Z06phile

Who else on here was there? There were 30+ drivers in Corvettes. This was my first tour in the Z06 and I finished about where I expected. My codriver grabbed the last trophy spot (4th) and I was 7th out of 13 in SSM.
The car felt great and I'm looking forward to learning how drive it faster.

Here's some videos. Please critique away!

Eric day 1:
2012 Dixie National Tour 72 SSM best run day 1 - YouTube
Eric day 2:
2012 Dixie National Tour 72 SSM best run day 2 - YouTube
Me day 1:
2012 Dixie National Tour 172 SSM best run day 1 - YouTube
Me day 2:
2012 Dixie Tour 172 SSM best run day 2 - YouTube
SSM class battle:
2012 Dixie Tour day 2 SSM 2nd drivers run 2 - YouTube

AverageVetteNut

There are a few on CF that were there I think. Some aren't in SS anymore though.

Congrats on running. I will be @ Peru and Maybe Devens, as well as Solo nats in August/september.

Han Solo

Looked like the starter was cutting things kind of close in the tail end of that last video. Too many cars on course for my taste.

69autoXr

Interesting layout. I've never seen a course crossover at the start and finish area like that before.

Alludc

ive heard many say it was a very odd design, not many cared for it. congrats on your 1st tour

edwardo99

I was there in a black FRC in RTR (AS). The course was very much transitional/maintain momentum both days. The starter sometimes let cars go too close the first day when they had the cross-over. A BS S2000 (driven great by Touissant) raw timed most of SS. An older Miata (Disimo) killed the S2000's in STR. It seemed like he never touched the brakes.

I drove like a jerk + car oversteered terribly, especially the first day. I lowered the rear for day 2... that helped, but still too high. (I got the car aligned after setting the ride height... didn't realize it could affect it so much.) I just got back from the garage.. lowered it a little more. Well see if I can get it to push a little this weekend! Then I know I've gone too far.

GTB/ZR-1

Okay, I was there--not in a Vette--but my big Datsun (gonna duck while you guys throw things @ me lol).


Hey Dan, great vids--thx for posting!

More & more seat time is what it takes to really get it--you'll definitely get there

That course was... uh... busy... And not big-car friendly w/ all of those slashing offsets...

Great seeing you again & meeting Eric.

Hope to see you again somewhere in the SE.

LehmanZ06

The course design was really good. There is not a great deal of variation due to the shape of the lot. That's the way it is at a lot of sites.

I was working course, (was announcing the first day, but must have "pissed" someone off, or maybe someone else wanted to do it for Sunday, but I was surprised when I was told to do something else for Sunday....whatever, working course was fun too.

Working the course I saw the Red SSM Vette with the square wing fly by, not sure what had been done to the car, but it looked good...not sure how prepared for the class it was. Watched the videos, they were really good. The slower of the two drivers seemed to have the car under TOO MUCH CONTROL......while the other driver was more aggressive, maybe too aggressive, but that was better than too little. Although watching from the course I didn't think either driver was over driving, but that was only from my vantage point on the front side right before the turnaround. The car looked good.

It was nice seeing Carpenter driving my old car, and then Jr's car broke. I heard George offered Jr to drive the GTR, but he declined and drove my old car. For an autox I am sure in the one run context that Jr had, he could adapt quicker to my old car than the GTR, as quick as George's car is, in an autox, my old car is quicker in transitions. But George's GTR picks up speed like a freight train without much drama. It was cool watching George's beautiful Red Beast.

I do like my new German SS ride, car talks to you through the steering wheel. Not as quick in 2nd as my ASP car was, and not as quick over all, as the Porsche is 300 lbs heavier than the Chevy. But the C5Z06 is an amazing overall package. I think the C5Z06 and C6Z06 are evenly matched in SS.

Braun in an Elise on that course would have pounded the Vettes. C6Z06 is a good autox car, and it takes skill to drive. I wish my buddy Craig Ellis would have come out, but stuff happened where he couldn't make it out. We go back and forth with a $20 bet every month at Gulfcoast autocrossers in Fort Myers FL, and I was looking for a chance to get the $20 back that I lost the week before to him.

Great weather, great people, great courses......the drive home sucked, but then it always does. Thank God my co-driver Hector helped with that. I told him, I was so tired that , "You better drive if you want to make it home alive", as I was ready to pass out.

