do better next time.

[scapamouche]

Anyone know why a local club would use a different PAX index for one class?

At the local NASA events which use SCCA PAX values, STS is indexed with the STX value. I haven't seen any other class get handicapped this way. There aren't any STS drivers in a position to dominate the place here. No one up to the level of Richard West, for example.

It doesn't really matter, but I find it irritating anyway.

[Raymund]

I don't know much about the classings in autoX but a close friend of mine who used to run in STS with a prelude SH just gut bumped into STX. they moved him due to his atts differential. he was last years regional champ and this last sunday he was 10sec behind the WRXs running his class. he's so bummed that he is thinking of swapping cars with his wife's integra to stay in STS

anyways, it sounds like you were pretty close.

[scapamouche]

He shouldn't have been bumped. STS rules didn't change. STX allows aftermarket LSDs. STOCK, factory intalled LSDs are still legal in STS, I think!!

[Raymund]

yeah but since he is winning they changed the rules. haha!! at least in his region

[scapamouche]

hmmmm................

[NoCones]

I think there's been some controversy over the ATTS in the Prelude. There was some discussion of this on SCCAforums...try this link:

http://www.sccaforums.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000264.html

Not all stock LSD's are ok for STS...only the viscous type are ok...for example, helical units like the one in the Type R are not allowed.

[scapamouche]

interesting.

I always theought ATTS WAS a differential.

I'm still irritated by the STX indexing, though.

[Al2ktoy]

Andy,

Dennis and Peggy Hale who run the NASA auto-x events in our region don't always conform to SCCA indexes or rules (or any outsiders ideas). :) If you talk with them personally, they are open-minded enough to change their minds.

Also, I think it's time for you to make the drive up north to San Francisco. At our last event, we had 12 Celica drivers. 10 in STS, 1 in DS and 1 in GS. STS with its Novice class had 41 drivers! 292 drivers in total.

http://www.sfrscca.org/solo2/Results/2002/Championship/round1.html

I will be down there in a few weeks at the Saturday, NASA auto-x school, the next day there is a NASA and SCCA auto-x event! :) Do the both events with me. Run NASA in the morning and make the 1 hr. 15 min drive up north, in time to run SCCA STS in the afternoon.

-Alan

[scapamouche]

Did you just register here for the first time, Alan?

I thought you'd been here for a while.

As for Dennis and Peggy, I'll have a chat with them at the school. My wife and I are doing both the school and the sunday autox.

I don't know if I'll be able to run up north for anoter autox that weekend. Depends on the school workload.

Since when does the SF club allow non SCCA members? The website has SCCA only blazoned all over it. One reason why I haven't even tried to go up there.

[nxracer]

The Official 2002 PAX/RTP index is posted here (http://www.scca-chicago.com/solo/indexes/rtp02.html).

If a local club wants to use it and "change the numbers" it is requested they also change the name.

Does this NASA group have a web site so a complaint can be filed?

[scapamouche]

Nowhere on the results sheet does it actually say 'PAX' so I guess they're in the clear as far as that goes.

I'll just ask them what's up next time I see them. I was hoping you all might have some idea why they would make the change. As I said above, it's not like there is a destabilizing effect pushing STS cars to the top, not with the level of drivers here.

[Al2ktoy]

Originally posted by scapamouche
Did you just register here for the first time, Alan?

I thought you'd been here for a while.

As for Dennis and Peggy, I'll have a chat with them at the school. My wife and I are doing both the school and the sunday autox.

I don't know if I'll be able to run up north for anoter autox that weekend. Depends on the school workload.

Since when does the SF club allow non SCCA members? The website has SCCA only blazoned all over it. One reason why I haven't even tried to go up there.

1) I registered under my old name a while back, 2kcel4al, I'll keep this one for awhile. I visit this place often when it isn't down or it isn't really slow. It's too bad, this has to be one of the best places to get auto-x info for the 2000+ Celica and this board is a bit slow.

I'm in the lurker mode once in awhile. :)

2) Early last year, I asked Dennis Hale while they don't run a STS class, he said that not many drivers are in that class and run just the regular Street Tire class instead.

3) NX (Mark), here's NorCal NASA site: http://nasax.onth.com/nasa.php and the schedule site:
http://www.geocities.com/nasa_autox/

Now, if you look at 2002 round one results, you will indeed see a PAX index time:

http://www.geocities.com/nasa_autox/2002/nasa-1-results.html

Dennis Hale's e-mail address: dhale_510@yahoo.com

4) Andy, yes you would have to be a SCCA member to run SF Bay Area events. Here are some of the reason's why (according to the SFR Steering Committee):

a) Behavorial crowd control: They don't want people showing up and doing donuts and burn-outs. Sites are very hard to come by, the recent closing of airport lots just makes it a bit harder.
b) As in any club, 90% just come out and play, 10% do all the work.
c) Fast results! They are done in a few days on the web. Our scorer has a database and just plugs in the times, then passes the information to the web master to post quickly. Our local NASA takes about 2 weeks and you have to wait for the results in the mail!
d) The goal of the region is to train drivers to move forward to the next level, i.e. National Tour, Pro, ect. I don't know other regions around the country do this, but our region is nice enough to refund the $90 entrance fee for Nationals if it's your first time. Anyways, you have to be a SCCA member to run these events in the first place.

Andy, you should come up and drive, and use it as a local benchmark in STS. Also, the competition is a little better than NASA. Plus, the SCCA is running a few events in the early summer months at Marina.

-Alan

[nxracer]

Alan,
Thanks for the links. Since they don't really support STS it's not really changing the number. All they are doing is making legal STS cars run STX. Weird but whatever.

[scapamouche]

well, even if I applied tomorrow, I wouldn't get my card in time for the feb 17 event. I probably will apply anyway, but I don't see myself running on the 17th, even if my schedule permits.