Another autocross FTD for my SC...

[Mercutio]

...but not with me driving, unfortunately. This time I let our local hot shoe co-drive with me since he's moving to San Diego and he needed a car to run this time out. We had a pretty good battle going, one beating the other through six runs. Entering the final run I had a 47.791 to his 47.469, and in trying to go balls out and beat him I ran a 47.396...and barely hit one of the last damn cone on the course for a 2-second penalty. On his last run he coned away a 47.2xx, but he held on for FTD and I had runner-up FTD. Our closest competitor in another car was again a Miata that ran 47.940. My co-driver has a history of beating people in their own cars (sometimes by 2-3 seconds), so at least I was within 5 tenths. It sucks to lose to your own car, but still: the SC gets another FTD.

[quick35th]

Off subject, did you fix your power steering issue?

Shane
Glynn Motorsports

ps, Congratulations on FTD. Time so start racing in another region and see what happens.

[Mercutio]

I made a band-aid fix for the power steering but I really do need to replace the pump. And I've run two national tours, so I know exactly what happens when I go up against real competition in better cars...I get my ~~~ handed to me.

[Mike8675309]

Sounds like the car is well worked out for the most part. With this experience do you see some clear paths to improve your times? Car things or Driver things?

[Mercutio]

I won't for a second say the car is perfect, but having a co-driver at the last event really helped. We were able to bounce ideas off each other and I found some good info on air pressure. Previously I had been running 38 PSI all the way around, but the more we lowered the rear air pressure (within reason) the faster the car got. We ended up with 37 front/35 rear and the car felt absolutely awesome at that point--very neutral, with no understeer but the rear was just lively enough to really help rotate the car through the corner. Based on this performance I will not be making equipment changes any time soon.

But the driver can always get better. I like to think I've got a decent handle on how to drive the car, but my co-driver proved that the car has more in it than I have found. I need to work on braking earlier, for example; it's just so tempting to rely on the car's power, dive into the corner and stand on the brakes when that's not necessarily the best way through that corner. Slow in, fast out...

[quick35th]

Will,

What shock package are you running?

Shane
Glynn Motorsports

[Mercutio]

Koni yellows, which I set to full firm.

[quick35th]

Koni yellows, which I set to full firm.

How do you like them set to full firm? Have you tried any other combination of settings on the shocks?

Shane
Glynn Motorsports

[Mercutio]

I don't play with the shocks too much. It's just about impossible to try to precisely adjust any adjustable shock and reach any kind of consistency. Without a shock dyno I figure full firm is going to be more consistent from shock to shock than ~1/2 or 3/4 turn down. The only real adjustments I make at the track are for air pressure, and I try not to fiddle with that much either. With only 3 runs at a national tour I think it's better to leave the car alone and concentrate on driving better rather than making changes unless something is drastically, obviously wrong. Otherwise it's too hard to tell if you get faster from one run to another based on better driving or the changes you make. Besides, these are big cars, they need a lot of damping. Your car may like a little less shock; I base my settings on a race weight of around 3850 with me in the car, 3650 or so without me.

[quick35th]

Hmm what springs are you running?

Shane
Glynn Motorsports

[Mercutio]

Eibach for now, but I have Suspension Techniques in the garage.