AverageVetteNut

Got to watch the videos last night @ home. Like David said it was like night and day with you and your co-driver. I've had my C5Z for almost 4 years now and I'm still trying to 'get it'.
The car looked good and didn't seem to do anything crazy based aroudn driver input.
Watching Braun's videos .... holy cow that almost seemed in slow motion. Very fluid and no drama.
Hope Craig can get back out soon. Maybe he'll be able to make it to Lincoln in the fall.

Thanks again for posting the videos and good luck!

TedDBere

Just checking in...

...had my rebuilt shocks sitting on the shelf in the garage and ran two year old 60+ run tires with one of the groves worn off with the stock shocks.

Had a blast and earned my finish with the equipment I chose to run!

I loved the offsets but the rear was just too loose for the conditions and it was a challenge to keep it in a straight line. Time to put the rebuilt shocks back on....

Fun seeing everyone!

Z06phile

It was great seeing you again! Thanks for the tips on the course walk. I was working heat 2, so I got to watch the SM cars play. You and the GTR were getting it done Look for a PM.



Thanks for taking a look. I can say that was about all I had and I really felt like I would've been smackin' cones had I tried to go any faster. I was definitely holding the car back. It has insane power, grip and brakes! The only thing I think would've helped is a seat and harness. Maybe being thrown all around and having to support myself with the wheel makes me think I'm going faster than I really am.


With 7 or 8 runs I can get start to get it. That's what I'm used to in our small region. I just keep fixing things on each run until I get it right. I've got to really work on the course walks and running ballz out on run 1.

AverageVetteNut

Yeah, since I'm in SS, I don't get to change the seat. I haven't had all the issues with the seats moving/reclining on course, but I too have issues staying put in the seat.

I'm getting better at focusing during walks and not trying to memorize every inch. I walk 1-2 times checking things out and kinda just looking at visuals. The next walk I'm going slow and focusing on 'key cones/spots' and pavement issues and such. I do then one last walk just to check things out.

We get 6 runs locally, so I know what you mean abuot taking awhile to get it.

Keep at it and see you later in the year I hope.

rigit

these events are always so humbling for me. itsd mind boggling wondering where I left 2, 3, or even 4 seconds on the table to similarly.... or in several cases WAY less prepared vehicles.

This was my second event ever in the car. so I was learning as I went. And I left so much on the table Saturday just learning the car. I progressively kept pushing it harder and it never got out of shape. I come from a CSP miata too. so I am not used to that power level. although its a blast (literaly and figuratevley). it was a job muscling a big car through that. As for the car, it’s got what it takes. Tons of grip, and tons of power. Well balanced and neutral. Like dan said, if I had a half dozen runs I think I could have done much better.


quick recap of my SSM action.

day one, I porogressively got faster each run. never finding the limits of the car. aka pussyfootin around. Day two I started pushing much harder. my last run of day two. within striking distance of moving up a trophy spot in the reults, maybe two. Launch. I felt the clunk just like it dropped right into second gear. I dint know it wasn’t in gear until I came of the clutch and Vroom. “Dangit!”

The rest of the run I was cooking. I figured out how to go as fast as carter thompson now. Drive angry! After I missed that shift, I ran the course mad Did a 46.5 but DNF’d it. I was smoking through the whole thing, then as I came to the chute (over the road crown) I noticed a guy on course. And for a second I thought, “should I stop and get a rerun or is he clear, eh I am cooking and he is clear” ….. brake, cut the wheel, BAM two cones in the chute “DAGUMIT! Should have stopped for him, too late now.” So then I drove even more angry. Then missed the last wiggle cone on the finish slalom and got a DNF. But the time was a 46.5! almost two seconds faster than my previous run. made me wish I would have been driving a notch or two below angry the whole weekend.

I think the only way it could be better is if it was lighter and narrower. Which it can only go down to 2900lbs legally anyway and it can’t get narrower. BTW it weighed in at 3075lbs. Carters RX7 car was ~2550. And on the same tire setup 315/335-18’s. and physically a much smaller car. you can see it sitting in grid, its little. It is not much bigger than a Miata. So it weighs 500+ lbs lighter, smaller, same power yet more progressive. …. Uh yeah, it’s an overdog.

The Miata that was 2 &3 was the most non gay miata ever. Big supercharger, built motor. Put over 300HP to the wheels. weighted in at 2200lbs on 275’s with 15x10’s, good suspension, big honkin wing and splitter. And talented drivers too.